Is It Ok To Put A Pot In The Fridge or Not? 6 Safety Tips

If you are pondering about whether you can put a pot in the fridge or not, you are in good hands. That is because I will explain to you what you should and must not do about this issue.

A lot of us sometimes feel lazy and do many unexpected things in the kitchen.

Therefore, is it ok to put a pot in the fridge? Depending on the material and quality of the pot and fridge, you can and cannot store the pot in the refrigerator.

As well, the temperature plays a significant role in the safety of storing food in a pot in the fridge.

So, we don’t know yet whether it’s harmless or not. Thus, I guess we will need to go into the depth of it and find out if can you put the pot in the refrigerator.

Can You Put Pot in Fridge? – How to Do It Right?

Many of us already stored pots with food in the refrigerator. Yet, we still ask away whether can you store food in aluminum pan in fridge or not?

Of course, you can put a pot or pan in the fridge to keep food. But first, you must ensure the pot and food inside have cooled down a little.

Well, many of us feel lazy after filling ourselves with a tasty meal. And do not feel like transferring the food into a container and then putting it in the fridge.

Therefore, it seems easier just to store the inner pot with food in the fridge immediately. However, you cannot just store a dreamingly hot pot in the fridge.

You must also make sure the food and pot temperature is closer to room temperature. Otherwise, the food’s nutritious value will decrease significantly, and the pot will get damaged too. Then, you can wrap the pot with food using wrapping paper or a lid and store it in the fridge.

In case you want to take out the pot from the fridge, do it a little ahead of time from when you eat. Well, you need to let the pot sit outside for a bit to warm up to ambient room temperature. And then, heat the pot using a stove or oven.

Thereby, doing this much will ensure the safety of the food and pot in the fridge. Also, it highly depends on the material of the pot or pan you are putting in the refrigerator. For example, stainless steel or enamel-coated steel is a nonreactive material.

On the other hand, aluminum or other metal pots are sometimes very reactive to some food ingredients. And that especially includes vegetables and acidic foods.

After that, storing leftovers is not as simple as it sounds. Sometimes, considering some facts storing food in an aluminum pan in the fridge can be harmful too. But stainless-steel pot is not harmful or reactive. Let’s know all the details about it.

Can You Store Food in Aluminum Pan in Fridge?

Whether you can store food in an aluminum pan in the fridge is one of the lazy ways to preserve food. So, can you put pot in the fridge? Is it safe to store food in an aluminum pan?

Unfortunately, you shouldn’t keep leftovers in an aluminum pan in the fridge. And if you are in a tight situation that forces you to use a metal or aluminum pan/pot, you should consider some things.

To ensure you don’t fail to store food safely, you have to do it correctly. As I said before, you must consider the temperature, type of food, pan/pot, and so on.

And here are the following factors you should follow –

• The material of the pot or pan must be nonreactive, like stainless steel or enamel-coated steel pots.
• You must make sure the food and the pot/pan are at room temperature.
• Also, ensure the food is not too acidic if the container is metallic.
• Never store food in the pan in the fridge that is already on the verge of going bad.
• The lid must be airtight or sealed properly. If not, use wrapping paper to seal the food tightly in the pot or pan.

You just cannot toss the pan with food in the refrigerator and think it is safe and healthy.

So, you can, and yet you cannot safely store food in an aluminum pot in the fridge. That is cause aluminum is reactive to some foods (acidic foods).

Thus, although you feel lazy, please store the pot in the fridge in the right way to preserve food without any hassle.

Facts: Cookware like aluminum, copper pots, or pans are mainly designed to cook food, not store food. It is best to avoid this cookware to store leftovers in the refrigerator.

See Also: Can You Leave A Crock Pot Unattended? – Things To Know

Why Shouldn’t You Put Metal in the Fridge?

Rather than that, let me tell you about what happens if you store an aluminum pan in the fridge. If you do put an aluminum pan in the fridge, it can be very harmful to food and pan/pot.

Here are the things that may happen if you do not store the aluminum pot in the refrigerator. As well these are the potential reason why you should not put the metal pot in the fridge.

Chemical Discharge: 

Aluminum or copper cooking pans or pots are made using an aluminum or copper electroplating layer on a steel pot/pan.

Thereby, aluminum pans/pots are highly safe for cooking food in high heat. But things get complicated when you put a hot aluminum pot in the fridge.

The rapid change of temperature from high heat to cold makes the pots act up. As a result, the chemicals leach from the pot to food and cause harm.

Tips: Pots and pans coated with enamel do not act up and release chemical discharge.

Facts: Organic leafy vegetables and acidic foods can absorb aluminum the most.

May Ruin the Pots and Pans

As I said above, the rapid change of heat from steaming high heat to cold heat makes the pan/pots of aluminum and copper act up. The pots cannot withstand the rushing heat exchange, so they release chemicals.

The coating on the pan is to ensure some specific qualities. But when the coating gets ruined, it also ruins the pan’s qualities. Moreover, the aluminum is reactive enough to cause damage to both the food and the pot’s coating layer.

Foods May Go Bad Instead of Staying Preserved:

Unlike plastic containers or glass containers that can preserve food for weeks in the fridge, metal or iron pot/pan cannot do the same.

The research of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that composite steel, aluminum, or copper plates are not suitable to preserve food for weeks.

As a result, the foods get bad more quickly. Thereby, food in metal pans or pots in the fridge keeps the food good for 5-8 days max. After 5-7 days, you will end up throwing away your food in the pan.

Taste Changes:

Many people who stored food in the pan in the fridge have complained about the food tasting differently afterward. Mostly it is the vegetables or organic foods that taste changed.

This may be subtle for a few people. But most of us fail to enjoy a meal’s taste after storing the food in an aluminum pot in the refrigerator.

May Cause Chronic Health Issues:

Although you cover the pan or pot with a lid, it does not completely seal the pot at all. We use plastic, ceramic, or glass containers with airtight lids to seal the food inside for better preservation.

However, aluminum, copper, or metal pots do not get sealed properly with their lids on. As a result, the bacteria from the surroundings can enter the food inside the pot. Therefore, the food gets contaminated and may release odors too.

So, really can you put a pot in the fridge? Yes, you can by using the right method. And only if the pot is made of stainless steel or other nonreactive materials. However, you can’t store food in an aluminum pan in the fridge.

As we saw above, aluminum or metal pans/ pots aren’t the most suitable cookware for storing food. Not even the nonstick pans or pots. Thus, all these may happen if you fail to store food in the right pot in the fridge by following the right method.

Is It Safe to Store Food in Stainless Steel Pots?

By now, you already know that stainless steel is safe to store food in the refrigerator. Well, it is normal to be still doubtful.

That is why I will go ahead and tell you some reasons that make stainless steel considerably safe for storing food in the fridge.

• Stainless steel pots are nonreactive as plastic or glass containers.
• Also, stainless steel does not act up with acidic foods or vegetables like aluminum.
• You can put your food in a stainless-steel container to let it sit back. It is more effective in dissipating heat from food than other nonreactive materials.
• You can seal the steel container easily with wrapping paper.
• The pot and pans of stainless steel are much lighter to carry.
• It is also easier to thaw frozen food in a stainless-steel pot than plastic, ceramic, or glass pot.

Thus, you know that you can put stainless steel pot in the fridge to store food.

Thoughts: Some people think that using metal or iron cookware for storing food in the fridge can cause botulism. However, the bacteria Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) can only cause botulism and nothing else.

See More: Can I Leave Food in a Slow Cooker Overnight? Things To Know

Safety Tips While Put Pot in Fridge?

Here are some safety tips while you put a pot in the fridge to store food.

1. Always Ensure the Pot Is Leak-Proof:

If you plan on storing food in a pot or pan in the fridge, always make sure the pot is airtight. If the pot is not properly airtight, the bacteria will find their way into the food and ruin them.

And if you eat spoiled food, you could get sick very badly. Thus, make sure to seal the pot with a good lid, or else you should replace the pot or lid.

2. Proper Container Size:

Essentially, you must be careful with the container, pot, or pan size. It would be best if you did not waste a big pot or pan to store a small amount of food.

Our fridge comes with limited storage to use moderately. On the other hand, storing food in different-sized containers will make the smaller ones go unnoticed till it’s too late. Leftover foods will deteriorate if it is left for too long.

3. Placement of Food Containers:

It is ideal for placing smaller containers in the front and bigger ones in the back of the top shelf in the fridge.

You should also keep the vegetables, food storing pots or containers with leftovers on the top shelf. And the raw meat and fish should be kept on the lower freezer shelf.

This not only ensures proper preservation but also discards all the possibilities of any cross-contamination.

4. Make Sure the Container Pots Are Squeaky Clean:

It is necessary to clean the pots, pans, or containers thoroughly after every use. Therefore, this will get rid of all the bacteria or contamination from mixing up with foods that will be stored.

Thus, the leftover food will stay safe, preserved, and healthy. And, nobody will get sick from food poisoning or gastritis.

5. Avoid Metal Pots or pans:

It is more beneficial not to use metal or iron-cast pans or pots. These materials are reactive and may spoil the food within less than two weeks.

Instead, it is advisable to use stainless steel pots, which are more convenient in many ways.

6. Always Reheat the Food:

Reheating the refrigerated food will destroy any present bacteria in the food. However, first, you must let the food shimmer down a bit from the cold temperature to room temperature.

Then reheating the food will be more effective. Well, these are all you must acknowledge to ensure better, healthy, and effective outcomes from putting a pot in the fridge.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

Conclusion

Many people do not think things through while they store food in the fridge. But it is a very concerning matter for the better of health. So, you should know “is it ok to put a pot in the fridge or not” before storing any food in the fridge.

Therefore, metal pots are not suitable for preserving foods in the fridge. On the other hand, stainless steel, plastic, or glass pots are great for keeping food in the refrigerator for weeks.

You should also be careful of other things I acknowledged you to eliminate any sort of danger.