The recommended freezer temperature to keep your food safe is at or below 0°F (-18°C), but your freezer may need to be set higher or lower depending on its environment and other factors.
It is recommended that a 4-star freezer needs to operate at -18 degrees Celsius as a minimum. This will prevent bacteria from growing and will keep your frozen food fresher for longer. Whilst it is recommended to keep your freezer below -18 degrees Celsius, it is important to not drop the temperature too low.
This ensures any bacteria present in the food will not grow and multiply, keeping the food safe to eat for longer periods of time. However, most freezer manufacturers recommend keeping the appliance between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal performance.
Freezer Temperatures
The temperature of a freezer should be set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit so everything stays very cold.
Setting the Temperature
The temperature selection on a Chest Freezer is made by setting the dial from ONE to SEVEN, with SEVEN being the coldest. The normal safe freezing level is obtained by setting the control on FOUR.
To store frozen foods at best quality, keep the freezer set to maintain zero (0 °F or -17.8 °C).
0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower is the ideal deep freezer temperature for most foods. Food items stored at this temperature are safe and can be used indefinitely, although the taste and quality of some items may decrease if stored too long before you use them.
Making Sure Your Freezer Is Set to the Correct Temperature
Look for the dial to set your freezer temp and adjust it if needed to the coldest setting. This is usually the highest number if the dial is number-based, but always check the appliance manual to be sure.
Yes, your freezer can be too cold. If this is the case, you may need to adjust the temperature to 0ºF (-18ºC) or shift frozen items around to help encourage proper airflow. Parts of your freezer may also have worn out over time, affecting your appliance's freezing capabilities.
“A”-rated fridge freezers are the most efficient models, and “G”-rated fridge freezers are the least efficient models, which could use more energy and drive your utility bills up.
The recommended freezer temperature to keep food safe is at or below 0°F (-18°C), making higher temperatures less reliable for long-term freezer storage. However, freezer temperatures may need to be adjusted by a few degrees to account for factors like location, humidity or outside temperatures.
➔ The set temperature for the fridge can be adjusted between 1℃ and 7℃. 1℃ is the temperature with the strongest cold air and 7℃ is the temperature with the weakest cold air.
To keep food cold and fresh but not frozen, it should be set somewhere between 3-5°C (37-40°F). Some fridges have a temperature reading, but most have a numbered dial. This usually goes from 1 to 5, with 5 being the coldest.
Temperature Settings: Keep the fridge temperature between 35°F and 38°F (1.7°C to 3.3°C) for optimal food safety. The freezer should be set to 0°F (-18°C).
Freezers, on the other hand, are designed to keep food frozen and stop the growth of bacteria. This is why it is important to make sure your freezer is set to the correct temperature of 0°F / -18°C.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that your refrigerator temperature should be at or below 40°F, and your freezer temperature at or below 0°F. However, the ideal refrigerator temperature is actually lower.
The optimal temperature for freezer food storage is 0° F or below. If the temperature is any higher, then you may be experiencing freezer problems.
Do not install the freezer near an oven, radiator, or other heat source, nor in a location where the temperature will fall below 40°F or exceed 110°F. Allow at least 3" (7.5 cm) of air space at the top and on both sides of the freezer and 2" (2.5 cm) between the back of the freezer and the wall.
To keep your food fresh and safe, set your freezer to 0°F (-18°C) or lower.
Ideally, the freezer temperature should be maintained at -18°C or lower to effectively preserve frozen foods. Regularly monitoring the freezer temperature ensures that it remains within this optimal range, providing assurance that your frozen items are stored safely and maintaining their quality over time.
Your freezer indicator lights may not be working because the indicator light may have burned out. Check for disconnected or broken wires to the indicator light before replacing it. The user control and display board might be faulty. However, this is not always the case.
According to the Food and Drug Administration FDA the best freezer temperature is 0 ° Fahrenheit or -18 ° Celsius which is sufficient to keep the food safe for an extended period of time.
Freezer burn happens when frozen foods are exposed to cold, dry air, which causes them to dehydrate as the outer layers lose moisture. One of the most commonly recognized signs of freezer burn is the formation of ice crystals on the outside of food, making it appear frost bitten.
What makes a deep freezer different from a regular freezer is the ability to reach temperatures at or below zero degrees, which is much lower than the 32-degree temperature setting of its traditional counterpart. These appliances also have a tighter seal than a fridge freezer which helps preserve food longer.