Is Your Freezer Set to the Right Temperature?
Updated: Oct. 13, 2023
Love to store make-ahead meals in your freezer? Be sure that your food stays fresh by finding the right average freezer temperature.
Freezers are one of the most helpful kitchen appliances of all time. They allow us to stock up on groceries on sale, preserve veggies and fruits in season, stash freezer meals and provide endless trays of ice cubes. To make sure all that food stays safe and fresh, you’ll want to keep it properly chilled.
On This Page
The Ideal Temperature Range
The freezing point for water and many foods is 32 degrees F, so you might think that your freezer would be safe if it’s set around there. Wrong! The ideal temperature for freezers is 0 F. The colder temp ensures that food freezes through and prevents deterioration.
Does a Colder Temperature Mean More Freezer Burn?
Nope. Freezer burn occurs from exposure to air, not excessive chill. To prevent burn, which causes an off taste and texture, wrap food tightly. Bonus points if you wrap food in two materials: a plastic freezer bag, which you can press the air out of, and then a second layer of aluminum foil.
These genius tips will change the way you organize your freezer.
The Other Key to Freezer Performance
While a low temperature setting is crucial, there’s another key element to ensuring that the freezer works properly: circulation. Freezers need proper air flow to maintain the proper temperature and keep every zone of the freezer equally chilled. Don’t cram the freezer full, and avoid blocking the fan. Plus, here’s how long your fridge/freezer are supposed to last.
More Tips for Optimal Freezing
- Defrost your freezer regularly, to keep it working efficiently and prevent ice build-up from taking up valuable real estate!
- When adding food to the freezer, consider putting it in the back to encourage yourself to eat foods that have been frozen longer.
- Use a freezer thermometer to keep track of the temperature.
What would cause your freezer to warm up? Here we have listed a few reasons why your freezer is not freezing and how to fix each problem.
Food kept in a freezer at the proper temperature will keep safe indefinitely, though the texture and flavor will deteriorate the longer it’s kept. Here’s a good rule of thumb for most meats.
