The best mini fridges are great for your bedroom or office, as well as a perfect addition to your RV or dorm room for when you want that cold soda when it's hot. These compact refrigerators are ideal for storing drinks or snacks and can keep things cold while also being very portable.
Mini fridges don't cost too much to run, but if you are concerned then rest assured as there are plenty of energy-efficient models which are really affordable to run. These fridges are very portable, which makes them a great choice for campers or people who like to travel around in an RV - if you plan on using it in your home, then the compact design will make it easy to unplug and move around.
There are a number of features that make the best mini fridges a perfect addition to your home or RV during the hot summer months when you may have guests over; from glass doors to freezer sections for ice cream or gelato. If you are going to be hosting a lot over the summer, then be sure to check out the best wine coolers (opens in new tab).
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The best mini fridges
The reasonably priced Black & Decker BCRK25W mini fridge’s interior is only 2.5 cubic feet, but thanks to its design, it still fits a good amount of food and drinks.
The door can hold a two-liter bottle, other drink containers and soda cans as well as food. However, the door's top shelf is a bit short, so it’s best for things like condiments and small jars. You can also store food in the fridge’s full-width freezer, which fits frozen meals, snacks and an ice cube tray.
Measuring only 17.5 x 18.5 x 26.6 inches, you can put this compact fridge on a countertop or in a rec room or dorm room. It weighs just 46.3 pounds, so it's easy to move. The BCRK25W also runs quietly, so it shouldn’t disturb your sleep if you place it in a bedroom. In addition, you can reverse the door – since it can swing to the left or the right, the fridge fits in more places.
The Black & Decker BCRK25W doesn't have an auto-defrost feature. However, it is Energy Star certified.
- Read our Black & Decker BCRK25W review (opens in new tab)
The Magic Chef MCBR440S2 mini fridge has a 4.4-cubic-foot interior, which is enough room to store plenty of food and drinks.
There’s even a crisper to keep produce fresh, and the drawer is transparent so you don’t have to open it to see what’s inside.
The fridge’s internal light makes it easy to see food on the two glass shelves, which you can arrange in five positions. The freezer extends across the entire top of the appliance, so there's plenty of space for frozen meals and the included ice cube tray. The door has compartments that can hold a gallon of milk, a 2-liter soft drink bottle, and more.
Despite its roomy interior, this Magic Chef mini fridge is compact, measuring 9.5 x 33.1 x 22 inches. You can store it under a counter, in the corner of a den or office, or in a dorm room. Further, the door is reversible – it can swing open to the right or the left, depending on which side you attach it to the fridge. This makes it easier to find a place to set it up.
The Magic Chef MCBR440S2 is a bit on the expensive side compared to other models we reviewed. Still, it is worth the money if you need a mini fridge with lots of storage space.
- Read our Magic Chef MCBR440S2 review (opens in new tab)
The NewAir AB-1200 is a stylish black mini fridge with stainless steel trim and a fun glass door. It does one thing very well: It can hold 126 canned drinks and keep them nicely chilled, with temperatures that can go as low as 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can store beverage cans on their side or standing upright, and you can re-arrange the five chrome racks to suit whatever it is you’re cooling.
If you choose, you can place wine bottles lying down inside this mini fridge to keep them cool and their corks moist. Dry corks are bad for wine since they can let air inside the bottle, exposing the wine to oxygen and spoiling its flavor. You also can store bottled beer. You get a generous 3.4 cubic feet of interior space with this mini fridge and it operates at a quiet 35 decibels.
- Read our NewAir AB-1200 review (opens in new tab)
The Koolatron KWCA4 is a cute, but tiny bright red mini fridge that holds only six soft drink cans and features a Coca-Cola logo and bear holding a bottle of Coke on the front door.
You can plug this amusing, retro-style little refrigerator into a typical 110-volt AC electrical outlet or the 12-volt DC outlet in your car. Unlike regular mini fridges that use compressors for cooling, this one uses a thermoelectric system with a fan to draw heat out of the device and a set of grilles on the back that keep the interior cool.
You can get your canned beverages chilled as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit below the ambient temperature. Even though it uses a fan, this is a quiet machine, and it is certainly a conversation piece.
- Read our Koolatron KWCA4 review (opens in new tab)
The Hotpoint HME02GGMBB is efficient and compact, with multiple features that make it a solid choice if you are in the market for a new mini fridge. The black design is clean and minimalistic, so it looks great in its intended settings - this fridge is designed to be used in dorms, RVs, offices, or even as a permanent fridge in small apartments or homes.
The Hotpoint HME02GGMBB has an adjustable thermostat, which allows you to easily control the internal temperature during the hot summer months when you need that extra cooling power. The interior features a light and an adjustable shelf, giving you the flexibility and convenience of storage - you can fit smaller cans or large milk pitchers without worrying about the door not closing.
The storage capacity is 1.7 cu. ft. which is a decent amount for a camping trip, or to store your extra drinks in when you have guests over. The door can store bottles up to 2L in size, which is good if you plan on keeping mixers or large soda bottles in the fridge.
The Midea WHS-65LB1 is 1.6 cu. ft. in size and is a solid addition to your home or RV. The size also makes it a good option in dorms, apartments, or as a secondary fridge for drinks or snacks when you are entertaining guests.
The single door is reversible, so that it can be opened from the left or the right so that you don't accidentally drag the whole thing off of your countertop when you go to open it from the wrong side (we've all been there, right?) It also features an adjustable shelf, which can be removed entirely if you need to cool something big, such as a large bottle or a pot of food.
This mini fridge uses a thermoelectric cooling system, which is efficient and quiet while also cooling drinks or food adequately without the need for a compressor. This along with its compact designs allows you to place it anywhere with minimal disturbances. Some parts of this fridge are made of Iron, which can be prone to tarnishing - we would recommend keeping the fridge dry and clean to avoid this.
The Frigidaire EFMIS149_AMZ is a four-liter capacity micro refrigerator that is designed to keep canned beverages chilled. It fits up to six 12 oz cans of soda, but can also be used to chill a lunch box or baby bottles.
This mini fridge is not energy star certified, but it does use CFC and refrigerant-free semiconductors, which are much better for the environment than a conventional mini fridge. This fridge is made of plastic and steel, which doesn't make it the most durable fridge on our list, but it is strong enough to be taken camping or in an RV for when you want a cold soda or a frosty beer on a hot day.
This fridge will cost around $60, which is reasonably expensive considering its small capacity - but if you want a beautiful-looking drink cooler that will impress your friends then it is worth every penny.
Buying advice for the best mini fridges
When looking to purchase a new mini fridge, there are a number of important factors to consider.
Firstly, the size and capacity of the mini-fridge are important. Choose the size based on the space that you have available and the number of items that you want to store - this is similar to capacity, think about the interior space of the mini fridge and make sure it will fit everything that you need to store. If you are planning on having your mini-fridge in or near a bedroom, then we would highly advise looking into the noise level of the fridges.
It is also important to consider the type of cooling that you want. Choose between compressor-based or thermoelectric cooling depending on what you wish to cool. Compressor-based mini-fridges are much more powerful and will get your sodas extra cold on a hot day - if this is important to you then we would also recommend looking into models with temperature control settings to ensure all of your items stay at the correct temperature.
If running cost or environmental impact is a big concern for you, then you should look into the energy efficiency of models that you are interested in. Some models will be more efficient than others, and will therefore cost significantly less to run. Some mini-fridges also have more features than others, such as shelves, racks, and even locks.
Last but not least, the price is important. As with most things, the more you spend the more feature-packed, efficient and quiet your fridge will be. If you will be using your mini fridge a lot, then the extra cash might be worth it in the long run, but if you only plan on using it for the occasional camping trip then a cheaper option will probably be sufficient.
