What is the best temperature for my fridge?

The importance of keeping your fridge at the correct temperature cannot be overstated. By ensuring your appliance is operating at the correct temperature, you can ensure your food is kept food fresher for longer, whilst retaining the quality of your groceries. We’ve put together this handy guide to help you understand the importance of your fridge’s temperature.

Why does the temperature of a fridge matter?

Keeping your fridge at the correct temperature is the best way to ensure your food is kept fresh and hygienic. Refrigerating food slows down the growth of bacteria and micro-organisms, keeping your food fresher for longer. If the temperature of your fridge is too high, harmful bacteria and micro-organisms can start to grow at an increased rate, causing illness if consumed.

What temperature should a fridge be?

Many people are unaware of the answer to ‘what is the correct temperature for a fridge’. However, it is important to understand what the optimal temperature is for your appliance to ensure your food is being stored at the correct temperature. To keep your food fresh, we recommend that the ideal temperature for a fridge is 3°C to 5°C. To maintain this temperature, it is important to not have the appliance door open for extended periods.

How do I check the temperature inside a fridge?

To check the temperature inside your fridge, we suggest you place a thermometer inside a glass of water and leaving this in the middle shelf for 12 hours or overnight. This will allow the appliance to cool the contents to the right temperature and provide you with an accurate reading of what the temperature is inside. Some models may have the temperature displayed externally on the door. However, this is the set temperature, not the actual temperature. If you ever have doubt, please follow the above steps. Alternatively, please contact Beko’s expert customer service team at 0333 207 9710 for assistance.

Top tips for safe fridge temperatures:

  • Keep your fridge door closed as much as possible. To keep your fridge working at an optimal temperature it is important to make sure hot air is not entering the appliance on a regular basis. This is because the build-up of frost inside a fridge/freezer is caused by an interaction between warm and cold air. To prevent ice build-up make sure that you are not leaving your fridge door open for extended periods of time. Equally, check your appliance’s door seals to ensure that they are not damage. If they are cracked or raised, we recommend contacting our customer service team at 0333 207 9710.
  • Only put food in the fridge once it has cooled completely. In a similar manner to the above, it is important not to put hot food inside your fridge. This will increase the internal temperature dramatically, meaning your food will be stored at the wrong temperature. Instead, make sure all food has cooled completely before storing it in the fridge.
  • Don’t over pack your fridge. When stocking up your fridge, make sure that you are not over packing the appliance. It is important to leave enough room for air to circulate around the fridge’s interior. If your fridge is crammed with groceries, cold air will not be able to circulate fully, meaning temperatures will vary and bacteria could grow.

What is the recommended ambient temperature a fridge should operate within?

Beko larder fridges and static fridge freezers need to be ideally placed in an environment which is 5 degrees Celsius and above. However, Beko freezers and most Frost-free fridge freezers can be installed in an ambient temperature as low as -15 degrees Celsius. (We recommend you only use the freezer compartment in low ambient temperatures and not the fridge compartment.)

If you are looking for an appliance to store in low temperatures, such as a garage or outbuilding, explore our range of Fridge Freezers for garages.

How do I change the temperature in a fridge?

It is important to know how to change the temperature in your Beko fridge or fridge freezer. By adjusting your appliance to the optimal temperature, you can ensure that your food is kept fresh and hygienic. The process of changing the temperature of your appliance varies depending on the model you own. To find out how to adjust the temperature on your specific appliance, please click here. For a visual guide, please watch the video below.

To provide a general overview, we’ve put together a handy how-to guide to help you change the temperature in your fridge freezer. To help you understand the way our temperatures work, here’s a helpful chart that shows what each temperature setting means:

Dial Display Temperature Setting
0 Cooling system off
Minimum or 1 Warmest setting
2 to 4 Recommended setting
Maxiumum or 5 Coolest setting

Now that you have all the information, you need about fridge temperatures, why not browse our full range of fridges and fridge freezers. Or, if you are looking for information relating to your freezer’s temperature, check out our handy freezer temperature guide.

Need Product Support?

If you have any questions about your Beko fridge, we are here to help. For more information, including detailed video guides, explore our dedicated refrigeration how-to guide. We do not recommend that you try to repair the appliance yourself. If you are experiencing issues with your fridge please contact Beko’s Customer Service at 0333 207 9710 for assistance. Our expert support team will be more than happy to assist and organise technical assistance for you.

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