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How Long to Wait Before Adding Food to a New Refrigerator
How Long Does it Take for a New KitchenAid Refrigerator to Get Cold
Before stocking your new refrigerator, allow time for it to reach food-safe, stable temperatures. Many people ask how long to wait before adding food to a new refrigerator, or how long it takes for a new refrigerator to get cold, and the answer depends on several factors. Most KitchenAid models require several hours to cool down after first power-on. Loading food too soon can slow the pull-down and compromise food safety. Use the guidance below to know when it’s ready and how to set it up for best performance.
Understanding Cooling Time
Cooling time varies based on room temperature, starting appliance temperature, model size and layout, door openings, and how much is inside. Warmer rooms and frequent door openings extend the time needed to stabilize. If you are wondering how long it takes a fridge to get cold or how long it takes a new fridge to get cold, keep these conditions in mind.
Typical KitchenAid refrigerators take about 8 to 12 hours to reach operating temperatures and up to 24 hours to fully stabilize. As a rule of thumb, wait until the refrigerator is at or below 37°F and the freezer is at or below 0°F before adding a full load of groceries. If you need to know how long it takes a new refrigerator to get cold, plan for at least several hours and up to a full day for complete stabilization.
Set correct temperatures from the start. Choose 37°F for the refrigerator and 0°F for the freezer, or use the recommended mid-settings on the control panel. If your model uses preset levels (such as 1–7), begin at the factory-recommended setting and allow time to stabilize before making small changes. .
If your KitchenAid refrigerator was recently installed, it is recommended that you allow 24 hours for the refrigerator to achieve full functionality.
This allows time for the refrigerator to achieve the following:
- Correct Internal temperature
- Properly chilled water
- First batches of ice production
NOTE: Ice production will start once the refrigerator is completely cool. The ice maker should produce a batch of cubes about every three hours and may initially take up to three days to fill the ice bin.
If you would like to download or view product literature for your appliance, please visit our Manuals and Literature page.