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A man steps into frame to access the interior of an open Insignia NS-CF26BK9 mini fridge. It's stocked full of food and drinks. Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Best Mini Fridges of 2024

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

A man steps into frame to access the interior of an open Insignia NS-CF26BK9 mini fridge. It's stocked full of food and drinks. Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

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Product image of Insignia NS-CF26BK9
Best Overall

Insignia NS-CF26BK9

Currently
Unavailable

The Insignia NS-CF26BK9 lacks a freezer, but keeps its fridge temps consistent. It isn’t the most energy efficient, however. Read More

Pros

  • Steady, stable temperatures
  • A lot of storage room

Cons

  • No freezer
  • Not very energy efficient
2
Product image of Midea WHD-113FSS1
Best Dorm Fridge

Midea WHD-113FSS1

Check Price at Amazon

The Midea WHD-113FSS1 comes in a handsome stainless steel, but runs warm enough that calibration is needed to keep food safe. Read More

Pros

  • Stainless steel exterior

Cons

  • Fridge runs too warm and must be calibrated
3
Product image of Galanz GLR31TBEER
Best Retro Mini Fridge

Galanz GLR31TBEER

Check Price at Home Depot

The Galanz GLR31TBEER’s bold look, maximized storage, and consistent fridge temps are offset by its warm, inconsistent freezer. Read More

Pros

  • Bold look
  • Maximizes storage
  • Great fridge temps

Cons

  • Door can bounce open
  • Freezer runs warm
  • Inconsistent freezer temps
4
Product image of Arctic King ATMP032AES

Arctic King ATMP032AES

Check Price at Walmart

While we liked the Arctic King ATMP032AES's stainless steel look, both its fridge and freezer need to be calibrated to offer safe temps. Read More

Pros

  • Stainless steel exterior

Cons

  • Fridge and freezer run too warm and must be calibrated
5
Product image of Frigidaire FFPE3322UM

Frigidaire FFPE3322UM

Check Price at Best Buy

While its fridge compartment has a steady temperature, the Frigidaire FFPE3322UM's freezer is only able to get down to 22°F (compared to the ideal 0°F) and temps are inconsistent. Read More

Pros

  • Consistent fridge temperatures

Cons

  • Fridge runs warm and must be calibrated
  • Freezer only drops to 22°F
  • Freezer temps are inconsistent
  • Best Overall Insignia NS-CF26BK9
  • Best Dorm Fridge Midea WHD-113FSS1
  • Best Retro Mini Fridge Galanz GLR31TBEER
  • Other Mini Fridges We Tested
  • How We Test Mini Fridges
  • What to Know Before Buying a Mini Fridge
  • How to Defrost a Mini Fridge
  • More Articles You May Enjoy

While most miniature refrigerators are relatively inexpensive and destined for a dorm room or garage, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still have the best mini fridge.

Here at Reviewed, our experts have tested hundreds of full-size refrigerators over the years and found some are definitely better than others. After testing some of the most popular mini refrigerators on the market, we can definitively say the same is true here.

Our favorite mini fridge is the Insignia NS-CF26BK9 , which is a good fit for those looking for high performance and lots of storage space for a great price.

Editor's Note: Appliances purchases are a large investment of both money and time. We’ve not only compiled lists of the best fridges to shop, but also the best places to buy in-stock appliances right now and the best times of year to buy appliances to take advantage of sales and new releases.

An open mini refrigerator sits on a teal background.
Credit: Reviewed / Insignia

Fill it with beverages.

Best Overall
Insignia NS-CF26BK9
  • Dimensions: 31.38” x 19.13” x 17.75” (H x W x D)
  • Measured Capacity: 2.01 cubic feet
  • Finishes: Black, white

If you don't need a freezer section, the Insignia NS-CF26BK9 is the way to go. It has a decent-sized refrigerator compartment that measures over 2 cubic feet: This is one of the larger mini refrigerators we tested. Between the can storage options and lack of a freezer, it’s great for cold drinks, a necessity for someone looking for a mini fridge for their home bar.

The Insignia NS-CF26BK9's can holsters are a flexible door storage solution: they're removable, they provide easy access, and you can also store non-can items in there. While we like these can holsters, they’re also not as space efficient as the storage other models provide. It also has three moveable glass shelves.

This fridge’s temperature performance was steady and stable. However, its energy efficiency was lacking, as it used far more electricity than almost every other mini fridge we tested—6.08 kWh compared to less than 4 kWh for most other mini fridges. This difference equates to roughly $0.15 extra per hour, depending on your local electricity rates.

Pros

  • Steady, stable temperatures

  • A lot of storage room

Cons

  • No freezer

  • Not very energy efficient

A silver fridge on yellow
Credit: Reviewed / Midea

Keep it cold, right in the dorm room.

Best Dorm Fridge
Midea WHD-113FSS1
  • Dimensions: 32.95” x 18.50” x 19.37” (H x W x D)
  • Measured Capacity: 1.71 cubic feet
  • Finishes: Black, stainless steel

People looking for a dorm fridge should consider the Midea WHD-113FSS1, but they also should know that they’ll have to make some temperature adjustments after getting it to campus.

Mostly due to its temperature control, this mini fridge performed slightly below average during testing. The fridge’s default settings ran warm, hitting an average temperature less than 1°F below the safe zone of 40°F.

Its freezer performance wasn't much better, hovering around 5°F instead of 0°F. While this isn't ideal, the one saving grace is that its freezer temps were stable. Turn the temp down slightly and the freezer should be just fine.

Its controls and door were easy to use. Its shelves and bins were more or less identical to what we saw elsewhere. We did like the design of its can dispenser rack, which lets you load cans in from the middle as well as the top. It also runs quietly, making it great for dorm rooms.

Pros

  • Stainless steel exterior

Cons

  • Fridge runs too warm and must be calibrated

$199.61 from Amazon
A blue fridge
Credit: Reviewed / Galanz

Trick out your room's aesthetics.

Best Retro Mini Fridge
Galanz GLR31TBEER
  • Dimensions: 35.16" x 19.17" x 23.31" (H x W x D)
  • Measured Capacity: 2.10 cubic feet
  • Finishes: Black, blue, green, red

The Galanz GLR31TBEER features a 1950s classic car aesthetic and comes in a variety of different colors. This retro mini fridge offers the most storage area out of all the models we tested, measuring a whopping 3 cubic feet—about 0.5 cubic feet larger than the rest of the pack. That's more than two bowling balls worth of space.

In terms of fridge performance, this model shines. During testing, it hit the ideal 37°F and didn't waver. Unfortunately, its freezer temperature was a problem.

For starters, the freezer runs warm, averaging 5°F instead of 0°F. It was also the least consistent freezer of the group; temperatures ranged between 2°F and 8°F. That’s a huge swing, considering freezers normally waver by fractions of a degree. That variation may cause issues with freezer burn.

The Galanz GLR31TBEER also has the auto-close door issue, but worse: If you don't shut the door hard enough, it'll actually bounce open again.

Despite some performance and usability issues, the Galanz GLR31TBEER looks great and offers a ton of usable storage area. If you're not planning on keeping anything particularly perishable in your freezer, it may still be a good pickup.

Pros

  • Bold look

  • Maximizes storage

  • Great fridge temps

Cons

  • Door can bounce open

  • Freezer runs warm

  • Inconsistent freezer temps

$263.52 from Home Depot

Other Mini Fridges We Tested

Product image of Arctic King ATMP032AES
Arctic King ATMP032AES
  • Dimensions: 33” x 19.4” x 18.5” (H x W x D)
  • Measured Capacity: 1.63 cubic feet
  • Finishes: Stainless steel

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 temps are consistent, once you set the temperature to be lower, the fridge will work just fine.

Its freezer temps were also a bit warm at 3°F, but again relatively stable—no freezer burn here, just a quick calibration and you should be all set.

One of the Arctic King ATMP032AES's best features is its stainless steel facade, which looks nicer than the glossy plastic of some other mini fridges we tested.

Pros

  • Stainless steel exterior

Cons

  • Fridge and freezer run too warm and must be calibrated

$149.49 from Walmart
Product image of Frigidaire FFPE3322UM
Frigidaire FFPE3322UM
  • Dimensions: 33.38” x 18.75” x 17.5” (H x W x D)
  • Measured Capacity: 2.22 cubic feet
  • Finishes: Stainless steel

The Frigidaire FFPE3322UM is the warmest fridge of the bunch, with an average temperature of 41°F at its default settings. Since anything above 40°F isn't safe for food storage, this is disappointing. Fortunately, its temperatures are remarkably consistent, so once it's properly calibrated you shouldn’t have any problems with its performance.

While the Frigidaire FFPE3322UM does technically have a freezer, it only got down to 22°F: This is not nearly cold enough to function properly. The temperature in its freezer was also inconsistent, making this the worst freezer out of its testing group by a large margin.

While you can use its freezer as a second refrigeration compartment, don't expect your ice cream to come out cone-ready.

Pros

  • Consistent fridge temperatures

Cons

  • Fridge runs warm and must be calibrated

  • Freezer only drops to 22°F

  • Freezer temps are inconsistent

$189.99 from Best Buy

How We Test Mini Fridges

The Testers

Hello! We're Reviewed's appliance testing team. We've collectively spent decades testing major appliances in our lab.

Just like full-size fridges, we tested mini fridges in laboratory conditions and used them normally over the course of a week. This combination of approaches gives us a great sense for how these appliances behave, both in terms of raw performance and overall user friendliness. A product must have both of these qualities in order to earn our recommendation.

The Tests

A man crouches by a mini fridge in the Reviewed labs, putting a container into the freezer portion of a mini fridge.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

We tested mini fridges the same way we test full-size fridges—just scaled down to size.

In our tests, we consider temperature consistency, storage capacity, and usability as the most important aspects of a good mini fridge.

To ensure consistent performance, we keep the laboratory air conditioned to 72°F +/- 5°F (basically, room temperature), and keep relative humidity to 50% RH +/- 15% RH. This ensures that each fridge has a chance to perform its best, and is working under the same conditions.

We spend a week testing each miniature refrigerator with our standardized battery of tests. First we fill the fridge with water ballast, because (fridges operate better when there’s less empty space). We then measure the temperature consistency in both the fridge and freezer compartments over the course of a week, the rate of humidity loss in any crisper drawers, the total usable storage space on each shelf and bin, and the total energy draw.

What to Know Before Buying a Mini Fridge

How Long Do Mini Fridges Last?

While the lifespan of any appliance can vary wildly due to several factors, you should expect your fridge—either full-size or mini—to last for about 10 years.

The industry-standard warranty covers one year of parts and service. Some companies offer more robust programs that will cover specific parts for up to five years, 10 years, or even for the lifetime of the product.

Size and Capacity Numbers Can Be Deceiving

Most manufacturers measure the interior of a fridge by essentially flooding it with water and accounting for every empty inch inside the fridge. We don’t use these measurements for our testing. They would suggest you could store items in the area between the shelves and the door bins, or floating up against the ceiling.

We measure each shelf, bin, or other storage location separately, then add those areas together. It’s easier to compare capacities across different models that way. Plus, it gives us a better idea of how much space is actually useful.

It’s Important to Manually Calibrate the Temperature

The ideal temperature settings are 37°F for the fridge and 0°F in the freezer.

Fridge temperatures higher than 40°F allow bacteria to proliferate quickly. Fridge temperatures lower than 32°F can cause some food to freeze.

Food isn’t properly frozen at freezer temperatures above 0°F. Furthermore, the less consistent a freezer’s temperature is, the more trouble you’ll have with freezer burn.

How to Defrost a Mini Fridge

Defrosting a mini fridge is a relatively simple process. All you have to do is empty it out, turn it off, and let it melt—just make sure you have a plan for all the water. If it makes sense to do so, you can also chip away at the ice and remove it by hand.

Defrosting your mini fridge is important. As the ventilation system becomes iced up, the freezer loses some of its ability to circulate cold air throughout the compartment. This can prevent the freeze from reaching sufficiently cold temperatures.

Meet the testers

Mark Brezinski

Mark Brezinski

Senior Writer

@markbrezinski

Mark Brezinski works on the Home Team, reviewing refrigerators, minifridges, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, air conditioners, air purifiers, and fans.

See all of Mark Brezinski's reviews
Jonathan Chan

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

@Jonfromthelab1

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. 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. Jon demands you have a nice day.

See all of Jonathan Chan's reviews
Kyle Hamilton

Kyle Hamilton

Product Tester

Kyle Hamilton is a product tester at Reviewed, specializing in home appliances and technology.

See all of Kyle Hamilton's reviews

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