What temp for refrigerated foods? Best bottom freezer organizing tips?

3 years ago

We have a fancy pants new refrigerator that gives us a level of control of temperature and organization that we've never had before. (We're coming off of a 25-year-old workhorse where if it was cold and sealing properly, we were winning.)

I'm wondering, first, how people use their refrigerators with more nuanced temperature controls--what do you keep where, and at what temp? We have a main refrigerator compartment and a separate drawer. Right now they are set at 37 and 32, respectively, based on the manual. We plan to keep fruits and vegetables in the drawer. (We do also have what is called a cooler cabinet in our kitchen, which keeps foods about 10 degrees below room temperature--we use that right now for root vegetables, but could use it for more. it's usually 50-60 degrees.)

Separately--any tips for organizing bottom freezers? Ours is all drawers (which I think is typical) but I'm finding that it feels far more disorganized than our top freezer with shelves. Are there tricks for this?

Featured Answer

morz8 - Washington Coast

3 years ago

I don't depend on the settings. With the general refrigeration compartment set at 38 in my refer (newish KA french door), I find lettuces get too cold on the top shelf if my produce bin is full and I lose it. I have the manual refrigerator thermometers in both refrigerator and freezer sections - more than one in the cold not freezer storage. In my stand alone freezer too, and the beverage refrigerator in the garage. Another in my oven ;) They are not expensive and any hardware store will carry them. They give me a much better idea of what different sections of storage are doing than the electronic display inside top front.

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Comments (6)

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beesneeds
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Below 41 is fridge temp. 38-35 seems to be the usual for fridge variance. 32 is the warmest of freezing temp. Cold enough to start forming frost to freezing in fresh produce. Your head cabbage will store fine, but your loose lettuce or fresh berries will not like it. If you are storing fresh fruit and veg in there it needs to be warmer than 32.
artemis78 thanked beesneeds
roarah
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I have three pullout drawers in my bottom freezer. The biggest bottom drawer that pulls out when i pull the bigg handle has icecreams, icepacks and frozen bags with falafels, veggies veggies, nuggets and fries.

Next pull out tray has frozen fish and meats.

Top is bread and crusts and some frozen desserts.

I have a meat drawer and a separate fruit drawer. meats are 28degrees, fruit has a higher setting.

The fridge proper is set at 34. It ismuch messier than my drawers. Pardon the mess.
artemis78 thanked roarah
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artemis78
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Hmm, so my options for the produce drawer are 29 with low humidity for meat and fish (we don't buy much so won't use it for that), 32 low and 32 high humidity, 34 low humidity, and 40 low humidity. They recommend 32 low for a mix of fruits and vegetables and 32 high for just vegetables. That's clearly too cold for citrus (they were like rocks this morning so I moved them to the main compartment!) but the drawer contents will change seasonally. I did find this guide that suggest that maybe 32 isn't a bad setting for most things (though maybe high humidity? I can't figure out what low vs. high means so may need to crack out a hygrometer...) and I should just selectively pull out and store separately the things it doesn't male sense for.
artemis78
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Not sure how accurate our hygrometer is, but FWIW it was reading 78-80 after a day at the "low humidity" setting and around 90 for same at the "high humidity" setting. For both, temp fluctuated between 32 and 34. Decided to set it at the high humidity 32 degree setting and call it a day.
artemis78
Original Author
3 years ago
Yes, we have a manual thermometer too—that’s what I’ve been using to measure temps. But because there are three different compartments, I’m hoping to calibrate it to the refrigerator’s settings to know that if I set it to 37, it will actually be around 39, etc. without having to keep moving it around. I imagine we will also figure out pretty quickly with things like lettuce which settings they keep best at.