Mini fridges are almost synonymous with college dorm life, but they can be helpful around your home or office as well. They can provide extra cold storage for groceries like vegetables, fruits, and even meat or keep frozen meals close-at-hand for quick lunches at your desk. There’s even a model from Frigidaire that has a water dispenser in the door so you can refill your reusable water bottles whenever you like! Most mini fridges have a freezer section for making ice or storing frozen foods, but there are some models out there that are just refrigeration units; which makes them better suited to garages, workshops, and home bars where you might want to chill soda, drink mixers, or bottled water for guests or to keep on-hand while you tinker on your car.
Mini fridges are also fairly affordable, retailing for just a few hundred dollars for a 3 to 4 cubic foot model, though it is possible to find some for even cheaper. And there are very expensive high-end models that would be at home in a commercial kitchen or a fancy home-chef kitchen that come with motion-activated interior lights, touch controls, and door alarms. To help you find the perfect mini fridge for your budget and needs, I put together a list of the five best models you can buy. I’ve broken down their features and price points so you can compare and choose the one that is the best fit for your home, office, or dorm.
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Hisense LCR44D6NSE
Best mini fridge overall
Whirlpool WHR31TS4E
Best cheap mini fridge
Dimensions: 32.79×21.2×19.13 inches | Interior volume: 3.1 cubic feet | Color: Stainless steel and black | Energy Star certified: Yes | Freezer section: Yes
This mini fridge from Whirlpool sells for under $200, making it a great choice for anyone who has to stick to a modest budget when shopping. It features both a refrigerator and a freezer section, each with its own door, so you can chill drinks or store extra groceries and even make extra ice for gatherings with family and friends. The refrigerator door has sections for storing cans as well as larger bottles, and there is an interior light that comes on when you open the door, allowing you to quickly see what you need even at night. The legs of this mini fridge can be adjusted to accommodate uneven floors in your kitchen or garage for optimal compressor performance and cooling.
Pros:
- Separate refrigerator and freezer sections
- Interior light
- Adjustable/leveling legs
Cons:
- Door hinge not reversible
KitchenAid KURL314KSS
Best splurge mini fridge
Frigidaire EFR494 retro compact mini fridge
Best mini fridge for offices
Frigidaire EFR100
Best mini fridge for dorm rooms
My pick for the best mini fridge is the Hisense LCR44D6NSE with its reversible door hinge, 4.4 cubic feet of interior storage, and stainless steel design that will complement almost any kitchen or garage decor.
Once you’ve nailed down a budget for your new mini fridge, you’ll next have to decide what you want to use it for. If you need a bit of extra storage for groceries or beverages, opt for a model with at least 4 cubic feet of interior space and temperature controls for optimal cooling. If you want a mini fridge for your home or traditional office, choose a slightly smaller model to fit under or next to your desk but still has lots of space for water bottles and your lunchbox. If you’re looking for a mini fridge for your college dorm, an ultra-compact model will be your best choice, since you won’t have a lot of room for appliances.
I chose a variety of price points, designs, and sizes of mini fridges to suit almost every budget and purpose. I even chose a mini fridge model with a Sabbath Mode for Jewish customers who observe strict rules about using electronics on the Sabbath and religious holidays.
A mini fridge can absolutely be worth the cost, especially if you’re going off to college. Having a small refrigerator in your dorm room makes it easy to keep fresh food and cool drinks on hand between classes or when you just can’t bring yourself to eat another meal in the dining hall. Mini fridges are also great for use at home when you might need a bit of extra cold storage for groceries like meat, drinks, and vegetables.
Many mini fridges use between 55 and 85 watts of electricity per hour, which means that over the course of a year, it will cost less than $20 to run one in your home. You can always opt for an Energy Star certified model for even better energy efficiency and lower operating costs throughout the year. But keep in mind that use cases and environmental factors will have an impact on energy use. If you frequently open the door of your mini fridge or live in a warmer area, your mini fridge will have to work harder to keep your food and drinks at a consistent, safe temperature; which means that it might cost a bit more per year to operate.
Your mini fridge should be set to at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit to help curb the growth of harmful bacteria that can grow on your food and beverages and make you sick. Many models allow you to adjust the internal temperature between 32 and 45 degrees F to suit different needs; warmer temperatures are ok for sealed beverage cans and bottles, while food and open drinks need to be kept colder to stay safe from foodborne bacteria.
The US federal government issues the certification to the most energy-efficient appliances available. The goal is to save you money on your utility bills when you choose the most efficient ENERGY STAR model. You’ll find a light blue and white ENERGY STAR logo on certified refrigerators or a yellow card that displays its efficiency (compared to other models) with an estimate of how much it will cost you to run the mini fridge per year.
One-door compact refrigerators often have the most capacity for cold items such as snacks, drinks and produce. However, the small frozen compartment contained within most one-door models is often very small and not as functional. Unless all you need a frozen section for is to hold an ice tray, you may be better off choosing a two-door compact fridge. They maintain more even temperatures and give you more storage for frozen goods — at the cost of refrigerated space.
There are lots of options out there if you’re looking to buy a mini fridge. Here’s a short list of alternative options that I thought were great:
Article source: https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/kitchen-household/best-mini-fridge/#ftag=RSSbaffb68