How to set the temperature in your fridge and freezer.
Fridge and freezer temperatures.
Adjust the freezer settings as necessary to get the temperature in a safe range after making adjustments to either the freezer or refrigerator check the thermometer s temperature readout after five hours repeating the adjustment process until the reading is in the ideal range.
It also ensures that every part of the fridge remains at an acceptable temperature.
The perfect temperature range for a freezer is at or slightly below 0 f and never more than 2 f.
The recommended freezer temperature to keep your food safe is at or below 0 f 18 c but your freezer may need to be set higher or lower depending on its environment and other factors.
Do not overload the freezer.
Because there are many different makes and models of refrigerator the way you set the temperature in one fridge won t be the same as the way you set it in another.
More on refrigerators cr s refrigerator ratings buying guide.
Therefore the higher the setting the cooler the fridge will be.
In order to measure the temperature accurately keep a thermometer on the middle shelf of the fridge or check out these other ways to measure fridge temperature.
While food safety law doesn t specifically state the required temperature of freezers industry best practice is 18 Âșc or lower.
Choosing setting 5 will make your fridge the coldest.
In the event of power loss keep the freezer door closed as much as possible.
The typical freezer factory setting on whirlpool refrigerators is a great starting point at the recommended 0 f 18 c.
The same rules apply to the fridge by the way.
As in the refrigerator chilled air has to be able to circulate evenly around the food in the compartment to work efficiently and keep food frozen.
A full fridge is a happy fridge.
That can make moving cooled air difficult and increase the risk of warm pockets of air.
French door refrigerators that open without opening the freezer will need to have the temperature set differently than a one.
The refrigerator temperature can stay cooler longer and keep foods cooled best if the shelves and drawers are mostly full.
Don t cram the freezer full and avoid blocking the fan.
We do the same thing in the freezer experimenting until we get the freezer temperature to between 1 f and 1 f.
It s vital to keep your freezer at a cold temperature as it stops bacteria from growing.
With a closed door a freezer can keep food at an adequate temperature for approximately 48.
Just be sure you don t overcrowd the space and cut down on air flow.
Energy star ratings on fridges are a helpful indicator of how much the appliance is expected to add to your energy bills.
Fridge temperature for energy efficiency.