susan8020

That is, the 'ice chest' with a little cooling motor (AC/DC) that can be used more or less full time instead of a refrigerator....

Here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-PowerChill-Thermoelectric-Cooler-40-Quart/dp/B00168QW6G

We just got one, and it works very well. But as people warned, it has no thermostat, it just runs all the time and keeps things 40F below room temperature. So when room temperature is below, what, 72F, it freezes whatever is in it.

I now have two gallons of frozen milk.

UPDATING MAY 2:
Solved it. Got a 24hour timer that you can plug anything into and it will turn the power on and off. Set it to run 6 hours, off 6 hours, round the clock.

Got a refrigerator thermometer. Usually the 6/6 keeps the temperature about right, but every time I open the lid I check the thermometer in case something needs tweaking.

We already put some gel packs in it to hopefully even out the temperature changes.

Gel packs didn't work, they froze and burst. Wrong kind, or use only after adding the timer?

Any other ideas?

ETA: Actually I just had an idea. Or two.

Maybe get a timer that will turn it on for only a few hours a day.

Or some sort of "fan controller"? Or does it have stuff in there besides the fan?

ETA again: Himself says forget the "fan controller" or a lamp dimmer or anything like that. Just bite the bullet with a regular 24 hour timer and use trial and error to figure out how many hours a day to give it.

Which is going to be tricky, as there are now two gallons of frozen milk keeping it cool.

Well, he offered me a nice simple little dial thermometer.