Fridge & Freezer Zones

Sleek and modern kitchen featuring a stainless steel side-by-side refrigerator, perfectly integrated into a minimalist design with a focus on clean lines and functionality.

Organizing Your Refrigerator: Creating Efficient Zones

Do you refer to it as a fridge or a refrigerator? Whatever you call it, imagine strolling through the grocery store aisles as you start creating 'zones' for organization.

At Hopeful Headquarters (home), we have a standard upright refrigerator/freezer combo with the freezer located above the fridge section. We used to have a deep freezer chest in the garage for bulk purchases, but it was damaged during recent storms.

When organizing these areas, regardless of the setup, consider natural zones. Grouping similar items together and organizing by usage are the organizing methods we rely on.

For instance, a 'like with like' section for drinks would house all canned and bottled beverages. This section could be further organized by use, perhaps separating kids' drinks from adult beverages.

Another example would be meats and cheeses. All meats could be stored in one drawer and all cheeses in another, reflecting the 'like with like' approach. The 'by use' method might involve combining some of these items into a specific container or spot for sandwich-making ingredients.

In the freezer, I personally enjoy keeping similar items together. I also love using magazine holders for organization. Frozen fruits and vegetables, along with some kids' single-serve snacks, fit perfectly into these holders, which slide easily into the freezer to create neat dividers. We keep one on each side of the freezer's top shelf to make a section in between for freezer meal items like pizza.

As with the refrigerator, consider organizing by use or product. Instead of a section for fruits and vegetables, you might have everything needed for smoothies. Another example could be grouping frozen meats in one area or organizing by meal, with meat and sides together.

Remember to schedule a check-in with your fridge and freezer at least twice a year to simplify and adjust any organizational systems to better suit your household's needs.