The Part of Your Refrigerator You're (Probably) Using Wrong

After a grocery run, you likely look for any available space in your fridge to put your produce. Sometimes it ends up on a shelf, sometimes it ends up in the crisper drawer. But did you know that not putting your fruits and vegetables in their intended spot could actually be costing you?

We chatted with three appliance experts who explained why this small habit can have a big impact on freshness, food safety, and even your grocery bill.

What the Crisper Drawer Is Actually Designed to Do

Simply put, the crisper drawer (or drawers, depending on your fridge) is meant to house your fruits and vegetables in their proper humidity levels. Shockingly, not every section of your fridge is equipped for this specific challenge. 

“The main cavity of a refrigerator is designed to circulate cold air and keep humidity low, which are ideal conditions to preserve and keep fresh many types of items,” Mattia Sala, product manager at SMEG USA, explains. “However, some fresh food items—particularly produce—require more humidity and cooler temperatures than what is found in the larger compartment, and this is where crisper drawers come in.” 

If your fruits and vegetables don’t get the higher moisture levels they need, you might notice them wilting or drying out more quickly, Sala says. And how you physically place your produce matters, too: You should lay leafy vegetables horizontally in the crisper to prevent humidity loss. And when organizing the crisper, consider the weight of each piece of produce. Sala says that lighter, softer items should go on top of the harder, heavier produce so things don’t get squashed (and rendered unusable). 

Moreover, if you’re putting fresh produce near raw meat or leaky containers on a main shelf, you could be risking contamination, appliance expert Amy Chernoff adds. “When drawers are misused, excess moisture and food contact can quietly create the perfect conditions for mold and bacteria,” Chernoff explains. “Using the crisper as intended helps create a cleaner, more stable space that supports both freshness and food safety.”

High vs. Low Humidity: How to Separate Fruits and Vegetables the Right Way

Not all produce thrives at the same humidity level. And if you have more than one crisper drawer or multiple compartments, this is the perfect opportunity to see this in action. 

Dennis Godynuk, appliance expert and the owner of Comfort Appliance Repair TN, explains that items like leafy greens, thinner-skinned produce, and herbs should go into high-humidity drawers. But keep most fruits away from the high-humidity drawer, Sala says. 

“Lower humidity conditions are ideal for produce such as apples, avocados, pears, melons, and other stone fruits,” Sala explains. “These items are more prone to rotting and emit ethylene gas as they ripen—which, in a higher humidity setting, could lead to the items in the drawer over-ripening or rotting too quickly.” 

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The Most Common Crisper Drawer Mistakes 

Make sure you aren’t accidentally doing one of these, our experts say:

• Using your crisper as the "junk drawer" of the fridge: Chernoff says greens and berries lose the environment they need to thrive when you throw random, non-produce items into your crisper drawer. Plus, mixing food categories can also increase the risk of cross-contamination.
  
• Not adjusting the settings on your crisper drawers: Different fruits and veggies require different humidity levels, Sala explains. When you don’t adjust the slider, you risk trapping moisture (which can lead to rot) or allowing excess airflow (which can lead to dehydration).
  
• Cramming items in the drawer: If you overstuff your crisper drawer, even if it’s with fruits and veggies, Chernoff says that you’ll see faster spoilage due to uneven cooling. 
• Leaving your vegetables in the bag in the drawer: “Never leave vegetables inside the crisper in their bags as this will cause them to decompose prematurely,” Sala says. “If you wish to keep vegetables separate, use perforated paper bags or similar materials to do so.”