Leaving for Vacation? This One-Minute Freezer Trick Could Save Your Stomach

Written by Henrik Rothen

Mar.06 - 2025 1:10 PM CET

Home
Foto: Privat
Foto: Privat
A coin in the freezer before your trip can help keep you healthy.

Trending Now

TRENDING NOW

It almost sounds too good to be true, but placing a coin in your freezer before going on vacation can actually help keep you safe and healthy when you return home.

A Simple Trick That Reveals Something Important About Your Freezer

Shutterstock: Vershinin89/Shutterstock

Your freezer is a crucial part of your refrigerator, keeping food fresh for longer. But to do its job properly, it needs to maintain a stable temperature. Any temperature fluctuations can compromise food quality.

What Happens If Your Freezer Stops Working?

Foto:Shutterstock.com

If you're away from home for several days—like on vacation—it’s hard to know if your freezer lost power due to an outage. This can be a serious problem if your food thaws and then refreezes without you realizing it.

The Viral Coin Trick

Foto: Privat

A simple trick using a coin can help you determine whether your freezer has been turned off for a period of time. This trick has gone viral on social media and is widely used to ensure food safety.

How to Do the Coin Trick

Foto: Shutterstock

To perform this trick, fill a glass halfway with water and place it in the freezer. Once the water is completely frozen, place a coin on top of the ice and put the glass back in the freezer.

Going on Vacation? Use This Trick!

Foto: Shutterstock.com

This trick is especially useful if you’re going on vacation or will be away for an extended period. It helps you determine whether your freezer lost power while you were gone.

What Does the Coin’s Position Tell You?

Foto: Privat

When you return home, check where the coin is in the glass. Its position will reveal whether the freezer stopped working at any point.

If the Coin Is Still on Top

Foto: Privat

If the coin is still sitting on top of the ice, it means your freezer maintained a stable temperature the entire time. Your food is safe to eat.

If the Coin Has Sunk to the Middle

Foto: Privat

If the coin is partially embedded in the ice, it indicates a temporary temperature change. This suggests that the food may have started to thaw but then refroze.

If the Coin Is at the Bottom

Foto: Privat

If the coin has sunk to the bottom of the glass, your freezer was off for an extended period. This means all the ice melted and refroze, which likely means your food thawed completely and then refroze as well.

The Risk of Thawed and Refrozen Food

Foto: Shutterstock

When food thaws and then refreezes, it creates a higher risk of bacterial growth. This can make food unsafe to eat, so you need to be cautious.

Avoid Food Poisoning

Foto: Shutterstock.com

If the coin is at the bottom of the glass, it’s best to discard any frozen food. It’s safer to throw out questionable food than to risk getting food poisoning.

A Simple Trick for Your Safety

Foto: Shutterstock.com

The coin trick is an easy way to ensure your food is safe to eat when you return from vacation. It takes just a few minutes to set up but can save you from potential health risks.

Do you know any other clever "grandma tricks" people can use before going on vacation?