Can stainless steel bowls go in the fridge? (3 Crucial Points)

In this brief guide, we will answer the question, can stainless steel bowls go in the fridge? We will discuss the proper way to store stainless steel bowls in the fridge. We will also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using stainless steel bowls to store food. 

Can stainless steel bowls go in the fridge?

You can put stainless steel bowls in the refrigerator. Food can be stored in the fridge in a stainless steel bowl considering that there is an airtight lid to cover it. 

If food is stored in the refrigerator for more than a day, it must have an airtight lid to protect the food from spoiling or picking up odor from other foods in the refrigerator. 

Stainless steel is a good conductor of heat. Hence, stainless steel should be used only if it is thin and light otherwise it can take a long time to become cold. 

Another point to note is not to store acidic foods such as pickles, or tomato-based food in stainless steel bowls for long as it can cause corrosion and the food can become contaminated with metal. 

Acidic food stored in stainless steel containers or bowls can cause food to taste metallic. 

Can stainless steel bowls go in the freezer?

Stainless steel bowls can be put in the freezer without any undesirable consequences. People often use stainless steel bowls to store juices, ice, and cooked meals in the freezer, however, stainless steel bowls can become sticky with a layer of ice when kept in the freezer. 

Should you store food in stainless steel bowls?

While stainless steel bowls can be safely used in the fridge as well as the freezer, there are certain shortcomings of using steel bowls. The first thing is that they do not come with airtight containers. 

As the stainless steel bowls are not meant for food storage, they do not come with air-tight lids. Hence, you need to use aluminum foil or saran wrap to keep the food safe from the environment.

Another point to note is that stainless steel bowls are not transparent, hence you will not be able to tell what you have stored inside the bowl. Transparent glass and plastic containers have the advantage that you can look at them and know what’s inside.

However, generally stainless steel is safe to put food in.

How to store food safely?

  • To store food in a refrigerator, make sure that the food has cooled down and is at room temperature.
  • To store food in a stainless steel pot, make sure it has a steel lid or plastic, silicone, or rubber to keep air and odor from other food away. 
  • You must not store food in stainless steel pots if it does not have a tight-fitting lid. If the stainless steel pot does not have an airtight lid, resort to other means of sealing it using silicone food wraps, plastic wraps, or beeswax wraps. 
  • The stainless pots should not have pits or scratches as they can accumulate heavy metals and be poisonous in the long run.
  • Sometimes stainless steel pots also have chromium or nickel compounds. Even though they are not harmful to most people, some tend to be sensitive to them.

What else can you do with stainless steel utensils?

Cook on a stovetop

You can cook all types of food on a stovetop in stainless steel pots and pans. However, you need to be careful as steel becomes hot very hot quickly.

Use in the oven

You can use stainless steel pots and pans safely in the oven, where the temperature goes as high as 450 Fahrenheit. Stainless steel can withstand very high temperatures, however, you need to be careful if it has wooden handles or different materials as well.

Use in the toaster oven

Stainless steel bowls and pots can be safely used in a toaster oven as well. 

What are some tips for proper food storage?

Make sure that food is at room temperature before keeping it inside a refrigerator.

You can use transparent plastic or glass containers which are good to keep tabs on what you have inside the refrigerator. 

Acidic foods will encourage the pitting of stainless steel pots and pans. Hence do not keep sour foods such as pickles, tomato curry, and sauces in stainless steel pots for long. 

Before you store food in stainless steel pots, clean and dry them thoroughly. 

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the question, can stainless steel bowls go in the fridge? We discussed the proper way to store stainless steel bowls in the fridge. We also discussed the benefits and drawbacks of using stainless steel bowls to store food. 

Citations

https://cementanswers.com/is-it-safe-to-store-food-in-stainless-steel-bowls/

https://www.quora.com/Is-it-safe-to-place-stainless-steel-containers-in-a-refrigerator

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