Will the food be better preserved if I wait until it cools down before putting it in the refrigerator?

It is common practice to store unfinished food in the refrigerator. However, people may have different opinions on whether to wait for the food to cool down before putting it in the refrigerator or to put it directly in the refrigerator.

Take my own mother for example, she will always leave unfinished food for a while before putting it in the refrigerator. If you want to "go against" her, she will persuade you to give up this idea earnestly because it is easy to spoil.

Would it be better to wait until the food is cool before putting it in the refrigerator? Wouldn't the food go bad?

We all know that the reason why food goes bad is the growth of bacteria. But in fact, no matter what kind of food, if it is left at room temperature for a period of time, it will produce a certain amount of bacterial microorganisms, and the longer the time, the greater the number. Data research shows that most bacteria cannot survive above 60°C. And below 4°C, the bacterial proliferation rate will slow down significantly.

For example, the temperature of a freshly fried dish starts to drop from 100℃ from the moment it comes out of the pan, and when it drops to 60℃, bacteria will begin to grow. At 4℃, the growth rate of most bacteria slows down. In addition, our room temperature is also between 4℃ and 60℃, so if food is stored for a long time, bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli, and botulism may cause foodborne diseases, and the number of bacteria will double every 20 minutes.

Therefore, only when the temperature of food is quickly cooled to below 4°C can the growth of bacteria be inhibited, thus ensuring its safety for consumption.

In this regard, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given a "two-hour rule". It is recommended that food that is placed in the refrigerator should not be stored outside for more than 2 hours, especially in the summer when the temperature is too high, such as above 32°C, it is best not to store it for more than an hour!

Then someone will definitely ask, will putting hot food directly into the refrigerator cause certain damage to the refrigerator? The answer is: No! It will only cost a few cents more electricity...

Putting hot food into the refrigerator will temporarily increase the temperature inside the refrigerator, but because the refrigerator compartment is equipped with a temperature sensor, when the sensor senses the temperature rise, it will immediately start the cooling program to quickly restore the refrigerator compartment to its original low temperature state.

Of course, it takes time for food to cool down, and the exact amount of time depends on the amount of food. But for normal amounts, it can be cooled down quickly.

Some people may ask, when the temperature of the remaining food that needs to be preserved is too high, if there are other foods placed nearby, will they be affected and spoil? I think there is no need to worry too much about this question.

During this period of cooling, the temperature of the surrounding food may indeed rise for a period of time. Therefore, it is recommended to keep a distance from the surrounding food when putting the food in.

In general, putting hot dishes directly in the refrigerator will slightly increase the burden on it and consume a little more electricity, but it is all within the normal operating range of the refrigerator; and letting it cool before putting it back in the refrigerator will cause a certain increase in the bacteria in the food, but if the food is not stored in the refrigerator for a long time and is eaten soon, then the increase in bacteria is still within an acceptable range.

In other words, if you consider the refrigerator, wait until it cools down before putting it in there. If you consider your own health, it is better to put it in there directly.

In short, try not to leave food at room temperature for a long time. Go back and tell your stubborn parents that you really don’t need to wait for food to cool down before putting it in the refrigerator!