10 Best Mini Fridges for Dorms and Small Spaces in 2024
Outfit your college dorm, garage, tiny home or workspace with one of these top-rated machines.
Our Top Mini Fridge Picks
- Best Overall Mini Fridge: Midea 3.1 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator
- Best Mini Fridge With a Freezer: EdgeStar Energy Star Fridge/Freezer
- Best Large-Capacity Mini Fridge: Frigidaire 4.5 Cu. Ft. Mini Fridge With Top Freeze
- Best Budget Mini Fridge: Insignia 1.7 Cu. Ft. Mini Fridge
- Best Quiet Mini Fridge: Smad Mini Fridge With Lock
- Best Small Mini Fridge: Frigidaire 1.6 Cu. Ft. Mini Fridge
- Best Mini Fridge for Dorms: Frigidaire 3.2 Cu. Ft. Mini Fridge With Eraser Board
- Best Mini Fridge With Two Doors: Arctic King 3.2 Cu. Ft. Two-Door Mini Fridge
- Best Retro-Style Mini Fridge: Galanz Retro-Compact Refrigerator
- Best Multipurpose Mini Fridge: Sobro Coffee Table Fridge
When you think of a mini fridge, you probably think about shopping for college. And while a mini fridge is absolutely essential for dorm life, these pint-sized machines can be used for so much more at home. They’re great for a guest house or mother-in-law suite. They’re convenient for storing sports drinks and water easily within reach in the garage or home gym. For many homeowners who have a basement or carriage house living space they rent on Airbnb or VRBO, a good mini fridge is a must-have if the rental space doesn't have a full kitchen. And for those living in a tiny house, the mini fridge is the fridge. Take a look at our roundup below for a list of the best of the best, from the quietest model to the best option on a budget to a mini fridge that’s actually cute.
Things to Consider About Mini Fridges
There are a lot of choices and a lot of features to consider when shopping for a mini fridge. The most important thing to note is the temperature. Though they look similar, a beverage chiller and a mini fridge have different cooling settings and a beverage chiller will not keep perishable food at a cool enough temperature to safely store and consume. Additionally, mini fridge freezers aren't built for long-term freezing. This is not where you want to freeze raw meat. It's more for ice cubes, ice cream and microwavable meals.
Other important factors include size, which is measured in cubic feet, and the option to have a freezer component. Most mini fridges range from two to four cubic feet with the smallest around 1.5 cubic feet and the largest around 4.5 cubic feet.
How We Picked
We’ve done the work and combed through the world of mini fridges for you. We focused on the sliding scale of features versus price and nearly every mini fridge in this roundup is under $300. Some are even under $100! We also took customer reviews as well as energy performance into consideration. And when possible, we prioritized models with multiple colorways and finishes such as stainless steel and even a dry-erase door.
On the sliding scale of features vs. budget, this Midea mini fridge hits the sweet spot for all-around value. It’s just over three cubic feet, which is fairly large for a mini fridge. It’s less than $220 (with free shipping for Amazon Prime members). And it has two separate doors which are reversible, so, if you move or change dorm rooms, you can change whether the doors open from the left or the right depending on your space — genius.
This EdgeStar mini fridge is one of the more expensive models in our roundup, but, if you plan on storing several frozen meals or a couple of pints of ice cream, it’s worth the investment. Mini fridge freezers are typically sad little boxes with a sad little flap with only enough room for maybe two ice pops, but the EdgeStar has a huge freezer. It also features a separate freezer door that actually keeps items ice-cold, unlike those sad little freezer flaps.
It’s an oxymoron, but there are some great jumbo mini fridges out there. These not-so-small appliances are perfect for rental suites or a guest cottage where you need to create a small kitchenette. One of the best we found is this Frigidaire model. At a whopping 4.5 cubic feet total, this thing can hold a 12-pack of soda and a full gallon of milk with tons of room to spare. The fridge itself is 3.9 cubic feet and the small freezer with flap closure is .6 cubic feet.
Right now, you can score this Insignia compact fridge for less than $70 at Best Buy. We rarely see mini fridges — even the small ones — drop below $150, so, if you're on a budget, this one is a great value. At just 1.7 cubic feet, this is one of the smallest mini fridges, but it still has enough room for a six-pack of soda and a small carton of milk.
If you’re in a dorm or a tiny house and you’re sleeping close to a mini fridge, you don’t want to buy one that makes strange sounds or a loud humming in the night. Enter the Smad Mini Fridge. This compact machine is made with “low-noise technology” and is praised by light sleepers on Amazon. It’s so quiet that the company issued a statement on the product page to clarify that the fridge is, in fact, running, even if you can’t hear anything!
Of course, all mini fridges are small, but if you're looking to go as small as possible, this teeny, tiny fridge from Frigidaire can sit on a desk or stack on top of another appliance such as a beverage chiller or dorm dresser even. This is also a great option if you're looking for a small chiller for beauty products as it takes up much less space on a bathroom counter or under the sink compared to larger mini-fridges. And in addition to basic white, Amazon has several fun colorway options, too!
While any of the mini fridges in this list would make great dorm fridges, this 3.2 cubic feet fridge from Frigidaire is a great size for food storage, has a subtly retro style and boasts an extra fun feature for dorms. The door is actually a dry-erase board, so you can leave reminders to yourself or roommates, jot down notes or just doodle. It comes in white and black and glow-in-the-dark neon dry-erase markers would be perfect for the black finish.
A mini fridge with a separate freezer door is super handy because you can grab what you need from each compartment without letting all the cold air out, but the extra drawer usually comes at a higher price. However, we found this stainless steel two-door model from Walmart for less than $200!
Instead of a basic white box, why not have fun with a 50s-inspired, throwback-style fridge? There are so many adorable, retro-style refrigerators on the market, but we love this 3.1 cubic feet fridge from Galanz because, unlike other brands, it features a separate freezer door and a little more space. Plus, it comes in a few fun colors if neutrals aren't your thing.
If you're willing to splurge a bit, let your coffee table double as a refrigerator. Available in white and black, this next-level coffee table from Sobro may be pricier than a traditional mini fridge, but it features a pull-out drawer to keep your snacks and drinks perfectly chilled, four USB ports for charging, two outlets, a Bluetooth speaker system, LED lights and a touch screen control top. Food and a fully charged phone at the ready? You might never leave the couch.
