Have you ever returned home after a vacation, a business trip, or even just a weekend getaway with your family, only to notice your digital clocks blinking at the wrong time? It’s a small sign that something happened while you were away—most likely, a power outage. That flashing clock is your only clue. It tells you the power went out, but unfortunately, it doesn’t say when the outage occurred or how long it lasted. That leaves you wondering about the food in your freezer. Was it affected? Did it thaw, spoil, and refreeze? Should you throw everything out, or is it still safe to eat?
It’s a common dilemma. Many people face this situation after returning home from time away. While your appliances restart once the power comes back, your food might not be as resilient. And without knowing how long the power was off, you can’t be certain what condition your food is in—especially perishable items like meat, seafood, dairy, or frozen meals. Refrozen food can look perfectly fine but could be unsafe to eat. So what do you do?
Well, thanks to a smart and incredibly simple trick shared by a woman named Sheila Pulanco Russell during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, you don’t have to guess anymore. When that storm struck parts of the U.S., many people had to evacuate quickly, leaving their homes—and their freezers—unattended. Sheila shared a tip on Facebook that went viral, and for good reason. It’s a clever way to check the condition of your frozen food after returning from any extended time away, especially when you suspect the power may have gone out.
What makes this tip so great is that it uses items you already have in your home: a mug, some water, and a coin. That’s it. No fancy tools, no gadgets, no extra expenses—just a simple do-it-yourself method that could save you from food poisoning or wasting perfectly good food.
Here’s how it works. Start by taking a standard cup or mug and filling it with tap water. Place it in your freezer until the water becomes completely frozen. Once the water is solid, place a coin—most people use a quarter—on top of the ice and return the cup to your freezer. And that’s it. You leave it there, untouched, until the next time you return home after being away.
So, what does this accomplish? It creates a visual indicator of whether your freezer experienced a full thaw. If the power was out long enough for everything inside your freezer to melt, the ice in the cup would have also melted, allowing the coin to sink to the bottom. Once the power returned, the water would freeze again—with the coin now stuck at the bottom. That tells you that your freezer completely thawed during the outage, and unfortunately, your food is likely unsafe to eat.
But if you return and find the coin still on top of the ice, or maybe partially sunken but still suspended halfway, it means the freezer didn’t warm up enough for a full melt. Your food likely remained frozen the entire time or only partially thawed, meaning it might still be safe to consume.
This “one cup tip,” as Sheila called it, offers peace of mind. It’s a simple precaution with a big payoff. You won’t have to second-guess whether your food is safe or feel guilty for throwing out everything just to be cautious. And in times of widespread evacuations, like hurricanes or blizzards, knowing this trick could help hundreds or thousands of families avoid illness and food waste.
But you don’t need to wait for a hurricane to use this tip. It’s actually a smart idea to keep this cup-coin combo in your freezer at all times. That way, you’ll always have a backup plan in case the power goes out without you knowing. Especially during summer storm season or if you live in an area prone to blackouts, this simple trick can save you time, money, and worry.
Even Sheila emphasized in her post that if you return and don’t feel confident about the state of your food, it’s better to be safe than sorry—just throw it out. Your health and safety are more important than salvaging a few frozen items. But this trick gives you a way to make a more informed decision instead of relying solely on guesswork.
She ended her Facebook post with an encouraging message to share this tip with others—and that’s exactly what we should do. Something this useful, easy, and effective deserves to be passed along. So many people are unaware of how fragile frozen food can be after a power outage. One bad thaw and refreeze cycle can cause bacteria to grow, especially in meats and dairy products. Even if the food looks okay, it might be dangerous. That’s why this trick is so powerful—it removes the uncertainty and helps protect your family’s health.
So, the next time you plan a trip or hear a storm is on the way, take a moment to prep your freezer. Fill a mug with water, freeze it solid, place a coin on top, and leave it there. It takes less than five minutes, costs you nothing, and could end up saving you a lot—money, time, and peace of mind.
And if you’ve already experienced a blackout recently, now is the time to start using this trick. Prepare today for the next unexpected outage. You never know when the lights—or the freezer—might go out.
Finally, don’t keep this knowledge to yourself. Share this simple yet brilliant idea with friends, family, and neighbors. Post it on social media or mention it in conversation. The more people who know about it, the better. It’s a little tip that carries a lot of value. Sometimes, the smallest tricks make the biggest difference.
