How long does food stay safe in the fridge and freezer without power?
Short answer
A closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer keeps food frozen for about 48 hours, a half-full one for about 24 hours — as long as the doors stay closed. Eat from the fridge first, then the freezer, and only then from your supplies.
The numbers
| Appliance | Safe for about | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge | 4 hours | door kept closed |
| Full freezer | 48 hours | door kept closed |
| Half-full freezer | 24 hours | door kept closed |
What to do
- Don't open the doors unless you must — every opening lets the cold out.
- Eat in this order: fridge → freezer → stored supplies.
- Keep an appliance thermometer in the fridge: food above 4 °C (40 °F) for more than 2 hours — meat, fish, dairy, cooked leftovers — should be thrown away.
- Frozen food that still has ice crystals or is at 4 °C (40 °F) or below can be refrozen.
When in doubt, throw it out
Never taste food to check whether it is safe. Food that has touched floodwater must be thrown away, even if it looks fine.
The full guide also gives you
Kitchen Without Power
50 pantry recipes for a gas camping stove, a wood stove or no cooking at all
Worksheets (appendices)
- The Power Is Out — How to Cook on Day One
- Weekly Meal Plan
- Pantry List for 50 Recipes
- Fuel Log
- Equipment by Priority
- Local Information Card
- Worked Example — a Week for Four People
Sources: USDA FSIS — Food Safety During Power Outage; FoodSafety.gov — Food Safety in a Power Outage. Sources are listed on the last page of every guide.
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