How Long Does Food Last in a Refrigerator Without Power?

How long does food last in a refrigerator without power? About four hours if you keep the door closed. After that, throw out perishable foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and leftovers. A full freezer holds for about 48 hours and a half-full one for about 24, again with the door shut.

How long does food last in a refrigerator without power: the rule

A closed refrigerator stays cold for roughly four hours because the cold food and insulated walls hold the temperature. Every time you open the door, warm air rushes in and shortens that window. After four hours the inside climbs above 40°F, and bacteria begin to multiply.

Quick facts: food in a refrigerator without power
Refrigerator	About 4 hours, door closed
Full freezer	About 48 hours, door closed
Half-full freezer	About 24 hours, door closed
Safe limit	Perishable food above 40°F for 2 hours or more should be discarded

What to throw out after four hours

Raw and cooked meat, poultry and fish
Eggs and egg dishes
Milk, soft cheeses, yogurt and cream
Cooked pasta, rice, cut fruit and salads
Leftovers and takeout

What can often be kept

Food	Usually fine without cold
Hard cheeses and processed cheese	Yes, for a short while
Butter and margarine	Generally yes
Fresh whole fruit and vegetables	Yes
Jams, ketchup, mustard, pickles	Yes
Bread and baked goods	Yes

When unsure, throw it out. Never taste food to decide whether it is safe.

Before an outage

Keep an appliance thermometer in the fridge and the freezer.
Freeze water in containers or buy ice, and keep a cooler on hand.
Group frozen foods together so they stay cold longer.
Know where the thermometer reads, so you can judge afterwards.

During an outage

Keep doors closed. Move essentials to a cooler with ice if the outage is long. Dry ice can keep a freezer cold longer, but wear gloves, ventilate the room and never put it in a sealed container.

After the power returns

Check the thermometer. If the fridge reads 40°F or lower, food is fine. In the freezer, food that is still partly frozen with ice crystals can generally be refrozen, though quality may fall. Anything that reached 40°F or above for two hours should go. Wait a few hours, too, for the fridge to cool fully.

How long does food last in a refrigerator without power if it is cold outside?

Cold weather helps a little but is not a safe substitute for a thermometer. A fridge in a cold garage can still warm up, and a cooler left outside can freeze or overheat in the sun. Judge by temperature, not by the weather, and keep perishable items in a cooler with ice if the outage will be long.

Planning for storms and long outages

Before storm season, write down the location of your main breaker, keep a flashlight and a cooler, and freeze a few water bottles or gel packs. Know a nearby source of ice. If your area loses power often, a small backup power source for the fridge may be worth discussing with an electrician.

A simple checklist

Note the time the power went out.
Keep the doors shut.
Check the thermometer before you eat anything.
Throw out anything that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.
When in doubt, throw it out.

If someone asks how long does food last in a refrigerator without power, the answer is four hours with the door closed, then decide by temperature.

When the fridge will not restart

A power surge can damage the control board or compressor. If the fridge hums but does not cool, clicks repeatedly or the freezer stays warm hours after power returns, call a technician. Now that you know how long food lasts in a refrigerator without power, plan a cooler and thermometer before the next storm.