The freezer doesn’t have its own door, but it’s wider than the ones found in most minis. It will come in handy if you need a lot of ice or frozen treats for a party, but it’s not a good idea to keep meat or other highly perishable items for more than a day. To select our best mini fridges, we relied on our years of experience testing refrigerators and in-depth knowledge of the category. 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.
Whether you need a fridge for the garage, dorm room, or office, the Whirlpool 4.3 cu. This Energy Star rated compact refrigerator has an adjustable thermostat, allowing you to have control over how cold your items stay. The fridge has a seven-can dispenser built in, and is tall enough inside to hold two-liter bottles. The interior glass shelf is adjustable for space optimizing, and the interior light helps you make sure you grab the right item out of the fridge.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, Eva Bleyer has tested all types of kitchen products from blenders to kitchen scales. In Food Studies, Nutrition and Public Health from New York University and trained in culinary arts at the Natural Frigidaire fridge Gourmet Institute. Eva had a little blue mini fridge in her bedroom in middle school so she always had a chilled beverage at her disposal. Great for the garage or RV, this mini freezer-fridge has plenty of space to either keep food and drinks cold or frozen.
When it comes to mini fridges, we look for models that are easy to set up and operate and that keep items cold — or even frozen. We also look for handy features like removable shelves, interior lighting and crisper drawers. These are the best mini fridges of 2022 according to our lab testing, expert insights and extensive research. 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.
For what it’s worth, in our tests we were able to fit ounce cans inside the Midea WHS-65L. However, mini fridges fall short of full-size, all-purpose refrigerators in several key ways. 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. 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.
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. 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! 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.