Whether you’re a college student sharing a dorm room, a small apartment dweller, someone who needs somewhere to stash the overflow or a party host who loves having numerous cold drinks on hand, a mini fridge can quickly become your favorite companion. Also known as compact refrigerators, mini fridges cost less than regular fridges, consume less energy and take up a fraction of the space.
SKIP AHEAD Best mini fridges in 2024 | How to shop for a mini fridge
To help you find a mini fridge that meets your needs, we consulted appliance experts to find the most important things you should consider when shopping for one. Based on their advice, we compiled a list of highly rated options worth considering in various price points and styles.
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While comparing hundreds of mini fridges being offered on the market today, our experts recommended keeping the following factors in mind:
Size. Our experts said that mini refrigerators generally range in size from 30 to 35 inches in height, 18 to 24 inches in width and 19 to 26 inches in depth. As for capacity, they said they typically range from 1.6 cu ft. to 5.5 cu ft. But there is no “right size”—it will depend on your space and what you are looking to use it for.
Design. Different models cater to different needs, said appliance expert Scott Mooers of Doyon’s Appliance in Bedford, Massachusetts. For instance, he said, some models focus more on items stored horizontally, like wine bottles, while others can be placed on a countertop to house medicine or chilled alcoholic beverages. Some even have microwaves built in.
Adjustable shelves. One of the drawbacks of any mini fridge is its limited storage capacity. That’s where adjustable shelving can help. “Most of the larger units offer two shelves or more, and some offer door storage along with shelves that can be removed for taller items,” said Mooers. Others have a reversible door that can open in both directions, allowing you to place the fridge anywhere in your space.
Noise. Depending on where you place your refrigerator, noise may be a factor, said our experts. “If noise is an issue, I would recommend finding a mini fridge with an absorption cooling system, which uses low-pressure exhaust gas, rather than electric power to drive the cooling system,” said Mooers.
Energy use. Today’s mini-fridges use much less energy than those from years ago. According to Energy Star, the majority of today’s small refrigerators — especially those with temperature-controlled storage — consume between 233 kWh and 310 kWh per year.
Below is a list of some of the most highly rated mini fridge options across different brands and retailers that meet our experts’ criteria. All fall well below Energy Star’s annual energy consumption standards and are low on noise and offer ample space for storing snacks and beverages. We’ve even included a portable model that can be used when boating or camping.
RCA Mini Refrigerator
This mini refrigerator comes with an adjustable thermostat, built-in freezer and has a reversible door, allowing it to fit in any spot in your room. It also comes in eight colors, including green, purple and blue. It has an average rating of 4.4 stars from over 16,000 reviews on Amazon.
Size: 17.68 x 18.5 x 32.8 in. | Capacity: 3.2 cu ft | Weight: 50 lbs. | Energy Star certified: Yes
AstroAI Mini Fridge 4-Liter Portable Thermoelectric Cooler and Warmer
This compact tabletop mini fridge can easily hold six 12-oz cans, says the brand, and can be used at home or away when camping or boating. An adjustable thermostat ranging from 32 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit can keep food and drinks both cool or warm. It has a removable shelf and adapters to be plugged into the wall or your car’s power outlet. There’s also a flip-up handle for easy carrying. It has an average rating of 4.4 stars from over 40,000 reviews on Amazon.
Size: 9.45 x 6.9 x 10 in. | Capacity: 4L, or 0.14 cu ft | Weight: lbs. | Energy Star certified: Yes
Frigidaire Retro Bar Fridge
This retro fridge is not only a statement piece but also has ample space to hold snacks and drinks. It also has a built-in bottle opener and a can dispenser. The ample door storage can fit a 2-liter bottle, and there are two adjustable slide-out shelves.
Size: 20 x 22 x 35 in. | Capacity: 3.2 cu ft | Weight: 40 lbs. | Energy Star certified: Yes
Black + Decker 3.2-Cubic Feet Compact Refrigerator
This compact fridge has one shelf for food storage and two additional glass shelves, making it ideal for dorm rooms, RV campers or small apartments. The door can store a 2-liter bottle, and there is also dispenser storage for six 12-oz cans. The fridge comes with a separate freezer tray and adjustable temperature control. It has an average 4.5-star rating from over 1,700 reviews on Amazon.
Size: 17.52 x 19.29 x 32.72 in. | Capacity: 3.2 cu ft | Weight: 50.7 lbs. | Energy Star certified: Yes
Galanz Retro Compact Refrigerator
This retro mini fridge has the look and feel of yesteryear with modern-day technology. It has a glossy, colorful exterior and 3.3 cubic feet of storage, larger than most of the mini fridges listed here. It comes with two removable glass shelves and added shelves in the door for cans and other snacks. This model has an average 4.6-star rating from more than 1,400 shoppers on Amazon.
Size: 17.6 x 21.02 x 35.43 in. | Capacity: 3.3 cu ft | Weight: 46.3 lbs. | Energy Star certified: Yes
Whynter Beverage Refrigerator with Internal Fan
This beverage fridge can hold up to 120 cans and has a temperature range of 30–60 degrees Fahrenheit. It has five wire slide-out racks to hold drinks, LED lighting, a reversible door and a clear glass front with a stainless-steel rim. Its internal fan-forced circulation results in even temperature distribution throughout the cabinet, says the company. It has an average rating of 4.3 stars from over 3,000 reviews on Amazon.
Size: 18.75 x 17 x 32.5 in. | Capacity: 3.1 cu ft | Weight: 57 lbs. | Energy Star certified: Info not found
Frigidaire 3.3 Cubic Feet Mini Fridge
This mini fridge can cool food to temperatures between 32 and 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit and has a freezer compartment for making ice cubes or freezing smaller food items. The door is reversible (you can open it from the left or right), and the fridge has adjustable legs. It has a 4.3-star average rating from over 1,000 reviews on Amazon.
Size: 18.5 x 20 x 34 in. | Capacity: 3.3 cu ft | Weight: 40 lbs. | Energy Star certified: Yes
Midea WHS-160RB1 Single Reversible Compact Refrigerator
This 4.4-cu-ft mini fridge has several shelves and a compartment for cans of drinks. It can cool food to temperatures ranging from 32 to 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit. It has adjustable legs and a reversible door. The fridge also includes a chiller compartment for foods that need a cooler temperature, though the brand says it’s not for storing frozen items. It has a 4.5-star average rating from nearly 7,000 reviews on Amazon.
Size: 19.72 x 21.26 x 33.86 in. | Capacity: 4.4 cu ft | Weight: 52.9 lbs. | Energy Star certified: Yes
Euhomy Mini Fridge with Freezer
If you’re looking for a mini fridge that both chills and freezes, this model from Euhomy could be a great option. The fridge has multiple racks, shelving along the door and a crisper drawer for keeping produce like cucumbers, carrots and lettuce fresh for as long as possible. You can also easily adjust the temperature of the fridge and choose from seven different settings. The appliance is large enough to hold items like tall soda cans, full-size egg cartons, pints of ice cream and clamshells of fruit, but also small enough to fit in a college dorm or other compact space. The model has a 4.6-star average rating from over 2,900 reviews on Amazon.
Size: 19.7 x 18.9 x 33.1 in. | Capacity: 2.24 cu ft (fridge) 0.96 cu ft (freezer) | Weight: 52 lbs. | Energy star certified: N/A
How to shop for a mini fridgeThere are a huge number of mini fridges on the market today, including portable countertop units, freezer models, glass fronts, retro designs and more. Choosing the right one depends largely on your space and needs. Are you looking for a statement piece? A slim, sleek design for a narrow space? Will you be taking it with you on camping trips? As noted above, the key elements of any mini fridge are its capacity, adjustability, noise level and energy use. Here are some other questions our experts say their clients generally ask:
How should I choose a space for my mini fridge?Electrical Safety Experts, a platform that offers guidance on electrical safety, suggests looking for a firm, hard surface away from a window and not near any heating elements, as direct sunlight and stoves or radiators will make the unit work harder to maintain the required internal temperature. They also recommend ensuring enough room behind the mini fridge for air to circulate freely. “If you plan to place your fridge next to a wall, you need 2½ inches between the wall and the hinge side of the door so it can swing open,” said Mooers. He also added that some models offer a USB cable if no outlet is available where you want to place it. “These would be the smaller units more for a bedroom that can be used for medicines or drinks,” he said.
Is it worth getting a mini fridge with a freezer?Freezers in mini fridges come in two forms—either inside the fridge or separate, usually on top. The separate unit can hold a few food items, whereas the internal unit is usually only large enough to hold a few ice trays. Either way, the freezer is not meant for long-term storage, especially for meat. “The internal freezers may not work as well for ice cream because of the temperature fluctuation,” said Mooers.
What is the advantage of a reversible door?A reversible door allows you to set the door to open either to the left or the right so you can place the fridge in just about any space. This is a nice option if you are unsure where to place the fridge or if you will be moving it to another location at some point.
Do all mini fridges come with an Energy Star rating? No. Mini fridges that are Energy Star certified are up to 20% more energy efficient than models that meet the federal minimum energy-efficiency standard, according to the Energy Star website. These will have high-performance features such as high-efficiency compressors that create less heat and use less energy, improved insulation that helps food stay cold, and temperature and defrost mechanisms that help the refrigerator operate more efficiently.
What is the best way to clean a mini fridge?According to our Mooers, the best way to clean your fridge is to empty it and wipe the entire inside with hot water mixed with a little dish soap, then wipe with clean water to rinse off any soap and dry with a clean towel. Another food-safe alternative is mixing vinegar and hot water in a spray bottle to break down grease and grime.
Frequently asked questions
It’s important to remember that mini fridges come in different types and sizes. The price point of each is due to many factors, but it’s largely based on the fridge’s size and space. The larger a mini fridge is, the more expensive it typically is. That said, you should decide which size mini fridge you want and which one is right for you. A midrange size for a mini fridge would be around 3 cubic feet. Of the items on our list, the RCA Mini Refrigerator falls within this range and has a 4.4-star average rating from over 17,000 reviews on Amazon.
As mentioned above, mini fridges range in size from 1.6 cu ft. to 5.5 cu ft. These include compact mini fridges for makeup and small items, medium-size mini fridges for soda cans, juice, and wine bottles, and large varieties that can hold many of the same food items as a regular-size fridge.
Mini fridges range in size from 1.6 cu ft. to 5.5 cu ft. Which fridge you decide is best for you depends on what you plan on using it for. If you plan on putting full-size drinks and food items in it, choose a mini fridge at least 3 cubic feet or large. A compact mini fridge is a good choice if you only plan on using a mini fridge for things like makeup or refrigerated medicine.
A compact fridge is a type of and another name for a mini fridge. As mentioned above, mini fridges are smaller in size compared to the standard fridge you’d find in someone's kitchen, but they all come in different sizes. A compact fridge often has a capacity of no more than 3 cubic feet and frequently has less. They’re good for things like makeup and small drinks or food items.
According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a sector of the United States Department of Agriculture, generally refrigerators, should be set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit at most. That said, many of the fridges on this list can maintain a temperature as low as 32 degrees. Additionally, the freezer's temperature should be set to zero degrees, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Scott Mooers is a sales consultant for Doyon’s Appliance in Bedford, Massachusetts, and has been in appliance sales for 30 years.
Barbara Booth is a former NBC Select editor who has published and edited many appliance guides, including 9 best countertop dishwashers, 29 bestselling kitchen gadgets, Bestselling portable washing machines and more. For this piece, Barbara interviewed an appliance expert, thoroughly researched Energy Star criteria and reached out to the experts at Electrical Safety First to understand the standards required for an optimally-performing mini fridge. She also researched dozens of mini fridges on the market that met this criteria. She included mini fridges recommended by experts, along with those that are highly rated and meet expert shopping guidance.
CORRECTION (Aug 31, 2022, 1:30 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the name of a mini-fridge. It is the AstroAI Mini Fridge, not AstroAL.
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Barbara Booth
Barbara Booth is a former CNBC reporter whose work spans a wide range of business and social topics, including work/life issues, international business and personal finance. In addition to CNBC, her work has been seen in USA Today, Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, HerMoney, and for various television news programs including the Nightly Business Report.
LoriZaino is a freelance writer covering travel, finance, lifestyle, technology, wellness, education, parenting, and more from her home base in Madrid, Spain.
Cory Fernandez
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