Earthen Pots or Cooling Flasks: What's good for holding a drop of cold water?

Do you recall visiting rural areas during summer time or traditional houses and being asked to drink a glass of water from earthen pots or served cold water straight from large earthen barrels? Cut to modern day households where everyone carries a cold flask in their handbag or backpacks to keep water cooler. While both are utilised for keeping water cold, have you ever wondered which one to give more preference. Here are some quick pros and cons of each that you must be mindful of while choosing the right type of storage.

Earthen Pots or Cooling Flask, who wins the ‘cold water’ game?

Earthen Pots or popularly known as Matka or clay pots provide natural cooling to the water. The water, which is cooled through evaporation, is often pleasant to drink, cooler than room temperature but definitely not ice cold. As these pots are made of clay, they are naturally bio-degradable and sustainable. Moreover, they do not need any electricity to function. Many times, the natural minerals and nutrients of the clay and earthen pots can dissolve in the water, enriching it for better digestion.

Just as anything has its pros and cons, earthen pots have three major disadvantages. First, they need to be handled very carefully since they are inherently very fragile. Second, they need to be cleaned at least three to four times a week so that there is no settlement of algae, molds or fungus. Third, these are stationery storage and are not portable.

Cooling flasks which come in various sizes and look way fancier than the earth coloured pots, are easily portable, fits perfectly in handbags and backpacks and is known to keep water cool for almost 12-24 hours. Since they are made from stainless steel, they are quite sturdy and do not get damaged easily. Moreover they are easy to clean. But, those flasks made with plastic pose a threat to the environment when it comes to disposing them. The raw materials of the cooling flasks in no way contribute to the upliftment of water quality. In terms of cost price, these flasks can be expensive.

So what should you opt for?

Depending on the purpose you can choose your water storage this summer. For eco-friendly and mild cooling, preferably at stationed places, earthen pots work best. And while travelling and long term cold water retention, cooling flask aces the game.