this is for everybody who disagrees with me
take that.


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!


Foods that need refrigeration should be placed in the refrigerator within 2 hours after eating to help prevent bacteria growth. If the ambient temperature is more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit, that time safety zone shrinks to 1 hour. Don't violate this rule!!!

The food will cool faster in the refrigerator, leading to less bacterial growth. The downside is that you'll waste a little bit of energy cooling warm food.

The issue with allowing food to cool slowly to room temperature is that naughty bacteria are prone to thrive and multiply at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F (5°C and 60°C). And the US Department of Agriculture — concerned for your welfare even though you live in Australia — is deeply upset when foods are allowed to linger in that temperature range. The USDA will allow you to keep foods in that range for as long as two hours if you have to do something foolhardy, such as go on a picnic. But two hours is the limit. And, of course, they would prefer that foods not linger in that range at all (and you'll have to agree with the USDA that even if you put room-temperature food in the fridge, it's still going to take a while for the temperature of the food to fall below 40°F).


My mother-in-law swears it's okay to put hot food into the fridge, but I remember my grandmother telling me to let it cool first. Who's right?
-- Amy Langlois, Louisville, KY


Your mother-in-law is right. It's not a good idea to let perishable foods remain on the counter or table for more than two hours, say the experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If you prepare a hot dish in advance, place it in a shallow plastic or glass container and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve, leaving enough time to reheat. And put those holiday leftovers away promptly.


hahaha this though is the best :)

Should You Put Hot Food in the Fridge?

By Alexander Lane

Let those leftovers chill

Should I put hot food in the refrigerator right away or after it cools?

There’s nothing wrong with letting food cool in the kitchen for a half hour or so before putting it in the fridge if you want to conserve energy. (Refrigerating warmer food means your icebox has to work harder to maintain its chill.) But the longer food is left out at room temperature, “the greater the chance of bacteria multiplying and growing,” says Dr. Carl Winter, a food toxicologist and director of the food safety program at the University of California–Davis. Sinister bugs such as salmonella, campylobacter, and E. coli all grow much faster at room temperature than in a cool environment.

The USDA advises chilling as promptly as possible and says you should never leave food out for more than two hours (or, when the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, just one hour).

If you’re dealing with a serious quantity of food—say, a large roast or a vat of chili—you could try stirring it in an ice bath or dividing it into smaller portions before you refrigerate to cool it more quickly.

Finally, to cover or not to cover? Covered food cools more slowly. But uncovered food is susceptible to cross contamination, like condensation dripping into it from other items, or from the fridge itself. So if it’s a large amount of food that might take a long time to cool—for instance, a stockpot full of soup—cover it loosely until it chills a bit, then seal it.

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