Consumer Reports looks at refrigerators that promise fresher food

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Americans are buying more and more fresh foods, and refrigerator manufacturers are trying to keep pace. They're they're packing their fridges with freshness features they say will extend the life of your fruits and vegetables.

Maintaining proper temperature and humidity levels is the key to keeping food fresh, and Consumer Reports brought several models into their labs to test the best.

The Samsung RH29J8000SR costs $2,500 and has two doors. The first gives you easy access to frequently used items, with a clear interior door keeping outside air from getting in and a separate door latch giving you access to everything in the main compartment.

The GE PWE23KMDES is $2,600, and it's designed with dual-evaporative cooling. Instead of using freezer air to chill the refrigerator, the refrigerator is cooled by a separate system.

Consumer Reports' tests find that dual-evaporative systems are better at maintaining optimal humidity in the fridge, important for protecting fruits and vegetables.

KitchenAid says it has another freshness feature, and the $1,800 KBFS22ECMS has a replaceable cartridge in the drawer that claims to absorb ethylene gas. That's the gas that some produce, like apples and bananas, give off, which causes nearby produce to spoil more quickly.

With any fridge, it's important to have separate humidity-controlled bins for fruits and vegetables.

"Vegetables that wilt easily generally need high humidity," Consumer Reports' Dan DiClerico said. "Fruits that ripen quickly tend to need low humidity."

If you're not in the market for a new refrigerator, there are some things you can do to keep food fresh in the model you have.

--Store fruits and veggies separately to minimize exposure to ethylene.

--Keep your asparagus longer by rolling stems in damp paper towels inside a plastic bag.

--Don't wash fruit until you're about to eat it.

Some food should not be kept in the refrigerator, including potatoes and onions, which should be put in a cool, dry place. Tomatoes should be kept at room temperature, and fresh basil also keeps better out of the fridge. Put it in a cup of water on the counter.