It may come as no surprise to you that certain foods are require to be refrigerated in order to prevent spoilage and maximize its freshness. However, what you may not know is that like real estate, refrigerator storage is all about location. Should you store your protein on the upper or lower shelf? Vegetable crisper or door shelves? The way you store and organize your foods in your refrigerator is more strategic than you may think. Let Danby help!

How to Organize Your Refrigerator Properly

Overall, try your best to avoid having a jam-packed refrigerator. Cold air needs to circulate and flow consistently throughout the fridge. A crowded fridge creates inconsistent temperatures causing pockets of heat and warmth.

Upper Shelves

The upper shelves in the refrigerator have the most consistent temperatures. The best foods to store here are the foods that do not need to be cooked. This includes drinks, yogurt, deli-meats, spreads (hummus, guacamole etc.), and leftovers.

Lower Shelves

This is where your refrigerator is the coldest which is perfect for raw meets, eggs, seafood or other dairy and protein products.

Vegetable Crisper

These type of drawers help maintain moist conditions that preserve the freshness of your fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. If possible dedicate one drawer to your vegetables and one for your fruits.

Doors

The doors are the warmest part of the fridge and should be reserved for foods that are more resistant to food spoilage. This includes juices, condiments, dressings etc.

The Top of the Refrigerator

The top of the refrigerator is the best place to store cookbooks, smaller kitchen appliance, or any other kitchen utensils/tools. Avoid storing foods or beverages on top of the fridge since heat can naturally rise up from the running refrigerator.

What is the best temperature to set your refrigerator at?

Your refrigerator should be kept at around 40 F (4 C) or lower.

Now that you have mastered refrigerator storage, it is time to brush up on your freezer storage- be sure to check out Danby’s most useful freezer tips.