Best Mini Refrigerators Reviewed & Rated
You really don’t need a concrete reason to get yourself a mini fridge. Students settling in their new dorm room, the office employees with long hours, the man cave captain trying to decorate their place, and the food enthusiast with a week’s worth of ingredients for their favorite meals, among other groups of people, have a reason to purchase a mini fridge. Mini refrigerators are a cost-effective, economical, and convenient way of keeping your beverages, leftovers, and condiments cool and fresh for long when you don’t enough space for a traditional-sized refrigerator. Obviously, they lack the premium features of their bigger cousins but as far as keeping your beverages and groceries refrigerated, they’re ideal.
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Patently, the market bursting at the seams with mini refrigerators of various models, sizes, and types, which can make it difficult to choose the most suitable model. To take the hard work and time out of the selection process, we’ve diligently put together a carefully curated list of 10 of the best mini refrigerators currently on the market. But first, it’s prudent to familiarize yourself with some of the essential features to look out for.
10 Best Mini Refrigerators
1. Danby DAR044A5BSLDD
As mentioned above, it is professionally built to provide you and your family with 4.4 cubic feet of storage and cooling space. All yesterday’s leftover food, condiments and fruits go on the two and a half shelves. For additional storage versatility, it also features a see-through vegetable crisper with a glass top and a tall bottles rack for your favorite soft drinks. The fridge is also highly customizable, allowing you to store your favorite with ease.
It also incorporates a reasonably bright interior light for illuminating the fridge’s contents and because of the innovative reversible door hinge system, you can open the door from either the left or the right. And when it’s all said and done, you get a generous confidence-boosting and worry-free 18-month warranty.
As the Danby enthusiastically points out, their DAR044A5BSLDD is made to suit your home and meet all your cooling and storage needs. It enhances organization and makes life easy.
Energy Star certified
Boasts 4.4 cubic feet of storage space
Customizable
Aesthetically pleasing
Heavy at 75 pounds
2. Midea WHS-65LB1
With a weight of 35.27 pounds and corresponding dimensions of 17.7 by 18.6 by 19.4 inches, it boasts a small footprint, making it a versatile choice for efficient use in a wide range of settings. In light of its physical dimensions and its free-standing design, it takes up the least floor space . And in light of its streamlined look, it easily compliments the décor of any space you put it. We can’t think of a place where you can’t use the Midea WHS-65LB1 if you’re within easy reach of a power outlet.
It allows for manual adjustment of temperature within a range of between 32' and 35.6' Fahrenheit for the seamless preservation of your food. It features spacious storage compartments and racks that can hold just about anything with the notable exception of frozen foods. It’s also not rated for making ice cubes. The legs adjust with lots of ease while the reversible door can be opened from the left or the right. It comes with a generous 12-month warranty.
If you’re looking for a near-excellent option capable of quickly, efficiently, and evenly cooling food and beverages, look no further than Midea WHS-65LB1.
Ideal for small spaces
Works quickly, efficiently, and evenly
Whisper-quiet
Comes with a generous 12-month warranty
Not very spacious as other mini models
3. Igloo 3.2 cu. ft. Eraser Board
Several features and specs make it tick with the vast majority of homeowners all over the world. The two most outstanding of these features are the freezer and the compressor cooling. The features translate to quick and efficient cooling of a wide range of foodstuff and beverages. Unlike other models that don’t have a freezer, you can also make ice cubes with the mini refrigerator. The 3.2 cubic feet refrigerator also features an adjustable thermostat for maintaining the interior temperature at a pre-set level, which you’re of course at liberty to adjust to match your cooling needs.
The main highlight is that you can write and erase notes on the refrigerator's door, which eliminates the need to stick yellow notes on it. It has dimensions of 20 by 18.2 by 33.2 inches and is relatively lightweight for hassle-free portability.
You'll also appreciate how quietly it runs, even in the dead of the night. The likelihood of its startling a sleeping baby is very remote at best, which also explains why it’s an all-time favorite of homeowners.
For the homeowners searching for a powerful, quiet, lightweight and cost-effective option, the Igloo should be up your alley. You’ll never look back.
Very quiet
Has a compartment for tall bottles
Lightweight and highly portable
Comes with a useful eraser board
Nothing significant
8. EdgeStar CRF321SS
With features and attendant performance that rival full-sized fridges, the EdgeStar CRF321SS is the closest you’re going to get to perfection without breaking the bank. Like a handful of other top-notch options, the product comes with a freezer that’s intelligently placed to offer incredible storage versatility. And the machine is a high-performance option that effortlessly and quickly freezes foods down to 0 °F, keeping them cool and preserving their freshness much longer than other standard models.
The unit offers you a wide operational temperature range of between 34 and 60 °F, easily adjustable with the user-friendly temperature control. Another signature feature is the auto defrost that coupled with the adjustable wire and glass shelf, vegetable crisper, and in-door storage, takes the time and effort away from storing and cooling various foodstuff and beverages. Additional standout features include the interior lighting, energy star certification, and 90-day warranty. Together, these features make it one of the best mini refrigerators currently on the market.
Roomy interior
Comes with a true zero degrees freezer
Attractive design
Reversible door
Heavy-duty shelves
Nothing significant
5. Magic Chef MCAR320B2
As the name suggests, it is a no-frills choice that comes with only the most essential features, which also explains the absence of a freezer. It’s built specifically for cooling and preserving the freshness of your drinks, leftover food, favorite munchies, and groceries. If your main fridge is fast running out of space, this model would make for a superior addition. And of course, it comes with plenty of space. These include 2 removable glass shelves, a crisper drawer with a cover, and a 12-oz. beverage can dispenser.
You can adjust the glass shelves to suit your unique storage needs, which also makes it a cinch to clean when it gets dirty. As is the case with most options, Magic Chef MCAR320B2, meaning that it costs a pittance to run. And it’s a cinch to use, thanks to the incorporation of a user-friendly temperature control dial.
In all, it is an unbeatable deal, especially for value-conscious users working on a budget. It may lack a freezer but it compensates for that that providing you with lots of storage room.
Impressive storage capacity
Cost-effective and durable
Works powerfully and flawlessly
Adjustable glass shelves
Energy Star certified
Nothing significant
6. Cooluli Mini Electric Cooler and Warmer (4 Liter / 6 Can)
In spite of deceptive small profile, the product boasts an impressive storage capacity and in light of the innovative shelving system, it easily and comfortably accommodates a wide range of products. You can easily store variously sized bottles, cans, and even yesterday’s leftover food. Preserving ingredients for a favorite recipe or meal is made easy with a cooling capacity of between 40ºF-45ºF below ambient temperature. Plus, the temperature settings are highly customizable to meet the user’s cooling preferences.
The Cooluli is a solid choice for a wide range of settings including the office and home. It can comfortably hold 6 12 ounce cans and sports a fast-working thermoelectric cooling system for the best performance.
Highly portable
Compact and lightweight
Doubles up as a warmer
Easy to clean
Smaller than average mini fridges
7. Danby DAR033A6BSLDB
It offers a storage capacity of 3.30 cubic feet, enough for keeping all the foodstuffs that you can’t risk going stale. It comes with two and a half tempered glass shelves, offering the user incredible storage versatility for keeping a wide range of things. The door integrates a heavy-duty shelf with a compartment for storing tall bottles that’s perfect for holding soft drinks. As is the case with the vast majority of options, this model also comes with a bright interior LED light for illuminating the contents, allowing for easy and quick identification. Unlike most LED lightings though, this one doesn’t raise the temperature within the fridge.
Further, it is Energy Star compliant and boasts an R600a refrigerant. It also has an automatic defrost feature and reversible door hinge. With a weight of 60 pounds and dimensions of 20.4 by 17.7 by 33.1 inches, it’s both lightweight and compact and conveniently features a scratch-resistant worktop.
Simple and stylish, it deservedly earns its place in the modern home. Boasting several innovative features and a stylish design, it packs all the features you need.
Simple and stylish design
Durable glass shelving
Provides plenty of space for foodstuff
Cost-effective
A tad heavy
4. Black & Decker BCRK25B
The machine's 2.5 cubic feet capacity isn't comparable to that of other competing models'. Still, it provides enough space for storing a decent amount of food and beverages. For instance, it has two full-width glass shelves and two full-width door shelves capable of accommodating two-litre tall bottles. The icing on the cake though is the fact that it features a full-width freezer compartment with a durable ice cube tray.
Like our previous choice, running it is cheap since its Energy Star certified. And since it's lightweight and compact, it's highly portable and fits with ease into small and confined spaces. Further, because it has a scratch-resistant top, which can double up as a place for keeping additional items. For instance, it can function as a bedside table. Don't worry about is keeping you up all night because the machine is ultra-quiet. To these features add the reversible door that you can install to open to the right or the left.
A litany of features and a 12-month warranty make it one of the best mini refrigerators on the market. It’ll never disappoint.
Has plenty of space for storage
Works powerfully and efficiently
Quiet
12-month warranty
Has a powerful full-width freezer
Lacks an automatic defrost feature
9. Keystone KSTRC312CB
The interior features 2 glass shelves and a vegetable crisper drawer with enough space for your leftover food. You can keep the ingredients for your favorite recipes, condiments, leftover food, and other foodstuffs on the two shelves. If you're anything like us, you'll also be worn over by the additional built-in door storage that can hold canned beverages and a 2-litre bottle. Further, it comes with a small-item rack, which, according to the manufacturer is “perfect for storing single-serve yogurt”. And that’s just a tip of the iceberg.
Its slew of features makes this an ideal choice for use in any room or space. It’s powerful, runs smoothly and quietly and has plenty of room for keeping your food.
Features separate freezer and refrigerator
Has plenty of rooms
Superior shelving
Both temperature and legs are easy to adjust
Manual defrost
Mechanical thermostat
10. Haier 3.3
The product provides you with a reasonable 3.3 cubic feet of storage capacity, enough to complement your main fridge if you’re running out of space to meet the food cooling needs of your growing family. The door is capable of accommodating bottles and cans of various sizes thanks to the incorporation of two full shelves, 2 half shelves, and a compartment for a two-litre bottle. There are additional shelves in the interior for all your foods, vegetables, and bottles. Unlike cheap, off-brand models, the product has a powerful mini-freezer with an ice cube tray so you always have ice cubes whenever you need them. Adjusting the temperature to meet your needs is both easy and quick.
While it is competitively priced and runs efficiently and economically, it nonetheless lacks n interior light. Therefore, it may not be an ideal choice for people planning to use it in areas that aren’t properly lit. Also, it lacks an auto defrost feature. However, compared to the value it offers, these drawbacks aren’t a deal breaker, at least not in our opinion.
Still, for those looking for a cost-effective, high-performance, durable, and smooth working mini refrigerator, take another serious look at this workhorse.
Roomy interior
Exceptional shelving system
Cost-effective and versatile
Energy-efficient
Lacks auto defrost feature
No interior light
Criteria for Choosing the Best Mini Refrigerators
Size
Mini fridges come in handy when there are space constraints at the office, kitchen, dorm, or bedroom. And they vary vastly in size. The smallest offer a storage capacity of approximately 18-inch cube while the biggest hover somewhere around 4.5 cubic feet. Thoroughly analysing your food and beverage consumption habits should give you a pretty good idea on the most suitable size.
The mini refrigerator should be roomy enough to hold more of your leftovers, beverages and condiments yet small enough so it fits snugly in confined spaces. Keep in mind though that bigger models are more adept at maintaining a specific temperature and offer superior energy efficiency.
Affordability
Another paramount consideration is the price of the mini refrigerator. As a rule of thumb, costly models packs infinitely more features than their cheap counterparts.
They perform better, are generally quieter, are roomier, and despite the high initial cost of acquisition, they offer superior long-term value. This doesn’t mean you should dig deeper into your pockets to get features you don’t need or will ever use. Keep in reasonable.
Additional Features
Reversible doors allow you to open the door from either the left or the right and the design aims at suiting both left- and right-handed people. Also, look out for adjustable shelves. They provide for exceptional customization and take the time and effort away from cleaning the interior when it accumulates dirt and debris.
A freezer is a nice addition especially when you need ice cubes. However, they take up space that would otherwise be used for refrigeration. Quiet models can be confidently used by light sleepers compared to loud ones. Also, consider going for a model with dedicated compartments for various items such as tall beverage bottles and smaller can as they help with overall organization, and help conserve space. Lastly, look out for an interior lighting. Not all models have one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How loud are mini gfridges?
A: That depends from one model to another. The decibel should be indicative of this. Confirm with the brand before purchasing if you need? a quiet one.
Q: How do I properly care for my mini refrigerator?
A: Again this varies from brand to brand. Generally though, regularly cleaning every other week, getting rid of spoilt foods, and avoiding spillage should do the trick.
Conclusion
For the student, homeowner, or worker looking for a way to keep their leftovers, munches, ingredients for favorite recipes, or beverages cold and fresh, a mini refrigerator is must-have.
Compared to their full-sized counterparts, they’re more affordable, lightweight, compact, and fit with ease in small spaces. We present to you the best models the market has to offer. Provided you keep in mind the few considerations we spelt out earlier, finding a most suitable model should be a walk in the park.
