Fridge too cold?

Merlin5 · 2 Jun 2019 at 02:46

I've thrown away a few eggs that completely froze and cracked the shells. I keep them on the middle shelf. Could it be that they're simply too close to the back of the shelf near where cold air comes in? My fridge temperature was set to 3c, though I've put it to 4c now which may or may not make much difference.

They were 2 weeks past their sell by date. But I've safely cooked eggs 4 weeks past their date. I've also got some eggs in the fridge that expire tomorrow and they're fine.

Saint1972 · 2 Jun 2019 at 05:57

4c is fine and keep them away from the air inlet.I personally wouldn’t eat eggs 2 weeks out of date,couple days yes.But I don’t eat eggs anyway

haaammit · 2 Jun 2019 at 18:26

Don't store eggs in the fridge lol!

Have you got a thermometer to check the actual temperature? 4°C is fine for a fridge, but more basic ones will have cold spots/areas towards the rear.

Sell by and best before dates are totally different to use by dates!

Merlin5 · 3 Jun 2019 at 01:31

I don't have a fridge thermometer but I have an infrared laser thermometer so I'll check the temperature tomorrow. It's a pretty high spec fridge freezer, a Hisense. But I don't know how good Hisense really is compared to the more well known names like Samsung.

That said, apart from eggs, everything else keeps really fresh for a long time. Milk never seems to go off compared to my previous crappy undercounter hotpoint fridge.

But there's also another issue with cold temperatures. It has two vegetable drawers above each other, and the bottom one, which is right above the freezer section, has a vent you can slide. Opened or closed, anything I put in the bottom drawer like tomatoes or onions also freeze up. So I've avoided putting food in there, which is a shame as it's space I could really use.

I'm still under warranty so I think I'll call them tomorrow to get an engineer to come and check if there's any thermostat issue.

NickK · 3 Jun 2019 at 08:46

haaammit said:
Don't store eggs in the fridge lol!

My Mrs doesn't keep eggs or butter in the fridge.

Sounds a bit like our Bosch fridge freezer - it has a lower full width draw that you can set to be fruit/veg or just veg. The two 1/2 width above that you can set lower than the fridge temps with a slider at the back providing control. Then the electronic control at the top sets the temp/fast chill, the main fridge compartment uses vents with cold air fanned through it. Very effective.

XeNoN89 · 3 Jun 2019 at 08:48

haaammit said:
Don't store eggs in the fridge lol!

Have you got a thermometer to check the actual temperature? 4°C is fine for a fridge, but more basic ones will have cold spots/areas towards the rear.

Sell by and best before dates are totally different to use by dates!

I store eggs in the fridge. They don't have to be but they last a bit longer i find. Mine have never frozen.

Semple · 3 Jun 2019 at 08:59

I've found if i stick stuff to the back of the fridge ours can freeze up as well. I remember some apples got shunted to the back and basically froze up then went mouldy.

Avenged7Fold · 3 Jun 2019 at 15:20

If you find part of your fridge is considerably colder than the rest of the fridge, then you likely have a dodgy door seal. Basically warm air comes in and makes your fridge work a bit harder keep temperature average at its setting. You get a larger temperature difference between the back where the evaporator is nearest and the rest of the fridge. The moisture from the warm air leaking into the fridge builds up around the evaporator over time and can make it worse.

Check and clean the seal.

Psycho Sonny · 4 Jun 2019 at 20:36

my fridge is set to 1C and my eggs stored at the top have never froze.

i have had bottles of soda water freeze at the bottom and some veg in the veg drawer. but nothing else.

ice cold beers is fantastic.

it's a top of the range samsung fridge the most expensive that would fit in the space. i'm assuming this is a cheap fridge this is happening with?

Merlin5 · 5 Jun 2019 at 00:30

Well it's a mid range fridge freezer, I paid £434 for it last year. I love it. It's really nice looking with some handy features, though admittedly most I won't use, like super freeze, super cool, holiday, etc. And dairy products seem to stay fresh and useable forever.

https://hisense.co.uk/refrigeration/all-refrigeration/rb403n4ac2/

I had an engineer over today who was extremely helpful. There was nothing wrong with fridge, I just had to learn a few tips.

Eggs are now where they should be, in the top door compartment with the glass flap. That protects too much cold air getting to them. He said where I had them before right in front of the vent where the cold air comes in was wrong. He said it's fine to put things like wine, cheese and butter there but not eggs or veg.

And the bottom crisper drawer that was freezing food has 3 vent holes with a slider which he closed off the holes with to stop excess cold air from the fridge getting in. It's also now filled with more food which further helps the air be distributed better. He also set the fridge to 5c and the freezer to -18c and said those are the best temperatures for my use. So all is well.

Why on earth would you need 1c? My beers are ice cold without needing to set the temperature that low.

tom_e · 5 Jun 2019 at 07:27

I keep my eggs out on the side and have eaten ones at least a month past their date and they've been absolutely fine, it's a pretty big guess on the dates.

BUDFORCE · 5 Jun 2019 at 07:58

tom_e said:
I keep my eggs out on the side and have eaten ones at least a month past their date and they've been absolutely fine, it's a pretty big guess on the dates.

Same mate, you'll tell if an egg has gone rotten when you crack it.

I've literally ever had 1 batch of eggs I looked and sniffed at and thought, hmmmmm and didn't eat them. But like you don't put them in the fridge and they stay out for months.

Edit: I think food hygiene is way over the top in general, I mean if your eating out then fair enough, but at home people need to use judgment.

Thing is the human body is reactive, getting small amounts of slightly off food, some bacteria etc will do you good, I mean really the old saying what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, is actually true when it comes to this subject.

Your body will get used to handling it, then small amounts may not affect you at all, and you'll react better when you get something nastier.

jpaul · 5 Jun 2019 at 09:21

BUDFORCE said:
Same mate

+2
I think the keeping egss in the fridge subject, has previously been ~~kicked~~beaten to death, not necessary,
anyway you should be able to discern the freshness of the egg when you crack it, based on the whites viscosity and attachment to yolk,
I user newer ones for omelettes etc and pure (barely cooked) egg dishes .. older ones get downgraded to cooking/baking ingredients.

They obvously don't charge you for unnecessary call outs ... AO are in financial difficulties from yesterday's bbc news.

Psycho Sonny · 5 Jun 2019 at 10:46

I like them cold. I like all my drinks cold tbh. I normally put at least 5 cubes of ice in any soft drink, cocktail, etc.

Avenged7Fold · 5 Jun 2019 at 11:23

How do eggs even get that out of date? it seems like i am buying a pack of 15 twice a week for just myself and the missus...

Eggs are easier to use at room temperature for the vast majority of things anyway.