Is it best to immediately refrigerate a cooked meal while it's still hot or wait for it to cool down?

Question

Some say to wait 'till the food cools down before putting it in the refrigerator and others say refrigerate as soon as possible. Which is true?

Answer 1

When it cools down.

Here is the long ver

Reality Check: Should hot leftovers cool at room temperature?

THE CLAIM

Hot leftovers should cool at room temperature.

THE FACTS

What to do with leftovers? One common bromide is that leftovers stored in the refrigerator must be allowed to cool first at room temperature.

The reasoning behind the claim varies. One theory is that allowing food to cool at a slower rate reduces the likelihood that it will spoil. Another suggests that hot food can somehow interfere with the circulation of cold air in the refrigerator. The notion may have originated when food was stored in iceboxes, and thus could not be too hot when put away.

Whatever the rationale, the claim is wrong. According to the Food and Drug Administration, leftover food (particularly meat) should be refrigerated immediately after serving, and certainly within two hours of cooking.

Food bacteria can double every 30 to 40 minutes, and several outbreaks of food poisoning have been linked to meat cooked and left to cool at room temperature for too long.

Generally, the bacteria that contaminate food thrive at temperatures between 40 degrees and 140 degrees, so leftovers should always be stored in a refrigerator set at 40 degrees or below.

When the quantity of food is large, it should be separated into small containers for quicker cooling, and reheated no more than once.

THE BOTTOM LINE

It's a bad idea to let food sit at room temperature before refrigerating.

-- The New York Times

Answer 2

as soon a possible... The cool temperatures in the refrigerator slow down the process of enzymes in the food and slow down bacteria reproduction. This prolongs food quality, taste, and texture, and keeps food safer longer. Refrigeration does not kill bacteria and can not improve food quality.
Don't be afraid to put hot foods in the refrigerator. The appliance is made to cool down foods. The chilling process will happen more quickly in the fridge, once again giving bacteria less time to grow in the temperature danger zone of 40 - 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a large casserole or dish that needs to be chilled, separate the foods into smaller, shallow (no more than 3" deep), individual containers for faster cooling. It can take a pot full of hot chicken soup 24 hours to cool to a safe temperature in the refrigerator! Divide and conquer bacteria!

Answer 3

Foods containing proteins (meat or dairy dishes) shouldn't be kept at room temperature for more than two hours, or they could spoil. So if it will take that long for it to cool down you should put it i the fridge (sooner if it's a hot day, or a very perishable food like a cream sauce). Veggies can be left out a bit longer. Cakes and breads don't really have to be put in the fridge at all.

If you're worried about unbalancing the temperature in your fridge, take an ice cube tray out of the freezer and put it in the fridge next to the warm item.

Answer 4

I think the idea of waiting for the food to cool down is based on the moisture that would accumulate if you immediatly placed covered food in the refrigerator. The health department and serve safe would tell you not to cover the food until it cools, but it should be refriderated immediatly.

Answer 5

If you wait until it cools down, your refrigerator won't work so hard and the rest of the food in it will not get hot.

Answer 6

Finally, someone asks a decent, make sence question!
HaHaHaHa! Okay,seriosly. I say this because alot of people on this web site has been asking stupid, dumb questions.
And most of them are commen sence! And also they make stupid comments! I will answer you now. It is true to wait until
your hot food cools down, because if you don't and you put it in the fridge immediately, it will spoil and won't be anygood
to eat it later.

Answer 7

Cool at room temperature first. Putting hot food in the fridge can spoil other stuff like milk or the food itself can be ruined.

Answer 8

Let it cool down for the simple reason the heat from the meal will warm the frig up and even take longer to cool down

Answer 9

Let it cool a bit first. Otherwise the hot temp will raise the ambient temp of the fridge and then all the other food in the fridge will be compromised.

Answer 10

you have to let it cool down. one of the main reasons is bcos if u put it in teh fridge then it unbalances the temperature control of your fridge and raises the temp of the inside of your fride possibly affecting some of the other food, but also makes your fridge use more energy to try and get the temp even thereby costing you more.

so not sure whether it actually affects the food or not, but def affects your fridge and its contents. obviously it depends on how hot it is when u put it in.
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