If you have wondered whether or not you were harming your fridge by putting hot food directly into it after cooking, we have the shocking answer!
The Answer To Whether Or Not You Should Put Hot Food Right In The Fridge Is:
It’s fine to place hot food directly in the refrigerator.
Don’t worry about overheating the fridge as the U.S. Department of Agriculture points out, the refrigerator’s thermostat will keep it running to maintain a safe temperature of 40° F or below.
What you need to worry about is whether hot food will cool off quickly enough to reach a safe temperature once in the refrigerator. Place hot food in shallow containers so it will chill quickly.
It's Safe!
Now that you know your refrigerator will not overheat if you place hot food in the fridge, you can place as many of your hot leftovers in there as you want. Just make sure you are not placing it on a glass surface.
Let Us Know What You Think About It!
Article Source: Still Tasty
I always let my hot food warm down to at least room temperature.. For spoilage of milk, eggs, or any other dairy products.
I always let cool first! Put it in the fridge when it reaches room temperature…Common sense, duh!
I usually wait at least 20 minutes before putting my hot left overs to make sure it is at least a little cooled of.
I freeze coke bottles of water and put them in the hot food to cool it down. Lost a whole batch of gumbo one time because I didn’t know to do that.
No
I have been cooking for many, many years and have always put leftovers in the refrigerator before they’ve cooled down and I am almost 70 years old, so it sure hasn’t hurt me!!!!!!!!
No!
Bring it to room temperature first
I do it all the time with absolutely no negative consequences?
I have never worried about putting hot food in the fridge. Been cooking for myself & family for 47 years! You want food to chill as quickly as possible to prevent bacteria growth. What better way than to refrigerate? And if your fridge can’t keep everything else cool you need a new fridge. Just don’t set it next to a carton of milk for Pete’s sake! Common sense!
Yes
That’s bs!. Food should be put into shallow containers and placed directly in the refrigerator. It needs to cool to below 40 degrees f within 4 hours in order to retard bacterial growth.
Food has to be cooled to 40 degrees or below within 4 hours to avoid bacterial growth. That’s first year culinary knowledge. 25 years as a chef.
Let’s see. 70+degrees room temperature or 40 degrees fridge. Where is it going to cool faster?!?!?!
Been a chef for 25 years and have taken the servsafe class numerous times, recheck your source.
Mark Nicholson I just took a safeserv course and that is what we learned. Also we are to use a ice water bath to cool stuff down before you refrigerate it. Supposed to get it down to 70, but I go lower. I attend Escoffier culinary arts classes. Where did you go?
Mark Nicholson yes to shallow container.
Mark, I have taken several serve safe classes as well. What I posted is what I ‘ve learned and used in my position in supervising in a retirement community. Since the elderly are more prone to health issues, we were extremely careful with food handling, cooling,reheating etc. Shallow containers weren’t really an option since we fed a regular restaurant, a health care facility, and an assisted living unit. No room for them.
@jennifer, I attended Delgado Community College in New Orleans. Sherry Tata Sarandrea, I too work for an assisted living facility and I feel your pain lol. I didn’t add that ice baths work wonders also as someone above pointed out.
I think the danger comes from putting large batches of soup or gumbo in the refrigerator . Need to cool it down with ice cubes or something because the middle stays hot and will spoil. It’s okay to put small portions in there while hot, but not large amounts.
Yes and no.A big pot of soup or marinara will not get down to temp in 4hrs.the center will remain in the TDZ.other foods will cool,like thin chicken breast,pork chips etc.
True, but leaving it sit out at room temp wont get it thru the TDZ any quicker. You have to break it into smaller batches preferable only 2 or 3 inches in depth to cool faster and safer
Don’t always like the condensation that develops!
No
Our prep guys maintain cooling logs.will spread out large portions on sheet pans and toss them on a rack,into the walk in.gets us through the TDZ in a timely manner.
We do that as well. And we also have frozen ice paddles to put into sauce as well to help bring down temp.
Yep.so for the experienced,like us,we can put hot into the fridge properly.
Yep! But its those inexperienced jokers that will mess it up. Gotta train and coach them to get where we are
No u got to let it cool down – u could get very very sick or die
you must have failed it home schooler.
Frank Sokolowski nope and what’s with the home schooler comment? Are you jealous, or do you not think you can learn it online? I also took it at a community college. You can transfer it to a shallow pan, but you have to get it down to 70 degrees within two hours. An ice bath helps get it there quicker, and I usually get it down further than that before sticking it in the refrigerator.
You can just don’t cover it.
Absolutely not….
I put hot good in fridge or freezer, in batch up to one quart container. I have glass shelves so use a pot holder underneath. But I also ate some raw cookie dough today, so what do I know!
I always heard it causes bacteria to grow in your food if you put it in the fridge hot.
That’s what I thought.
I always do. Believe it cools down faster than leaving it out.
It’s not that you will over heat the refrigerator but putting hot food in it can cause the return air ducting to ice up blocking the cold air from freezer to the refrigerator section I saw this all the time when I worked fixing refrigerators
I always wait until the food has cooled down then put it in fridge.
I do it all the time. I place a kitchen towel under the warm food container just so it won’t break the glass shelf. But it’s fine ..has never caused a problem.
If putting hot food in fregertor
You needed an expert to tell you this?
I learned this many years ago in culinary school! Have never had a problem! Thank you for posting this!
So if you can’t put it on glass shelves, where you going to put it?
No all good west cool b 4 putting cold place
Bacteria?
Kaitlyn Friesen, Melissa Bergen