I Examined (Virtually) Each Temperature Setting on My Fridge to Discover the Candy Spot

Keeping lettuce fresh and stopping a frozen-solid gallon of milk is a fragile balancing act. Perhaps you retain the butter in the back. In case your refrigerator goes to freeze one thing, it’d as effectively be a resilient sacrificial providing.

Since I am not one to waste meals, I set about discovering my fridge’s Goldilocks zone: the setting that retains every part within the excellent (or as near excellent as potential) temperature vary. What higher approach than to check the temperatures of varied fridge zones on each setting that the machine provides?

Here is how every part went down.

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What temperature ought to a fridge be?

The final scientific consensus is {that a} fridge’s temperature needs to be 40 levels Fahrenheit (4 levels Celsius) or below to regulate bacterial development with out freezing delicate meals.

Likewise, your freezer needs to be set to 0°F (minus 18°C) or decrease. When you may suppose that any temperature beneath 32 levels F (0 levels C) is adequate, there is a good cause to focus on a decrease temperature. This ensures that meals stays frozen even whenever you open the freezer, add unfrozen gadgets and expertise brief power outages. Understandably, gadgets additionally freeze extra rapidly in decrease temperatures, which may cut back ice crystal formation.

I ran the exams utilizing real-world circumstances

When testing the fridge temp settings, I did not unload all of my meals, although I did transfer extra delicate gadgets — recent produce, eggs, and a few glass jars — into short-term coolers for colder exams. Likewise, I could not hold gadgets outdoors the fridge or hold hotter temp settings for longer than two hours.

This all required me to maintain my exams brief. Each time I opened the door, checked the temperature or modified a setting, I affected the check. These inconsistencies, whereas distressing to my scientific thoughts, created findings that align extra carefully with real-world circumstances the place you may open a packed fridge a number of instances an hour.

Fridge thermometers make these exams potential

As with every check, I wanted a method to measure and monitor temperatures over time. For this check, I used three totally different sorts of temperature sensors: ThermoPro Refrigerator Thermometers, Hatusoku Digital Thermometer with External Sensor and the not too long ago introduced Ikea Timmerflotte sensible temperature and humidity sensor.

ThermoPro is the most suitable choice for most individuals as a result of it may be hung from cabinets or flipped again right into a useful stand. The built-in mild additionally helps you see the LCD (show) in low lighting — like my freezer, which has no inside mild.

Hatusoku’s lengthy temperature probe makes it a terrific possibility for a thermometer that you may stick on the skin of the fridge for at-a-glance checks. Nonetheless, the probe is extraordinarily delicate and virtually all the time reacts once I open the door.

As a result of it is so delicate, the min/max setting is not as helpful. Contemplate ready a couple of minutes after a cooling cycle earlier than checking the temperature. You additionally have to deal with an extra wire when putting the probe.

Timmerflotte made my testing arsenal after I floated the concept to an organization consultant. They had been simply as curious to see how the sensor carried out within the fridge as I used to be. Nonetheless, a developer with the corporate mentioned the sensors might deal with the interior temperature of my fridge, however that the metallic may intrude with its connection to the Dirigera sensible hub. (Fortuitously, I had no connection points throughout my check.)

As a result of it is a sensible temperature sensor, Timmerflotte offered me with real-time temperature measurements with out requiring me to open the fridge. Ikea despatched sufficient sensors in order that I might monitor the temperature in each the back and front of the fridge, which was extremely useful for locating the right setting. The Ikea Residence Sensible app did not have a method to monitor temperature over time — I could not spot traits outdoors of my handbook checks.

Nevertheless, I ought to notice that the minimal temperature for Timmerflotte was round 14 levels F (minus 10 levels C), so it was unable to trace the temperature of my freezer. It additionally turned off after about 12 hours as a result of freezing temperatures and Alkaline batteries do not get alongside.

How I examined my fridge temps: limitations and caveats

My fridge makes use of a easy dial thermostat to regulate each the fridge and freezer. The dial lists numbers 1 by means of 9, with 9 being the coldest setting. Beginning with 1, I measured the temperature for a minimum of 20 minutes (usually longer with colder settings) to permit the temperature to even out after every compressor cycle. 

Here is the rub: My outcomes are distinctive to my residence and fridge. 

• Though GE nonetheless makes my fridge (Model GTR15BBMRWW), it is an previous mannequin with a probable manufacture date of April 2001. The owner’s manual even recommends setting the temperature management dial to five and adjusting from there.
• I’ve lots of meals in my fridge as a consequence of Thanksgiving preparations. With such a big thermal load, it takes a substantial period of time for the temperature to stabilize after changes are made. A excessive meals load additionally blocks airflow throughout the cooling course of, leading to cold and warm spots.
• The common temperature of my kitchen throughout these November exams was about 64 levels F, which impacts how lengthy the fridge runs.
• Opening the door continuously throughout testing actually affected the outcomes.
• I normally use a barely colder setting in the summertime to maintain meals within the secure zone, and GE’s advice displays this. Even then, I solely put gadgets which can be secure to freeze at the back of the fridge, simply in case.

Lastly, my measurements had been extra constant and dependable within the fridge than within the freezer, which luckily stayed beneath 14 levels F (minus 10 levels C) all through the check. (I largely chalk this as much as forgetting to {photograph} fridge thermometer readings for Ranges 2, 3 and 4.) Nevertheless, the freezer thermometer wasn’t constantly at 0 levels F (minus 18 levels C) or beneath till I reached Degree 4.

My check outcomes and takeaways

In the end, Degree 5 (really barely beneath this) was the one one which stored all of my meals throughout the goal vary. The entrance, again and freezer all met the aforementioned meals security tips. The opposite settings both froze gadgets within the again or stored entrance gadgets too heat.

You possibly can see why I canceled the check after Degree 8, which put the whole fridge at or beneath freezing. This degree additionally precipitated the compressor to run repeatedly for nearly an hour earlier than shutting off. 

So, I could not threat spending a minimum of as a lot time making an attempt to hit Degree 9, which I believe might flip my whole fridge right into a freezer — even when the fridge compartment does not fairly hit 0 levels F. (I haven’t got sufficient cooler house to carry a fridge’s price of meals.)

For my fridge, Degree 5 is true within the center, which is probably going what the producer meant when curating the assorted settings. From a consumer standpoint, I discovered that spectacular. My largest takeaway from the outcomes is that setting the fridge to a colder temperature is not essentially higher, which is typically my intuition once I percieve that meals is spoiling too rapidly. 

Must you check the temperature of your personal fridge?

In case your meals is constantly spoiling or freezing with out rationalization, it could possibly be as a result of your settings aren’t calibrated correctly. You could not even know which setting is meant to hit the goal fridge temp of 40 levels F (4 levels C) or beneath. If that is the case, working an analogous check by yourself fridge could be smart. 

I like to recommend getting a set of fridge thermometers as I did. I take into account them important for easy fridges like mine, which use a dial thermostat that does not show the precise temperature.

Whereas many fridges have a digital thermostat along with your goal temperature, an unbiased fridge thermometer’s flexibility might help you be taught extra about your fridge. For instance, you can transfer the thermometer round to seek out chilly spots or monitor temperatures throughout an influence outage.