Here's The Best Temperature To Keep Your Freezer At

It's easy to assume that frozen is frozen. That as long as your ice cubes are intact, your freezer is operating in peak form. But ice cubes freeze at a relatively balmy 32 degrees Fahrenheit, which is quite a bit farther up the dial than the best temperature for frozen food safety and improved freshness. Both the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration say that zero degrees Fahrenheit (or below) is actually the warmest your freezer should be.

Both federal agencies assert that zero is your frozen hero because this temperature halts bacteria growth that can cause foodborne illnesses. That zero should be explicitly displayed somewhere — some foods may look frozen above zero, but there may still be harmful microbes lurking inside, so a built-in or portable thermometer is clutch. The FDA says that food frozen at zero degrees Fahrenheit is safe "indefinitely." The USDA concurs with an "always."

That neither the FDA nor the USDA suggest a scooch or two above zero for energy conservation efforts is compelling evidence to keep that number nice and round. One could be tempted to go lower, appliance permitting, but negative temps have their own pitfalls that might not threaten to make you sick, but can cause more headaches.

Just because the freezer components of some of the best refrigerators can dip below zero, doesn't mean they should. As if waiting precious moments for rock-hard ice cream to soften wasn't enough of a pain, an extra-icy freezer can cost you since even seemingly incremental changes can drive up your electric bill. Anyone who has ever run a window unit air conditioner can tell you that a scant few degrees can ultimately add up.

Like that classic impenetrable ice cream, foods kept at lower temperatures also take a little longer to thaw, so you may be adding to your evening cook time should you keep those proteins too cold. So, zero degrees is both the lowest, and the highest, you should go to store food for maximum efficiency and safety. As long as you're reevaluating your freezer's temp, peek at its more temperate half: Your refrigerator temperature should hover around 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit.