The ideal temperature for a refrigerator is 37°F (2.8°C) according to Consumer Reports. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recommends that the temperature of your refrigerator should be at or below 40°F (4.4°C) . Keeping your refrigerator at the correct temperature is important to prevent fresh food from spoiling too quickly and to slow the growth of bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses.

Its important to note that the temperature controls on many refrigerators only allow you to choose from a series of numbers, usually 1 through 5, with 1 being the coldest and 5 being the warmest. Even when refrigerators have digital controls for setting precise temperatures, the settings aren’t always accurate. Therefore, its recommended to use a refrigerator thermometer to ensure that the temperature is at the desired level.