After taking apart fridges and talking to expert technicians, we found that there’s little difference between mini fridges. In addition to fitting easily in a dorm room, this little fridge provides a bottle opener conveniently located on the side of the fridge. On the door, there’s shelving for a 2-liter bottle as well as for soda cans or peanut butter and jelly jars. On top, there’s a small freezer compartment for making a tray of ice cubes or keeping a frozen dinner icy for a day or two. If you’re primarily looking for a fridge to keep fruit, drinks and maybe cheese in the den and don’t want to spend a bundle, this square little fridge is your best bet.
The Sunbeam 3.1 Cubic Feet Mini Refrigerator is a 32.8-inch by 19.13-inch by 21.1-inch model with a spacious design that can fit extra beverages, snacks, and perishables. The reversible-door mini fridge ensures that every item is comfortably stored and perfectly cool with its two glass shelves, crisper bin, four-can dispenser, freezer compartment and temperature control feature. 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!
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. We settled on five finalists—two cube models and three tall models. Although we do not offer shipping, the website may ask you for your shipping address.
Freezer temperatures in all mini fridges tend to fluctuate a lot. That’s probably because it’s fundamentally inefficient to have an unsealed freezer shelf inside a compartment that’s mostly just a fridge. In our tests, we recorded pretty wide temperature fluctuations in the WHS-65L’s freezer, which jumped from 11 to 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and 10 to 20 degrees at a lower setting. Those shifts in temperature are substantial enough to cause slight freezer burn within a few days, affecting the taste and texture of food. And because the freezer never came close to reaching the 0-degree threshold for safe, long-term meat storage in our tests, you’ll have to find a better place to keep your venison steaks for the winter. To select our best mini fridges, we relied on our years of experience testing refrigerators and in-depth knowledge of the category.
Normally $190, currently $150 which is pretty good for a 4.3 cubic foot mini fridge with a freezer compartment too (0.5 cubic feet). If you entertain a lot or just keep a large supply of beverages at the ready, you may want a bit more room than you’ll typically find in a mini fridge. Bigger than most, the Galanz has three glass shelves for refrigerated items. On the door, there are two small shelves and one for tall soda bottles as well as a dispenser for eight cans.
On top, there’s a separate freezer compartment with a shelf on the door. In the refrigerator, two glass shelves and a large bin for produce will help you keep foods organized. The door has a large and small shelf and a system for dispensing soda pop cans. 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. It also has an adjustable shelf, a small freezer compartment, and a temperature control feature. If you don’t need a separate freezer compartment, you should be able to find a mini-fridge with a 2 cubic foot storage capacity.
We tested mini fridges the same way we test full-size fridges—just scaled down to size. If you want a wet or mini bar fridge, look for a model with a (double-paned) glass door. This allows you to keep an eye on your inventory and not have to stand there with the door open while fishing around or deciding what you want. As we mentioned earlier, the longer and more often you open your mini fridge door, the more you overwork the poor little built-in compressor, and the faster you shorten the appliance’s life. Some even end up purchasing two of these fridges to store side by side, using one as a fridge and one as a freezer.
Items that are currently in-transit to our warehouse, are currently in-stock at a drop-ship vendor’s, or manufacturer’s warehouse will be marked as “Available”. These products will ship once your order is processed (usually within business hours). Microsoft may be compensated for some of whirlpool mini refrigerator the products that shoppers end up purchasing. Sellers participating in our shopping program may provide product information including pricing. In addition to black and white, you can have it in either red or aqua to make even more of a design statement in a game room or college dorm.
Fortunately, because its fridge temps are consistent, once you calibrate the compartment to be cooler the fridge will work just fine. Compact and versatile as a fridge or freezer, Avanti’s Dual-Function mini fridge has a single shelf for easy storage and cleaning. This fridge has a separate freezer and plenty of smartly-designated space for cans, food, and more.
ZDNET independently tests and researches products to bring you our best recommendations and advice. Here’s everything you need to know about assessing your space. MSRP is the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, which may differ from actual selling prices in your area.