Though the fridge is a great place for fresh ingredients, there are a few kitchen staples that fare much better at room temperature or in cool, dry places.
Check out the list below to see how you can make the most of your groceries.
1. Onions
Moisture from the fridge will turn onions soft and moldy. Keep them in a cool, dry place to keep them fresh.
2. Coffee Beans/Grounds
Storing coffee in the fridge can dull the coffee's flavor. Store in your pantry instead for a more flavorful cuppa joe.
3. Olive Oil
In cold temperatures, olive oil hardens to a butter-like consistency. For pourable, flavorful olive oil, keep your bottle in a cool dark place when not using.
4. Basil
Basil, as well as other fresh herbs, will last longest when stems are submerged in water at room temperature. Not only will you basil last longer, but you'll have a beautiful bouquet making your kitchen smell like a caprese salad. Win/win!
5. Honey
Honey basically never expires. Just ask the archaeologists who found a 5,000 year old jar of the stuff in a tomb in Georgia! Safe to say, you can store honey pretty much anywhere without worry.
6. Garlic
Garlic can turn rubbery and is more susceptible to mold when stored in the fridge. Keep your cloves in a cool dry place with other alliums like onions and shallots.
7. Bread
Nothing dries out bread faster than an overnight stay in the fridge. Pop your sliced bread in the freezer instead, when toasted it'll taste just as fresh as the day it was baked!
8. Avocados
Aiming for that perfectly spreadable avocado for your morning toast? Leave them out at room temperature for for peak ripeness.
9. Potatoes
Keeping potatoes in the fridge will make them gritty and sweet, two words you don't want associated with your mashed potatoes. Store them in a paper bag instead!
10. Tomatoes
Refrigerating tomatoes slows down the ripening process in a major way. Keep them at room temperature for prime flavor and juiciness.
11. Chocolate
Best eaten at room temperature, chocolate is best stored in dark and dry places. Cold temperatures dull chocolate's flavors, and over time can even turn grainy. Chocoholics, take note!
12. Hot Sauce
This vinegar-based staple stays fresh in your pantry for YEARS after opening. Plus, who wants cold hot sauce on their warm eggs in the morning? Not me, not you, and not Beyonce. (She keeps hers in her bag!)
13. Soy Sauce
This condiment staple is fermented, therefore perfectly fine hangin' in your pantry.
14. Berries
Moisture is berries worst enemy. Keep them out of the fridge in a cool, dry place to prolong their shelf life, and don't wash them until you're ready to eat them!
15. Peanut Butter
Commercially made peanut butter can last up to 3 months out of the refrigerator, plus it's way more spreadable when kept at room temperature. If you can't finish a jar of peanut butter in 3 months, then you must have some superhuman restraint and I cannot relate.