A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
Updated on Sep. 26, 2024
A tidy fridge can help you eat healthier, save money, waste less and even improve your mental health. These refrigerator organizers get the job done.
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Having a clean and well-ordered space feels amazing, but kitchen organization can quickly become overwhelming. Tidying up your fridge—using refrigerator organizers and freezer-safe food storage containers—is a great place to start because it’s a small, contained space. It’s worth the time, says Nettie Owens, a certified professional organizer and productivity expert.
Unlike machines, we’re not always “on.” To be efficient and productive, we have to decide whether a task is the best use of our time and energy. And rooting through the fridge for a long-lost bottle of fish sauce or the leftovers we swore we’d kept doesn’t make the cut, she says.
Having a tidy fridge encourages healthy cooking and eating by making it easy to store healthful foods front and center. It saves money by reducing food waste—after all, if you can easily find items, you’re more likely to use them before they go bad. And both fridge organization and organizing the freezer lower anxiety by reducing mental and physical clutter, Owens says. Besides, an organized fridge just looks nicer.
An easy way to get organized is to invest in some quality refrigerator organizers. From eggs to produce to deli meats, they store foods and keep them exactly where you need them. Keep reading to discover the refrigerator organizers you need in your life right now.
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Ever bought lettuce for a salad only to discover a bag full of slime when you remembered it a week later? Fruit and vegetable storage is a science! This produce keeper uses a clever carbon filter to trap and absorbs ethylene gas, slowing down produce spoilage. It also has an elevated colander inside that allows air to circulate around your produce to keep it from rotting. An adjustable vent on top maintains optimum humidity levels for different kinds of produce, keeping them crisp and fresh.
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Experts say you should never store eggs in your refrigerator door—where most of us usually put them!—because it’s a health and safety hazard. To keep them clean and at an even temperature, put them in their own well-ventilated storage container. This egg storage bin checks all these boxes and gets rave reviews from users. Eggs rest in individual hollows; when you need one, simply pluck it out of the bin.
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Tired of playing hide-and-seek with bottles of pickles and salad dressing? This lazy Susan spins, keeping everything within reach so you no longer have to go digging to find what you need. The nonskid ring on the bottom, rubber surface on top and raised edges keep everything in place and prevent breaks and spills. (If you do knock something over, be sure to follow these tips for cleaning your refrigerator like a pro.) Plus, it works just as well in a pantry or bathroom cabinet as it does in the refrigerator, should you ever decide you don’t need it for cold foods anymore.
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Keep all your sliced cheeses, meats and other deli items neatly stacked and prepped for quick sandwich-making with this simple clear tray. Its low profile makes it easy to slide into another drawer, keeping smaller loose items, like cloves of garlic and packets of fresh herbs, from getting lost. Users rave about how durable they are, lasting five years or longer.
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Do you really need a separate product just to store an onion? It depends how tolerant you are of the onion scent seeping into your other food. And as anyone who has ever tried to store a half-sliced onion in the produce bin will attest, onions can get slimy quickly. This onion storage container will keep the remaining onion fresh for up to two weeks while containing the telltale smell. It’s not just onions you need to think about, though. Be sure you know how long cooked chicken can last in the fridge too.
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Whether you’re the type to enjoy a cold can of sparkling water with lunch, grab a beer on the weekends or need a caffeinated soda fix to get through the afternoon, Sorbus’s plastic can organizer will keep your canned beverages tidy and at your fingertips. Bonus: You won’t have to worry about them rolling around the fridge or dropping onto your foot when you open the door. You can also get creative and use these fridge organizers to stash certain canned goods in the pantry.
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Nothing is worse than crafting the perfect sandwich for lunch only to find it squished and mushy come mealtime. This simple and durable sandwich container is the perfect size for all types of sandwiches, and the rubber seal makes sure your lunch stays fresh, not soggy. Two locking clips ensure the container stays closed even if dropped—perfect for young kids learning to pack their own lunches. Another good organization option? Glass storage containers, which you can stash in the fridge or freezer.
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Without proper storage, fresh berries will go bad within a day or two—which is a huge bummer considering how expensive they are. Keep your berries fresh and sweet for up to two weeks with this clever berry-saver box. It comes with a removable colander that does double duty, allowing for airflow to prevent spoilage while also making it easy to wash and drain before serving. It’s also great for storing other types of perishable produce, like grapes, cut melon, tomatoes and bean sprouts.
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Do you really need to refrigerate butter? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, you don’t have to if you don’t want to—it’s the only dairy product the agency deems safe to keep if your power goes out for a long period of time. Still, many people prefer to store it in the fridge as a way to keep it handy, out of sight and mess free. This dish from OXO keeps butter contained and clean, both in and out of the refrigerator. It’s even safe to put in the freezer. It’s large enough to hold short and long sticks of butter yet small enough to slide into any corner or a shelf in the door.
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For some reason, it’s so much easier to lose food in the frosty abyss of the freezer. But considering the veritable bounty of foods you can freeze, it’s your best option for long-term food storage. Making use of it will help you save money and time, so it’s smart to invest in an organizer for your freezer. These wire freezer baskets hold up under the coldest temps and can be nested together or used alone. Place them in the freezer to corral frozen veggies, individual burritos, frozen herbs, popsicles or other smaller items that fall through the cracks of traditional freezer shelves. They work well in appliances of all sorts, from upright designs to chest freezers.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of fridge organizers. How can you choose? Owens recommends paying attention to five major features when shopping for a kitchen organization tool.
To help you find your fridge zen, we’re rounding up the refrigerator organizers everyone needs in their kitchen. We asked the experts to explain the science of cold food storage and how best to store food. We then researched the top brands and scoured thousands of reviews to see what real users had to say. We even tried a number of these products out ourselves to help you make an educated decision about the best refrigerator and freezer organizer bins for you.
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