Fill your fridge correctly – and you’ll ensure that your groceries last as long as possible and preserve their flavour. As each type of food requires specific storage conditions, each part of the refrigerator isn’t equally suitable for all types of food. In addition, a well-sorted fridge consumes less electricity, protecting the environment and saving money into the bargain.

Refrigerators and freezers can be found in almost every home. Since they’re continuously switched on, it’s no wonder that they account for 10 or even 20% of a household’s total power consumption. But wherever lots of energy is consumed, lots of energy can also be saved! The right shopping decisions and remembering a few simple rules on how to organize your refrigerator help save energy and so reduce your environmental footprint.

At MediaMarkt and Saturn, we offer a wide range of energy-efficient, eco-friendly fridges and freezers. Appliances with an A+++ efficiency rating save up to 60% more power than those rated merely A. By choosing a more sustainable product, our customers can already make a big difference. However, the way in which these appliances are used is just as important, perhaps even more so.

How to fill your fridge correctly

Since warm air always rises, the upper compartments in the refrigerator aren’t quite as cool as those lower down. Ideally, therefore, food should be positioned as follows.

Perishable foods such as meat and sausage belong on the bottom shelf. At a temperature of 2°C, this is where they’ll last the longest.

Dairy products like cheese, yoghurt and quark should be placed on the middle shelf.

Eggs, butter and margarine don’t need to be kept quite as cold and should therefore be stored on the top shelf or in the door.

Fruit and vegetables stay fresh the longest in the vegetable crisper. Although the vegetable drawer is at the bottom of most refrigerators, it has a relatively high temperature of 8–10°C. The reason for this is that the vegetable crisper is closed and often protected by a glass plate. In addition, not much light gets in and its humidity is relatively high. Plastic packaging should be avoided in the vegetable compartment as condensation can form, causing food to get mouldy. Moreover, not all fruits and vegetables are suitable for the refrigerator. Tropical fruits don’t like the cold, tomatoes and cucumbers lose their aroma, and potatoes or apples shouldn’t be kept in the refrigerator either.

Jam, marmalade and cooked food don’t need excessive cooling and can be kept in the door or the upper compartments.

Opened tins and packets of food should be stored a little colder than unopened food, especially animal products. Ideally, they should be covered or wrapped up to preserve their flavour and extend their shelf life.

A well-organized refrigerator makes it easier to avoid food waste. However, if your fridge is too full, food can easily get forgotten and go off. What many people don’t realize is that a full refrigerator consumes less energy in the long run than an empty one. The reason is that groceries work like ice packs and are better at storing cold energy than air. Another advantage of a full fridge is that whenever the door is opened, less energy is lost because the many groceries prevent a substantial exchange of air.