Hotel mini fridges are often not cold enough to store food safely

The hotel mini fridge may not be a real fridge

Ever put the leftovers of a restaurant in your hotel’s mini fridge and wondered why it’s so warm the next morning? You don’t imagine it. Hotel refrigerators are often set to a temperature that keeps drinks cool, but not enough to keep food and medicine away from the “dangerous zone.”

How cold does the hotel refrigerator need to be to keep food safe?

When it comes to that Food safety, fresh foods (including cooked foods such as restaurant leftovers) should not be placed in the “danger zone” for more than about 2 hours. The zone is 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Food is safe while it is hot (so it can be cooked in a slow cooker for hours). The usual The refrigerator at home is probably set below 40 degrees, so it’s safe to put it in the refrigerator. (Unless things freeze, the lower the better-AAdjust the fridge to mid 30from s Make food last longer.. )

If your hotel’s refrigerator is above 40 degrees Celsius (often), you should not rely on it to keep your food cold enough to be safely consumed... Bacteria can grow and become rotten food in dangerous areas.In the worst case, you May cause food poisoning..

Why is the hotel mini fridge so warm???

They are thinking when the hotel owner decides which refrigerator to supply to the guest room Energy consumption (Colder refrigerators use more electricity) and noise (the sound of a running refrigerator can be annoying to guests). They are probably convinced that people most often just refrigerate their drinks and don’t care about food safety.

Such Ask a hotel employee to rehearse what your room looks like Equipped with a “cooler” instead of a refrigerator..or Laugh at the forum About hotel guests who are surprised that the refrigerator doesn’t work like a refrigerator at home. “On average, we get complaints about refrigerators about once a week,” says one.To make matters worse, the latest trends in hotel refrigerators Snooze function Turn off the refrigerator for 8 hours While you are sleeping.

Not now every day The hotel refrigerator is kept at a temperature that is dangerous to food. If you actually keep your food cold and get one with a small freezer compartment at the top, consider yourself lucky. But if the mini fridge looks warm and raises it (Or down?) Useless, It’s not your imagination, It is a refrigerator.

What to do if things don’t get cold in the hotel refrigerator

If you are storing medicines or breast milk Or for other things that need to be stored at a specific temperature for health reasons, the hotel can usually bring the luggage to the desk and store it in the actual refrigerator or freezer in the employee area. I’ll announce it.Not the most convenient, but it’s an option With a pinch.

If you haven’t traveled yet, consider packing your thermometer so you can see if the refrigerator is actually stored. and Food safety temperature..You can also contact the hotel before booking To make sure you have a real fridge if you need it. Hotel suites with full or kitchenettes may have a real fridge, but be sure to check.

Getting stuck in a warm mini fridge isn’t the end of the world when it comes to food safety, but you’ll have to do some extra work.. If you go shopping for groceries, choose foods that don’t go bad right away. Like butter and yogurt, hard cheeses are fairly well preserved (although yogurt can become more sour over time). Milk, meat, seafoodOn the other hand, there are risks. You can also buy frozen food and thaw it in the refrigerator.Those remaining ice crystals will buy you a fair amount of time before the whole thing The item will be warm enough to spoil.

You can also use the ice machine in the corridor. If you have a bottle of medicine or small food, keep it cold, fill an ice bucket, put valuables inside, and then Put everything in the mini fridge Keep the door closed as much as possible.. The lukewarm water in the fridge does not stop the ice from melting, but the ice (and chilled foods and medicines) lasts much longer than sitting at the counter.