“Why You Should Put a Coin in the Freezer Before Leaving”

The Trick of the Coin in the Freezer: A Simple but Ingenious Method

Before leaving for vacation, there is a simple yet extremely useful trick that everyone should adopt in the kitchen: putting a coin in the freezer.
This trick, widespread in many parts of the world, proves to be particularly helpful in rural areas where power outages can occur, especially during periods of high energy demand.

In Southern Europe, for example, scheduled outages can last for several hours, causing potential issues with food preservation, which can also happen in Southern Italy.
The coin can serve as a clue to help us understand if what we are about to ingest might not have been properly stored.
But how does this simple trick, known by many Italian grandmothers, work? Here is all you need to know about it.

Why Use the Coin Trick

Before explaining how the coin trick in the freezer works, it is important to know its various advantages.
Firstly, it is economical and easy to execute, as it does not require the purchase of expensive home monitoring devices and can be used by anyone.

Moreover, it is an effective way to protect one’s health by preventing possible food poisoning.
Bacteria tend to proliferate rapidly at higher temperatures, and foods like meat and fish are particularly susceptible.
A prolonged power outage can cause these foods to spoil, becoming dangerous for consumption.

This trick is especially useful in countries where power supply can be unstable, such as in some tourist areas where infrastructures are not always reliable.
Even in hotels or vacation homes, where power outages may be more frequent, one can use the coin trick to avoid unpleasant surprises during the holiday or upon return.

It is clear that placing a coin in the freezer allows us to return home with the peace of mind of knowing whether the food in the freezer is still safe to consume or if it is better to dispose of it.
Adopting this practice can prevent health issues and ensure that our beloved (and well-deserved) vacations remain a worry-free moment of relaxation upon return.

The Coin Trick: How Does It Work?

As explained so far, before leaving for vacation, putting a coin in the freezer is a simple yet effective method to monitor any power outages and ensure the safety of stored food items.
The coin trick is easy to perform and requires few materials: a plastic bowl or glass, water, and a coin.

Prior to departure, fill the container with water and place it in the freezer.
Once the water is completely frozen, simply place the coin on the ice surface and put the container back in the freezer.

The principle is simple: if a power outage occurs during your absence, the ice in the freezer starts to melt.
If the outage lasts long enough, the coin will sink through the melted ice to reach the bottom of the container.

Upon return, you only need to check the coin’s position to understand if there have been prolonged outages.

If the coin is frozen just a few millimeters deep in the ice, it means that the power was out for a short period of time, indicating that the ice has slowly begun to melt.
In this case, you should assess which foods are at risk of spoilage.
If the coin is frozen at the bottom of the container, it appears that the power has been out for several hours, causing the ice to completely melt and only restore after hours.
In this scenario, it is advisable to dispose of perishable items like fish, meat, dairy, and eggs.