Fridge and freezer in a power outage
What to keep, what to throw out, and how long you have.
Every figure has its official source at the end.
All of this, put into a plan for your home, is in the guide Ready in 7 Days.
How long it lasts
- With the doors closed, food stays safe for about 4 hours in a refrigerator.
- A full freezer keeps its temperature for about 48 hours; a half-full one, about 24.
When the power goes
- Keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
- If you have ice packs in the freezer, move a few to the fridge.
- Eat first what is in the fridge, then what is in the freezer, and leave the cans for last.
What to throw out
- Throw away refrigerated food that has been at 40 °F or above for more than 4 hours. When in doubt, throw it out.
- After 4 hours without power, throw out refrigerated meat, fish, cut fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk and leftovers.
- Throw out food with an unusual odor, color or texture.
- Throw away any food that has touched flood water.
What you can refreeze
- Thawed food that still contains ice crystals or is at 40 °F or below can be safely refrozen or cooked.
What to have beforehand
Freezer ice packs
Kept in the freezer, they help it hold the cold. If the power goes, move a few to the fridge and it stays cold for longer.
Check price on AmazonRefrigerator thermometer
When the power comes back, it tells you whether the fridge stayed at 40 °F or below, instead of guessing.
See optionsFood you can eat cold
Tins, crackers, nuts: food that needs no fridge or cooking, for while the fridge is off.
For the rest of those hours, what to do in a power outage; and the whole kit, in levels and with what each one costs, in the kit.
Links go to amazon.com and are affiliate links: if you buy through them we get a small commission and it costs you nothing extra.
This does not replace instructions from the authorities or 911: if they say something different, do what they say.
Food for three days, with no fridge
In Ready in 7 Days, day 3 is food with no fridge: you plan three days of meals from what you already have, and the card on the fridge says what to do with what's inside when the power goes.
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