Skip to main content

Keep your fridge at the perfect temp with these handy tips

what temperature should my fridge be refrigerator
Image used with permission by copyright holder

‘Kay, so you’ve got a fridge, right? Of course you’ve got a fridge! That’s why you’re here. Anyway, so you have a fridge, but you’re all, “What temperature should I set my fridge (and freezer, don’t forget that) at?” Really glad you asked that question. Let’s break it down.

The FDA advises that you should keep the temperature of your fridge between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, preferably right in the middle of that range, at, say, 35 degrees. Set the temperature at 35, and you avoid the risk of frozen food (that’s what the freezer’s for!) and you avoid the risk of spoilage. That said, this does not mean the temperature inside your fridge will be uniformly 35; temperatures can vary depending on the part of the fridge. The bottom and the back of the refrigerator tend to be the coldest areas, so keep things that need to stay cooler there. Don’t put stuff that spoils relatively quickly, like milk, in the door. Things there can get as warm as 59 degrees, so think about what you put in there. But condiments like ketchup and mustard are okay if they’re a little warm, so that’s why they get to hang out in the door. So, in conclusion: set your fridge temp at 35 and be mindful of what you put in the door.

While you’re at it with the fridge, make sure to set your freezer temperature below 32 degrees. This sounds super obvious, but it’s super important. A freezer that doesn’t freeze your food properly is an annoying health hazard. Don’t mess around with frozen food: set your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. That way, you’re not taking any chances. Keep your freezer cold by keeping it well-stocked. The more items you have in there, the better it holds the temperature. Same goes for your refrigerator. Keep your fridge and freezer full and you might still have 99 problems, but spoiled food will not be one of them.

Editors' Recommendations

Jacob O'Gara
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jacob O’Gara is an editorial assistant at Digital Trends, where he writes about everything from video games to…
Best Buy’s Memorial Day appliance sale is NOW LIVE!
Samsung 28-cubic foot smart side-by-side refrigerator in stainless steel in a kitchen.

Retailers have started rolling out this year's Memorial Day sales, allowing shoppers to get a head start with their planned purchases for the holiday. Best Buy, for example, has launched its appliance deals for Memorial Day, so if you're planning to buy a refrigerator, washer, dryer, or other appliance for your home, you might want to begin browsing the offers to see if anything will catch your eye.

There are a lot of options from Best Buy's Memorial Day appliance sale so it will take some time to go through all of them, but feel free to look around, especially if you're hoping that a specific product has its price slashed ahead of the holiday. To help you out, here are some of the best deals that are available right now, though you have to hurry if you want to avail yourself of them because stocks may run out at any moment.

Read more
How often should you use your robot mop
irobot roomba spraying water on wood floor with vacuum Roomba in dock behind it.

Like vacuuming your home, mopping is a task that you can automate to free up time. Smart mops are becoming more readily available (along with combination robot cleaners) from some of the same biggest names in the business. There are some things for you to know about running your smart robot mop in your home.

When you first buy your smart mop, you'll probably want to run it all the time to clean any and all messes. Unfortunately, they aren't made for that. Smart robot mops are made to clean up slight dust and dirt as well as spills that aren't super tough. You will still have to manually mop up some messes if they become caked over or combined with other debris.

Read more
Samsung Home Hub uses A.I. to make your home smarter
Samsung Home Hub cooking screen.

Samsung has been connecting its appliances with the company's SmartThings ecosystem for years, and now we're seeing the culmination of those efforts with the Home Hub. Designed to help you run your home more efficiently, the Home Hub's 8.4-inch tablet brings control of all those SmartThings apps into one central location.

The Home Hub doesn't just create one place for users to monitor their Samsung appliances. It also uses A.I. to deliver a more customized solution for you and your family. SmartThings learns your preferences to make relevant suggestions. The SmartThings ecosystem works with a myriad of products, not just Samsung. Now that SmartThings also supports Matter, the number of products you can connect through the company's Home Hub just got larger.

Read more