What do you generally do when you get back home from veggie shopping? Throw your food in the refrigerator, cram in whatever fits and stick extras on the sides and drawers? Well if yes, then you are spoiling your food and wasting all the energy of your refrigerator. A little knowledge about the different temperature zones in your refrigerator can help. There are so many models of refrigerator in the market, so ultimately you will have to assess the design and temperature of your particular model, but given that here are some general guidelines –

1. Eggs are best kept on the top bin, where the temperature is most consistent. It is always advisable to store the eggs in the original cartons and not transfer to the fridge egg container.
2. Milk should be kept at the coldest place of the refrigerator which is at the top and not on the bottom self where it is generally kept.
3. Fruit should always be kept in the low humidity corner or maybe a crisper. You can keep them as it is in the original packaging or in a plastic bag loosely tied on the ends. Citrus fruits are fine even without a bag. Also, the vegetables and fruits should be left unwashed until you use them. Water is a cause for bacteria and mold to grow.
4. Orange juice are good to be stored on the door as long as it is pasteurized. Freshly squeezed juice is best to store at the bottom bin.

5. Vegetables stay fresh longer with a bit of humidity. Vegetable drawer box has high humidity and is the moistest spot in the refrigerator. You can the store the veggies in the original packaging or in a loosely tied plastic bag.
6. Butter and soft cheeses do not need to be super cold, so door is best suited for them. It is in fact the warmest part of the fridge and is good to store all kind of cheeses.
7. Yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese fare best on the top shelf for the same reason.
8. Packaged raw meat should go on the super-cold zone i.e. freezer. And if juices drip, they won’t contaminate the whole fridge.
9. Condiments are mostly high on vinegar and salts (also the natural preservatives). So ketchup, mayonnaise, and salad dressing could be kept on the door. Same goes for pickles and jarred salsa. Whereas, Olive and vegetable oils are pretty much safe in the pantry. But nut oils, like sesame and walnut oils, should be carefully kept in the refrigerator and on the door.