Welcome to the Best Small Refrigerators Website. Our goal is to compile the information you need to find the right small refrigerator for your needs, and even help you determine what your refrigerating needs are. Depending on where you are in your life a miniature sized fridge is always a good thing to have. They can fit almost anywhere and keeping it stocked means a cold refreshing beverage is just a lean away. No more getting up off the seat to get a drink. But with all the different brands and wide range in prices, how is a person to decide which is the right one? We all walk a fine line between finding an appliance that will last long enough to adequately serve us while leaving as much coin in our purse as possible. This website is to help you through all that deciding and pick the right small refrigerator for you. We have pages and pages of listings categorized by what we think would help narrow your search as well as useful information so you have a better idea about what you are about to get yourself into. Compact appliances are great and this is the right place to start.

Many Models Many Functions

With the wide availability of different models and designs, there is a small refrigerator to serve every beverage refrigerating, portable beer cooling, ice cream freezing, and energy saving need. That is just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to the many functions such an appliance can serve. There are specialized small wine refrigerators designed specially to keep your wines in perfect condition. There are portable compact refrigerators that can be brought to a picnic and keeps food and drinks cold longer than a regular cooler since the ice won’t melt. And to our eco-conscious friends among us, though we could all be a little more green ourselves, energy star refrigerators make up a majority of the new models of compact appliances.

Great for Small Spaces

Anyone who has gone through the experience of being semi-self sufficient during their early college years probably owned or was surrounded by small refrigerators. It is not uncommon to pick up a free 1.8 cu ft. from a nearby dumpster of a college dorm. That is, if picking up perfectly good small dorm refrigerators is not beneath you. If it is then the good news is you probably could, and therefore should, afford to buy a brand spanking new one from us. Actually, the reason you would want to buy a new fridge is because there are many more designs than the egg-white, cube shaped, teeny tiniest of refrigerating space. And peculiarly even smaller freezer space.

College students and bachelors across the country have been keeping food cold in refrigerators for small kitchens for decades. Being restricted to the confines of a tight apartment really makes a person think about what essentials will fill the small space and a full sized refrigerator is usually a luxury in such a situation. Sure, the stereotypical stock is beer, condiments and half a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, but the reality is for a single person who couldn’t consume the amount of food that fills a full sized refrigerator anyways, compact fridges are the perfect way to save space and energy. For others it is easy to squeeze in a beer during work hours when you have a small refrigerator under the desk or in the middle of the night without leaving the bed. The ensuing urinary discharge is another problem yet to be worked out.

A small portable refrigerator can also be used in a car, but be sure to clear it out before leaving the vehicle since the power does not stay on, hence cooling stops, when the car is off. With a portable generator or a nearby power source, an outdoor picnic with such a device means the party never has to end because there is no melting ice to worry about.

One for the Ages

Whatever your intended purpose is, a small refrigerator is always great to have. Shop a variety of brands and models. Prices begin around under $100 to several hundred and there is sure to be the right one for you. They come in stainless steel, dual purpose refrigerator/freezer features and many quality brands like GE, Haier, and Magic Chef will last almost forever. Feel free to poke around this site and if you have any comments or concerns feel free to contact us by emailing at the address provided in the contact page or leaving a comment.

Although students are on a pretty tight budget, it is almost an absolute must that they purchase a dorm refrigerator for their dorm room. A fridge, for a hard-working student, is not even a luxury anymore, it is a necessity. However, the choices are usually limited because a student can’t afford much, and sometimes one must even make-do with second hand fridges, some of which make weird sounds and barely cool drinks. Buying a fridge is an important investment, and even if you buy one at a higher price, if it is still working by the time you graduate, then you got a pretty good deal. Listed below are affordable dorm refrigerators that are definitely worth the money.

Frigidaire, a staple in terms of refrigerators, has a black compact refrigerator that stands 2.5 cubic feet. It has all the basics a student would require: ample space to put beverage and snacks, as well as reversible door hinges which make for easy navigation and manipulation to even the tightest of spaces.

Click here for the Frigidaire 2.5 mini fridge on Amazon

A cheaper alternative, though still roughly the same size and shape, is the Haier HNSB02 compact fridge which stands 1.7 cubic feet. It’s the refrigerator with a built-in half-width freezer. Despite its small size, this fridge is loaded with features: it comes with a drip tray so you can easily clean the fridge up when you defrost it. It has door storage shelves and slide out wire shelving for easy storage and organization of items in the fridge. You also get an adjustable thermostat with 7 different settings and even an ice tray.

Click here for the Haier HNSB 02 compact fridge on Amazon

Another compact fridge which is perfect for the dorm room is the Danby Diplomat DAR0488BL. Standing at 1.7 cubic feet, the fridge has wire shelving and a bottle storage area. For easier cleanup, the appliance comes with an automatic defrost system. If you’re looking for something more, you can also take a look at a similar product, the Danby DAR0488W Diplomat. Also standing 1.7 cubic feet, this one has slightly more capacity and is more suited for students with its semi-conductor technology. The technology saves energy, which translates to a lower electricity bill.

Click here for the Danby Diplomat on Amazon

If you’d like a dorm refrigerator which looks like a cooler, you might want to get the Wagan 2349 Thermo Electric Fridge/ Warmer. This is different from the rest of the products mentioned above because this acts both as a cooler and warmer. Just plug the Wagan in, choose between the hot and cold settings, and you could have a microwave and refrigerator in one appliance. It also comes with an integrated radio, which makes it something great to bring along during spring break or vacations.

Click here for the Wagan 2349 Thermo Electric Fridge/ Warmer on Amazon

A dorm fridge is one of the most important appliances for a student away at college. Sometimes, just adding a fridge to a dorm room can make it seem more like home, not to mention it can make studying a lot easier if food and drinks are at hand, instead of having to constantly go out and buy them at a convenience store. However, student are also pretty busy and don’t even have much time on their hands to clean their dorm rooms. Because of this, dorm fridges are often abused and neglected, therefore they get broken easily. To prevent this from happening to you, here are a few tips on how to care for your dorm fridge which won’t take up a lot of your time.

First off, if the primary reason why you can clean your dorm fridge is because you don’t have the time to do a lot of extensive cleaning, you can prevent your fridge from rotting, becoming smelly and degrading just by doing simple cleanup steps each day. Although it may sound like an insignificant thing to do, a simple wipe-down of your fridge every now and then can do wonders for your appliance. Being compact, sometimes the fridge becomes a mini counter where books, drinks, laundry and food can be placed. Stains, sludge and sharp objects can degrade the outer covering of the fridge and without cleaning the fridge constantly, it may become really unsightly and even rot slowly.

Food inside the fridge can spill and certain stenches may spread throughout its compartments. You can clean out the fridge once a week and if it has compartments like a veggie bin and egg holder, you have to wash them thoroughly before putting them back inside. Cleaning the inside of your fridge helps lessen the bacteria content which may contaminate the food inside it, specially those which are not properly wrapped.

Set your fridge at the right temperature only. Frost build-up in the freezer may lead to the degradation of the fridge’s freezing system and in time, might make it inefficient. An inefficient fridge won’t preserve food in the same way it used to, and may waste a lot of kilowatts in electricity just to maintain a decent temperature.

Although the temptation is there, refrain from placing heavy objects and containers with liquid inside on top of the fridge to avoid any untoward accidents. Never place anything inside the fridge that isn’t supposed to be there. Students are known to place the weirdest things in their refrigerators, like chemicals for school projects and the like.

Each day, the world is getting less and less bulkier. If people before loved to over decorate and stuff the rooms of their house with so much decoration, now there is an on-going trend for minimalism. Emphasis is now given to space and the smaller the appliance or equipment is the better. This is the reason why compact fridges are all the rage nowadays.

Contrary to popular belief, this type of fridge is not only popular with students in dorm rooms and boarding houses. Even people who live in regular homes want small compact fridges of their own as well. Many get this as a second fridge to be placed in either the game room or the master’s bedroom, especially if the house is quite large and it is an inconvenience to walk all the way to the kitchen just to get something to snack on. People with hobbies like hunting, baking or anything else that involves freezing something tend to keep them in a separate fridge, preferably a compact one to separate them from other food stuffs so they won’t get eaten accidentally. This also applies to stuff that has strong odors, lot of chemicals and even things that aren’t meant to be eaten.

People who move regularly may find a best friend in a compact refrigerator. Because they are small, they are easy to move about, load and unload into a moving truck, and even tear apart. Aside from students, these make perfect companions to people who may live in one place for a few months every year, and then at another place for the rest of the time. These include businessmen, free agents, archaeologists, traveling entertainers and a lot more.

These are also perfect for people who live in tight, cramped spaces like flats, trailers, small apartment buildings and studios. Because people who live in these small spaces either live alone or with just one other person, a compact fridge is perfect because they probably won’t need to consume much, especially if they work and are both outside the house for the most part of the day.

Because of its size, a compact fridge looks neater, doesn’t take up much space, and can squeeze into spaces most traditional refrigerators can’t fit into. Since a small refrigerator is affordable, it is easy to purchase even for people who are on a tight budget like students and minimum wage-earning individuals. Also, the fridge’s affordability makes it an easy buy and sell, especially for people who don’t want to take their fridge with them if they move. A second-hand compact fridge is in demand, not only because of its low price but because of its compact size.

There has been a wide array of portable fridges available in the marketplace today. Choosing the best fridge model can actually be a wise investment, thus find the one that is efficient and can satisfy your needs and demands. There are important factors to keep in mind to help you decide in purchasing your transportable fridge.

Why Would Anyone Consider Buying A Portable Fridge?

Having a portable fridge in your home or office can be a convenient way to easily store and access your food or beverages. Compact refrigerators are energy efficient, which is one thing to consider if you want to save on your electricity bills. If you are not storing a lot of food, a small and compact refrigerator would be ideal since it can be placed almost anywhere in your home and can easily be moved around. Small refrigerators are preferred by most students who are staying in dormitories so that they have a place to store their food supplies.

A small and compact refrigerator can be easily transported. Various models of a portable fridge can fit into a vehicle. This is a convenient way to store your food if you are travelling in long distances. Some compact refrigerators can operate inside the vehicle by using the car’s battery as a power source through a special adaptor that fits into the 12-volt lighter socket. A compact fridge can also be used as a food heater because of its insulating materials. It is ideal for anyone who wants to preserve their food while travelling.

Depending on the make and model, a compact fridge has very low power consumption. The magic chef mini fridge is one of the many models that are very energy efficient and available in the market today. It is also energy star compliant which means it can consume less energy compared to a similar type of compact refrigerator that is not energy star compliant.

When considering buying a compact fridge, always look into the features that can benefit you most. Different kinds of models have different features. These additional features in a compact refrigerator can also increase its price. Just make sure you select a more popular brand so that you can be assured it is made of high quality.

Size and Capacity

You need to determine the amount of significant space it will need for storing the food and drinks that you have in your mind. This is important during your quest for your portable fridge. These mini fridges usually have the capacity that varies between 1.1 to 3 cubic feet. Carefully assess what would be the perfect size of fridge for you so that you won’t regret in the end. You will spend some of your money for this investment, hence be wise with your choices.

Aside from the capacity of the mini portable fridge, consider the area in your home you’d like to put it as well. If you plan to have the portable fridge that can serve as a backup for the regular sized refrigerator in your home, then go for the one that you can easily keep above the kitchen top. But if you plan on using the mini fridge in your workplace, look for the one that can possibly fit anywhere within your office such as under the desk. Nevertheless, the main purpose of the fridge is to be always accessible to you.

Refrigerated Contents

Considering that these small refrigerators are small in size, there is a certain limitation to the amount of storage you can have for freezing. The smaller it is the less amount of food and drinks will be put in storage. However, if the sole purpose of the portable refrigerator is for storing your favorite drinks, then a smaller size still perfectly acceptable. If you use it as storage for other foods, going for a bigger model is the wise thing to do.

Color and Design

One of the fun parts in finding the right portable fridge is when you get to choose the color and design of the fridge. If you want to have a fridge that is traditional looking, go for something that can suit your taste. There are also in dynamic colors of red, black, grey, white, blue, and many other schemes to choose from. The side handles are the ideal options for moving the fridge easily from one location to another. What’s more, some include a digital thermometer feature that has memory functions and LED display.

Essentially, it’s much better to determine the factors in connection with your search for the most appropriate portable fridge for yourself. Your choice will affect the comfort and satisfaction it can provide on the whole.

Cheap small refrigerators come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. While there is no official description of a small refrigerator, it is generally accepted that anything below 18 cubic feet is considered a small or mini refrigerator. The widely accepted notion is that a small refrigerator is the general term for anything smaller than a standard full-sized refrigerator; a mini refrigerator is smaller than 18 cubic feet but larger than roughly 8 cubic feet. And a compact refrigerator is anything from 2.8 to 8 cubic feet.

Compact Cube Refrigerators

The smallest of typical small refrigerators, around 2.8 to 4 cubic feet can also be called a compact cube refrigerator for its cube-like shape. These usually have freezer compartments that are half width and being so small it isn’t good for much more than a tray of ice. These are commonly used as small beverage refrigerators since they cannot hold more than a few snacks. There are even smaller refrigerators but we won’t consider those because they become novelty items. Some are just large enough to hold a single 16 ounce can.

Small Refrigerators

Moderately sized small refrigerators are larger than the compact cubes and offer a full width freezer compartment which makes it useful for keeping a couple frozen dinners or left over pizza. These are useful for someone who doesn’t need too much in terms of grocery storing but like the option of keeping enough food for a couple meals.

Apartment Refrigerators

Then there are apartment refrigerators which come close to resembling full sized refrigerators especially the larger ones that have a separate freezer compartment. These are perfect for someone who could use a full-sized refrigerator but does not have the space for it such as those residing in tiny studio apartments.

Specialty Refrigerators

On the larger end of the scale, there are small refrigerators that offer specialty functions such as the ability to make and store ice. Their larger size allows more flexibility to offer these functions but begin to border on losing the convenience of a small refrigerator.

Most small refrigerators when properly maintained will last many years and, in the case of small dorm refrigerators or small compact refrigerators for small apartment kitchens, it is not uncommon for the refrigerator to outlive its purpose. This is what makes the refrigerator such a good investment at a couple hundred dollars brand new it can be passed along through many hands before retiring to the junk yard. For that reason there will be many instances of trying to transport a small refrigerator by our handy selves.

The reason that we even have this problem at all is because the refrigerator is usually small enough to move without any specialized transporting mechanics or professional help, but the insides of the unit is delicate enough for some considerate people wonder if there are any precautions to take to ensure a safe move. The truth is that there are some parts of the refrigerator that may need particular attention but for the most part transporting a refrigerator runs little risks of damage so long as it is void of harsh bumps and violent sudden movements.

The best way is to always keep the refrigerator upright. This is usually more important with full sized refrigerators and we have a little bit of leeway with small refrigerators. Since it is usually transported from one apartment to another in a private vehicle, it usually makes sense to lay the unit on its side since that is the only option for many people who don’t have pick-up trucks or other vehicles that could fit a refrigerator standing up.

In such a case just remember to lay the unit on its side and not the back. Be very gentle when laying down and picking up the unit back to an upright position. Don’t not immediately plug the refrigerator in after standing it back up. Let it stand upright for at least a couple hours. This allows any internal fluids to settle and avoid damaging the mechanics inside.

The reason we lay the unit on its side and not the back is because the motor is suspended by four springs that are designed to keep that part upright. Any violent movements especially with the unit on the side of on its back could force one or more of the springs to snap. If this happens you will notice a knocking noise whenever the motor comes on and could even stop the small compact refrigerator from working at all.

Take care with the refrigerator and move it carefully. For the most part that is enough to transport the unit without damaging it. Remember to use common sense and be gentle. This website is not responsible for any damages that occur from the use of the information here. If it is a daunting task, it might be best to seek help or hire a professional mover.

More people would benefit from a small wine refrigerator than most of them would realize. It is one of those things that many people would find useful but would never buy for themselves. That is why the small wine refrigerator is perfect for most people who do not have large collections of wines and only need something to keep their private small collections for a short to moderate period of time between acquisition and consumption.

A small wine refrigerator offers all the basic conditions necessary to store most varieties of wines. The small collections of a common household usually are stored in suboptimal ways anyways and a small refrigerator brings them that much closer to their perfect wine storage needs.

Ideally wines are kept in the dark, most importantly away from sunlight and fluorescent fixtures. Ultraviolet rays cause the wines to have an unpleasant smell. Small wine refrigerators are lit with incandescent or sodium vapor lamps which are safer for the wines.

Small Wine Refrigerator

A small wine refrigerator also forces the wines to be stored on its side as it should be. This keeps the cork from drying out and allowing air to get into the bottle which will spoil the wine.

Vibration is another factor that could affect the aging of a good wine. It is very possible to convert a typical small refrigerator into a wine refrigerator; however, for long storing periods a real wine refrigerator is necessary because the compressor causes vibrations in a typical refrigerator which wine refrigerators are designed to suppress.

Any wine kept over a year should be refrigerated. The temperature should never be over 75 degrees Fahrenheit or the wine will begin to oxidize. For a mixed variety of wines the ideal temperature is 54 degree Fahrenheit. Also, the temperature should be kept as constant as possible and the change should be gradual. A rise in temperature causes the wine to escape through the cork while a drop in temperature will cause air to be sucked back into the bottle. This could cause premature aging of the wine. A small wine refrigerator will go a long way in maintaining the consistency of the temperature.

Wines should be stored at around 70% humidity. Too low humidity will cause the cork to dry and causes evaporation of the wine. But too much humidity over 70% can encourage the growth of mold and ruin labels. A good small wine refrigerator will also keep the humidity level optimal for wine storage as well.

A wine “breathes” so if improper storage can ruin the wine through the cork. Keep the win refrigerator clean and check the temperature and humidity levels often if the unit is new. Once you are confident that it is working properly and consistently you can rest assured your wines are stored in good conditions.

A small wine refrigerator is perfect for most households. Most people aren’t the enthusiast that would spend thousands on a large wine cabinet. A small wine refrigerator is perfect for keeping the small selection that most people have in their homes in tip top shape so that it can be enjoyed on those special occasions.

There are a few basic guides to follow if you want to optimize the energy expended for your small refrigerating needs beyond just buying an energy star refrigerator. It is always important to be eco-friendly whenever possible especially when it comes to an appliance that will be running throughout the day and new standards make it very easy to be at least a little green.

Of course the first thing is to request or seek out an energy star qualified model. This is the official way of ensuring that you take home an energy efficient refrigerator that will continue to save you money throughout the life of the unit. All energy star qualified refrigerators will have a yellow label that explains the models’ energy consumption and has a chart comparison to the energy requirements of similar models. The yellow label will also show estimate annual operating cost. There is much more information available at the energy star website on how to effectively use the information provided by the yellow label.

The most common sense thing you could do to cut energy consumption is by buying the right appliance for your needs. In this case a small refrigerator that is sufficiently large but not excessive will definitely help save energy, which is one of the best advantages with small refrigerators.

Most small refrigerators come with freezer compartments that are mounted to the top of the interior. This is a very effective way of using the cold from the freezer compartment to keep the rest of the refrigerator cool and minimizes the need for additional cooling which costs a lot in terms of energy consumption.