Wouldn’t it be easy to refrigerate food in the same pan used to prepare it? Whether it is because you are exhausted after cooking or trying to minimize washing up, it seems like a good idea. But is it safe or sensible? Can pans go in the fridge?
Some pans can hold food in the refrigerator, but it depends on the exact cookware and its instructions. Check that the pan is suitable for storage, cool the food promptly, and keep it covered. If the pan is unsuitable or you are unsure, transfer the food to appropriate shallow storage containers.
The pan and the food need separate checks. A suitable food-contact surface does not make slow cooling safe, and safe cooling does not make every pan suitable for the fridge.
What Matters When You Store Food in a Pan
Storage containers can be useful when you need to divide a large batch into smaller portions or cover it securely. However, some cookware is designed for refrigerated storage, so the answer is not the same for every pan.
Check the Pan’s Food-Contact Surface
Look at the surface that touches the food, rather than judging the pan only by its base metal. An aluminum or copper core beneath an intact stainless-steel surface is different from exposed aluminum or copper.
Health Canada advises against storing food for long periods in aluminum cookware, particularly acidic or salty food, and warns against using uncoated or scratched copper cookware for cooking or storage.
A coating or lining can change how the pan should be used, but it is not permission to ignore damage or the manufacturer’s storage instructions. Check the exact product and the condition of its food-contact surface.
Pans May Not Provide An Airtight Seal
Check whether the pan has a lid or other covering suitable for food storage. Some cookware has matching storage lids, so it is not accurate to say that no pan can be closed securely.
FDA storage guidance recommends covered containers or sealed storage bags for refrigerated food. Covering helps protect food from contamination and moisture loss, but it does not replace prompt cooling or the correct storage temperature.
Storing Food In Pans Can Damage Them
Food storage can affect the pan as well as the food. For example, All-Clad explains that salt can cause small pits in stainless steel, and that discoloration can occur. Stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, not immune to every change.
Moisture can also cause rust on cast iron or carbon steel. Follow the maker’s cleaning and drying instructions instead of leaving food in a pan that is not intended for storage.
Damage is not all the same. Lodge provides instructions for restoring rusty cast iron, but that does not mean cracks, chipped enamel or every damaged coating can be repaired. Follow the guidance for the particular material and condition.
The Quality And Taste Of Food May Be Affected
A suitable covering helps prevent food from drying out or picking up odors from other foods in the fridge. The food-contact surface also matters, especially for acidic or salty dishes.
A change in flavor or smell is not a reliable test of food safety. FDA explains that food can contain harmful bacteria even when it looks, smells and tastes normal. Do not taste questionable leftovers to decide whether they are safe.
What to Check Before Refrigerating a Pan
Check the manufacturer’s directions for food storage, the surface condition, the lid and any temperature-change precautions. Do not assume that another pan made from the same broad material has the same instructions.
Can You Put Stainless Steel Pans In The Refrigerator?
The word stainless does not mean that salt, acids or prolonged food contact can never affect a pan. Use the storage directions for the cookware you own rather than a blanket ranking of metals.
For example, Le Creuset’s stainless-steel care guidance says not to store raw, marinating or cooked food in those pans because ingredients may damage the surface. Its permission to store food in enameled cast iron is a different, product-specific instruction.
Can You Put Non-Stick Pans In The Refrigerator?
Non-stick cookware is not one uniform product category. A coating does not establish that every pan is intended for refrigerated storage, and it cannot support a promise of zero health risk under every condition.
There are different manufacturer instructions. Tefal’s Ingenio guidance permits refrigerated leftovers with its hermetic lid, but excludes acidic foods. Le Creuset tells owners not to store food in its non-stick cookware. Follow the instructions for your particular pan rather than transferring one brand’s permission to another.
Related Further Reading:
- Do Woks Rust? (Which Woks Rust And Which Don’t?)
- Do Woks Work On Electric Stoves? (Best Wok For Electric Stove)
- Can Woks Go In The Oven? (Which Woks Are Oven-Safe?)
Can You Put A Hot Pan In The Refrigerator?
Hot food can go directly into the refrigerator. USDA recommends dividing large amounts into smaller, shallow containers so that they cool quickly. Do not leave a large pot on the counter waiting for all of its contents to reach room temperature.
The hot vessel needs a separate check. Glass, ceramic and some other cookware have precautions against sudden temperature changes. If the original pan cannot safely be chilled, transfer the food to suitable shallow containers and refrigerate it promptly. Do not plunge a hot glass dish into an ice bath.
Keep the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Refrigerate perishable leftovers within two hours of cooking or removal from hot holding, or within one hour if the surrounding temperature is above 90°F (32°C). These are maximum handling limits, not a reason to delay refrigeration.
USDA advises using refrigerated leftovers within three to four days and reheating them to 165°F (74°C). A different storage container does not restart that period or make previously mishandled food safe.
Can Pans Go In The Freezer?
Use a pan for freezing only when its instructions allow it. Check the lid as well as the vessel, and keep the freezer at 0°F (−18°C). Refrigerator suitability does not automatically establish freezer or oven suitability.
The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends packaging that protects against moisture loss and has a suitable closure. Leave the headspace specified for the food and container, because many foods expand as they freeze.
- Metal pans: Check the food-contact surface and the manufacturer’s freezer instructions. Do not assume that all stainless-steel or aluminum pans are suitable for every food, or that every batch will cool or thaw quickly.
- Glass pans: Follow the instructions for the exact item and market. U.S. Pyrex safety guidance requires a preheated oven and warns against transferring its glassware directly from the freezer to a hot oven. Do not put a frozen Pyrex dish into a cold oven and heat them together as a general workaround.
- Ceramic and stoneware: These products have their own temperature-change limits. Do not copy a glassware method to every ceramic dish, or treat ceramic-coated metal as the same product as solid stoneware.
- Non-stick pans: Freezer suitability depends on the specific product. Use its approved storage covering and filling guidance, and protect the surface when removing frozen food.
Before reheating frozen food, check both the food-handling instructions and the vessel’s instructions. If you cannot establish that the original pan is suitable for the planned method, use a verified suitable reheating vessel instead.
Interesting Further Reading:
- Can Pans Go In The Dishwasher? (12 Types Of Pans Compared)
- Can You Use Pans On Induction Hobs? (Making Pans Induction-Safe)
- Can Skillets Go In The Dishwasher? (Which Can And Which Cannot)
- Cooking with Cast Iron Skillets on Glass Cooktops
Final Notes
Choose the storage vessel by its actual instructions and condition, rather than assuming that every pan of one material is safe or unsuitable. Transferring leftovers to suitable shallow containers is often the simplest option when the cookware instructions are unclear.
Whichever container you use, cool perishable food promptly, keep it covered at the right temperature, and follow its storage limits. Protecting the pan and protecting the food are both important.
