Set refrigerator temperature correctly | BRIGITTE.de

The refrigerator temperature is crucial for the shelf life of food, but also for energy consumption! The best tips and tricks.

Every household has it, everyone uses it every day: the refrigerator keeps our food fresh so that we can carefree clean our yogurt for breakfast or fresh vegetables for cooking. To keep it that way, the right refrigerator temperature is crucial!

Fridge: set the temperature correctly

The Federal Environment Agency recommends for 7 ° Celsius for the fridge and minus 18 ° Celsius for the freezer. At just one degree lower, electricity consumption increases by six percent!

Now refrigerators often have a regulator, with a scale from one to seven, but without temperature. How do you set the refrigerator correctly now? You are on the safe side with a look at the instructions for use of the device. As a guide, you can remember: the higher the number, the colder it gets in the fridge. On a scale from one (warmer) to seven or six (colder), the controller should then be set to one or two.

Measure refrigerator temperature

If you want to know it exactly and save electricity, you can use a refrigerator thermometer to measure the temperature in the middle compartment (not on the back wall).

Tips for storing food

In addition to the right temperature, the right storage also depends on the food in the refrigerator. On the one hand, not all should be stored in the refrigerator (did you know that tomatoes do not belong in the refrigerator ?!), on the other hand, the subject is crucial.

Why? The air circulation in the refrigerator ensures that there are different temperature zones, the cold air stays below, while the warm one draws upwards. The lowest compartment is the coolest, there is a place for easily perishable foods such as meat or fish, dairy products feel most comfortable in the middle room and jams and drinks are good at the top, just like in the door! Fruit and vegetables are ideally located in the bottom pull-out compartments. Correctly give more tips on the refrigerator.

Defrost

Yes, defrosting is annoying! However, defrosting also has advantages for devices with a freezer compartment. Many are probably familiar with the layer of ice that is gradually spreading in the freezer compartment, which in turn consumes more energy unnecessarily. And to prevent this and save energy and, ultimately, money, the device should be defrosted about once or twice a year. By the way, it also helps to prevent mold in the fridge! Here we tell you what to look for when defrosting the freezer.

Buying a refrigerator: the most important tips

Once the old refrigerator has given up its ghost, it's time to get a new, energy-efficient one:

  • Models with the are the most economical Energy efficiency class A +++
  • The larger a device, the higher the power consumption. Buy a device that fits the household size (1 to 2 people: 120 to 140 liters, for each additional person plus 60 liters)
  • Freezing technology increases the electricity costs for a refrigerator. So freezer and additional freezer / cabinet only cost you unnecessarily money! Think about whether a fridge-freezer is really necessary

Stiftung Warentest found in a test that a supposedly more expensive device with a better energy class is ultimately cheaper:

  1. In the test, a large refrigerator, purchase price 380 euros, with energy class A ++ and a term of 15 years consumed 1400 euros in electricity costs.
  2. The more expensive comparison product, Acquisition price 630 euros, with energy class A +++ consumed only 844 euros in electricity costs for the same service life.

Based on the average lifespan, that was in the purchase more expensive device in the end about 300 euros cheaper.

How can you save electricity?

These hidden power guzzlers make every refrigerator a waste of energy

More

A modern refrigerator with the ideal energy efficiency class is the best prerequisite for saving electricity. You should also pay attention to this:

  • Do not place the device next to heat sources (e.g. oven or direct sunlight)
  • Do not put hot food in the refrigerator, otherwise it must be cooled down
  • The temperature is better kept when the refrigerator is full
  • Only open the refrigerator briefly so that little warm air flows in

Did you like the tips? Here we have more household tips for you!