Refrigerator and freezer temperature
Every answer on this page is the words of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service or the Food and Drug Administration, quoted whole lines at a time from the page named under each quote, on the day given there.
What temperature should a refrigerator be?
Keep your appliances at the proper temperatures. Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C). Check temperatures periodically. Appliance thermometers are the best way of knowing these temperatures and are generally inexpensive.
FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
Use an appliance thermometer to be sure the temperature is consistently 40° F or below and the freezer temperature is 0° F or below.
FDA, Safe Food Handling, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
What temperature should a freezer be?
Food that is properly frozen and cooked is safe. Food that is properly handled and stored in the freezer at 0° F (-18° C) will remain safe. While freezing does not kill most bacteria, it does stop bacteria from growing. Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer. Tenderness, flavor, aroma, juiciness, and color can all be affected. Leftovers should be stored in tight containers. With commercially frozen foods, it's important to follow the cooking instructions on the package to assure safety.
FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
Note: Freezer storage is for quality only. Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely.
USDA FSIS, Freezing and Food Safety, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
How do you check the temperature?
Refrigerator/freezer thermometers should be monitored. Refrigerator/freezer thermometers may be purchased in the housewares section of department, appliance, culinary, and grocery stores. Place one in your refrigerator and one in your freezer, in the front in an easy-to-read location. Check the temperature regularly—at least once a week.
FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
Where in the refrigerator is it warmer?
Keep foods covered. Store refrigerated foods in covered containers or sealed storage bags, and check leftovers daily for spoilage. Store eggs in their carton in the refrigerator itself rather than on the door, where the temperature is warmer.
FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
How long does food stay cold when the power goes out?
If you lose electricity, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Your refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours if it's unopened. A full freezer will keep an adequate temperature for about 48 hours if the door remains closed.
If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40°F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen.
If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. You can't rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40 °F or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.
Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was not out for more than four hours and the refrigerator door was kept shut. Discard any refrigerated perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs or leftovers) that has been at refrigerator temperatures above 40°F for four hours or more. Perishable foods with temperatures that are 45°F or below (measured with a food thermometer) should be safe, but should be cooked and consumed as soon as possible.
FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely?, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
Does a colder refrigerator thaw food more slowly?
Food will take longer to thaw in a refrigerator set at 35 °F than one set at 40 °F.
USDA FSIS, The Big Thaw — Safe Defrosting Methods, retrieved 4 November 2026. Quoted word for word.
How long these foods keep
Storage times from USDA FoodKeeper, each on its own page.
- Milk5 kinds
- Eggs3–5 weeks in the fridgein shell
- Leftovers3–4 days in the fridgewith meat, fish, poultry, or egg
- Chicken1–2 days in the fridgewhole
- Beef1–2 days in the fridgeground
- Cheese3–4 weeks in the fridge once openedhard such as cheddar, swiss, block parmesan · up to 6 months in the fridge
- Butter1–2 months in the fridge
- Yogurt1–2 weeks in the fridge
More from FDA and USDA FSIS
KeepsUntil is an independent reference built on public USDA data. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Food and Drug Administration. Storage times are reproduced from USDA FoodKeeper as published; when in doubt, follow the FDA and USDA FSIS guidance linked on every food page.