ShelfLife
How to organize your fridge so food lasts longer
A fridge isn't the same temperature everywhere. Putting each food in the right spot, at the right temperature, makes it last longer and keeps raw meat away from ready-to-eat food.
Updated November 4, 2026
Set the right temperature
- Fridge: 4 °C (40 °F) or colder. Many fridges run warmer than their dial suggests; a cheap fridge thermometer on the middle shelf tells you the truth.
- Freezer: −18 °C (0 °F) or colder.
Every storage time on our food pages assumes these temperatures.
Where each food goes
In most fridges, the door is the warmest part and the bottom shelf, at the back, is the coldest. Some fridges, especially in Europe, mark their coldest zone with a label or symbol: check your manual.
| Zone | What to put there | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Upper shelves | Leftovers, deli meat, hummus, drinks, ready-to-eat food | Nothing above can drip onto them |
| Middle shelves | Milk, yogurt, eggs in their carton, cheese | Steady, cold temperature |
| Bottom shelf | Raw chicken, meat and fish, on a plate or tray | Coldest spot, and juices can't drip onto other food |
| Crisper drawers | Vegetables in one, fruit in the other | Keeps produce moist; separates fruits that release ethylene |
| Door | Condiments, jam, butter, juice, water | Warmest and most variable: only for foods that cope with it |
Keep milk and eggs off the door: their temperature swings every time it opens.
Separate fruit from vegetables
Apples, pears, peaches, avocados and bananas give off ethylene, a gas that speeds up ripening. Leafy greens, broccoli, carrots and cucumbers are sensitive to it and turn yellow or soft faster. Keep them in separate drawers. Our guide to storing fruit and vegetables covers which ones belong in the fridge at all.
Habits that prevent waste
- First in, first out: when you unpack shopping, move older items to the front and put new ones behind.
- An "eat first" box: keep a container at eye level for opened jars and things close to their date.
- Label leftovers with the date you cooked them. They keep 3 to 4 days.
- Don't overfill: cold air needs to circulate, or some spots get warm.
- Cover food: it stops it drying out and picking up smells.
- Clean spills right away, especially raw meat juices, and wipe the shelves regularly.
Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Food product dating
- UK Food Standards Agency: Best before and use-by dates
Add what's in your fridge to ShelfLife, and see at a glance what needs eating first.