# How long for ground beef to defrost? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-ground-beef-to-defrost/124592 "2002-08-19T15:20:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-ground-beef-to-defrost/124592/1 "2002-08-19T15:20:26Z")
I want to make hamburgers for dinner tonight around, oh, say 5:30. I just went home during my lunch break at 9:30 and put the ground beef from the freezer to the counter. How long should I leave it out to defrost, and when should I put it back into the fridge to keep it from spoiling or getting nasty. It’s about one pound. And if a train leaves from Dallas heading west at 2:35, while another train leave Los Angeles heading east at 3:15…sorry, I just realized how much my question resembled a math problem. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2002, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-ground-beef-to-defrost/124592/2 "2002-08-19T17:02:26Z")
You get a lunch break at 9:30 am? [Is it safe to defrost meat on the kitchen counter?](http://www.homefoodsafety.org/faqs/holiday_faq.htm#5) > [@](#): > > **Answer:** No. Bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature. Always defrost meat, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator instead of on the counter. Refrigeration slows bacterial growth. Keep foods refrigerated below 40°F. [How long can I leave food out of the refrigerator?](http://www.homefoodsafety.org/faqs/holiday_faq.htm#6) > [@](#): > > **Answer:** Food should not be out of refrigeration for more than two hours. And in hot weather (above 90°F), the time is reduced to one hour. And remember, it’s important to keep food refrigerated at 40°F or below. [Another suggestion:](http://www.weeno.com/art/0499/41.html) > [@](#): > > The reason why this takes so long is because heat doesn’t conduct very well through the air. It conducts much better through something like metal. Remember those hot summer days when you accidentally lean against a car in the sun? Yow! > > So what do we do? We put the meat on a pan. Any ol’ pan will do. The longer it stays in contact with metal, the faster it will defrost. Granted the side touching the metal will defrost faster than the opposite side, so some flipping my be needed if you want even defrosting. (You _could_ use another pan on top of the meat, though…) [Meat Handling Basics](http://www.steaksense.com/about/MeatHandlingBasics.html) > [@](#): > > Never defrost at room temperature or in warm water. Always defrost in the refrigerator or under running cold water. If you defrost at room temperature, you can allow bacteria to grow in the meat. Play it safe, defrost meat in the refrigerator. > > Defrosting times vary. Allow: > > 4 - 7 hours per pound for a large roast > 3 - 5 hours per pound for a small roast > 12 - 14 hours for a one-inch steak > > Note: Re-freezing never improves the flavor of meat. Sounds like you better make another trip home during your second lunch break to get that hamburger back in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2002, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-ground-beef-to-defrost/124592/3 "2002-08-19T17:10:56Z")
Oh, I’ve done this too: Put the stopper in the kitchen sink and fill it with cold water. Keep the ground beef in it’s original packaging or if you can put it in a large ziploc bag and squeeze out as much air as you can. Put it in the water and put something heavy enough on it to keep it submerged. I wouldn’t let it sit there all day though. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-ground-beef-to-defrost/124592/4 "2002-08-21T05:45:12Z")
Have you ever tried the defrost button on a microwave. I have and it doesn’t work, since it tends to cook the meat. Then I noticed that the defrost setting actually put the power level on “3”, so I tried the “1” power setting and damn if it didn’t work like a charm. Do it for about 6 minutes and then adjust according to the amount of defrosting you accomplished. This works on my microwave, and is at least worth a try on others. 😃 [sup]and you’re zapping the germs while it’s defrosting.[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-ground-beef-to-defrost/124592/5 "2002-08-22T20:00:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Horseflesh \* > \*\*Put it in the water and put something heavy enough on it to keep it submerged. I wouldn’t let it sit there all day though. \*\* This is the best method bar none, and only takes about 30 minutes or so. There is no danger of accidentally cooking like in a microwave, and you’re not leaving it at actual room temperature so that’s safer too. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-for-ground-beef-to-defrost/124592/6 "2002-08-22T23:32:48Z")
I usually defrost meats by putting them in the microwave, so I second the vote. If you put it in on a low power, like 1 or 2, for a long period of time, like 10-15 minutes, it doesn’t cook.