10 Fridge Hacks You Need To Know
1. Some parts are cooler than others
When choosing where to put what’s in your fridge, you should be conscious of the fact that different spots will be cooler or warmer than others, in order to maximise food freshness. In most fridges, the door shelves are the warmest area. This is where you should keep items that don’t need to be kept as cold as others, such as condiments. The bottom shelves of your fridge are the coldest spaces, here you should store raw meat and milk. As you go higher things will get a bit warmer so you could put; deli meat on the middle shelves, processed foods or leftovers on the top shelves.
2. More the better
Generally, despite what may seem counter-intuitive, the fuller your fridge is the better it will be at maintaining its temperature. However, avoid extreme over packing, make sure cold airflow is not restricted.
3. Temperature sensing
Modern refrigerators not only monitor internal temperatures, but external temperatures too. This ensures that your fridge stays at the right temperature and does so efficiently.
4. The ideal temperature
It is generally agreed upon that the ideal temperature setting for a fridge is 3°C. This will keep the air below the suggested maximum of 4°C, but high enough to prevent freezing.
5. Humidity control
Your crisper drawers really do work and allow you to adjust the humidity of each drawer, so make sure you’re utilising them as much as you can. Put leafy green vegetables in a high humidity drawer, and fruits such as apples and pears in a low humidity drawer.
6. You should clean the exterior
While you probably know that it’s really important to clean the interior of your fridge, the outside of your fridge also needs to be cleaned regularly. The outside of your fridge, especially the door handles can harbour lots of bacteria.
7. Location matters
Keep your fridge away from heat sources, such as ovens and heaters, as these will force your fridge to work harder to stay cool. Restricting airflow around the exterior of the fridge will also affect its performance.
8. Cold as glass
Glass works as a much better conductor of cold than many other materials. Something to think about when considering storage options.
9. Maintenance
Build-up of dust and dirt on the coils of your fridge will lead it to run inefficiently and consume more energy. Be sure to clean this area 2-3 times a year.
10. Improper sealing
If you find any condensation anywhere on the outside of your fridge, then it probably means cold air is escaping. Check the edges around the door and replace and deficient sealing.
Images sourced from Fisher & Paykel and Samsung