I Tested Almost Every Fridge Temperature Setting. This Is the One I Recommend

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement If your produce is freezing in your fridge, this guide is for you. John Carlsen John Carlsen has more than a decade of experience testing and reviewing home tech products, with a major focus on smart home security. He earned his BS in journalism from Utah Valley University. In addition to his CNET contributions, John has written for Android Police, TWICE, Home Theater Review, SafeWise, ASecureLife and Top Ten Reviews. Expertise Smart Home | Home Security | Home Tech | Internet Security | Product Testing See full bio John Carlsen June 4, 2026 p. m. PT 6 min read A fridge that's too warm or cold could be spoiling your produce. John Carlsen/CNET A fridge that's too cold can freeze your food, while one that's too warm can spoil it. Produce is particularly susceptible to errant temperatures, but nearly every ingredient you refrigerate benefits from keeping the temperature set at a sweetspot.   I don't like to waste groceries, so I set out to find out how cool my fridge was since there's no built-in thermometer. The ultimate goal was to ensure it's set to a temperature that keeps the items as fresh as possible without freezing.  Here's how it went down and what I learned after testing nearly every temp setting in my fridge. What temperature should your fridge be? Before I can determine the best temperature setting for my fridge, we need to know what constitutes a safe temperature for storing food. John Carlsen/CNET The scientific consensus puts the ideal fridge temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) or below -- cold enough to keep bacteria in check, but not so cold that it freezes delicate foods. Your freezer should be set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 degrees Celsius) or lower. It might seem like anything below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) would do the job, but the colder target exists for good reason: it keeps food solidly frozen even when you open the door, add fresh items, or ride out a brief power outage. As a bonus, lower temperatures also speed up freezing, which means smaller ice crystals and better preservation. I ran tests using real-world conditions When storing food in your refrigerator, ensure it falls within the safe temperature range for food storage. John Carlsen/CNET When testing the fridge temp settings, I didn't unload all of my food, though I did move more sensitive items -- fresh produce, eggs, and some glass jars -- into temporary coolers for colder tests.