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. Standing at just over 27 inches tall, this mini fridge provides enough space for snacks and drinks and can fit nicely under most desks or inside a cubicle. The door also has storage for up to eight canned drinks as well as space for larger bottles. The adjustable thermostat aims to ensure an ideal temperature for your food.
There’s even a shelf on the freezer door to stock with ice cream or bags of frozen peas. Many mini fridges use between 55 and 85 watts of electricity per hour, which means that over the course of Arctic King a year, it will cost less than $20 to run one in your home. You can always opt for an Energy Star certified model for even better energy efficiency and lower operating costs throughout the year.
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 an undercounter model, a small refrigerator is a perfect and practical addition to any home. Here are the best deals we could Arctic King find on a mini-fridge for college students – each priced under $200 with free shipping! All of these have separate freezer compartments and double doors. Just to reiterate, we think most mini fridges will work absolutely fine for storing drinks and some food for a few days at a time, as long as they have a compressor.
While the lifespan of any appliance can vary wildly due to several factors, you should expect your fridge—either full-size or mini—to last for about 10 years. While you can use its freezer as a second refrigeration compartment, don’t expect your ice cream to come out cone-ready. The Magic Chef HMCR320 might not be perfect, but it does a lot well. It has an interesting look, mixing elements of classic car design with a pastel green palette. Here at Reviewed, our experts have tested hundreds of full-size refrigerators over the years and found some are definitely better than others. Sign up for our newsletter to get honest reviews on top products & services — delivered weekly to your inbox.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. If you have a Target REDcard, you will get an extra 5% off most purchases and you’ll get free shipping on eligible items if you shop online! Food isn’t properly frozen at freezer temperatures above 0°F. Furthermore, the less consistent a freezer’s temperature is, the more trouble you’ll have with freezer burn. While the Cooluli C20LDXW was the only fridge equipped with a digital readout, we found it wasn’t accurate, as temperatures were 7°F cooler than what we had programmed. We also noticed some frost building up along the back of the fridge within the first few days of operation..
One of the Arctic King ATMP032AES’s best features is its stainless steel facade, which looks nicer than some of the other, glossy-plastic-facade mini fridges we tested. 4.3 cubic feet is huge for a mini fridge, so this won’t slide under a desk, but $35 per cubic foot is a solid price. That said, colleges are close to summer break, so you might be able to find mini fridges on local listings for much less. The US federal government issues the certification to the most energy-efficient appliances available.
Make sure you keep your fridge in an ambient temperature of 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. On average, an old refrigerator uses about 35% more energy than a model that has earned the ENERGY STAR. LED lighting is brighter and uses less energy than incandescent bulbs. You`ll see just what you are looking for with LED interior lighting.
Reviewed’s mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need. You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here.
Owen Burke is a Senior Home and Kitchen Reporter at Insider, helping craft a brand new guides section for Insider Reviews. Ever in search of the perfect espresso, he focuses on espresso machines and equipment, juicers, kitchen knives, grills, meat and seafood, and the odd outdoors product. Frigidaire is a solid name in the refrigerator industry, and the 1.6-Cubic-Foot Compact Fridge is a great affordable, no-frills solution. While taking up minimal space, it has enough room for one or two bottles of wine, six packs, and several smaller items. We spoke with several refrigeration experts, including the folks at Liberty Home Guard, to find out what makes a good mini fridge, what to avoid, and how to take care of one in order to ensure it lasts for years.
The bare-bones design means there are fewer components to potentially break down. They don’t keep foods at a set temperature but rather change in relationship to the room condition. When it’s very warm, they don’t Frigidaire fridge cool to an acceptable level for food safety. And, when the temperature changes, the temp in the fridge goes up or down. Whirlpool® small space refrigerators are available in top-freezer and bottom-freezer styles.