Should You Let Food Cool Before Refrigerating It?

Should You Let Food Cool Before Refrigerating It?

Yes, you should definitely let food cool off before refrigerating it. However, you’ll want to do it in a safe and time-sensitive way to avoid spoilage.

“When it comes to food storage, in general, we are trying to avoid what is known as the danger zone, which is the temperature range of 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit,” says Stephanie Crabtree, MS, RD, owner of Holistic Health RD, LLC near Sarasota, Florida. “Potentially dangerous bacteria grow best at these temperatures, hence the name. The longer your food is in this range, the more potential it has to grow bacteria that could cause food illness. When food is cooling, it goes through this temperature, however, the key is to shorten the duration it is in this range for optimal food safety.”

Once food is semi-cooled, it will continue to cool off in the fridge, which should be set at 40 degrees or below, according to the USDA.

“If you put hot food directly into the fridge, it has the potential to be in the danger zone for a longer period of time if it is in a deep container,” Crabtree adds. “It could also heat up the foods near it in the refrigerator.” This could add potential danger to other items in the fridge, and make your fridge work harder to maintain a cool temperature, using more energy and costing more money.

How to Cool Hot Foods Quickly?

Cooling hot foods quickly doesn’t take any special tools or techniques, and in fact is a simple matter of physics. Or, if that sounds too scientific, basic kitchen knowledge will suffice—and yes, that’s technically physics! Removing food from its cooking vessel, be it a pot or baking dish, will help cool it, and spacing out the food rather than packing it tightly in a big container will help the hot food air out and cool. When you’re hot, you want space, not to be in a cluster of other bodies. Food is the same way.

“Food should be put into a shallow container, less than four inches tall, and cooled down to room temperature over 30-60 minutes,” Crabtree says. “Once at room temperature, it is safe to put into the refrigerator to continue that cooling process.”

Make sure not to overfill the container, because that means more food may be lingering in the danger zone temperature range. Lots of leftovers? “You could put half of it in the container, allow it to cool, and add more to the container to make sure it cools evenly before putting it in the refrigerator,” Crabtree suggests. “Another option is adding ice cubes to cool soups or stews down, keep it ventilated, or keep stirring the food to release the heat.”

How Long Can Hot Food Stay Out For? 

“Food should not sit out at room temperature for longer than two hours,” Crabstree says. The FDA recommends that food be cooled in a safe process and then refrigerated or frozen.