What is 'adequate' refrigerated space for a single person [closed]

I'm surprised you're getting that much stuff on half a shelf, so unless the fridge is enormous with very wide shelves, I can only assume you're stacking it up, which isn't how food should be kept in a refrigerator. For one thing, raw meats should be stored at the bottom of the fridge so that they don't drip or contaminate cooked foods or food that will be eaten raw. Secondly, a fridge keeps food cool only if air can circulate properly between the foods stored - if they're stacked high, and everyone else is doing the same so that the fridge is crammed, any foods inside won't be at the required storage temperature of 5 deg C or below.

Otherwise, as the others say, it's difficult to answer your question - the average combination fridge/freezer supplies up to 250 litres of storage space within the fridge, possibly more in the States, but it varies according to make. My own one provides 180 litres, and it's not really big enough to store all the stuff correctly when I've done a weekly shop, even though I live alone.

I don't think I fully understand the question ?

IMO, food need "personal" space in a fridge.

You do not want to constantly have to move stuff in and out to be able to take something out of the fridge; and you do not want to stack up stuff just for the sake of saving space.

You will also have leftovers that will take more space than the raw ingredients.

So, what does that mean ? I'd say 2 shelves +/- space in the freezer (ice cubes excluded).

I always depend on the size of the fridge; width of the fridge and the shelves "height" (can you put a milk carton on a shelf standing up or does it go in the door ?

Max.