It also features additional storage by the doors and has a freezer compartment that can be used for storing frozen foods or making ice cubes. Whether you’re looking to buy a mini fridge for your dorm or office or need extra space at home for groceries, the Hisense LCR44D6NSE freestanding mini fridge is an almost perfect option. It has 4.4 cubic feet of space, and it forgoes a freezer section to provide more room for things like 2 liter bottles and gallon water or milk jugs. The door hinge is reversible, allowing you to choose whether it opens to the left or right to better fit into your space. Even among big fridges, like 36-inch, standard-depth French-door refrigerators, the most efficient models could save $100 over the product’s lifetime compared with a less-efficient version.
We spoke to several industry experts, including brand representatives, dealers, and repair technicians. All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Have you recently opened and then closed the freezer (over the last 1-5 minutes)? If so, being unable to open the unit again right away is an indication that your door seal is working well.
Sub-Zero, Liebherr, Smeg, Miele, and Fisher & Paykel are some other notable names, and there are plenty more. Since these lines are all sold in such low volumes, we weren’t able to gather useful amounts of info about most of them from our reader survey or our analysis of customer reviews. Based on the look and layout of the fridges, Kenmore’s basic top-freezer models appear to be made by Frigidaire, most of its other midrange models are probably made by Whirlpool, and its higher-end models seem to be LGs. Kenmore products can vary a bit from the major-label versions—sometimes they earn different performance ratings from pro reviewers, for example—but generally you can expect the same experience.
They do tend to cost a little more than standard-depth fridges with similar specs, likely because they’re less popular and viewed in some sense as being more upscale. Small models from smaller brands, such as the Magic Chef MCDR1000WE, start around $400. The customer ratings for these lowest-end fridges tend to be decent, though some models (like this retro-styled Galanz) seem more prone to cooling failures than a typical fridge. You can find even cheaper fridges, but they tend to be very small, almost like mini fridges.
Bottom-freezer fridges are a bit of a hidden gem, offering a lot of the same advantages of French-door models but for a much lower price. We can’t say with confidence how Whirlpool’s bottom-freezer models compare to those of other brands in the eyes of most owners, but Whirlpool’s options seem like a solid choice if you need one. 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. Right now, Target is treating shoppers to markdowns on its home appliances as part of its back-to-school special. That includes best-selling mini fridges from top-rated brands like Frigidaire, Whirlpool, and Sunbeam, each available in a variety of sizes to accommodate your food and beverage storage needs.
But the list has plenty of other efficient models in other styles, as well. Counter-depth, in the strictest sense, means that a refrigerator is shallow enough to sit flush with typical cabinets or countertops, so roughly 24 Frigidaire fridge inches from the front edge to the back wall. These “true” counter-depth models are almost always very expensive built-in units. We point toward a few notable top-freezer models in our section on budget-friendly fridges.
Generally, the larger the refrigerator, the greater the energy consumption. A mini fridge is a great addition to small space dorm rooms while an apartment sized fridge may be a better option for larger dorm rooms or small shared kitchen spaces. Firstly, you want to ensure that the refrigerator you are buying is energy efficient. You can determine the energy efficiency level of a fridge by checking its star rating. The higher the star rating, the more energy efficient the refrigerator.
If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Looking for an additional refrigerator to hold beverages or meats that take up too much room? Consider this Whirlpool Mini Fridge on sale at BJs for just $119. Many appliance retailers will pick up and recycle your old refrigerator when you purchase a new one. Make sure you maintain a good seal by wiping the gaskets clean every month. The more a fridge leaks air, the more the compressor runs, and the more the compressor has to run, the shorter its lifespan will be.
But from what we can tell, owners tend to be really happy with them. They offer some of the same practical advantages as basic French-door models, for significantly lower prices. Most models, at least from the major brands, have reversible doors, so you can set them up to open in whichever direction works better for your kitchen layout. And in general, plenty of people are perfectly happy with their Samsung fridges. The side-by-sides in particular earned the second-best satisfaction ratings among the top five brands in our survey, behind LG’s . The premium Bespoke line is one of the few true counter-depth offerings we know of.
Small refrigerators come in different sizes to accommodate various needs and spaces. Whether you’re looking to save space and store excess items with a small or mini fridge, or keep beverages cold with Frigidaire fridge an undercounter model, a small refrigerator is a perfect and practical addition to any home. If you are looking to buy refrigerators online, rest assured you will undoubtedly be spoilt for choice.