7 Smart Freezer Organization Ideas

Is everything falling out every time you open the freezer door? Are you having trouble finding anything in there? If so, then it’s time to get it organized! No matter what type of freezer you have, organizing it gives you more time to do the things that matter most. Keep reading to learn seven brilliant freezer organization ideas.

These freezer storage ideas and tips will help make your life a lot easier when it comes to getting food out of the freezer. Enjoy a beautifully organized space for your frozen goods!

1. Determine What Kind of Freezer You Have

Freezers come in different sizes and shapes, but there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for organizing them. Below we will give you some freezer organization ideas for each type:

Top Freezer Organization Tips

If you have a top mount freezer, then we advise you to store food as follows:

• Door: Save the door for things that won’t melt, like nuts, flour, bread, butter, and cubes of frozen herbs and tomato paste.

• Top shelf: This is where you will want to store your ice cube trays, fruits & veggies, baked goods, and ice cream.

• Bottom shelf: Here, you can safely store your meat and fish. You can also line up soups, sauces, and prepared meals on the other side.

Side Freezer Organization Tips

In side-by-side refrigerators, there are more shelves in the freezer, but they’re narrower. Below are some freezer organization hacks for this type:

Door: Again, use the door to store your nuts, flour, bread, butter, and cubes of frozen herbs and tomato paste.

• Top shelf: This is where you should store the bread, breakfast stuff, and baked goods.

• Next shelf: Put your soups, sauces, prepared meals, and leftovers here.
  

• Middle shelf: This is a good spot for ice cream, frozen treats, and ice packs.

• Next shelf: Fruit and veggies go here.

• Bottom shelf: Store meat and fish at the bottom in case anything leaks.

Bottom Freezer Organization Tips

Bottom freezers in multi-door refrigerators are probably the hardest to organize, but here are some tips to make it easier for you:

• Shallow upper drawer: Bottom freezers usually have a shallow drawer at the very top. Here you can line up your ice packs and trays, ice pops, butter, cubes of frozen herbs and tomato paste, and nuts.

• Main drawer: This is where most of your stuff will go. The key is to create zones and to work from left to right. Ice cream goes on the left, then fruits and veggies, then bread and other baked goods. Your soups, sauces, and precooked meals can be your midway divider, and then meat and fish can get stacked up on the right.

As for the deep freezers, you can read the beginner’s guide to deep freezers to know how to use them best.

2. Categorize and Sort

One of the most helpful freezer organization ideas is to categorize and separate items using bins. Once you’ve grouped items together, place them into bins to maintain the categories you created for your freezer. Save space by getting rid of product boxes, and use bins instead. 

We recommend using clear freezer storage bins for easy visibility. This is helpful so you can see what’s in each bin without having to dig through everything. Find a set that fits well in your freezer and is stackable. Also, make sure they’re airtight to prevent freezer burn.

3. Label and Date Everything

If your freezer is full of homemade goodies, it’s crucial to keep things labeled. Clearly label each item with its category and expiration or purchase dates.

Labeling and dating your items help you track when an item was put in the freezer, as well as the shelf-life of the item. This will prevent you from having expired or forgotten food items taking up space in your freezer.

You can use smudge-resistant labels or masking tape, and a permanent marker works great, too.

4. Arrange Items by Expiration Date

This is one of the best freezer organization ideas to ensure you eat the oldest food in your freezer first. Keeping items that expire sooner in a more visible location in the freezer will result in less food waste and less searching and re-organizing.

5. Vacuum Seal Your Bags

Sealing items with a vacuum sealer will help them last longer, and it will save you space in your freezer. This is also one of the best freezer organization ideas to keep food fresh. Use a food sealer to tightly seal your bags and remove all the air. Not only will you save freezer storage space, but you will also preserve your food better. As much as possible, freeze things flat. Flat things of an even thickness are easier to stack or organize upright in freezer storage containers.

6. Don’t Overfill Your Freezer

Filling your freezer with so many items will make it harder to find what you’re looking for, and it will be more challenging to keep everything organized. Plus, if your freezer is too full, it will not work as efficiently, the cold air won’t circulate, and the food won’t stay cold as well.

Even though you want to fit as much food in your freezer as possible, you also have to protect your food from harm. Over time, your food is going to lose its quality. This can change the appearance, aroma, texture, and flavor. That’s why you should not overload your freezer!

7. Keep an Inventory on the Side of the Freezer

When you need to store things double-deep, the worst sin you can commit is forgetting them. To avoid this, write down a list of what you have in the freezer. You can either use a piece of paper or a dry-erase marker to jot down your freezer inventory right on the inside of the freezer. This is one of the freezer organization ideas that can help you save money, eat well, and avoid food waste.

That rounds up the top freezer organization tips and hacks that will save you space inside and out. Stay tuned to Toshiba Lifestyle for more guides on home appliances.