Can you store hot food in the refrigerator?

Today we are going to talk about a question that generates a lot of doubt for many people. After all, can you store hot food in the refrigerator?

If you live alone and are responsible for running your own kitchen, you have probably heard an old saying that has been passed down from generation to generation.

And it goes like this: you can't store hot food in the refrigerator!

Over time, this tip was shared more and more and ended up spreading around the world.

And all this sharing has meant that the vast majority of adults – and young adults too – have heard this phrase at least once in their lives.

The problem with this teaching is that no one knows for sure how it came about and, as time went by, new reasons emerged to justify this attitude. 

And this made it difficult to discover the real reason behind this teaching. 

While there are people who say that this practice overloads the refrigerator – and increases the appliance's energy consumption – others say that it has a relationship with food and the loss of nutrients caused by thermal shock.

But regardless of the reason, the question remains: can you store hot food in the refrigerator?

That’s what we’re going to find out here! So if you want to clear up this doubt, just keep reading to find out more! 

Can you store hot food in the refrigerator?

Today we’re going straight to the point. And the answer is… you can, but it depends!

But don't worry, we'll explain it to you! Of course, you can store hot food in the refrigerator, but it's not the most recommended practice.

But what is the reason to avoid this practice? 

Why can't you store hot food in the refrigerator? 

Remember the most popular reasons we mentioned in the first topic? One of them is true and is the real reason behind the custom of avoiding this practice.

There is no harm in storing your food. In fact, storing your food in the refrigerator as quickly as possible can even be a positive thing for your food.

After all, this practice helps preserve your food and prevents bacteria from spreading quickly.

Who has never left food out of the fridge on a hotter day than usual and when they realized it, the food had already gone sour? This is precisely because of these bacteria.

Therefore, the real reason behind this practice is directly linked to the conservation of your refrigerator and, consequently, the cost it will incur.

And understanding how this works is not difficult.

When storing hot food in the refrigerator, this practice can increase the temperature of the entire interior of the appliance.

And besides, you run the risk of damaging the conservation of other foods stored inside the refrigerator.

Another point to pay attention to is that if it is too hot, it can end up heating food that was already refrigerated, causing it to reach a temperature that is not safe for its preservation.

And another point that will make you think twice before storing your hot food in your refrigerator is that this practice can be heavy on your pocket.

As we mentioned here, this practice can overload your refrigerator, making it have to work harder to maintain the internal temperature.

And this will cause it to use more energy, increasing your electricity bill.

How long should I wait to safely store food in the refrigerator?

In fact, there is no right amount of time to wait before storing your food in the refrigerator.

Ideally, you should wait until the container with the food itself is at room temperature before storing it.

And thinking about the issue of time, around 30 minutes tends to be the time needed for your food to reach a good temperature to go into your refrigerator without compromising its functioning.

Tips for your refrigerator that will help you save electricity 

And since we're talking about refrigerators and electricity, we thought it would be interesting to gather some tips on using the appliance that will help you save energy in your daily life.

After all, with electricity bills getting more and more expensive, this type of tip is always welcome, right? 

Don't leave the refrigerator door open for too long.

Let he who has never found himself opening the fridge for no reason, just to think or remember something, cast the first stone.

It may seem like something that is part of our popular belief, but many people really believe that this practice works.

But even though this can help give your memory a boost, doing it frequently may not be so good for your electricity bill.

Leaving your refrigerator door open for a long time and for long periods of time causes your refrigerator to have to work harder and, consequently, use more energy.

So, the next time you want to think, it's best to look for other ways to give your memory a boost.

Avoid that old habit of putting clothes to dry behind the refrigerator 

In addition to opening the refrigerator to think about life, another very common habit here in Brazil is using the refrigerator to dry clothes when we are in a hurry.

And Brazilians hang everything out to dry behind the refrigerator: socks, t-shirts, pants, underwear and even sneakers.

But even though this helps you save time, your refrigerator doesn't like this practice very much.

It may seem like a harmless habit, but using the back of your refrigerator as a 'clothesline' can overload your refrigerator, forcing it to work even harder.

Taking these points into consideration and adopting these tips into your routine, your relationship with your refrigerator is set to become increasingly more economical, reducing the chances of surprises at the end of the month.

Did you like today's content? Then I think you should take the opportunity to read it too Put an end to clutter: 13 tips for cleaning your house in a practical way

Ivan April 2, 2023