Large Insulated Shopping Totes

Our favorite insulated shopping bag, the Rachael Ray ChillOut Thermal Tote, is available in a larger version that can hold twice as many grocery items as the original. Intrigued to see how it actually works, we put the Rachael Ray Jumbo ChillOut Thermal Tote to the test.

We stuffed the bag with 25 pounds of heavy and bulky grocery items. Then we took the bag for a 10-minute walk to find out if it was comfortable to carry around. We also measured how long the tote could keep milk at a food-safe temperature (40 degrees Fahrenheit) in a room-temperature environment. We weighed down the bag with 25 pounds of nonperishable items for 24 hours to see if it retained its shape. And we checked to see how easy the bag was to clean after smearing the interior with yellow mustard, milk, food coloring, and olive oil and waiting 48 hours.

The Jumbo successfully kept the milk cold for more than 2 hours and was spacious enough for bulky grocery items, such as two 12-inch frozen pizzas. It also maintained its shape after being weighed down for 24 hours. 

However, the Jumbo has one small issue: Even after we cleaned it, the bag retained some odors after we smeared it with food. But we think it’s a minor flaw, and not one that detracts from the ability of the bag to keep food cold and safe for long periods of time. 

If you’re looking for a larger tote to accompany your grocery runs, we think this is a great option. Its two-sheet foam insulation can keep your groceries cold for an extended period of time, and it’s spacious for large hauls. Plus, it can be easily folded up for storage.