How to stack your fridge correctly: Here's how
To keep your food fresher for longer, one thing helps above all else: stacking your fridge correctly! What goes on which shelf, and how can you cleverly organise your fresh food? Here's our guide to longer-lasting food, lower energy consumption and maximum enjoyment.
How to organise your fridge – and why it matters
Every section of your fridge has a different climate. Depending on the model, there can be zones ranging from 2 to 14°C. This is important because some foods prefer colder temperatures than others. When every item is in its proper place, storing food correctly in the fridge ensures that it will:
- stay fresh for longer
- keep its flavour
- not go mouldy or dry out
- absorb fewer odours from other foods
- not cause other items to spoil (e.g. due to ripening gases)
How to organise your fridge
A fridge consists of a certain number of shelves, crisper drawers at the bottom, and storage compartments in the door. Each of these zones is designed for different types of food:
- Bottom shelf: This is the coldest part, with an average temperature of 5 °C – especially if the shelf is made of glass. It's the ideal place for highly perishable items like fish and meat.
- Middle shelf/shelves: The middle ground in terms of temperature is perfect for delicate dairy products and eggs. The temperature here is usually around 7 °C.
- Top shelf/shelves: With temperatures up to 10 °C, this is where you can store pre-packaged cheese, jam, sauces, or leftovers.
- Crisper drawer: With mild temperatures of up to 14 °C, fruit and vegetables stay crisp for longer. However, this only applies if your fresh groceries are suitable for storing in the fridge! You can find out more in our guide on storing fruit and vegetables correctly in the fridge.
- Fridge door: In terms of temperature, the fridge door works similarly to the shelves – it gets warmer from bottom to top. Simply follow the layout: put eggs in the egg tray at the top, place drinks in the bottle rack, and use the middle for opened products that you need to use up quickly.
Tips for organising your fridge
If you're clever about how you stock your fridge, you can save money left, right and centre. Here are our best tips:
- Sort food by expiry date: Newer products to the back, older ones to the front – this way you're less likely to forget about something in your fridge.
- Keep your favourites within easy reach: The longer the fridge door is open, the more electricity it uses. Things you need all the time should always be in pole position – even if the temperature there isn't quite optimal.
- Don't put warm food in the fridge: Contrary to old beliefs, it won't break the fridge. But it will use more energy to maintain its temperature.
- An empty fridge means higher energy consumption: In a full fridge, the products help to keep each other cool. That's why a big weekly shop is a better idea, energy-wise, than shopping every day.
- Keep a clear overview: Transfer opened tins, leftovers, etc. into clear glass storage containers. They stack perfectly and you can see at a glance what's left – and what isn't.
Extra tip: The best-before date is a guideline. Most foods are still perfectly good to eat long after this date. Use your nose, eyes and sense of taste to check if a product is still edible. The use-by date, however, is binding. Expired? Bin it!
