When the power goes out, keeping your food safe depends on the type of freezer you have and how well it stays cold. Use this guide to understand how long food stays safe and how to protect your frozen items during an outage.

Why Freezer Type Matters

Different freezers hold cold differently. Insulation, door design, size, and how often you open them all affect how long foods stay frozen. Keeping the door closed is the most important step you can take.

Upright Freezers

• Warm up faster because cold air escapes more quickly.
• Generally, keep food safely frozen for about 24 hours if the door remains closed and the freezer is full.
• If half full, food may only stay frozen 12 to 24 hours.
• Keep items close together to help maintain cold temperatures.

Chest Freezers

• Hold cold air longer due to top‑opening design and deeper insulation.
• You can usually keep food safely frozen for 36 to 48 hours if full and unopened.
• If half full, expect 24 to 36 hours of safe temperature retention.
• These are the best options for longer outages.

Freezers Inside Refrigerators

• Typically, warm up the fastest.
• May only maintain safe temperatures for about 12 to 24 hours if the door stays shut.
• Consider moving high‑value or critical frozen foods to a chest freezer or adding block ice if an outage is expected.

Portable and Countertop Freezers

• Insulation levels vary widely.
• Many hold safe temperatures for only 6 to 12 hours without power.
• If possible, pack them full or add ice packs when an outage occurs.

How to Maximize Freezer Cold During Outages

• Keep all freezer doors closed. Each opening lets out significant cold air.
• Group frozen items tightly together to increase thermal mass.
• Use ice blocks or frozen water jugs for extra cold if an outage is expected.
• Cover your freezer with blankets to add insulation but avoid blocking air vents.
• Know where your freezer’s built‑in thermometer is or use an appliance thermometer for accuracy.

When to Throw Food Away

Food safety experts recommend discarding frozen items that have thawed and stayed above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours. If you’re unsure, follow this rule: When in doubt, throw it out.

Stay Informed

Monitor local outage updates, sign-up for local emergency alerts at ORAlert.gov, and make sure wireless emergency alerts are enabled on your cell phone. Visit OEM’s Be2Weeks Ready webpage for more preparedness information.

Other Power Outage Food Safety Resources

• Download a printable PDF of this information
• Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods | FDA
• Is my food still safe after power outages? | OSU Extension Service
• Keep Food Safe After a Disaster or Emergency | Food Safety | CDC
• Avoid Foodborne Illness During Temporary Power Outages | FoodSafety.gov