The Best Mini Fridges of 2021
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
Very few people actually shop around for their mini fridge. Since most are relatively inexpensive and destined for a dorm room or garage, it's easy to just pick up the first one you run across in a big box store or the highest rated one on Amazon.
Here at Reviewed, our experts have tested hundreds of full-size refrigerators over the years and found some are definitely better than others. As a result, we decided to test some of the highest-rated mini fridges on the market to see how they hold up. While mini fridges, on the whole, do seem to be more or less the same, the difference between good, bad, and average can be significant.
In our tests, we consider temperature consistency, storage capacity, and usability as the most important aspects of a good mini fridge.
Our favorite fridge is the Magic Chef HMCR320WE (available at Home Depot for $184.98), which is a good fit for those looking for a high-performance mini fridge at a great price. While this 1.44-cubic-foot mini fridge is on the small side, and its door takes some getting used to, we love its retro aesthetic and impeccable temperature controls.
For those with a different budget, style, and feature preferences, we have plenty of other recommendations that will work in your space for a similar price.
Here are the best mini fridges we've tested, ranked in order:
Magic Chef HMCR320WE
Insignia NS-CF26BK9
Costway EP22672BK
Galanz GLR31TBEER
Midea WHD-113FSS1
Arctic King ATMP032AES
Frigidaire FFPE3322UM
Cooluli C20LDXW
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
Best Overall Magic Chef HMCR320WE
The Magic Chef HMCR320WE isn't perfect, but it does so much right. For starters, it has a really interesting look, mixing a pastel green with a classic car design. It also has a good mix of storage options inside, with an 8-oz. can dispenser rack, a bin capable of holding a 2-liter bottle, and another, smaller bin.
But, the best feature? The HMCR320WE's excellent temperature control in both its fridge and freezer compartments. Its fridge and freezer temps are remarkably stable, hovering right around the ideal 37°F. Its freezer temperatures aren't as consistent, though it didn't stray far from -2°F during testing. The HMCR320WE was actually the only mini fridge we tested to have a properly calibrated freezer. All the other models we tested run a few degrees warmer than they should on their default settings.
In terms of drawbacks, there is only one minor usability issue. The door seems to have an internal mechanism to help it close and stay closed. The downside of this design is that it actually causes the door to spring open if you don't close it with sufficient force. It feels like you need to get the door to go up and over a hill in order to close properly, and could encourage slamming.
Despite its shortcomings, the Magic Chef HMCR320WE offers more than enough performance to make it our top pick.
Pros
Interesting aesthetic
Excellent temperature control
Cons
Door can bounce open if not shut forcefully
$184.98 from Home Depot
How We Tested
The Testers
Hello! We're Reviewed's appliance testing team. We've collectively spent decades testing major appliances including washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and robot vacuum cleaners.
Not only do we test these appliances in laboratory conditions, we also use them just like you would in the course of a normal day. This combination 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.
We're always reviewing new products, so stay tuned for our reviews and roundups of the latest products in laundry, refrigerators, dishwashers, and vacuum cleaners.
The Tests
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
We tested mini fridges the same way we test full-size fridges—just scaled down to size.
You've probably noticed that different appliances and devices operate best in certain temperature conditions. Extreme heat, cold, and humidity can cause components to be sluggish, to overheat, or to otherwise perform differently than they would under ideal conditions.
Mini fridges (and full-size refrigerators) in particular can be very sensitive to ambient air conditions. Refrigerators pull in the surrounding air and cool it down to around 37°F to preserve food and inhibit bacteria growth. In hot weather, the fridge's condenser and cooling coils have to work harder to cool the warmer air. In cold weather, the fridge can struggle to operate in general. This is why, if you happen to have a second fridge in your sweltering hot or freezing cold garage, you may have noticed that the air inside it isn't as cold as the air inside your kitchen fridge.
To mitigate these effects, we test each refrigerator in a special lab that conditions the air to a temperature of 72°F +/- 5°F, and a relative humidity of 50% RH +/- 15% RH (basically, room temperature conditions). This way, each fridge gets the chance to perform at its best, and won't be affected by the time of year we run our tests.
Over the course of a week, including a day for calibration, we put each mini fridge through its paces. After filling the mini fridge up with water ballast (fridges won't operate as well when they're empty), we measured the fridge's temperature, freezing time, usable space, and energy use.
Temperature — Our ideal temperature settings for the fridge and the freezer are 37°F and 0°F, respectively. With fridge temperatures higher than 37°F, you might have to start worrying about bacteria growth, as 40°F is the start of the bacteria "danger zone". Freezer temperatures warmer than 0°F means that the food isn't being truly frozen, and if the temperature isn't consistent, it can exacerbate freezer burn. Once we set each fridge to those temperatures, we collect temperature data throughout the week's testing that tells us not only how close the temperature in the fridge and freezer are to 37°F and 0°F, respectively, but how close the temperature stayed to those ideal values.
Freezing Time — Once the fridge is plugged in and had a few days to get its internal temperatures under control, we measure how long it takes the freezer to get ice frozen solid (for the mini fridges actually equipped with a freezer). This is a good measure of how quickly your freezer can adapt to new items being added and get them chilled down to freezing temperatures.
Usable Storage Space — One of the most common refrigerator specs is the storage capacity, or the volume of the inside of the fridge, in cubic feet. You'd think that a higher capacity means that you can fit more in that fridge, but that's not always the case. We measure the usable storage space, which is how much empty space is actually available in the fridge's interior. Any number of things can reduce the usable space in a fridge—the ice bucket and/or ice maker, a water filter, air filters, shelf arrangement, etc. The closer the usable space value is to the fridge's stated storage capacity, the more food you can fit in your refrigerator.
Energy Use — Using an electric meter, we measure the fridge's energy usage (in Watt-hours) over the week of testing. The less energy used, the more efficient that fridge is, and the more money it'll save you on utility bills in the future.
We also use each fridge in a more casual sense so that we can answer usability questions about the fridge's specs and features, like the doors, shelves, controls, etc. If a mini fridge keeps the temperature at a perfect 37°F, but it's very difficult to open the doors and the control panel makes no sense, we're going to penalize that fridge with respect to its ease of use.
We test each fridge from two perspectives—first, from a data-driven objective point of view, and second, as a regular person trying to get at their leftover Chinese food. The combination of these two types of experiences allows us to recommend the best fridge for you at any price point.
What To Look For When Buying A Mini Fridge
If you're in the market for a new mini fridge, it can be easy to just pick up the first one you run across. After all, you just need it for your dorm or garage—are they really that different? While it is true that many mini fridges offer similar performance and features, the difference between good, bad, and average can be significant. When looking for a new or replacement mini fridge, consider the following points carefully before you buy.
Food Preservation
No one wants to spend money on a mini fridge that doesn't keep their food and drinks chilled to an appropriate temperature. Maintaining safe temperatures is the most important facet of our refrigerator testing methodology. We gather temperature data in the fridge and freezer, and humidity data from the veggie bin to make sure every fridge can hit and maintain temperatures and humidity values best suited for keeping your food fresh. If you're out shopping for a refrigerator at a store, be sure to ask the sales associate about the refrigerator's cooling abilities and humidity controls. Additionally, you can look through our refrigerator reviews and our refrigerator roundups to see which refrigerators did the best when it comes to maintaining the right environment for your cold foods and beverages.
Storage Options
Mini fridges can have a lot of variety in what storage options they offer—especially on their door. These can be smaller bins and alcoves, larger bins for 2-liters or wine bottles, and 8-oz. can holsters of all stripes. The can holsters specifically can be a make-or-break feature, because if you're not planning on storing cans of that size, they're not particularly useful for storing other types of items. Mini fridges have precious little space to begin with; don't buy one with a storage feature you won't be able to use.
Other Mini Fridges We Tested
Insignia NS-CF26BK9
If you don't need a freezer, the Insignia NS-CF26BK9 may be the way to go. It has a decent-sized fridge compartment at a little over 2 cubic feet, which is towards the larger size of all the fridges we tested. While less space efficient than the Magic Chef's can dispenser rack, the NS-CF26BK9's can holsters are a more flexible storage solution, both because they're removable and because it's easier to store non-can items there. If you are storing cans, the holsters are also much easier to access.
In terms of temperature performance, the NS-CF26BK9 maintained very steady, stable temperatures during testing, though it did use more than twice as much electricity as almost every other mini fridge we tested, topping out at 6.08 kWh while most other models used less than 4 kWh. This difference equates to roughly $0.15 extra per hour, depending on your local electricity rates.
Despite having a slightly more expensive upkeep, the NS-CF26BK9 is excellent for those looking to maximize fridge storage space without sacrificing too much performance.
Pros
Steady, stable temperatures
A lot of storage room
Cons
No freezer
Not very energy efficient
$119.99 from Best Buy
Costway EP22672BK
The Costway EP22672BK, has a standard interior, with a 2-liter bin and a can dispenser rack on its door. It offers an average amount of storage space, though it has a slightly smaller fridge and a slightly larger freezer than most of the other fridges we tested.
While the EP22672BK has steady and accurate fridge temperatures, its freezer runs a bit warm on default settings: about 3°F as opposed to 0°F. While this is not a huge difference, it does mean some items may not freeze properly—so make sure to calibrate it to one notch below where Costway says you should.
Overall, the Costway EP22672BK is a decent mini fridge, but we recommend waiting for its price to fall more in line with the rest of the fridges we reviewed: Its performance doesn't merit paying almost twice as much as the rest of the bunch. If you can get it on sale (and make sure you calibrate its freezer), it will serve you well.
Pros
Fridge has accurate temperature control
Cons
Freezer runs warm
Expensive
$219.99 from Home Depot
Galanz GLR31TBEER
The Galanz GLR31TBEER features a 1950s aesthetic and comes in a few different color options. It offers the most storage area out of all the mini fridges we tested, with 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, which is a significant volume for a mini fridge.
In terms of fridge performance, the GLR31TBEER shines. During testing, it hit the ideal 37°F and didn't waver. Where it fell down, however, was its freezer temperature. Not only were its suggested settings warm, resulting in an average temp of 5°F, they were also the least consistent in the whole group, oscillating between 2°F and 8°F. With this sort of variation, you're likely to run into issues with freezer burn.
The 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.
Though it does have some performance and usability issues, the Galanz GLR31TBEER still 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 pick-up.
Pros
Bold look
Maximizes storage
Great fridge temps
Cons
Door can bounce open
Freezer runs warm
Inconsistent freezer temps
$249.99 from Best Buy
$249.99 from Home Depot
Midea WHD-113FSS1
During testing, the Midea WHD-113FSS1 performed slightly below average, mostly due to its temperature control. For starters, its fridge ran warm on default settings, hitting an average temperature less than 1°F below the safe zone of 40°F. Its freezer performance wasn't much better either, hovering around 5°F instead of 0°F. While this isn't ideal, the one saving grace is that its freezer temps were stable: Just turn its temp down slightly and the freezer should be just fine.
There isn't much to say about its usability or storage space. Its controls and door were easy to use, and its shelves and bins were more or less identical to what we saw on the other mini fridges we tested. We did like the design of its can dispenser rack, as it lets you load cans in from the middle as well as the top.
Pros
Stainless steel exterior
Cons
Fridge runs too warm and must be calibrated
$199.61 from Amazon
Arctic King ATMP032AES
Despite its name, the Arctic King ATMP032AES has some of the warmer default fridge temperatures that we measured. On default settings, it was actually slightly above the safety threshold of 40°F. Fortunately, its fridge temps were consistent, so once you calibrate the compartment to be cooler you should be good to go. Its freezer temps were also a bit warm at 3°F, but were also relatively stable—no freezer burn here.
One of the ATMP032AES's best features is its stainless steel facade, which looks much nicer than some of the other, glossy-finished mini fridges we tested. Opening its door reveals a door with can holsters, a 2-liter bin, and a smaller bin above. Combined with the interior storage, you get an average amount of usable space for your perishables.
Pros
Stainless steel exterior
Cons
Fridge and freezer run too warm and must be calibrated
$169.00 from Walmart
Frigidaire FFPE3322UM
The Frigidaire FFPE3322UM is actually the warmest fridge of the bunch, with an average temperature of 41°F at its default settings. Given that anything above 40°F isn't safe for food storage, this is a disappointing test result. Fortunately, its temperatures are some of the more consistent ones we saw, so once it's properly calibrated it should be all right.
While the FFPE3322UM does technically have a freezer, we do not recommend using it as such: During testing, we were only able to get it down to about 22°F, which is not nearly cold enough to function properly in this regard. The temperature also wasn't particularly consistent, making it our worst freezer test result by a large margin. Feel free to use this area as a second refrigeration compartment, but don't expect your ice cream to be cone ready.
Pros
Consistent fridge temperatures
Cons
Fridge runs warm and must be calibrated
Freezer only drops to 22°F
Freezer temps are inconsistent
$209.99 from Best Buy
$188.00 from Abt
$200.00 from Home Depot
Cooluli Concord C20LDXW
The Cooluli C20LDXW is advertised on some retailers as being both a mini fridge and a cooler for cosmetics. We'd be more inclined to recommend it for the latter than the former: It had the worst performance of the bunch. While the C20LDXW was the only fridge we tested with a digital readout, the readout is inaccurate, resulting in temperatures about 7°F cooler than what was programmed. We also noticed some frost beginning to accumulate at the back of the fridge after only a couple days of use.
The C20LDXW is definitely the cutest and smallest mini fridge we tested, with a total capacity smaller than most of the other mini fridge's freezers. You also need to be careful while stocking or grabbing items, as its flimsy plastic shelves bow very easily and shake as you add or remove items. They don't support a lot of weight.
Think about getting something better for your money.
Pros
Portable, could fit on a desktop
Cons
Runs about 7°F colder than readout claims
Flimsy shelves
$149.99 from Best Buy
$149.99 from Home Depot
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