Some people insist on letting items cool off on the counter before
being placed in the fridge.  Some say it is to prevent the motor of
the fridge from working too hard and others say it has something to do
with bacteria in the food.  Is this really a necessary practice and if
so why?

Howdy jig_1097-ga,

I would rather spend the few cents that it would cost to put hot
food in a refrigerator, than save the money and chance bacteria
growth.

I could find no good health reason in letting hot food cool before
placing it inside a refrigerator, and reasonable ways to reduce the
use of the electricity needed to cool hot foods being placed in a
refrigerator.

Here is the common health warning, as covered in the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) "Keep Your Food Safe" brochure, along with
a tip on how to cool the food quicker.
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/foodsfe.pdf

"If the food is left out for two or more hours, germs can grow. So,
put leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as you finish
eating. Put them in shallow dishes so they cool faster."

The Healthtouch web site has a page about a "LOW BACTERIA DIET," as
if that was a diet plan that anyone would oppose.
http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/EContent_HT/cnoteShowLfts.asp?fname=02040&title=LOW+BACTERIA+DIET+&cid=HTHLTH

"Never leave food out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.
Foods with eggs or mayonnaise in them should not be left out of the
refrigerator for more than one hour."

They go with a tip on how to cool the food faster.

"Divide leftover food into small amounts and place them in small
containers in the refrigerator so that they can cool off quickly."

The article titled "Green cuisine ? Here are some tips on being
eco-friendly in the kitchen" by Valerie Phillips and presented on
the "Deseret Morning News" web site, gives us an electricity
savings tip.
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600127320,00.html

"Cover foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release
moisture and make the compressor work harder."

So, this is not only unnecessary practice, it is a potentially
dangerous thing to do, especially if you forget to put the food
in the refrigerator and it is kept out for too long.

If you need any clarification, please feel free to ask.


Search strategy:

Google search on: food "cool off" refrigerator
://www.google.com/search?q=food+%22cool+off%22+refrigerator

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

Thanks for the info!  This will settle some long standing disputes :)

Glad to have been of service, jig_1097-ga.

Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher

The reason to be wary of putting hot food in the fridge is that it
might raise the temperature of the fridge and therefore affect other
things in there.  I guess you need to worry about this if the food
item is very big or very hot or your fridge is old and inefficient or
is in a hot room where it has to work hard anyhow.  I used to live in
Sydney with no air-con and the (reasonably new) fridge really used to
struggle in the summer.  I certainly wouldn't have put in (say) a bowl
of chilli just off the stove next to some raw chicken...