Yes, a thermos can absolutely go in the fridge.
While it might seem counterintuitive to put an insulated container designed to keep things hot into a fridge, doing so is perfectly safe and can actually enhance its cold-keeping abilities. Here's why:
- Stainless Steel Advantage: As noted in the reference, many thermoses are made from stainless steel. Stainless steel chills quickly and effectively.
- Pre-Chilling for Optimal Performance: Placing your thermos in the refrigerator before filling it with a cold beverage pre-chills the container. This helps it maintain the beverage's temperature for an extended period. The colder the thermos starts, the better it will perform in keeping your drink cold.
- No Damage to the Thermos: Refrigerators operate within a safe temperature range that will not damage the construction or insulating properties of a typical thermos.
- Extended Coldness: While a thermos is designed to insulate, starting with a pre-chilled container gives it a "head start" in keeping your drinks ice-cold.
Therefore, refrigerating your thermos is a good practice, especially if you want your cold drinks to stay cold for as long as possible.
