Food Safety, Management & Operation

How to Cool Foods Properly

Last updated on Mar 8, 2024
Janine Jones

While most people are aware of the food safety concerns related to improper cooking or preparation methods, the importance of cooling food the right way often goes overlooked. Improper cooling of potentially hazardous foods is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness in commercial foodservice operations and can lead to the rapid multiplication of bacteria. For that reason, you and your staff need to be well-trained and informed on the correct procedures for cooling food to ensure the safety of your guests and comply with health regulations.

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The Two Stages of Cooling Food

According to FDA regulations and CDC's food cooling guidelines, food should be cooled in two stages to keep it safe for consumption. The two-stage process that you should use in your kitchen is as follows:

  1. Food must be cooled from 135 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius to 21 degrees Celsius) within 2 hours.
  2. Food must then be cooled from 70 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius to 5 degrees Celsius) within 4 hours.

If cooling foods don't reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit within the first two hours, they must immediately be reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds. Once this is done, the cooling process can start again until the food reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If a staff member fails to monitor food or the cooling process isn't followed, dispose of the dish.

Food Cooling Methods

There are several different food cooling methods, and no method is better than the rest. Each one is helpful for a different type of food, depending on factors such as volume, density, and moisture content. Understanding the various food cooling methods can help you choose the most appropriate one for your specific needs, and we've listed the most common ones below.

1. Ice Cubes

cooling of food with ice cubes

Using ice cubes as a cooling method is particularly effective for soups and gravies. This approach works well for water-based dishes that can easily be thickened during reheating. When using the ice cube method, keep the following tips in mind to ensure optimal results:

  • Separate: Consider separating the dish into shallow pans to accelerate the cooling process. Doing this increases the surface area exposed to the cold, promoting quicker cooling.
  • Stir: This helps distribute the cold temperature evenly throughout the dish and prevents potential hot spots that may compromise quality.
  • Monitor: Monitor food temperature throughout the cooling process to ensure prompt results.

2. Ice Baths

cooling of food with ice bath

Ice baths offer a controlled environment. They allow you to cool food from the outside in, efficiently lowering the temperature throughout the entire dish. This method is especially useful for foods that would be diluted or watered down by ice cubes. To use the ice bath method of cooling, follow these steps:

  1. Fill a sink basin or food storage box with ice and a small amount of water.
  2. Place hot food into the ice until it is below ice level but not fully submerged.
  3. Shift the pan every few minutes, adding more ice if needed.
  4. Monitor food temperature to ensure it drops according to the 2-step cooling process requirements.

3. Ice Paddles

cooling of food with ice paddle

Ice paddles work effectively without diluting the flavor or consistency of your dishes. Made from food-grade plastics such as polycarbonate, ice paddles are safe for contact with food products and will not react with hot dishes. In most cases, ice paddles are more efficient than using an ice bath, making them ideal for busy kitchen environments where time is of the essence. They are versatile and work well with many foods, including soups, sauces, vegetables, rice, and beans. Follow the instructions below to use your ice paddle the right way:

  1. Fill a cooling paddle with water and freeze overnight. If you need to use it the same day, fill the paddle with ice and cold water.
  2. Place the paddle into your hot food and stir every 3-5 minutes to get the food to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within 2 hours. Use a probe thermometer to monitor the temperature of the food.
  3. Place the food into the refrigerator with the paddle still submerged and check the temperature every 20 minutes as it descends to 41 degrees over the next 4 hours.
  4. Remove the paddle when the food reaches a safe cooling temperature.

4. Blast Chillers

cooling of food with ice blast chiller

If you have room for one, a commercial blast chiller can be a quick, effective tool for cooling food and getting it out of the danger zone. A blast chiller or flash freezer blows forced cold air over the food, bringing the temperature down rapidly while minimizing the ice crystals that can form during the cooling process. This cools the food safely, extends its shelf life, and ensures a great-tasting product when reheated. To use a blast chiller the right way, follow these steps:

  1. Divide the food into shallow pans (approximately 4 inches deep) to allow it to cool evenly and quickly. Check the manual of your blast chiller to see which pans are compatible with your unit.
  2. Follow the instructions to start your unit. The chamber temperature will gradually drop while blowing air to cool the food safely.
  3. Once the food is at a safe temperature, place it in cold storage.

How Not to Cool Food

While it is important to understand which methods are best for cooling food, it is equally important to understand which methods you should avoid and why. Some methods may seem convenient, but in practice will jeopardize the safety and quality of your food. Avoid using these common practices to ensure the best cooling results:

  • Placing food in a refrigerator: Some individuals place hot food directly in the refrigerator or freezer to speed up the cooling process. Doing so can lead to a significant increase in the internal temperature of the appliance, compromising other perishable items stored inside. The hot food may not cool evenly, creating an environment conducive to bacterial growth.
  • Placing food on the counter to cool at room temperature: When left at room temperature for an extended period, food enters the danger zone, which increases the risk of foodborne illness.
  • Placing food in a cooler: While coolers keep food cold, they aren't suitable for rapidly cooling hot food. Placing hot food in a cooler can elevate its internal temperature, potentially causing other items stored inside to reach unsafe temperatures.

Avoiding the Danger Zone While Cooling Food

Bacteria and microorganisms multiply rapidly between the temperatures of 135 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit, thriving between 125 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range is known as the danger zone, and it is the cause of most foodborne illnesses. Because of the danger zone, food must be chilled correctly and monitored through the two-stage cooling process. Foods that are moist and protein-rich, such as meats, cooked rice, cooked beans, cooked pasta, gravy, soups, stews, and sauces, are prone to accelerated bacteria growth.

Training Staff on the Food Cooling Process

staff member monitoring cooling process of food

Implementing food cooling and monitoring procedures into your staff training process is crucial to ensure that every team member is well-versed in the proper food cooling techniques. When training your staff, make sure they are well informed about the following aspects:

  • Calibrating a thermometer: Train your staff to calibrate a thermometer to ensure accurate temperature readings.
  • When to check food temperatures: Emphasize the importance of checking temperatures at regular intervals during the cooling process to monitor progress and ensure food is cooling within the specified time frame.
  • How to check food temperatures: Train your staff on the correct method of checking temperatures using a calibrated thermometer to ensure accuracy and consistency.
  • How to log temperatures: Staff should be familiar with the procedure for logging temperature readings accurately and promptly to maintain accurate records.
  • Familiarity with the 2-stage cooling method: Educate your staff on the 2-stage cooling method and its importance.
  • How to adjust the cooling process: Ensure your staff understands how to adjust the cooling process if food is not cooling within the specified time frame.
  • How to store cooled foods: Make sure your staff knows how to store food once it is cooled. Ready-to-eat foods should be stored on the top shelf of your refrigerator and kept sealed in airtight containers to prevent cross-contamination.

How to Log Food Temperatures

Monitoring and recording food temperatures is imperative for upholding food safety standards, and your kitchen should have a designated food cooling log to ensure all correct safety procedures are followed. These recording procedures are also a key part of implementing a HACCP plan. Be sure to include the following information to make sure your records are accurate and up-to-date. Once the cooling is complete, have a manager sign off on it.

  • Name of the staff member recording
  • Date recorded
  • Food cooled
  • Starting time and temperature
  • Cooling method used
  • When the food reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Temperature of the food each hour for the next 6 hours

Food Cooling Questions

Now that you are familiar with the correct food cooling practices, let’s put your knowledge to the test. Answer the questions below to see if you're ready to cool food safely:

Back to Top

Knowing how to cool food properly is essential to maintain food safety in your kitchen. By following the correct procedures, you can reduce the risk that harmful bacteria will grow and help eliminate the potential for foodborne illnesses. No matter how experienced you are in the foodservice industry, educating yourself on proper food cooling techniques is an easy way to keep your customers safe.

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If your staff has already learned bad habits like not washing their hands correctly or failing to change their gloves at the appropriate time, it’s likely they’ll do this in front of an inspector without even realizing it. Not only that, poor hygiene is one of the biggest contributors to the spread of foodborne illness. Common Personal Hygiene Mistakes Health inspectors will be watching your staff closely to observe the following: Not washing hands correctly: Employees must use soap and warm running water. Hands must be washed for at least 20 seconds. Washing hands at the wrong sink: Handwashing must be performed at a handwashing sink designated by a sign or poster. Open employee beverages in work areas: Employee beverages must be covered by a lid and only placed in designated areas. Wearing rings, bracelets, or watches on duty: Food handlers may only wear a plain metal ring. No hair restraints: Food handlers must wear a cap or hairnet when preparing food. How To Avoid a Personal Hygiene Violation Help your staff build good habits by creating a hygiene training program. Perform regular follow-ups with your team and always provide clean hats, face masks, and aprons. Give your handwashing sink stations extra attention and make sure they are set up with soap and paper towels at all times. 5. Poor Kitchen Sanitation The overall cleanliness of your kitchen requires that work surfaces and equipment are wiped down and sanitized regularly. This includes all the visible surfaces and the not-so-obvious surfaces that are hidden from view. Why Kitchen Sanitation Is Important Kitchen sanitation is important because you cannot safely prepare foods on surfaces and equipment that are unclean. The buildup of grease on your equipment affects the taste of your foods and also presents a fire hazard. If you allow the unseen surfaces inside, beneath, and behind equipment to collect food debris, it attracts pests to your kitchen. Common Kitchen Sanitation Mistakes Health inspectors know which areas are the most likely to be neglected and will be on the lookout for the following: Mold or slime in the bottom of the ice bin: Ice machine bins must be cleaned regularly to prevent mold growth. Unclean soda fountain nozzles: All soda nozzles and soda bar guns should be taken apart and cleaned regularly to prevent bacteria growth. Food debris and buildup beneath equipment: Sweep and clean the areas beneath your equipment daily. Grease buildup on equipment: Empty grease trays and filters frequently and use a degreaser on equipment. Rusted or corroded shelving units: Use corrosion-resistant shelving or drop mat shelving. How To Avoid a Sanitation Violation Avoid a sanitation violation by instituting a restaurant cleaning checklist. Train your staff to observe cleaning protocols on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Make sure to place a special emphasis on the areas that are often neglected, like your ice machine bin. 6. Cross-Contamination Avoiding cross-contamination in your kitchen is one of the most important aspects of food safety. Contamination can occur at any stage of the cooking process, including the handling, storage, and preparation of foods. It can also occur from the misuse of tools and utensils, poor personal hygiene, and neglecting to maintain a safe, sanitary kitchen environment. Why Avoiding Cross-Contamination Is Important The contamination of foods by pathogens, chemicals, or foreign objects like glass or dirt is a hazard that can cause serious harm to your guests. Preventing the spread of foodborne illness from cross-contamination requires that you adhere to important food safety protocols. Common Cross-Contamination Mistakes Health inspectors will be paying close attention to any signs of a cross-contamination violation in your kitchen, including these common mistakes: Using the same cutting board or knives to cut chicken and vegetables: Any surface that has come into contact with raw chicken should be sanitized. Using color-coded cutting boards that are designated for specific foods can help you avoid cross-contamination. Storing the ice scoop in the ice machine: Any object stored inside an ice bin can become a source of contamination. Using glassware to scoop ice: Using a glass to scoop ice is a major health hazard because it could cause glass chips to contaminate the ice. Picking up glasses or serving plates by the rim: Servers should never touch the surfaces that come into contact with food or beverages. Not storing cleaning towels in sanitizer solution: Cleaning towels must be stored in a sanitizer pail between uses to prevent cross-contamination. How To Avoid a Cross-Contamination Violation You can avoid the risk of cross-contamination in your kitchen by encouraging your staff members to obtain food handler’s certification. Safety courses like ServSafe have been highly successful at educating restaurant operators so they can understand the risks of contamination and the necessary prevention. 7. Chemical Use and Storage Commercial kitchens require the use of powerful chemicals to clean and sanitize surfaces and equipment. Ensuring that these chemicals are used correctly and stored safely away from foods is part of proper chemical use. Why Chemical Use and Storage Is Important Health inspectors catch a lot of operators off guard with chemical storage violations. It’s very easy for a staff member to pick up a spray bottle of cleaning solution and accidentally set it down next to a food pan, even if it’s just for a moment. If the health inspector observes any cleaning chemicals placed near food, it will result in a violation. You can also expect the inspector to test your cleaning and sanitizing solutions to make sure they are at the right concentration. Common Chemical Use and Storage Mistakes Storing cleaning chemicals near food: Do not store chemicals on shelves above food or anywhere near food in your kitchen. Storing toxic chemicals in unlabeled bottles: All spray bottles and containers must be labeled to identify the chemicals inside. Not using the correct concentration of sanitizer: Your sanitizing solutions must contain the correct strength and concentration to kill germs. How To Avoid a Chemical Use and Storage Violation You can avoid a chemical storage violation by creating designated locations for the storage of your cleaning supplies. Use sanitizer testing strips to make sure all of your sanitizing solutions contain the right concentration of chemicals. Health Code Violation FAQ If you're still looking for answers, check out these commonly asked questions concerning health code violations: What Are Health Code Violations? A health code violation is the failure to adhere to the guidelines set in place by state and local health departments. When a violation is witnessed by a health inspector, the issue must be corrected immediately. Too many violations can result in a restaurant closure. What Should a Food Worker Use to Touch Food in Display Cases? Ready-to-eat food in display cases shouldn't be touched with bare hands. Instead, use disposable gloves, tongs, or tissue paper to handle these foods. What Should You Do if You Accidentally Cross-Contaminate a Dish? If you accidentally contaminate a dish, you should discard the food immediately, clean and sanitize any tools or utensils that came into contact with the food, and wash your hands. If you were wearing gloves, make sure to throw your soiled gloves away and put on a new pair. The best way to avoid a health code violation on the day the health inspector shows up is to have an established food safety plan in place. Keep your staff trained, provide opportunities for their education, and perform regular walk-throughs to ensure safety procedures are being followed.