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Gadgets BrandsHow To Organise Your Fridge Correctly
Do you tend to stack your fridge up in an orderly fashion, or do you put everything in there as quickly as you can with no system or order, just wherever anything fits?
The way you stack your fridge can have a big impact on the way your fridge works, how long the food in the fridge lasts and most importantly the energy bill costs. These three factors are very important, meaning the way you stack your fridge should be more thought through than you think. Also, if you consider having an order in place it makes it significantly easier to find certain foods and you’re less likely to forget about foods and their expiry date.
All fridges have warmer and colder sections, which may sound stupid, but actually can come in handy if you know how to make use of it, this is because different types of food actually do better at different temperatures.
Below I am going to go through the different types of food and the best place for them to be kept in the fridge and why.
Meat and Fish
Meat and fish should be stored around zero degrees as this will keep them in good condition for longer. Your fridge’s main compartment isn’t actually this cold and so if you have a chiller then your meat or fish will be best kept there as this is designed for colder temperatures.
If you don’t have a chiller then try to put your meat or fish in the coldest part of your fridge, if you don’t know the coldest part of your fridge you can use a thermometer to check. Generally, it’s the area at the back, this is because when the fridge door is opened there is no room temperature getting to this part of the fridge.
Butter and cheese
The dairy compartment in your fridge is slightly warmer than the rest of your fridge so storing your dairy foods such as butter and cheese in this compartment can be a good idea. This is because when you use your dairy products such as butter, it won’t be so cold and hard, butter will be easier to spread, and cheeses will be easier to slice. This does unfortunately mean though that they wont last as long, so if you’re not using the dairy foods straight away then keeping them anywhere else in the fridge will be fine.
Condiments and drinks
Condiments and sauces tend to be stronger and have more flavour meaning they don’t need to be kept at a specific temperature. They are however used quite often and so it makes it convenient if condiments are placed in the fridge door or at the front of the top shelf. Do the same with drinks as its likely you will be reaching for these quite regularly too.
Eggs
If you’re fridge has the compartment with egg holders in and you use this compartment, then you may want to carry on reading. Eggs should actually be kept in their carton, this is because the carton slows moisture loss and stops them absorbing food odours. Also, if you keep them in the carton then you will never forget the use-by date.
Fruit and vegetables
The enclosed drawer at the bottom of the fridge, also known as the crisper is where most fresh fruit and vegetables should be stored, this is because this part of the fridge isn’t as dry as the rest and so should keep the food fresh for longer. Also, something you may not know, tomatoes do NOT belong in the fridge, if you keep them in a fruit bowl out of the fridge they will be bursting with flavour.
Milk
Do you keep your milk in the door of the fridge? Most people do, its convenient and easy to get to and you know there’s not going to be any leaks or spills. However, as the door shelves are warmer than the rest of the fridge it may not actually be the best idea to keep your milk there, milk should be stored at or below 4°C. So, if you want your milk to last longer then keeping it in the main compartment of the fridge may be better.
Bread
The fridge is there to keep food fresher for longer but when it comes to bread this isn’t the case. When bread goes hard and stale it is because of the starch from the wheat that it’s made from forming into crystals, this happens faster in colder temperatures which is why bread is better stored at room temperature.
Frozen foods
To protect from freezer burn, which is where food dries out due to exposure of very cold air, make sure to wrap all food that goes in the freezer. Although it is safe to eat food that has been freezer burned you probably wont want to as it tends not to taste so good. Wrap your food tightly in cling film or even in a container before freezing, food such as frozen peas are sealed already but make sure once opened they are sealed properly if going back in the freezer.
Even though freezing food will make it last longer, for example if you didn’t eat it by the end date, it will still not last forever. Red meats can only be in the freezer for up to 12 months, apart from mince that should be used within 4 months. Seafood will only last between two and six months, but this depends on the type of fish.
Hot foods
When you have cooked hot food, or you have leftovers you may think putting it straight in the fridge is okay but actually its quite a bad idea. Putting hot foods into the fridge can interfere with the temperature of the fridge quite quickly, meaning other foods in the fridge will be affected. So, its better if you let the food cool down until room temperature before putting it in the fridge.
How we help
Don’t forget here at Smart-Cover we offer Kitchen appliance insurance including fridge and freezer cover! We use trusted engineers in many locations, meaning when you need help you are closer than you think to a helping hand.
Contact us via our website or call us on 03333 449 669 if you would like to find out more, our customer service team will be happy to help with any questions or queries.
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