Whether you’re in need of extra space in your refrigerator, furnishing a dorm, or wanting to stash cold beer in your game room, a mini fridge makes a big difference thanks to its small footprint. With around 2 to 5 cubic feet of storage space, these appliances use less energy than full-sized fridges. Plus, compressor units (which all of the units on this list are) maintain cooler, more consistent temperatures than the thermoelectric alternatives. Some even include freezer space, fit for ice cube molds and glass storage containers. To write this list, we drew on our experience with mini refrigerators in our home kitchens and researched other best-selling brands and models. From the best built-in option to wine fridge, find our favorite mini fridges here.

Best Overall

GE Double-Door Compact Refrigerator

Our top pick is the freestanding GE Mini Fridge with Freezer, a compact but sturdy model with separate refrigerator and freezer doors. The refrigerator section has two glass shelves that can be removed to make more space. A clear crisper drawer controls the airflow around fruits and vegetables, allowing your produce to stay fresher longer. Cans and tall bottles can be stored in the door, designed with a built-in can rack to free up space on the main shelves. The freezer section (which has a capacity of 0.9 cubic feet) keeps cold air in and allows frozen foods and ice to stay solid. All in all, it has much of the same functionality as a full-sized unit and would make a useful addition to a dorm room, rec room, or office.

• Dimensions: ‎20.1 x 18.75 x 33.4 inches
• Capacity: 3.1 cubic feet
• Finishes: Brushed stainless steel, black, and white
• Voltage/Wattage: 120 Volts
• Energy Star Certified: Yes

Best Value

Black+Decker Mini Fridge

Amazon

The sleek design of the Black+Decker Energy Star Refrigerator With Freezer makes it look like a high-end designer model, but it costs notably less. Its performance and capacity also hold up to more expensive units. It offers 3.2 cubic feet of storage and includes a separate freezer section and ice tray. The glass shelves are adjustable and removable, so you can play around to find a configuration that suits your needs. The door is designed to hold six 12-ounce cans and a two-liter bottle, with an additional storage shelf for smaller items like condiments or yogurt. This fridge features leveling legs and a reversible door, so you can ensure that it fits in your space. It’s also garage ready if you’re looking for a model like that.

• Dimensions: 19.29 x 17.52 x 32.72 inches
• Capacity: 3.2 cubic feet
• Finishes: Black, gray, and white
• Voltage/Wattage: 219 watts 
• Energy Star Certified: Yes

Best Built-In

Cafe Dual-Drawer Refrigerator

The Home Depot

If you’re planning to install a mini fridge into your kitchen, let it be the Café Built-In Dual-Drawer Refrigerator for its luxe features like soft-closing drawers and a stainless steel interior. Each large-capacity drawer has an adjustable divider to help you keep it organized and maximize storage space. The LED interior lighting lets you see contents clearly, and the doors have alarms that sound if a drawer is left ajar. An added bonus is Sabbath Mode, which disables the fridge’s lights and sounds to comply with religious observances. Design enthusiasts will be pleased to know that this elegant freezer comes in three base colors with five hardware options, so you’ll be able to match just about any existing kitchen decor.

• Dimensions: 34 x 24 x 26 inches
• Capacity: 5.7 cubic feet
• Finishes: Matte white, matte black, stainless steel
• Voltage/Wattage: 115 Volts
• Energy Star Certified: Yes

Best for Wine

Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone Wine Cooler

Amazon

Our editors know and trust Wine Enthusiast for its reliable products, like this freestanding cooler that can hold up to 32 standard Bordeaux bottles. With two temperature zones that can be set between 41 and 64°F, you can store age-worthy reds in one section and ready-to-drink whites or sparkling wines in the other. Editors who have this fridge in their homes love how well it maintains a consistent temperature. Indeed, compared to similar fridges, it performs better in a larger range of ambient temperatures: the room it’s in can get close to 90°F, and bottles are unaffected. It also gives off very minimal vibration, which is a major consideration for proper wine storage. It’s outfitted with four scalloped wire racks to hold wines in place. The glass door lets you keep an eye on what’s inside, and the LED interior lighting lets you see bottle labels better.

• Dimensions: 33.4 x 19.6 x 16.9 inches
• Capacity: 3.2 cubic feet
• Finishes: Black
• Voltage/Wattage: 115 Volts
• Energy Star Certified: No

Best Retro

Smeg Mini Refrigerator

Amazon

If you want a fridge that stands out as an accent piece, the glossy Smeg Mini Refrigerator weds ’50s-inspired looks with modern features. The small and stylish Italian-made unit packs in two easy-to-clean glass shelves and two inside the door for tall bottles, condiments, and more, with LED lighting to illuminate it all. Its adjustable thermostat can be set between 35 and 41°F to keep contents extra cool, and it features automatic defrosting. Choose between hues that nod to the design’s retro roots (cherry red and seafoam green) or modern neutrals, and between a left-handed or right-handed hinge.

• Dimensions: 19.7 x 15.9 x 29.1 inches
• Capacity: 1.5 cubic feet
• Finishes: Black, cream, white, red, and green
• Voltage/Wattage: 110 Volts
• Energy Star Certified: No

Best Compact

Frigidaire Portable Retro Mini Fridge

Amazon

Editors who have a Frigidaire at home recommend it for its compact size and attractive design. While this retro-inspired model would make a statement in the kitchen, it’s also the perfect travel companion. It’s lightweight at just 3 pounds, easy to lug around, and includes a car adapter. Of course, you can plug it into the wall, using it for everything from cans of soda to breast milk if you have to pump at work. It’s also a great gift for someone going off to college, a skincare enthusiast who likes to store their beauty products in a fridge, or for a loved one’s desk at work to store snacks.

• Dimensions: 7.08 x 11.81 x 10.4 inches
• Capacity: 6 liters
• Finishes: Black, red, blue, and pink
• Voltage/Wattage: 110 volts/12 volts in the car
• Energy Star Certified: No

Best for Beverages

hOmeLabs Beverage Refrigerator and Cooler

Amazon

The hOmeLabs Beverage Refrigerator and Cooler is perfect for any man cave or room where you want to store cold beverages for guests or yourself. The fridge has adjustable shelves, so you can easily tailor the storage to cans or bottles. It holds up to 120 cans so you won’t have to refill for a while. We love how the white LED interior light illuminates the contents making it easy to see at night or if you use this in a movie room. It also can go underneath a counter if you want to make it look like a built-in dupe. The powerful cooling system is capable of cooling the unit down to 34°F.

• Dimensions: 17.3 x 18.9 x 33.1 inches
• Capacity: 3.2 Cubic Feet
• Finish: Stainless steel and black
• Voltage/Wattage: 120V/240W
• Energy Star Certified: No

Our Favorite

Choosing a mini fridge means considering how much space you need, what kind of configuration works best for you, and how ambient temperature may affect the machine’s ability to stay cool. We found that the GE Double-Door Compact Refrigerator offers a top-tier combination of freezer and fridge function as well as thoughtfully designed storage, all at a fair price point.

Factors to Consider

Overall Size

Consider where you plan to use the mini fridge. Oftentimes, freestanding units require a little bit of clearance around the sides, top, and back for proper air circulation, and some require additional clearance for a hinge or for the door to swing open. When taking measurements, be sure to keep your clearance needs in mind.

Capacity

Once you’ve figured out the fridge’s external dimension needs, go for maximum internal capacity. Mini fridges can range in size from compact models with under 2 cubic feet of storage to more spacious units with around 5 cubic feet. If you’re planning on storing tall bottles (like wine or large bottles of water), be sure the fridge has enough internal space to accommodate them.

Configuration

If you’re going to use a mini fridge mainly for beverages, pick a model that has adjustable shelves or built-in racks to accommodate bottle and can sizes. If you’ll also use your mini fridge for produce, you’ll want to pick a version that includes a crisper drawer so to keep it fresh as long as possible. Other features to consider include door storage and whether or not you want a freezer space. If you want to store frozen meals or ice cube molds, opt for a model that has a freezer section with a separate door to ensure that its contents stay frozen.

Features

Most mini fridges are fairly simple in design, but details like adjustable temperature control, partial auto-defrost, reversible door hinges, and adjustable leveling legs can be great to have.

Compressor vs. Thermoelectric

All of the fridges on this list are compressor models, which have a more powerful cooling capacity than thermoelectric versions. Thermoelectric coolers are easily affected by ambient temperature and can only cool to about 25°F, less than the temperature of their room. A compressor type offers the best performance if you’re searching for a fridge that will keep a consistently cold temperature. If noise is a consideration, compressors will be louder as they cool when thermoelectric models are quieter.

The Research

Our product reviews expert researched the topic and, drawing on her own expertise in kitchen tools and cutlery, scoured the market for the best options available. She selected options based on performance, value, and ease of use.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many watts does a mini fridge use?

  It will depend on the manufacturer and cooling capabilities, but most mini fridges use between 50 and 100 watts per hour. For comparison, a standard fridge averages anywhere from 350 to 780 watts per hour.

• How do you defrost a mini fridge?

  Generally, you can empty the fridge entirely and unplug it, propping open the door and lining it with a towel to catch any excess moisture during the defrost period. Depending on the ambient temperature of your room, you should expect it to take an hour or more. For best results, consult your fridge’s manual for model-specific instructions.

• How long should a mini fridge last?

  This can depend on the quality of the materials used and the durability of the compressor. On average, you can keep a mini fridge going for up to 10 years.

• Is it okay to put a mini fridge in the garage?

  Since many garages aren’t part of a home’s heating and cooling system, the appliances within are subject to the same temperatures as outside. Some brands are rated for garage use, but make sure you check the manufacturer’s instructions to see if it’s safe.

Our Expertise

This piece was written by Bernadette Machard de Gramont, a Los Angeles-based writer who specializes in global food and wine content. After a stint at Williams Sonoma Headquarters in San Francisco, she now researches and tests a variety of cookware, bakeware, and wine tools, and interviews field experts for their insight.