Your refrigerator temperature should be around 37° F to avoid bacteria in food. Consumer Reports shows how to use a stand-alone thermometer the temperature.
[accelerates at around 40° F](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/danger-zone-40f-140f), “so keeping your fridge temperature set to 37° F—and your freezer to 0° F—is a good idea,” says Larry Ciufo, who oversees refrigerator testing at CR. To [rate refrigerators](https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/refrigerators/) at Consumer Reports, we [wire refrigerator models](https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/refrigerators/buying-guide/) with temperature sensors and monitor them for more than a month—in a temperature-controlled chamber—to evaluate each refrigerator’s thermostat control and ensure its temperature uniformity.