When can you plug in your new magic chef refrigerator after you get it home?

The short answer is to check with the manufacturer. That way you can be sure to stay within warranty guidelines. I recommend checking this before buying a new fridge and not having adequate plans for the transfer of your perishables.

A refrigerator compressor is filled with hydrobenzoline oil... this is a lubricant for the compressor... When you lay the refrigerator down that oil will run up into the refrigerant lines... If you stand it up and plug it in right away, the compressor will pump the oil further into the refrigerant lines... This will cause the compressor to be operating without lubrication... In turn will cause your compressor to possibly burn out... That's why 24 hrs is needed after laying the refrigerator down... But by tilting the refrigerator during moving it, will not cause any oil to leave the compressor. You have to assume that at some point in the delivery from factory to shop and then to your house, it might have been on it's side or even up side down. The refrigerant must have time to settle into the compressor before switching on.

You will see 2,3,4 hours etc, unless you know the fridge has been upright and stable for the past day, not tilted etc do yourself a favor and wait at least 24 hours.