Our selections pair top-notch functionality with style, because appliances don’t necessarily need to be an eyesore in your space. “Replacing cookie-cutter hardware with decorative knobs or pulls is an easy and cost-effective way to update any kitchen,” advises Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy trend expert, “and the same hack works just as well for appliances.” Nowadays, you can purchase handle covers or a mini fridge with an aesthetic or bright door. “This simple yet impactful change makes a kitchen feel more sophisticated and cohesive and is also a fun way for shoppers to show off their personal style,” Johnson adds, and this is applicable for any space. Our best overall pick is the GE Double-Door Mini Fridge, which has a reversible door, separate freezer compartment, and extra features like a crisper drawer. It comes in black, white, and stainless steel. Here are the best mini fridges for keeping food chilled wherever you are. When it comes to mini fridges, the GE GDE03GGKBB Double-Door Mini Fridge will check off the majority of your boxes. This 3.1-cubic-foot fridge is on the smaller side, but has a long list of useful features. To kick things off, the unit has a separate freezer compartment, which gives it the look and feel of a larger appliance. This type of freezer lets you store more frozen goods at one time, as well as bulkier items like pints of ice cream. You can put sticks of butter or bags of frozen fruit in the second door, before organizing your fresh food in the refrigerator compartment. In the refrigerator compartment, you’ll find two glass shelves and a crisper drawer. Cans can be stored in the dispenser built into the door, while smaller pockets can hold tall and small items like containers of vegetable broth or yogurt. An interior light helps you find a snack with ease, while a reversible door makes the entire freestanding unit flexible when it comes time to set it up in a college dorm room, finished basement, or office. You can’t install this model in a garage or outside, as it’s not built to withstand very hot or cold temperatures. Note that this appliance does manually defrost, too, meaning you need to chip away at ice buildup once it’s become 1/4-inch thick. The instructions are all laid out in the user manual, and the process will take a few hours. While this can be annoying over time, you’ll likely find that the fridge is suitable in a variety of settings and situations otherwise. For that reason, it’s our top pick. Price at time of publish: $409 In addition to space, the interior has thoughtful storage options. There are three shelves made of glass for an elevated look and feel, and three pockets on the door. A dispenser is also present but doesn’t take up the entire door, which is ideal for those who are using a mini fridge for more than storing drinks. Most notably, this pick is also energy-efficient. It uses an estimated 226 kWh of electricity per year, which is significantly less compared to other models on the market. The drawbacks to this BLACK+DECKER fridge are that it manually defrosts and its shelving isn’t adjustable. The space in between shelves isn’t very tall, as well, which may be an issue for storing bulkier items such as salads, containers of berries, or leftovers. However, the pick will save you money upfront and during its lifetime, which might help you overlook these few limitations. Not to mention, it has a freestanding and garage-ready design that makes it both flexible and easy to install. Price at time of publish: $237 When you pull out one of the drawers, you’ll notice the interior features LED lighting and a stainless steel finish. These features, along with the built-in design, make this pick more elevated. You can install the fridge under a countertop, and it’ll look like it’s always been a part of your home, thanks to multiple hardware and finish options. If you are worried about children reaching for drinks and leaving the drawer wide open, a door alarm will also ease your nerves and remind every resident to clean up after themselves. Other amenities you can make use of include a Sabbath mode and automatic defrosting, which saves you time and energy chipping away at any ice buildup. You can’t install this drawer-style mini fridge in an outdoor kitchen or a garage. In addition, the bottom drawer also needs a little nudge to close at times, and the fridge can be noisy. According to the manual, any cracking, clicking, humming, and buzzing sounds are all normal and a result of the compressor or automatic defroster putting in work. Price at time of publish: $3,499 The manual does recommend giving room-temperature drinks about two to three hours to completely chill after you’ve added them in. (To speed up this process, you can always pre-chill your items before popping them into the interior.) However, this detail shouldn’t be worrisome. It is no indication that the fridge is not functional. In fact, the fridge keeps your items chilled without creating lots of noise or using a ton of energy. It has a frost-free design that also makes it ideal for installing in an office, boat, nursery, dorm room, or basement bar. You might want to put a folded paper towel along the bottom of the interior to catch drips from the automatic defroster, and you’ll need to store frozen goods elsewhere. When all is said and done, though, this retro fridge will get the job done and help ensure you have fresh items wherever you are. You can shop it in several unique colors as well, to show off your personal style. Price at time of publish: $80 This fridge comes with a freezer as well. It’s a tiny internal compartment, but would be the perfect spot for your ice packs or a tiny ice tray. A dial-style thermostat sits right next to the internal freezer so you can easily adjust the temperature as needed. Now, this fridge does manually defrost which can be a hassle, but there is a bottle opener attached to the outside and the door is reversible. If you’re reaching for a drink out of the can dispenser on the door, you can easily crack it open and get back to your social gathering or TV show. Notably, this Frigidaire mini fridge is also Energy Star certified, so it operates efficiently. While the door handle is certainly prioritizing fashion over function, the rest of the model is super stylish and functional, and all at a low price that makes it worth adding to your cart. Price at time of publish: $194 The fridge’s door also features a can dispenser. However, the dispenser doesn’t take over the entire door and is designed with angled slots for easily grabbing a soda or seltzer. The door is also reversible, meaning you can install the hinges to open the door to the left or right. If you’re installing this mini fridge in a dorm room or tight space where you don’t know the layout yet, this feature is very handy. An integrated door handle also makes this piece of the fridge more space-conscious, while a freestanding design gives it added flexibility, too. A downside of this Danby fridge is the controls are located on the back of the unit. It might take some maneuvering to set the internal temperature and adjust it once it’s been installed. In addition, the fridge manually defrosts, and wire shelves make it easy for tiny items to slip through. You’ll want to purchase storage bins for sauce packets and easily-bruised fruit. But, the fridge will likely save money during operation, thanks to an Energy Star rating. Price at time of publish: $300 When you open the door, you’ll get a better glimpse at the adjustable shelves. The three shelves are made of glass, meaning any spills will be contained and small items will stay put. An interior light also illuminates the inside, which is convenient if you’re hosting a gathering at night. Plus, you don’t need to roll up your sleeves and manually defrost the fridge whenever there’s frost buildup because the unit automatically does this task. Be aware of the reversible door, which can be hard to adjust. The unit also has mechanical controls that can be less precise than electronic ones. Otherwise, you can find this mini fridge by Summit Appliance in a stainless steel or black finish, and happily complete your home project. Price at time of publish: $1,275 This pick doesn’t feature a freezer compartment. It’s also not ideal for storing food. However, it does have a flexible design and can be installed in a freestanding or built-in setting. The Titan mini fridge is also frost-free, so you won’t need to unload your bottles and cans regularly to maintain the appliance. There’s an interior light for easily showing off your favorite sips, LED controls, and a Sabbath mode. Most notably, this fridge has a wide internal temperature range. While it can’t be installed in a garage, you can set the internal temperature anywhere between 38 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. All in all, the Titan fridge won’t leave your drinks hanging. It’ll treat them to the very best environment, as opposed to a general fridge that’s also suitable for food. Just be aware that the fridge is on the expensive side before adding it to your cart. Price at time of publish: $1,939 Countertop models are more portable and suitable for those storing a couple of items in a bedroom, nursery, office, or dorm room. You can use them in a bathroom setting as well. They’re very compact and ultimately the perfect size for a collection of skincare products, set of bottles, or stack of yogurt and other snacks. They’re also the type of mini fridge that’s gone viral on TikTok for their often retro-like design and adorable nature. Lastly, there are units dedicated to a single purpose: beverage mini fridges. These are made for storing wine, beer, and your other sips, and often have special racks and temperature ranges.
Capacity and Organization Options
The capacity of a mini fridge is often measured in cubic feet. If the mini fridge is dedicated to storing beverages, then it may also be measured in the number of Bordeaux-style wine bottles and cans you can fit inside. The larger the capacity of your fridge, the more you can store at one time. The average hovers between 3 and 4.5 cubic feet. Some countertop models will have just 0.5 cubic feet of space, while high-capacity models can reach 6 cubic feet and store the weekly groceries of two people. To ensure that you’re getting the most storage for your money, look at the organization options that the mini fridge pairs its capacity with. Adjustable shelving can help you use every square inch of the interior, as can an angled can dispenser, a crisper drawer, and a separate freezer. To avoid leftover or unusable space, you can also purchase clear, plastic bins to keep items tidy and also very visible, and use TikTok’s fridge organization videos to inspire your mini fridge’s organization system.
Freezer Feature
There’s much to consider when it comes to the freezer of a mini fridge. First, you must decide what type of freezer you want. There are mini fridges with no freezer, a top-door freezer (which has a very similar look and feel of a full-size, top-freezer refrigerator), and an internal freezer. The most spacious of these options is the top-door freezer. Typically, this type of freezer can hold a pint of ice cream comfortably. You’ll want to make your decision based on what you want to store in both the fridge and the freezer compartment, keeping in mind that you can always purchase a chest or upright freezer for your garage, basement, or outdoor kitchen, if you need more freezer storage. In addition, it’s key to look at how the mini fridge defrosts. Some mini fridges automatically defrost or are frost-free, so they don’t require any maintenance on your part. Others manually defrost, which is less convenient and a chore you’ll need to pencil into your schedule every time the ice buildup is 1/4-inch thick inside to ensure the appliance runs efficiently and lasts a long time. If you opt for this type of model, you’ll need to unload your food, unplug the machine, and chip away at the frost. Let the ice melt away, plug your fridge back in and bring it to its proper internal temperature, and then load your food back in.
Standout Features
Reversible Door
A reversible door can make your mini fridge more accessible and flexible to install in your space. This feature means you can access your fridge by opening the door to the left or right. You’ll usually need to switch the hinges by attaching them with screws, which already have designated holes added by the manufacturer. This feature is most suitable for those installing a fridge in a tight location, like the corner of a garage or a dorm room.
Interior Light
An interior light allows you to see what’s in your mini fridge by illuminating the shelving and bins. It’s not a total necessity, but is certainly handy if you’re reaching for a snack or drink at night. An interior light can be positioned at the top of a unit near the temperature controls or at the back. It can include an LED strip or a single bulb, and is most effective when items are not blocking it.
Garage-Ready Design
If you’re hoping to install your mini fridge in a garage instead of a basement, kitchen, or dorm room, opt for one with a garage-ready design. A garage-ready refrigerator can be installed in a setting with flexible external temperatures, and will still operate properly despite the fluctuations. You won’t have to worry about the compressor or cooling device giving out and your food spoiling. Not all fridges are garage-ready, so it’s important to look for this specification when shopping.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Marisa Casciano is the senior commerce editor for appliances, cleaning, and organization for The Spruce. She has researched the ins and outs of air purifiers, dishwashers, and more in the home space. She loved her GE mini fridge, which lasted for 10 years and was installed in multiple spaces throughout her college and post-graduate life. For this piece, she read through dozens of product listings, verified customer reviews, and user manuals, and considered each mini fridge’s capacity, reliability, efficiency, and value. She also considered each unit’s door design, shelving options, and outdoor compatibility. Lastly, to maintain your appliance properly, you should plan to defrost it when interior ice buildup becomes 1/4-inch thick. (You don’t need to do this if your model is a frost-free one or automatically defrosts.) This will ensure the parts are not working too hard, and experiencing significant wear and tear earlier than they should. For additional insight, she also spoke with Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy trend expert, on how to style your mini fridge within your space, and Brittney Castro, Mint CFP, on how to save money on a large appliance purchase.
