What happens when the grid goes down? The temperature in your fridge goes up. Dairy curdles, meat starts stinking, and once-crisp veggies melt into a sad puddle of slime. A fridge loses temperature rapidly without power, keeping food safe for just four hours.
In a closed unit, the cold air has nowhere to go. But once you open the door, it literally falls out of your refrigerator. It runs away into the night, leaving you lonely and hungry.
Cold air will escape no matter what, but adding extra insulation will slow the process down. Grab some blankets or towels and wrap them around your fridge.
Is it very cold where you are? Consider moving your fridge outside. Of course, those with larger or heavier units may not be able to take advantage of this method. But if you have a smaller refrigerator, transporting it might be a viable option.
Fill plastic gallon jugs or water storage bricks with water and keep them in your freezer. When the power goes out, simply transfer the frozen jugs to your fridge. The ice will lower the temperature in your fridge and keep it lower for longer.
Dry ice is a great option for more extended outages. It’s made from carbon dioxide and won’t melt into a liquid. Instead, it will turn into gas, giving off freezing-cold vapor inside your refrigerator.
Gel or ice packs work exceptionally well since they are designed to hold cooler temperatures, but you can use whatever you have. Transferring frozen vegetables, meats, or even last year’s Thanksgiving pie can help keep the temperature down.