A fridge is super handy for keeping food fresh and edible for a long time. But have you ever thought about where food is best placed in your fridge? Because that makes a lot of difference too. We've got it all figured out for you: this is the best fridge layout!
A good fridge layout?
Maybe you haven't given it much thought until now and you fill your fridge mainly by feel, but by following a good fridge layout, you keep your food and drinks fresh for longer. It will also reduce the risk of bacterial and mould growth (golly, food poisoning is horrific) and chances are that your energy consumption will go down as well.
For example, did you know that storing food in the wrong way can cause cross-contamination? This can happen, for example, if raw foods (such as meat and fish) are not properly separated from vegetables and dairy products. This can make you very sick! But your energy consumption can also go up if the fridge is a mess. Because you can't quickly find what you need, the fridge door is left open longer, which is reflected in your energy bill. Or how about forgotten products languishing in a fridge because you can't see them properly? Food waste happens everywhere and that too is a big problem in a world where food is increasingly scarce. You read: for your health, your wallet and the planet, it's not a bad idea to spend a little more time carefully organising your fridge.
Before you start: make sure the fridge is clean and cold
Before you get started with Tetris in your fridge, it is important that the appliance is properly clean. This is not only fresh, but also energy efficient. Did you know that a clean fridge can also cool better? We previously wrote an article about cleaning (and keeping) your fridge environmentally friendly. Is that fridge at your place nice and clean? Then check the temperature, which is not unimportant if you want to keep your food good for a long time. The Consumers' Association recommends a temperature of 3 to 4°C. Food stays good the longest at that temperature. Does your fridge not indicate the temperature? Then consider a fridge thermometer in your fridge so you can check if the temperature is optimal.
Besides a good fridge layout, it is also advisable to pay attention to the temperature of your fridge.
This is the best fridge layout, according to experts
Are you ready? The layout of your fridge may not be the sexiest topic, but trust me: you'll be happy when you get things in order soon. Where do we start? By dividing your fridge into four sections: bottom, centre, top and door. Furthermore, it is useful to remember from now on that it is colder at the back and bottom of the fridge.
What do you store at the bottom of your fridge?
At the bottom of most refrigerators, you will find a vegetable drawer. Those drawers are, and the name says it all, meant for many vegetables and some fruits. Due to the cold, this is where these products stay good the longest. Why a drawer? Fruit and vegetables lose moisture during storage. With a closed drawer, vegetables dry out less quickly. Tip: store unpacked leafy vegetables (such as lettuce, spinach and pak choi) in the vegetable drawer in a damp tea towel. This will slow down the process of drying out. And note: not all fruit and vegetables belong in the fridge. We previously listed this for you in this article. A handy mnemonic is that fruit and vegetables from relatively cold regions are best kept in the fridge. Species from warm places thrive best outside the fridge. So a Dutch apple is best kept in the fridge and a mango or pineapple in the fruit basket on the table.
If you have a somewhat sized fridge, you'll have at least one shelf left at the bottom. On the remaining bottom shelf(s), store the most perishable products such as (vegetable) dairy, fresh meat and fish (because remember, it's nice and cool there). Make sure these products are well packed in a sealed container or reusable storage box to prevent cross-contamination and bacterial growth. Moreover, food stays good much longer in a well-sealed box.
Left: Dutch apples are best kept in the fridge. Right: smart storage with storage containers from Mepal.
What products do you keep in the middle of your fridge?
Slightly less perishable products, such as (vegetable) cheese, leftovers, and beer and soft drinks, are fine to keep in the middle of your fridge. Make sure you keep open containers in sight so you don't forget them. For this reason, the tip is to go for glass storage boxes (preserving jars are perfect) or storage containers with a peephole in the lid. Of course, it would be a super shame if you lose sight of that tasty leftover and find it a week later with a layer of mould.
What do you store at the top of your fridge?
The top shelf(s) of the fridge are best for storing (opened) jars of longer-life products, such as jam, bread salad, jars of fruit and vegetables and margarine. These products do not necessarily need a constant temperature of 4°C and will still keep well at the top where it is less (consistently) cold.
What foods do you store in the fridge door?
In many a household, you will find (plant-based) dairy products in the fridge door. But guess what? Dairy doesn't actually belong in your fridge door at all! Because the fridge door opens and closes frequently, temperature fluctuations are greatest there. It is much better to keep long-life products, such as a jar of capers or sambal, in your fridge door. But okay, you definitely don't want an accident with a leaking carton of milk or fresh juice either, so that's why a spot in the door is more often preferred than lying on a shelf anyway.
If you make sure these containers are consumed within one or two days, there is little to worry about. If you need more time to consume these things, the tip is still to keep them not in the door but further back, where the fridge steady cooler. Doubting whether something is still good? Your eyes and nose are very good advisers. If it looks and smells ‘normal’, you can often still drink or eat it. By the way, this applies to products with a THT (best before date). If a product has a TGT date (use by date) then it is a different story. Get rid of it! Want to know more about the THT date? We also have that all figured out for you.
Additional tips for good fridge layout
The basic tips above will get you a long way, but for the really enthusiastic, we have a few extra tricks.
- Make a fixed spot in your fridge for food that needs to go quickly. Do you have housemates? Then consider making an eat-me-first shelf. You can also label this shelf. This way, you make sure your housemates understand your layout and fresh produce or leftovers don't go to waste.
- Do you take food out of the freezer? From now on, take it out of the freezer a day in advance and let it defrost in the fridge. This way, you avoid having to use the microwave to defrost it (or running hot water). Moreover, because your frozen product is cold, your fridge doesn't have to work as hard and you save energy. Hoppa!
- The reverse also applies: let hot dishes cool down first before putting them in the fridge. This means the fridge heats up less and doesn't have to work as hard to get cold again. Which is, you guessed it, good for your energy consumption.
Voilà the best fridge layout
With this roadmap, you have everything you need to better organise that fridge at home. It may not be the most exciting topic, but with a few simple changes, you can get a lot more out of your groceries and fridge. You reduce food waste, it keeps you healthier and it reduces energy bills. Who wouldn't want that? Do you have a handy tip for organising your fridge? Then be sure to let us know! Via the follow and contact buttons, you can talk to thegreenlist.nl get in touch. We will gladly add to the list of useful tips, because only together do we become smarter and more sustainable.
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- No waste: in this article you will find more tips for storing food longer.
- Leftover cooking? These ingredients are essential in your pantry.
- DIY tip: store pans and save space in the kitchen.
Sources: Consumer Association, This is a good guide - Marieke Eyskoot, What is the right fridge temperature? - Consumers' Association, Instock challenge - the best fridge layout, This mistake many people make when storing milk in the fridge - Libelle. Photo credits: main image: Ello (Unsplash), fridge thermometer: Mascha Bongenaar, kitchen: Charlotte May (Pexels), apples and fridge with storage: thegreenlist.nl.
