Having a small refrigerator in your dorm room makes it easy to keep fresh food and cool drinks on hand between classes or when you just can’t bring yourself to eat another meal in the dining hall. Mini fridges are also great for use at home when you might need a bit of extra cold storage for groceries like meat, drinks, and vegetables. I chose a variety of price points, designs, and sizes of mini fridges to suit almost every budget and purpose. I even chose a mini fridge model with a Sabbath Mode for Jewish customers who observe strict rules about using electronics on the Sabbath and religious holidays. Keep your daily essentials properly chilled with this Whirlpool 3.1cu ft Mini Refrigerator.
This might make it a good choice if you’re big on frozen foods or use a lot of ice cubes. If you expect to store perishables like leftovers or milk, add a thermometer inside to monitor the temperature and ensure it stays below 38°F. It’s a good idea to buy a refrigerator thermometer and check the temperatures periodically. To keep foods safe, the fresh food compartment should be no higher than 40 degrees F and 37 degrees F is optimal.
Despite its name, the Arctic King ATMP032AES has some of the warmer temperatures we measured. On default settings, it was actually slightly warmer than the cutoff for food safety, 40°F. Fortunately, because its fridge Frigidaire fridge temps are consistent, once you set the temperature to be lower, the fridge will work just fine. Despite some performance and usability issues, the Galanz GLR31TBEER looks great and offers a ton of usable storage area.
It also has three removable glass shelves for making more room for tall items or when you need to wipe out the fridge. Once you’ve nailed down a budget for your new mini fridge, you’ll next have to decide what you want to use it for. If you need a bit of extra storage for groceries or beverages, opt for a model with at least 4 cubic feet of interior space and temperature controls for optimal cooling.
Store more items on each shelf with wall-to-wall Frameless Glass Shelves in the fridge and freezer, which offer greater storage flexibility. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company’s efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. In the pursuit of data, he’s plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.