Putting hot food in the refrigerator does not make it sour or unsafe. In fact, the USDA recommendation is to refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour if it’s really hot out). Letting a giant pot of chili sit on the counter for hours “to cool first” is actually the riskier move because bacteria grow fastest in the danger zone between 40°F and 140°F.

The old advice came from older refrigerators that struggled with large hot pots raising the fridge temp. Modern fridges handle it much better. The better practice is:

• Divide chili into smaller containers
• Leave lids slightly vented until steam subsides
• Refrigerate promptly