Is there a place for hot food in the refrigerator and why is it not worth the risk?

And you, too, out of habit, instilled since childhood, would never put a chicken that you just took out of the stove into the refrigerator? Usually we wait, checking whether the dish has cooled down enough, but suddenly we have been deceived all these years and it turns out that it is still possible to put hot food in the refrigerator? The portal “purity-en.htgetrid.com” decided to deal with this issue once and for all!

How does your refrigerator work?

To understand exactly what you are risking by placing soup you just removed from the stove into the refrigerator, you need to at least understand a little about how this very refrigerator works. The modern market mainly offers models with either a no frost system or a drip cooling system. What exactly happens when you put hot soup in the refrigerator depends on the type of system your appliance uses.

At the same time, the two most important indicators that need to be discussed in this situation are the high temperature of that very pan and the steam that comes from any product “out of the heat.”

• No Frost

Moisture: Such refrigerators do not need to be defrosted for one simple reason: they remove all excess moisture through a well-thought-out ventilation system, that is, the liquid does not even have time to settle on the walls in the form of condensation, much less frost.

Warm: The compressor works, cooling the chamber to a set temperature, after which it turns off. It starts working again when the temperature becomes warmer than the set one.

By the way

The compressor runs only 10-20% of the time and is designed for approximately this load.

• Drip system

Moisture: Refrigerators with a drip system also do not defrost, but not due to ventilation, but due to a kind of auto-defrost. That is, moisture accumulates in the form of condensation on the back wall, turning into frost, but when the compressor is turned off, the frost melts, flowing into special containers, from where the moisture evaporates.

Warm: The temperature in the chamber is maintained in the same way as in the no frost system.

So, it seems clear how the refrigerator works. But what does this give us?

What happens when you put hot food in the refrigerator?

Depending on the design of the refrigerator compartment, refrigerator systems will react differently to hot food, although there are a few other factors to consider as well.

• No frost

Moisture: This system determines the level of humidity in the chamber, and its task is to maintain the level of humidity within acceptable limits. When you put hot, steaming food in the refrigerator, the humidity level rises and the sensors detect this. The fans will run until the readings return to normal, and if the soup is not covered with a lid, it will last for hours, which is not the norm.

Warm: There are also temperature sensors that force the compressor to turn on and cool the chamber to a set temperature. A hot container, even a sealed one, will force the compressor to run until it can reach a certain temperature in the chamber. This, given the slow cooling of the hot pan, will last a very, very long time.

• Drip system

Moisture: In this situation, steam will begin to settle on the back wall, forming a thick layer of frost that does not occur under normal conditions. Of course, you won’t see ice build-ups, like in Soviet refrigerators, and the frost will melt as soon as the compressor turns off.

Warm: In general, the situation is the same as with the no frost system, only worse. The ice “coat” on the back wall creates a layer of thermal insulation, so the compressor will have to work even longer, since it will be more difficult to achieve the desired temperature.

Why is it believed that pots cannot be removed from the stove into the refrigerator? Judge for yourself: if you regularly put hot things in the refrigerator, the compressor and fans, if any, will work without stopping! True, most people resort to this step only in emergency cases, which means that the risks will depend only on the quality of the equipment and the degree of heating of the dishes and food.

By the way: If you have a chance to let the food cool at least a little, do it. Every degree is extra operating time for the compressor, so warm foods are less dangerous than hot ones. Warm soup also generates less steam than hot soup.

Hidden threat

Other factors may also make you doubt whether you can put a hot pan in the refrigerator. At the same time, given the comparative durability of compressors (especially imported ones), they can become a much stronger argument against hot air in the refrigerator than the risk of breakdown.

• Sudden changes in temperature can damage cookware, as some coatings, such as ceramic or Teflon, either begin to crack or lose their properties under such conditions.
• The temperature difference is also dangerous for the shelves: glass without using a stand under the pan may burst, and plastic will begin to melt or crack.
• The worst thing in this regard is the deformation of the insulating rubber around the perimeter of the door under the influence of heat. Such a rubber band will not be able to ensure the tightness of the chamber, and this will lead to increased temperature, increased operation of the compressor on a constant basis and its rapid breakdown.
• Under the influence of even a warm container, plastic and rubber deteriorate, not to mention the neighboring food! Dairy products, vegetables and fruits will suffer the most from such a neighborhood.
• Surprisingly, many chefs claim that temperature changes negatively affect the shelf life of the dish itself. Thus, it has been experimentally proven that hot or warm soup placed in the refrigerator has a significantly shorter shelf life than one that has cooled naturally. The same goes for many desserts.
• If you choose to solve moisture wicking problems with a sealed lid, this can greatly affect the taste and aesthetics of the product. So, condensation on the walls of the container will make any baked goods completely unappetizing, since the dough will become soggy, absorbing it.
• Well, one more thing: a compressor running for a long time also means additional electricity, which means extra rubles on your utility bill.

It seems like it’s not so dangerous to put hot food in the refrigerator just once, but after all this information I don’t feel like it anymore. Still, by cooling the dish in advance, you take care not only of the safety of the refrigerator, but also of the taste of the food, the service life of the dishes and the thickness of your wallet!