When buying a refrigerator, there are many factors and technical specifications that should be looked at before choosing our ideal model. Then they bring it to us, we install it and there is a very important detail that we may forget to configure: cooled temperature more suitable.
This is a factor of great importance so that the appliance can adequately fulfill its function of preserve foodboth in the refrigerator part and in the freezer part, and that will also allow us to save each month on the electricity bill or spend more if we do not select an optimal value.
Choosing a suitable temperature will allow food stays fresh longer, that they last longer and we waste less food. Thanks to the refrigeration process, a delay in the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria that could be found in food is achieved, thus maintaining good safety conditions to be able to consume them without risk.
But contrary to what we might think, it is not always convenient to choose the coldest temperature that the equipment allows us, since we can spoil some foods and above all we will waste energy unnecessarily.
Keeping a refrigerator running for a whole month can cost approximately between 3.5 and 7 euros based on size, features and performance. Figures that can even be exceeded with the new electricity bill and if our model is of the American type, side by side or an old one that is very inefficient and does not have good insulation.
In addition, each extra degree Celsius that we ask the compressor to lower can mean a additional cost of electricity between 7 and 10%, which will result in an increase in cost at the end of the month.
What is the ideal temperature in the refrigerator
When choosing the ideal temperature We find different studies, experts and manufacturer recommendations, although most focus on the same range for both the fridge and freezer parts.
For example, according to the OCU and Iberdrola, the optimum temperature is around 4°C, although it can range between 3 and 5 degrees, depending on how empty or full the fridge is. For its part, the ideal temperature of the freezer is located between -17°C or -18°C.
For its part, LG recommends keeping the refrigerator at a temperature between 2 and 8 degrees centigradewhile other brands like AEG do the same in the 3 and 5 degree range. This manufacturer also gives us specific recommendations for freezing certain foods such as fish or meat.
Thus, they recommend setting the freezer temperature at -18º C and freeze any food for at least 5 days before the time of consumption. In this way we ensure that possible parasites (such as Anisakis in fish or Toxoplasma gondi in meat) do not pose a health risk.
How to select the ideal temperature
Modern refrigerators usually offer a few digital controls that allow us to select very precisely what temperature we want to have inside.
It is enough to go to the corresponding control button on the main console of the refrigerator and select the desired temperature. The internal system will control that it remains constant, adjusting the compressor accordingly.
Very good, but what if my refrigerator is older or low-end and does not have this type of digital selector? In these cases, the usual thing is that they have a control wheel with different indicators with which we can regulate the temperature.
These indicators are usually numbers from 1 to 10 that have no direct relationship with the chosen temperature. For this reason, in these cases it is advisable to insert a thermometer in the refrigerator to observe the temperature at which each value on the wheel corresponds until we find a point where we approach those values. 4 degrees Celsius ideal.