Sqwertz > wrote:

>On Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:06:33 +0000 (UTC), Steve Pope wrote:

>> 30 minutes is less than 1 hour.

>If you read between the lines 30 minutes is not as safe as
>putting it in the fridge immediately.

True, but still within the guidelines.

>Between 1-2 hours is
>really bad. 30 minutes would be a compromise between good and
>evil.

>>>The less time food stays between 40F and 140F the better. It's
>>>that simple.

>> It's not that simple if a large amount of hot food is placed
>> in a small refrigerator, warming up some of its contents into
>> the danger zone.

>The refrigerator will turn on and maintain a cold atmosphere
>without the hot food affecting the already cold food.

I have trouble believing this is always true, particularly
if you put a large batch of hot food in a small home refrigerator,
and do this several times a week. Things that are in the
refrigerator long term, like condiments, are probably becoming
less safe if you do this.

>If we're talking about 10 gallons of soup, I'd leave it on the
>stove with the *lid on* until it cools some.

My intuition, and also what I have read, is that lid-on slows
cooling therefore the food spends more total time in the danger zone.

Steve