AmazingRibs.com is supported by our Pitmaster Club. Also, when you buy with links on our site we may earn a finder’s fee. Click to see how we test and review products.

Kong 50 Quart Cooler Review

Share on:
kong 50 quart cooler

Quality and attention to detail are the cornerstones of these coolers.

In the market for a quality high-end cooler? The Kong 50-quart cooler is a great option.

A relatively new player in the cooler field, Elkhart Products only began making and distributing Kong rotomolded coolers in early summer 2017. Elkhart, one of America’s largest custom rotational molding companies has over 30 years’ experience manufacturing custom and on-the-shelf plastic water and holding tanks and other molded products. Like the Cabela’s cooler we reviewed here, when the lid closes you hear a noticeable hiss as the interior is pressurized.

Kong Cooler latch

These coolers feature multiple tie-down points, multiple rotomolded pass-throughs, a clever system of multiple watertight compartments separated by dividers which double as cutting boards, molded lock eyelets,and a dual breather, rapid drain system. They are BPA free and include multiple holes for locking.

Kong Cooler brunch guard

The Kong is available in four color schemes, and are IGBC (Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee) certified against destruction by grizzly bears.

Kong Cooler handle

Test Details:

Ice retention. Ice lasted for 12.5 days.

Heat retention. Ham temperature dropped to 145˚F in 4 hrs.

Leakage/Dropped Damage. Did not leak when turned over on its side or top, or dropped from pickup truck, with only light abrasions on two corners and one side.

Hinges, latches and lid. Features top down pressure applying latches, and the lid is comfortable and safe to either sit or stand on.

Drain efficiency and speed. :50 seconds, with no water remaining. Drain plug has no attaching lanyard and could be misplaced.

Handles. Rigid, padded molded Bearpaw™ handles fold out of the way.

Dimensions. 30.5”L x 17.2”W x 17”H

Weight. 32 lbs.

Extras. “Krush Guards” (rubber devices to prevent a dropped lid from smashing fingers). Cooler can be divided into three compartments. When placed against a wall, the Kong lid still can open to 45˚ without moving the base.

Cost. Approx. $269.

Warranty. Limited lifetime warranty.

Click here to check prices and to purchase on Amazon.

Haven't found what you want?
Click the buttons below to search our complete database of reviews:

Product Information:

Published On: 3/20/2018 Last Modified: 3/5/2021

  • Rick Browne, Ph.B. -

    Rick Browne does product testing and recipes. A renowned TV cooking show host, photojournalist, and author of 16 barbecue books, he was the creator, host, and executive producer of public television’s popular Barbecue America TV series, a cooking and travelogue highlighting the world’s outdoor culinary landscape. It has aired on more than 230 stations.

    Browne has [...]


 

High quality websites are expensive to run. If you help us, we’ll pay you back bigtime with an ad-free experience and a lot of freebies!

Millions come to AmazingRibs.com every month for high quality tested recipes, tips on technique, science, mythbusting, product reviews, and inspiration. But it is expensive to run a website with more than 2,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner to subsidize us.

Our most important source of sustenance is people who join our Pitmaster Club. But please don’t think of it as a donation. Members get MANY great benefits. We block all third-party ads, we give members free ebooks, magazines, interviews, webinars, more recipes, a monthly sweepstakes with prizes worth up to $2,000, discounts on products, and best of all a community of like-minded cooks free of flame wars. Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial, and help keep this site alive.


Post comments and questions below

grouchy?

1) Please try the search box at the top of every page before you ask for help.

2) Try to post your question to the appropriate page.

3) Tell us everything we need to know to help such as the type of cooker and thermometer. Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F so if you are not using a good digital thermometer we probably can’t help you with time and temp questions. Please read this article about thermometers.

4) If you are a member of the Pitmaster Club, your comments login is probably different.

5) Posts with links in them may not appear immediately.

Moderators

  Max

Click to comment or ask a question...

Spotlight

These are not paid ads, they are a curated selection of products we love.

All of the products below have been tested and are highly recommended. Click here to read more about our review process.

Use Our Links To Help Keep Us Alive

Many merchants pay us a small referral fee when you click our “buy now” links. This has zero impact on the price you pay but helps support the site.