Most minis have no crisper drawer, so produce will lose its fresh taste and texture after a few days. Freezer burn is common, too, and the freezer compartments don’t reach anywhere near the 0 degree Fahrenheit threshold for safe, long-term meat storage. Standing at just over 27 inches tall, this mini fridge provides enough space for snacks and drinks and can fit nicely under most desks or inside a cubicle. The door also has storage for up to eight canned drinks as well as space for larger bottles. The adjustable thermostat aims to ensure an ideal temperature for your food.
If space isn’t necessarily the deciding factor, and you’re going to be using the fridge a lot, you should consider a full-sized refrigerator on the more affordable side. From stainless steel to beautiful wood whirlpool mini refrigerator to dramatic lighting, you’ll find it here. If you buy a new refrigerator, be sure to recycle your old one. Many appliance retailers will pick up and recycle your old refrigerator when you purchase a new one.
There’s even a shelf on the freezer door to stock with ice cream or bags of frozen peas. 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.
We also checked to see what other reviewers recommend as well as what home users have to say. Our most important criteria was the ability to maintain safe temperatures for food storage, but we also took into consideration size and features. On this list you’ll find a variety of models for different needs and situations. The glass shelves easily slide out for when you need to make space for extra large items or when you need to clean the inside of the mini fridge. The stainless steel door adds a touch of modern style to any space and even coordinates with tool chests and workbenches in your garage. Stocked with a full width freezer and multiple compartments, the Whirlpool 3.1 Cubic Feet Mini Refrigerator offers multiple ways to organize your food and drinks.
While the lifespan of any appliance can vary wildly due to several factors, you should expect your fridge—either full-size or mini—to last for about 10 years. While you can use its freezer as a second refrigeration compartment, don’t expect your ice cream to come out cone-ready. The Magic Chef HMCR320 might not be perfect, but it does a lot well. It has an interesting look, mixing elements of classic car design with a pastel green palette. Here at Reviewed, our experts have tested hundreds of full-size refrigerators over the years and found some are definitely better than others. Sign up for our newsletter to get honest reviews on top products & services — delivered weekly to your inbox.
In another test we gauged how much stuff we could fit in, which has as much to do with the shelving layout as with the manufacturer’s claimed capacity. But that isn’t the only experience we’ve had testing mini fridges. Both the editor of this guide and I used to cover appliances for Reviewed.com, and we did a couple of mini fridge roundups together in 2012 and 2013.
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. There’s nothing more valuable than fridge space for home cooks. If you find yourself in constant awe at how fast your fridge fills up, it may be time to consider investing in some extra real estate with a mini fridge. These compact appliances can suit any space and still have ample room to comfortably house everything from extra soda cans and wine bottles to leftovers and groceries.
The Magic Chef HMBR350SE is one of the cheapest tall mini fridges you can find, and a best seller at Home Depot. It’s significantly smaller than the Danby, with a more-limiting shelving layout, but it is really cheap, so if you’re looking to save a few bucks and don’t care about the design, it’s worth a look. Any fridge needs to keep food safe to eat, mini fridges being no exception. All of our previous experience with these appliances told us that they’re up to that task. But just to be sure, we ran some tests to confirm that each fridge could keep food safe and appetizing.
Additionally, the 32.91-inch by 19.92-inch by 22.01-inch mini fridge has a reversible door, a full-width freezer compartment, an adjustable thermostat for temperature control, and manual defrosting capabilities. They’re handy for keeping a stash of drinks or snacks, and maybe a day’s lunch for two people. Most cube fridges have a similar capacity and shelving layout.
But the wiring looked as if it were soldered in a hurry, and the compressor and all its connections were left unprotected on the back of the appliance. What this means is that it can sustain damage pretty easily in transit. Not only will you need to handle it with care, but so will the distributors, the people who work in warehouses and stockrooms, and the delivery people, too. If you suspect that you’ve received a broken unit, you probably have—return it immediately.