Not all refrigerator shelves are created equal.
Different locations inside your fridge actually vary significantly in temperature, trained chef Daniel Norton tells Tech Insider. Norton works as the culinary manager for Innit, a smart-kitchen startup that uses data to help people cook more efficiently.
Shelves that are higher up or built into the door are usually warmer than the rest of the fridge, he says. Those are the worst places to store items that require lower temperatures, like milk and raw meat. These "high risk foods" need to be kept at a certain temperature, otherwise they can grow bacteria, according to the US Food and Drink Administration.
Instead, it's better to store temperature-sensitive foods in the coldest places: low shelves or areas that are farther back in the fridge.
Knowing the warm and cold spots in your refrigerator will help you optimize the shelf live of all of your ingredients, Norton says.