Home Appliances: Is it bad to put hot food in the refrigerator?

Question

After making a hot soup, I transfer the hot/warm soup to a glass jar and put it in the fridge. My boyfriend says this forces the refrigerator to work over-time to cool back down to it's normal temperature, thereby using more energy.

My Mom says that a refridgerator continues working at it's normal pace no matter what amount of hot food you place in the fridge, and that it does not use any more energy as the fridge does not go in to over-drive to maintain a certain temperature. Which is true?

Answer 1

A refridgerator is designed to maintain a set temperature inside. If something hot is put into it, it must remove the heat. It does not got into over-drive as such, or work harder. It just has to run as it normally would until the extra heat is removed. This does use a little more energy. However, cooling the food faster reduces the time bacteria may grow, making this a safer method of food handling. Letting the food cool to room temperature may save a little bit on energy costs but does increase the risk of contamination of the food, especially during the summer months or if your kitchen is hot.

Answer 2

In the case that brought this question about - I am the boyfriend :) - the soup was burning hot. It was coming out of the pot, transferred into a jar and covered with a lid. Rather than putting it in the fridge it made sense to let it cool off. Better yet, since that night happened to be one of the coldest in recent San Francisco history, I thought it might be good to put it on the balcony to cool off.

More generally speaking, in the interest of the food it is best to let it cool off before putting it in a fridge (yes, with a lid on top to fend off germs, rodents, or toddlers). The same way food coming out of a freezer is best when gradually defrosted vs. throwing it in a hot pan.

A fridge is equipped with a thermostat. Once the unit has reached a desired low temperature, the power goes off. If one has any concern with energy consumption - both its financial aspect and its impact on the planet - then one may not want the fridge to operate unnecessarily. And if it is near-freezing outside why not let the food cool off a bit on your porch! - but watch out for bears... :)

Answer 3

energy concerns aside...food should be kept at room temperature to cool...i'm hoping you're not putting a lid on these soups, i assume you're meaning you're using the fridge to cool things quicker so you can put a lid on them sooner...i'm just shocked that your boyfriend is really arguing about something like this, i've never heard of anyone being concerned about making the fridge too warm...you're not starting a fire in there....

Answer 4

True. Give things a little time to cool. That way you don't warm up the suff inside the fridge. It's not just good for the motor; it's good for the food.