Is it really bad to put hot food in the refrigerator?

The holiday season is quickly approaching. For many, that means lots of cooking and planning large meals. And that means lots of leftovers. Yum!

But did you know that putting a large quantity of hot food into your refrigerator can cause the temperature to rise in your fridge? And that means your appliance has to work harder to keep itself cold.

My wife thought this was an urban legend, of sorts, but it’s really true.

So if it’s not good to put all that hot food in the refrigerator, and we all know that leaving food out more than two hours means harmful bacteria can grow on those leftovers, what should you do?

Try putting the food into smaller batches in smaller containers so that it chills faster in the fridge. Or, try sitting your pot of food in a bigger pot full of ice water to help the dish cool faster.

While you don't want your fridge temp to get too high, you don't want to get sick, either!

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