Where Can I Buy Dry Ice? (10 Places)

A spectacular complement to any event is dry ice. This guide contains all the information you need to know about where to acquire it, how to make it, use it, and keep it.

Dry ice, which is frequently confused with its cold cousin, liquid nitrogen, is merely carbon dioxide that has been cooled and condensed.

When it reaches room temperature and pressure, it immediately sublimates into carbon dioxide gas without melting first.

The average temperature of dry ice, which is quite cold, is -109.3 degrees Fahrenheit.

Carbon dioxide can be found in solid form as dry ice.

Since CO2 does not have a liquid state at normal atmospheric pressure and instead sublimates immediately from the solid state to the gas state, it is frequently employed for short-term refrigeration.

Dry ice can be used to solidify oil spills, flash-freeze food or biological samples in a lab, carbonate beverages, manufacture ice cream, halt ice sculptures and ice walls from melting, and carbonate beverages.

Here is a list of locations where you can purchase dry ice if you’re wondering where to buy it.

Places You Can Buy Dry Ice From

Receiving the dry ice delivered to your home is preferable because you won’t need to handle it that way.

You can try your local stores, though, if you need it quickly and can’t wait to have it delivered directly to your house. You can get it from a variety of sources.

1. Grocery Stores

Dry ice is now readily available at larger food stores across the United States. However, you won’t find it in stores or shacks.

If you need something specific, go to Walmart, Costco, or even Publix. Safeway and Acme Markets are other excellent choices.

You can also check out other supermarkets from well-known companies, including Kroger, Weis Markets, Ralphs, Tom Thumb, WinCo Foods, Smiths, and Vons. Additionally, Giant and Whole Foods have just recently begun offering dry ice blocks.

2. Ice Companies

Dry ice is produced by many ice producers for both home and industrial uses.

And it’s likely that your city has ice companies that you aren’t even aware of. To find one, you might attempt the Yellow Pages or search your city’s specialized social media pages.

You could use well-known ice businesses like Dry Ice Corp and Dry Ice Delivered. These businesses take significant steps to ensure safe delivery, besides providing a lower price.

Try other specialized businesses like Continental Carbonic and Airgas if you live outside of these two companies’ serviceable areas.

The only drawback is that you must place bulk orders.

3. Online Dry Ice Sellers

There are several dry ice vendors who only do business online. You can search for dry ice on Amazon or other well-known online retailers.

You may also search for dry ice on Flipkart if you’re an Indian! However, before purchasing a product, read the reviews and ratings.

Dry Ice Delivered and Dry Ice Direct are two current internet retailers that specialize in dry ice.

You can try a variety of home and commercial ice makers, like Ice Factory Online and The Iceman.

Praxair, a producer of industrial gases, provides dry ice to all areas of the United States and a few other nations.

4. Gas Stations

However, your neighborhood gas station does indeed sell dry ice. However, since they don’t supply thick gloves as supermarkets do, you must handle it all by yourself.

The best chance of getting it is to stop by one of the Speedways or Maverik-affiliated petrol stations in your area.

You may check out franchises like Sheetz, Hy-Vee Gas, or even Wawa.

High-quality dry ice blocks are also available from convenience stores, including QuikTrip, Weigel’s, and 7-Eleven.

It is preferable to call and inquire about their current inventory before visiting these petrol stations to learn more.

5. Some FedEx And UPS Stores

Two of the most dependable delivery companies in the US are FedEx and UPS.

You’ll be astonished to learn that a few of these two companies’ franchises provide dry ice, though. It is mostly used for packing.

They sell dry ice, which may be used to package and send products like fresh fish, meat, and other frozen goods, clearly for a price; it is not at all free.

To handle those, though, you must have your own gloves, unlike at supermarkets.

Even while dry ice is primarily sold for packing, it is completely acceptable to take a block or two and utilize it at home.

6. Butcher Shops

I asked one of my coworkers where I could find dry ice packs close by, and she suggested going to a butcher store.

Up until you approach them, it looks impractical. Dry ice is really sold in a lot of butcher shops.

To keep their cold meats fresh, they primarily purchase dry ice in bulk. Additionally, they keep raw meats, sausages, hams, and salamis in them.

Additionally, it is frequently used to keep smoked foods. However, they frequently acquire extra dry ice.

So, if you’re fortunate, you might be able to receive some money from them. However, watch out for contaminated food.

7. Local Ice Companies

Your city might have local businesses that sell dry ice.

For instance, one of the largest producers and sellers of dry ice in the Midwest is Arctic Ice. They provide dry ice for sale in bulk or in smaller blocks of 5 or 10 pounds.

The following local dry ice businesses may have branches close to you:

CK Supply

Penguin Brand Dry Ice

Arctic Ice Inc

Airgas Dry Ice

How to Make Homemade Dry Ice

Homemade Dry Ice Materials

CO2 fire extinguisher or carbon dioxide tank.

Cloth bag

Heavy-duty gloves.

Duct tape (optional)

Fire extinguishers that use carbon dioxide are marked as such.

Assume that a fire extinguisher contains something else if it doesn’t specifically state “carbon dioxide” and that it won’t function for this project.

Make Dry Ice

The only thing left to do is let the gas out of pressure and gather the dry ice.

You should use a fabric bag because it will let the carbon dioxide gas escape, leaving only the dry ice behind.

Don the protective gloves. You don’t want the dry ice to cause frostbite on your skin!

Put the CO2 tank or fire extinguisher nozzle inside the cloth bag.

Either tape the bag to the nozzle or clamp your gloved hand around the bag’s mouth. Your gloved hand should not touch the nozzle.

Release the fire extinguisher’s pressure or partially release the valve if you’re using a CO2 canister. The bag will start to generate dry ice right away.

Close the valve or turn the fire extinguisher off.

Shake the bag gently to remove the dry ice from the nozzle. You can use your dry ice after removing the bag.

Dry ice sublimates quickly, but by keeping the bag in the freezer, you can lengthen its shelf life.

Safety Measures

Skin immediately freezes when it comes into touch with dry ice. Take extra care to keep your hand away from the CO2 tank outlet or the mouth of the fire extinguisher.

Avoid eating dry ice. Avoid getting dry ice in your mouth if you use it to chill beverages. Dry ice cannot be consumed.

As dry ice sublimates, pressure is produced. Dry ice shouldn’t be kept in a sealed container since it can burst.

Packing Dry Ice

Dry ice is a solid form of carbon dioxide.

Therefore, you will want to be careful when you pack and transport the dry ice. Here are some tips to ensure that you safely transport your dry ice:

1. Get a proper container for the product, especially if you are buying dry ice from a supermarket or grocery store.

Ensure that the bottom of the container is strong enough to hold the dry ice if you are buying in large amounts.

2. Make sure that you are using the right materials for your dry ice container.

It is recommended that you use a good quality filter board (corrugated cardboard). Other options include plastic or wooden boxes.

It is not recommended that you use steel drums or jerry cans.

3. It is also recommended that you add a layer of styrofoam outside of the original container.

This is especially true if you are going to mail or ship the dry ice. Make sure that the styrofoam is at least two inches in thickness.

How to Use Dry Ice

You may be familiar with the use of dry ice for summer beverage cooling or for creating fog effects for Halloween.

There are various uses for dry ice, and it will come in handy if your freezer malfunctions.

Dry ice is the name for carbon dioxide in solid form; as it melts, it transforms back into colorless, odorless carbon dioxide gas.

As long as you adhere to safety guidelines when handling and storing dry ice, it can be used effectively for a variety of tasks.

Amass your resources. In normal temperatures, your dry ice will produce fog, but to produce powerful fog effects, you’ll need to be ready.

Most neighborhood grocery and convenience stores sell dry ice.

1. Using Dry Ice for Fog Effects

Set up the container. Adding hot tap water and dry ice together can produce a strong, densely enveloping fog effect.

Fog will be thinner and wispier when it is produced by cool water or water that has cooled after being added to dry ice.

As much hot water as you can manage to put in your water container.

You don’t have to boil your water, but the more heat the water has, the thicker the fog will be.

Keep water damage at bay.

The process of sublimation, in which dry ice reacts by converting back to carbon dioxide, can cause the water in your container to bubble ferociously and even cause some of the water to splash out.

Put a covering behind your water container or set it somewhere where water that leaks from it won’t cause damage.

Your fog’s carrying air also contains moisture, which can make floors slippery. You must take the correct medication.

Calculate your ratios. Your fog effect will be enhanced if the dry ice-to-water ratio is correct.

Add 5 to 10 pounds of dry ice to 4 to 8 gallons of hot water to create a thick fog that lasts for 15 minutes.

To prevent slipping, the optimal ratio for making fog is roughly one-half gallon of hot water for every pound of dry ice.

2. Handling Dry Ice

Purchase your dry ice as soon as feasible before use.

This is crucial because, in a typical insulated container, dry ice expands from a solid to a gas at a rate of five to ten pounds per 24 hours.

If you purchase it too early, you might miss your chance to utilize it before it expires.

Use dry ice with caution.

To prevent hand burns from dry ice, use oven mitts, insulated gloves, or thick towels when handling it.

A dry ice thermometer reads -109 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 79 degrees C). The burn that dry ice produces resembles frostbite.

In a vehicle with good ventilation, transport dry ice.

Carbon dioxide, which makes up dry ice, is toxic to humans in high or concentrated doses.

Carbon dioxide poisoning can occur if too much dry ice gas gathers in a limited area.

When carrying dry ice, keep the windows of your car open.

You can enclose the insulated container in which you intend to transport your dry ice with a sleeping bag or other similar insulating materials.

You should open your window to let out any carbon dioxide fumes if you plan to spend more than 10 minutes inside your car (not including the trunk).

Store dry ice in an area with sufficient airflow. It shouldn’t be kept in a confined area where the gas can gather and become hazardous.

Keep dry ice in an area with good airflow. Newspaper and Styrofoam make good insulators for keeping your dry ice cold.

In low locations, use caution since carbon dioxide gas is heavier than air and tends to settle close to the ground.

Dry ice should be disposed of by allowing it to liquefy again.

Don’t put it in the trash, the sewer, the sink, or the bathtub; instead, leave it out at room temperature.

You should be careful not to leave dry ice to evaporate somewhere that kids or animals could touch because doing so can harm your pipes.

You might let your dry ice vaporize in the following places:

At the sink.

In the bathtub or shower.

Better ventilation outside, away from animals and children, is the greatest strategy to stop CO2 buildup in low areas.

3. Using Dry Ice for Freezing Berries

Get your flash-freeze equipment.

Berries and other delicate fruit require a lot of freezer space to freeze and risk having food that has freezer burn. 

Bushels of your berries will be frozen in no time thanks to this easy and quick procedure.

Clean the berries off completely.

Before freezing your food, be sure all dirt, bacteria, and other pollutants have been completely eliminated.

When you’re done, place the fruit on a towel and let it air dry for a short while.

Transfer your berries after crushing your dry ice.

Once the berries have dried, you may transfer them to your bowl in order to get ready to mix them with the dry ice.

Take the dry ice out of its package and smash it into little bits with a hammer.

It is advised that you wear a face shield and goggles to protect your eyes and face if there is a chance that while breaking your ice, it can chip or fly off erratically.

Add the dry ice to the fruit salad and toss. To do this, you will need your insulated gloves.

Once the ice has been broken up into manageable chunks, remove the dry ice box while wearing gloves and mix it into the basin.

Use your stainless steel spoon to gently swirl the berries and ice until the ice is evenly dispersed throughout the berries.

Put the bowl in a secure location.

A buildup of carbon dioxide that could harm your container could result from placing your bowl in a small, unventilated container.

In certain situations, frozen berries can be kept in a plastic baggie for up to a year or longer.

You can think about freezing your berries and putting them in your sink or a sizable cooler (Styrofoam works nicely).

If you leave your berries and dry ice out in the open, use caution. Playing with or attempting to eat dry ice could result in injury to children or small animals.

Conclusion

Where you live and how much dry ice you need will determine the best spot to get it.

The grocery shop is your best bet if you simply need a little quantity of dry ice to throw in a cooler or use for a school science project.

There, you can probably get dry ice for less than $3 a pound (most bags are a pound each).

However, you ought to be careful not to get too exposed to dry ice as it can cause breathing problems.

CSN Team.