10 Best Mini Fridges 2021 [Reviews & Buying Guide]
In an ideal world, we’d all love having a full-sized fridge in our homes, offices, RVs, practically anywhere. Unfortunately, for most of us, space is a luxury in one area or the other. If you are struggling in finding a space to stash your lunch in the office room or your dorm room is too little for a full-sized fridge, the best mini-fridges can be a lifesaver. These models are also a great pick when traveling. They are equipped with a DC and AC adapters that enables you to use them in your home or car.
The best part is that these models are as functional as standard refrigerators. They keep your food, beverage, breast milk, insulin, and other items in perfect temperature thanks to the adjustable thermostat. Another main advantage is that you can bring them wherever you go. Along with this, these compact models are energy-efficient and cost-effective for use. After doing detailed research in checking out various consumer reports, we found the following models superior in terms of performance, convenience, and price.
Best Mini Fridges – [Reviews & Buying Guide]
Contents
- 1. AstroAI Mini Fridge
- 2. Cooluli Mini Fridge Electric Cooler and Warmer
- 3. FRIGIDAIRE EFR176-RED Retro Bar Fridge
- 4. CROWNFUL Mini Fridge
- 5. VOKUA 10 Can AC/DC Portable Cooler and Warmer
- 6. Chefman Mini Portable Blue Personal Fridge
- 7. Antarctic Star Mini Fridge Cooler
- 8. Midea WHS-65LB1 Compact Refrigerator
- 9. Welucky Mini Fridge 4 Liter Portable Cooler
- 10. Cacat 20L Mini Fridge
1. AstroAI Mini Fridge
Sometimes, the niftiest things don’t need to be large. If you are looking for an ultra-portable mini refrigerator for office, dorm, or apartment use, then this model from AstroAI should suffice. Remarkably, this mini fridge has a decent capacity that provides you with enough space to store your food and beverages. Better still, this unit lightweight and compact. You can carry it from your home to the office conveniently. Additionally, unlike other models that use Freon as a cooling medium, this unit uses refrigeration microchips to ensure your safety. This is one of the few models with ETL, CE, RoHS, and FCC certifications.
- Ideal for cooling and warming food
- Comes with a decent 4L capacity
- It has FCC, ETL, CE, and RoHS certifications
- Includes two standard plugs for DC and AC use
- Eco-friendly design that saves electricity
- It is available in gorgeous colors
- Versatile design makes it ideal for a variety of uses
- Solid construction ensures optimal durability
- None worth mentioning
2. Cooluli Mini Fridge Electric Cooler and Warmer
Coolulu mini fridge takes the ideal of a mini-fridge to a whole new level. Forget the mediocre products; this model also doubles as a food warmer. This enables you to switch from cooling to warming in no time. It is a decent choice for warming your food for lunch and keeping your beverages chilled. Another stand out feature is the dual voltage design, making it a decent choice to travel with. Additionally, this versatile model also serves as a great choice for storing your medication, breast milk, snacks, and insulin and skincare products.
- Versatile design makes ideal for food, medication, and breast milk
- Decent 4-liter capacity
- Comes with both DC and AC adapters
- It has an adjustable thermostat
- Lightweight and convenient design
- Uses advanced technology making it energy efficient
- The frost-free design saves you defrosting time
- Comes with a spring lock door
- Not ideal for storing perishable items for long durations
3. FRIGIDAIRE EFR176-RED Retro Bar Fridge
FRIGIDAIRE retro fridge is a true definition of elegance. For starters, this model boasts of a gorgeous design that makes it stand out in any room. Even better, this unit is not only appealing to the eye but to the wallet too. We love the inexpensive price yet solid performance. As expected, this unit comes with an adjustable thermostat that allows you to adjust the temperature settings to meet your need. Even better, this model has a decent 46-liter capacity that provides decent space for your food and drinks.
- Decent 1.6 cubic capacity
- Compressor cooler ensures ultimate cooling performance
- Equipped with an adjustable thermostat
- Also includes an ice cube tray
- Comes with slide-out shelves
- Space-saving and stylish design
- Makes a complimentary choice for your dorm, office, and small apartment
- Budget-friendly
- Doesn’t fit tall bottles
4. CROWNFUL Mini Fridge
Truth is told, sometimes, our office can be unforgiving. Keeping the tight deadlines is hard enough; you’d not want to fight for a space to stash your beverage. This is where the Crownful mini fridge comes in. With a compact unit, you can easily carry it from home to office. This will enable you to keep your favorite beverages and snacks within your reach. Even better, this unit also doubles as a warmer, making it ideal for hot summer days and chilly days in the winters. Apart from storing your food and beverages, this compact yet versatile choice will also enable you to keep other items such as your insulin, medications, and breast milk in perfect conditions.
- The 4-liter capacity that holds up to six cans
- Comes with both AC and DC adapters
- Perfect for cooling and warming
- ETL and RoHS certified
- Lightweight, compact and portable
- Super quiet operation
- Includes a removable shelf
- Uses Eco-friendly semiconductor to keep your drinks chilled
- While this model is silent, it is a bit noisy for bedroom use
5. VOKUA 10 Can AC/DC Portable Cooler and Warmer
When you hear the VOKUA brand, impressive built quality is often the first thing that runs in our minds. This brand has been in existence for quite a long time. It is synonymous with producing numerous high-end kitchen products. This high-end model comes with not only great looks but also impressive performance. Boasting a versatile design, this unit comes ready for your game days, busy days in the office and brings you the much-needed convenience in your dorm room. Similar to other high-end models, this unit comes with an adjustable thermostat, LED digital display, as well as dual AC and DC adaptors.
- The dual-core design makes it easy to operate
- Features a programmable thermostat
- Low noise design
- Eco-friendly design and ETL certified
- Comes with intuitive controls
- Has a soft LED interior illumination
- Perfect for home and RV use
- Uses both AC and DC current
- Fewer color choices
6. Chefman Mini Portable Blue Personal Fridge
Perfect for travel, personal spaces, dorms, office, boating, road trips, as well as tailgating parties! Chefman Mini portable fridge is designed to fit your needs wherever you are. This ultra-portable fridge is ideal for storing your food, beer, breast milk, insulin, and more. Notably, with this model, you not only get to enjoy chilled drinks but also allow you to warm your food during the cold season. Thanks to the intuitive settings, you can easily choose between the settings with ease.
- Also doubles as a food warmer
- Eco- friendly and safe
- Decent 4-Liter capacity
- Includes plug for both standard home and car use
- Versatile, making it ideal to store multiple items
- Compact, sleek, and stylish design
- ETL certified, boosting your safety
- Ideal to use almost everywhere
- Slightly heavier than other models
7. Antarctic Star Mini Fridge Cooler
If you are looking for a portable mini fridge cooler for your drinks and food, the Antarctic mini fridge cooler makes an excellent choice. This unit comes with a decent capacity that holds drinks and food for up to three people. It comes with a removable steel shelf that allows you to organize your items. It is an ideal choice for offices, small apartments, home bars, as well as dorm rooms. What’s more, unlike the full-sized models this unit is silent, energy-efficient.
- Compact design while retaining a decent capacity
- Adjustable thermostat enables it retains a perfect temperature for soda and beer
- Pretty lightweight, making it easy to carry
- Has soft interior lighting with an on and off switch
- Includes stainless steel shelves
- Energy-efficient and silent operation
- Versatile and sleek design
- Sturdy and affordable
- Doesn’t use DC current without a converter
8. Midea WHS-65LB1 Compact Refrigerator
Compact, versatile, and convenient to use anywhere, what else could you ask for. Midea refrigerator comes in numerous colors and a stylish design that matches any modern color. First, unlike other models on the market, this unit utilizes an advanced semiconductor that keeps your food and drinks chilled without affecting the environment. As expected, it has an adjustable thermostat that enables you to set your desired temperature settings. Another plus that makes this unit stand out is the noiseless motor that enables you to use it without any distractions at the office.
- It comes with a programmable thermostat
- Has a reversible door
- The soft interior light provides sufficient illumination
- Includes built-in beverage holders
- Stylish design makes it stand out
- It is available in numerous colors
- Noiseless operation minimizes distractions in your office
- Compact, space-saving design
- It has no shelve, making organizing a bit hard
9. Welucky Mini Fridge 4 Liter Portable Cooler
Welucky mini-fridge brings you a simple, versatile, and compact model that will keep your drinks and food cold. This model is a perfect pick for your office, dorm room, bedroom, and any other tight space where a regular model might not fit. Despite the simplicity, it doesn’t mean that this unit doesn’t come with the bell and whistles that come in high-end models. We love the reversible door that sits flush against the wall. Another bold feature is that it uses eco-friendly refrigerants keeping our environment safe. What’s more, this unit comes with an automatic defrost feature.
- Equipped with an automatic defrost feature
- Uses eco-friendly refrigerant
- Versatile design and decent capacity
- Features adjustable shelves, making it easy to organize
- Space-saving design
- It is energy star compliant
- Ideal to use in all tight spaces
- It comes in numerous colors
- Fewer customer reviews
10. Cacat 20L Mini Fridge
With a 20 L capacity, cacat cooler and warmer provide you with enough space to keep all your favorite food. This mini-sized fridge saves your space in your office, nursery, dorm room, and home as well as during your road trips. Another exciting feature with this unit is that it switches from a cooler to a warmer. This makes it exceptionally useful for summers and winters. It is also a multipurpose model that you can use to keep your food, beer, sofa, beauty products, and insulin and breast milk. Moreover, this unit is energy efficient.
- It doubles as a warmer
- Compact, space-saving design
- Comes with a programmable thermostat
- It has a silent motor
- Lightweight, compact and convenient
- Ideal for multi-purpose use
- Environmentally friendly design
- It comes with a reversible door
- Tends to free everything that you place inside even in low setting
Factors to consider when selecting the best mini fridges
Mini fridges are a perfect choice for people with limited spaces. They are a lifesaver in offices, dorm rooms, and other spaces, which are too small to fit a regular-sized refrigerator. Be it the case, these models don’t come equal. Below are some of the things you need to check out before making your choice.
Check the size
True, each of the models listed here is compact. However, this doesn’t mean that they are equal. Some models come with as little as 4 liters capacity. This means it can only fit a few cans and a bag of your favorite bugger. We also have other models that have a capacity of 50 capacity. This means they are capable of holding food and drinks for up to three individuals. The choice here depends on what you want to store.
Multipurpose or simple fridge?
As you have probably noted in our reviews, these models include simple fridges that are designed to keep your food or drinks cold. We also have other models that double as a warmer. The latter is a bit more expensive but they are ideal to use in summers and winters.
Are they eco friendly?
Recent studies show worrying data on the effects of Freon on the environment. Freon is a refrigerant that is commonly used in traditional refrigerators. Unfortunately, it has adverse effects on the environment. For this reason, we recommend going for a model that uses the latest ETL certified semiconductors. Additionally, you need to ensure that you pick an energy star rated model.
Conclusion
It can be disappointing when you are forced to drink a warm beer during the summer. Besides, you cannot always rely on an office refrigerator. Breakaway from the norm and have your personal mini-fridge that you can use anywhere. The above models are compact, versatile, and portable. This enables you to bring them to the office, dorm room, as well as anywhere your adventure, takes you. While each model is compact, they have a varying capacity, allowing you to pick the model that meets your needs. Happy shopping!