Unopened refrigerators will keep food cold for about how many hours?

• A. About 2 hours.
• B. About 12 hours.
• C. About 24 hours.
• D. About 4 hours.

Answer: (D)

When the door stays closed, a refrigerator can keep things cold for about four hours. That means perishable foods stay in the safe temperature range for roughly four hours after a power loss or unplugging. After that window, the temperature can rise enough to allow bacteria to grow, so move perishables to a cooler with ice or discard them if the outage lasts longer. The exact time can vary a bit depending on how full the fridge is, how warm the room is, and how often the door is opened, but four hours is the typical guideline.