What Temperature Should My Freezer Be?

We get asked a lot of questions here at Appliance City. We’re always on call to help our customers with their queries and we thought we would answer some of the most frequently asked ones in informative guides. 

So in this guide, we’re looking at freezer temperature. You may have never paid attention to the temperature of your freezer, or you may have never been told the reasons as to why freezers are recommended to be kept at a certain temperature – we’re here to provide you with some answers. 

What is the Ideal Freezer Temperature?

The ideal freezer temperature is -18°C. This has been recommended since 1964 by the International Institute of Refrigeration (a real thing). Now, you’d think that would be all but there are some things that need qualifying. 

A follow-up question to the ideal freezer temperature is that surely the colder the freezer the better. And yes, that is true. A temperature of -30°C would keep food fresher for longer. So why do we not keep our freezers at this temperature?

If we are to keep freezers at these level of low temperature, it would use much more energy in the process. So if you don’t mind a higher energy bill, then by all means lower that temperature. But 18°C has been recommended as a happy medium between energy consumption and quality of food.

Why Should Your Freezer Be at the Right Temperature?

A follow up question we get a lot on that answer is: well, why? Why does it matter what temperature your freezer is at? And the simple answer is that this has been the consensus since 1964. You can keep it at a higher temperature but you will lower the quality of your food. 

For example, when stored at 12°C, vegetables lose nutritional content and are more prone to decay and bacterial growth. The colder the freezer, the harder it is for bacteria and enzymes to reproduce, thus preserving the food better. If your freezer is at too high a temperature, you run the risk of making yourself ill too.

How to Check Your Freezer Temperature

Not every freezer has a thermometer built in. Most modern freezers will display the temperature clearly, but if you can’t find yours, it’s not working or you don’t have one built in, there’s a very easy way of checking the temperature of your freezer.

Fill a glass with water, put a thermometer in it and leave it for a few hours/overnight. Record the temperature as soon as you open the door to check, this should give you an accurate reading of temperature in your freezer. You can then adjust accordingly. 

Head to our Refrigeration page to browse our full range of Freezers. With fridges, wine coolers and a dedicated section to American-Style fridge freezers, there’s plenty of options for you to check out there. We also have some outstanding product lines in our Cooking, Extraction and Small Appliance sections.

With competitive prices, free shipping in the UK and a recycling service, shop at Appliance City today and save money!