Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide, and it sits at about minus 109 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 78.5 Celsius). That one number decides where to buy dry ice, how much to get, and how you carry it home. Handled with gloves and airflow, it is the cleanest coolant sold at retail, because it turns to gas and leaves no puddle.
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Solid CO2 Explained, and Why People Buy It
It does not melt. Dry ice sublimates directly from a solid to a gas, a phase change called sublimation that releases carbon dioxide gas and leaves nothing behind. That is why buyers pick it over water ice or normal ice: no meltwater, no soggy cardboard, and a low temperature no home freezer can reach. It is much colder than the cold packs in a lunch cooler, which makes it a strong cooling agent and a hazard on bare skin.
Commercial plants make it by releasing pressurized liquid CO2, which flashes into snow that is pressed into blocks or extruded into small pellets. The French chemist Adrien-Jean-Pierre Thilorier first documented the solid in 1835. Home methods yield very little for the risk, so buying it is the practical route.
The main uses:
- Keeping a freezer full of frozen food safe through a power outage.
- Shipping perishables, from game meat to biological samples.
- Low-lying dry ice fog for a Halloween party or haunted house.
- Coolers for campers, caterers, and tailgaters with no refrigeration.
- Classrooms and labs, where it is used in experiments as a cooling bath.
- Dry ice blasting, a form of blast cleaning that leaves no grit or water behind.
Where to Buy Dry Ice Near You
Availability is decided store by store, not chain by chain, so call before you drive. Some retailers also set a minimum purchase age and will ask for ID.
Walmart
Walmart, the largest brick-and-mortar retailer in the United States, is the most common consumer source at select stores, usually in a freezer bin near the checkout lanes, not the frozen aisle. Check their site, then phone to confirm.
Grocery Chains: Kroger, Safeway, Publix, and More
Select Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, Meijer, H-E-B, Publix, and Smart & Final locations carry it in some markets and not others, usually in a chest freezer near the front doors. Ask at the service desk. Some Costco warehouses stock it too, worth a call when you need a larger order.
Welding and Industrial Gas Suppliers
This channel is usually the better buy. Airgas sells it through its branch network, Linde (formerly Praxair) supplies carbon dioxide commercially, and Continental Carbonic distributes regionally. Ask about block sizes and minimum orders. These are the same counters that fill helium tanks for balloons and sell butane and other pressurized fuels.
Buying Online: Couriers, Locators, and Gear
Order online only when nothing local stocks it or you need a guaranteed amount on a fixed date, because dry ice shipping means paying for product that sublimates in transit.
Dry Ice Delivered
This shipper serves residential addresses across the United States and lets you pick a delivery date. Check their coverage and cutoff times, and ask how they account for transit loss.
Penguin Brand Dry Ice
Penguin Brand stocks many supermarket freezer bins, and its store locator tool saves phoning six stores in a row.
Amazon
Amazon does not ship the product itself, but it is the easiest place to buy the gear: insulated gloves, tongs, coolers. Browse the related listings before pickup day.
| Channel | Form | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grocery and big-box | Small blocks, chest freezer | One cooler or party | Varies by store, thin near Halloween |
| Welding and gas suppliers | Blocks or nuggets by the pound | Bulk orders, best price | Weekday hours, often technical grade |
| Shipped to your door | Nuggets in an insulated carton | No local source, fixed date | Highest cost, transit loss |
How Much Does Dry Ice Cost?
It sells by the pound, and the price per pound drops as the order grows. As of September 2026, supermarket and warehouse freezer chests have sat broadly in the $1 to $3 per pound range. Gas suppliers usually beat that on larger orders but rarely post prices, so call for a quote. Shipping is the premium tier, since carriers charge for hazardous materials handling.
How Much Dry Ice to Buy, and When
Blocks Versus Nuggets
Blocks have less exposed surface area, so they last longer and suit a cooler that must stay cold overnight. Pellets pack around irregular items and make fog faster, but they disappear sooner.
Matching the Amount to the Hours
A day-trip cooler, a shipped carton of frozen food, and a stage effect are three different orders of magnitude. Suppliers quote loss rates of several pounds a day from a standard chest, so describe the job at the counter and add a margin. Insulate the container well: thick foam slows sublimation more than anything else you control. Cold air sinks, so it works best when dry ice is placed on top of what you are chilling.
Buy It the Day You Need It
You cannot stockpile it. Dry ice naturally sublimates into carbon dioxide from the moment it is made, at any temperature a home can provide. Buying two days early is the most expensive mistake first-timers make. And if it will sit next to food, ask for food grade; welding suppliers also stock technical grade meant for cleaning and blasting.
How to Handle Dry Ice Safely
Two rules prevent nearly every injury tied to dry ice handling: no bare skin, no airtight containers. The New York State Department of Health safety sheet and the Cornell environmental health and safety tip sheet agree, and OSHA treats elevated carbon dioxide levels as a workplace hazard.
- Always wear insulated gloves, and use tongs when handling dry ice. Direct contact with dry ice causes a cold burn that behaves like frostbite. Thin kitchen or latex gloves are not protective equipment.
- Never use a sealed container. As the solid turns to carbon dioxide gas it expands enormously, and a latched cooler, glass jar, or capped bottle can rupture violently. Premium coolers with rubber gaskets need the lid left unlatched and slightly ajar.
- Ventilation comes first. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and will displace oxygen, so a buildup of carbon dioxide in a basement, walk-in cooler, closet, or car is the real hazard. Use dry ice only in a well-ventilated space.
- Treat the ride home as a confined space. Use the trunk or crack the windows, and unload on arrival. Headache, dizziness, or shortness of breath signal overexposure to carbon dioxide (hypercapnia), so get to fresh air immediately.
- Keep it away from mouths and children. Never let kids handle it unsupervised.
- Dispose of dry ice by letting it sublimate. Set leftovers in a well-ventilated room or outdoors, away from pets. Never put it down a sink, a toilet, or a closed bin.
Best Places to Buy Dry Ice Right Now
- Best for convenience: Walmart or your local supermarket. One stop, small quantities, retail pricing.
- Best price per pound: a welding or industrial gas supplier. Cheaper on volume, with weekday-only hours.
- Best safety buy: a pair of cryogenic gloves. Buy them before the product itself. See the options on Amazon.
Start by phoning the two closest stocking locations to confirm stock, form, and price per pound, then book pickup for the day you need it. On a bulk order, call a gas supplier instead of the supermarket. Buy gloves and a vented cooler first, and the rest of buying dry ice is showing up on time.
Dry Ice Questions, Answered
How long does dry ice last?
Hours to about a day, depending on the form, the container, and the outside temperature. Blocks outlast nuggets, so plan to use it within a day of pickup.
What happens if you touch dry ice?
Bare-skin contact causes a cold burn that behaves like frostbite, because the surface sits at an extremely low temperature. Skin that blisters or stays pale and numb needs medical attention.
Can I store it in a home freezer?
No. A home freezer runs near 0 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 100 degrees warmer than the temperature of dry ice, so the block keeps sublimating, and the extremely cold gas can trip the thermostat and shut the unit off. Never store dry ice anywhere sealed.
Can you put it in a drink?
No. Swallowed, dry ice can cause severe internal cold burns, and a capped bottle can rupture. For a fog effect, keep the solid in a separate vessel of warm water and let only the vapor drift.
Can I fly with it or ship it?
Both are regulated. Dry ice can be used for shipping frozen food, but carriers require a hazardous materials declaration and specific labeling, and airlines and the FAA limit passenger quantities and require vented, marked packaging. Confirm with your airline or carrier before buying.
Is it the same as liquid nitrogen?
No. Liquid nitrogen is a cryogenic liquid, far colder, and it needs a dewar rather than a cooler. It is what flash-freezes products like Dippin’ Dots. Solid CO2 is cheaper and needs no specialist gear, which is why most people who use dry ice never handle nitrogen.
Retailer channels, price ranges, and safety guidance were re-verified in September 2026, with reference to published materials from the New York State Department of Health and Cornell environmental health and safety.