Refrigerator Best Practices (2024)

FAQs

Refrigerator Best Practices? ›

Keep foods covered.

The ideal refrigerator temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below in the main part of the fridge. The optimal temperature for keeping foods cold is 37 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're wondering what temperature should a refrigerator be, put a thermometer inside your fridge.

But here are the basics: The top shelf and door tend to be the warmest "zones", while the middle and bottom shelves get progressively cooler. So, you should keep condiments in the door, dairy products, eggs and spreads on the upper shelves, meats and milk on the lowest shelf and fruits and vegetables in the crisper.

I always line my vegetable crispers with paper towels or newspapers. The reason is twofold. First, they soak up any juices that may come off of fruits and veggies, making cleaning the drawers a breeze. I just throw out the liner and put in a new one.

A refrigerator works on the principle of the second law of thermodynamics. This law is related to the extraction of heat from a body to lower the temperature of the body. The temperature of the body can be lowered by extracting or removing the heat from the material or the body.

You can put food in your new fridge freezer after letting it settle for 4 hours if it was transported on its side or 1 hour if it was transported upright. After this amount of time you're absolutely fine and safe to put your food in your new fridge freezer.

To ensure that your refrigerator is doing its job, it's important to keep its temperature at 40 °F or below; the freezer should be at 0 °F.

We recommend keeping your airflow at a midrange setting and then adjusting it if you are having issues. As for the temperature, people often wonder, "How cold should a refrigerator be?" The answer: An ideal range is between 34 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Is 45 degrees a safe temperature for a refrigerator? Keeping your refrigerator at 45°F may not keep your food fresh. According to the USDA, bacteria grows most rapidly in temperatures ranging from 40°F to 140°F, and fresh foods can spoil if they're exposed to temperatures above 40°F for more than two hours.

All three of the appliance experts we spoke to for this roundup said Whirlpool and LG were the most reliable refrigerator brands due to their durability, reliability and ease of repairs. Samsung and GE were also mentioned by our experts as high-quality fridges.

Should a fridge be on 1 or 5? ›

Instead, you need to know the temperature inside the fridge. To keep food cold and fresh but not frozen, it should be set somewhere between 3-5°C (37-40°F). Some fridges have a temperature reading, but most have a numbered dial. This usually goes from 1 to 5, with 5 being the coldest.

When working properly, the refrigerator temperature should be 40° F (4.4 °C) or below; the freezer, 0° F (-17.8 °C) or lower. After the power comes back on, if you're not sure a particular food is cold enough, take its temperature with a food thermometer.

Bottom Shelf

Raw meats should always be stored at the bottom of your fridge to prevent cross-contamination – for example, if any juices (which could contain harmful bacteria) leak from the packaging, they could drip down onto food stored on a lower shelf.

As it turns out, the crisper drawers in refrigerators have specific functions, but there are also instructions which are critical to helping your veggies stay fresh for longer. First, it's important to understand how crisper drawers are supposed to work. Essentially, it's all about humidity control.

Arrange by proper food storage order

Although it may not seem like it would matter, the wrong order of food on shelves could potentially promote the growth of pathogens, increasing the risk of foodborne illness. Shelves should be ordered from lowest cooking temperature to highest, going down.

Keep the fridge at 5°C or below.

Use a mercury-free fridge thermometer on the bottom shelf above the salad drawer for an accurate reading. Keep the fridge door closed. The temperature will rise if the door is left open for any length of time. Don't put hot food in the fridge as this can also raise the temperature.

Do not install the refrigerator near an oven, radiator or other heat source because that may cause it to work harder to stay cool. The fridge must be near an electrical outlet. If your fridge has ice and water dispensers, it must also be near a water line.