What is the Ideal Temperature for a Fridge?

Ensuring your fridge is set to a specific temperature not only keeps your food fresh, but it is also an important safety feature. When food is stored at the optimal temperature, it prevents harmful bacteria from growing. So what temperature is ideal for both your fresh food in the fridge, and frozen items in the freezer? Is the coldest setting the best to use? In this article we’ll discuss the different options for your fridge and freezer, food storage tips, and how to adjust the settings for your refrigerator.

What is the Proper Temperature for a Fridge and Freezer?

To prevent foodborne illnesses, your fridge needs to be kept at a temperature under 40F (4C). The ideal range however is between 35-38F (or approximately 1-3C) so that your food is thoroughly chilled without freezing. To keep the items in your freezer frozen solid, you will want the temperature to be set to 0F or lower (-18C or colder).

An inexpensive thermometer placed in the fridge can help ensure that the appliance is set to (and maintaining) the correct temperature. Some factors to consider when it comes to your fridge temperature are the age of appliance and how full it is. An older or fully stocked fridge may need a lower setting to maintain a cooler temperature. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t jam your fridge or freezer full, as air flow is essential to maintaining the temperature.

How to Adjust the Temperature on a Fridge or Freezer

Whether your fridge is an older base model, or a newer style with a digital display, adjusting the temperature is a simple task.

Adjusting the Fridge Temperature with a Dial

If your fridge has a dial to adjust the temperature, it's as simple as turning the knob to raise or lower the temperature. Most fridge models will have a range of 1 to 5 for the settings, but what do these mean as far as temperatures go? The higher the number, the colder the temperature. The lower the number, the warmer the temperature. If you set the dial at “1” it should keep your fridge around 39F, whereas a setting of 5 should be around 33F so that your food doesn’t freeze. Most models will have an “ideal temperature” marker on the dial. This is a good setting to start with, and you can then adjust the temperature dial from there if you need more or less cooling.

Adjusting the Fridge Temperature with a Digital Display

If you have a fridge with a digital control board, you should be able to select the exact temperature you want for the fridge and freezer. As mentioned above, your fridge should be below 40F to prevent bacteria from growing, and the freezer should be below 0F to keep your food frozen. The process to select the temperature will vary depending on your fridge model, but it should be very straightforward, typically just pushing an up-arrow or down-arrow button to adjust the temperature.

How to Properly Store Your Food in a Fridge

While the temperature in your fridge is essential to prevent bacteria from growing, where you place different foods in your fridge also helps keep things fresher for longer. There are different temperature “zones” with the door being one of the warmer areas, and the bottom shelves or crispers being the cooler areas. It is good food-safety practice to not store highly perishable items like milk on the door, and to keep items like meat on the lower shelves. You can learn more, including how to set your crisper humidity levels, by reading our article on proper food storage.

If there is bad weather that may cause a power outage, there are also steps you can take to help prevent your food from spoiling. Our article on food safety during a power outage can help you prepare for these events.

Why Isn't the Fridge Getting Cold?

If you’ve tried adjusting the temperature in your fridge, and it isn’t staying cold, it’s likely that a part has failed. The fans or compressor may not be working, which is going to leave you with a warm fridge and spoiled food. If you don’t hear any fans running, this may indicate that you have a problem with the controls, which could be a dial or electronic. If the fans on your refrigerator are running but not the compressor, it is likely a problem with the start device for that compressor. Most compressors use either a relay overload device or a start device. You can learn how to correct these issues with our article about refrigerators not cooling.

Why is There Frost in my Fridge?

If the temperature setting in your fridge is too low, it may cause some items to freeze, especially those located at the back. Bumping the temperature up a degree or two should resolve this. If there is persistent frost however, there may be an issue with one of the controls. If the temperature control, damper control, or the electronic control have failed, it can result in temperature imbalances in your fridge which could be causing your fresh food to freeze. Learn how to diagnose and resolve this issue with our article about why your fridge is freezing food.

Maintaining the ideal temperature of 35-38F in your fridge is essential for keeping you and your household safe. This keeps your food fresh and helps to prevent bacteria from growing, which can cause various foodborne illnesses. Adjusting the temperature is a simple process, and keeping a thermometer in the fridge is an inexpensive way to check that temperatures are maintained. If your fridge is running hot or starts freezing food, we can help walk you through a repair and provide genuine replacement parts for your fridge.