Have you every used dryice at a party?

Question

i'm having my son's birthday party at the park. we're going to bbq. is it a good idea to keep the meat and icecream om dryice?

Answer 1

Yes, I have. Use with caution, and do not let anyone have any prolonged contact with it as it can cause frostbite that will result in blisters and burn like symptoms. It works though, so handle with insulated gloves.

Answer 2

It'll work, but be careful.  It will burn your skin if you come in contact with it.

Answer 3

Dry ice isn't necessary, actually, and will freeze the meat and ice cream into solid rocks if you leave it on there for any decent period of time.

Regular ice will keep it closer to the correct temperature.  However, it melts faster, so if you're going to be outside for a long time before eating it, you could put the meat and ice cream on dry ice for the start of the day, and take it out to thaw in the ice later.  Keep in mind that something that actually freezes on dry ice is much colder than something frozen in your freezer, so it will probably work better for ice cream than for meat, which has to be completely thawed or you run the risk of feeding meat that is raw in the center.  Ice cream just has to soften.

Also, the warnings of the other answerers are important.  Long skin contact will "burn", and is dangerous, and you should consider transporting it using something like oven mitts to protect your hands.