Besides the popular two-door refrigerators for small families, mini refrigerators are extremely popular. Consumers usually buy an additional mini fridge to place in the bedroom or office to store soft drinks or nutritious drinks. Some people are wondering if mini refrigerator has a freezer and how to buy a good mini fridge with freezer.
To learn about mini fridges and their freezers, let’s first find out what types of mini fridges are available on the current market.
Types of mini fridges
Portable mini fridge
- Available in capacity from 4 liters to less than 20 liters.
- Usually has both cooling and heating functions.
- The cooling temperature is about 10 – 20 degrees Celsius.
- The heating temperature is about 65 degrees Celsius.
- Suitable for cooling drinks, preserving food when traveling or storing cosmetics.
- The travel mini fridge usually has low price, usually less than $100.
Further reading: Which is a Cheap Skincare Fridge You Should Buy?
Small mini fridge
- Its capacity from 0.9 to 2.4 cubic feet.
- The outer shape is very compact, looks like a cube.
- The mini refrigerator usually has a small freezer at the top, you can put ice cream or a small ice tray.
- Most suitable for students, single people who live alone and the room does not allow a larger refrigerator.
Mid-sized mini fridge
- The capacity is from 2.4 cubic feet (about 60 liters) to less than 3.2 cubic feet (93 liters).
- Its height is usually no more than 35 inches (90cm).
- The freezer compartment is larger than the small one above, but you can’t put a lot of things, still just a few ice creams, yogurt, one or two small ice trays.
- Suitable for 1-2 people with little use, especially suitable for students living at dorms or people staying in hostels or offices.
Large-sized mini fridge
- Its capacity is from 3.5 cubic feet (100 liters) to less than (5.3 cubic feet) 150 liters.
- This fridge often has 2 separate doors.
- While the above models are not equipped with anti-freeze or deodorizing capabilities, this one is.
- The freezer compartment is separated and has the largest capacity in the mini refrigerator line, suitable for those who need to use the freezer a lot.
- Can be a perfect additional refrigerator, used for a family of 2 people, or to be placed in the office.
Do the mini fridges have freezers?
After reading about types of mini fridges above, you may have the answer for the question whether the mini fridges have freezers.
There are types of mini fridges that are not equipped with freezer, and they cannot make ice due to their small size (because the lowest temperature generated is not enough to make ice). The mid-sized mini refrigerators have freezer which is inside the fridge and has a very small size. The large mini fridges are equipped with a separate freezer compartment and have anti-freezing and deodorizing features.
Further reading: 10 Best Mini Fridges with Freezer
How does the freezer in a mini fridge work?
To maintain the cold temperature that you selected, your compressor mini fridge freezer alternates between these two following fluid cycles: The cold air is regularly kept inside, while hot air is expelled to the outside. Whether the cold level you set is high or low, this mechanism works smoothly to keep the food cold and fresh in the freezer.
Pros and cons of mini fridge with freezer
Pros:
In general, a mini refrigerator with a freezer compartment has the following advantages:
- A compact design which does not take up much space and is easy to move when needed. Suitable for small spaces and small families, 1-2 people.
- Energy saving, low power consumption.
- Mini refrigerator has a convenient ice-making compartment, direct cooling mode, so it cools quickly.
- Low cost, suitable for families with small space, students or single people.
Cons:
- Models are not diverse to choose from.
- Can’t hold much food due to small capacity.
- The freezer compartment is often frozen. You must defrost and clean regularly to avoid the smell of the refrigerator. The ice making speed is slower than the large refrigerator.
- Usually, it is not equipped with modern technology such as antibacterial, deodorant, no anti-freeze feature.
- Not suitable for long-term storage of foods such as meat, fish or leftovers because the temperature is not cold enough and is prone to the smell of the refrigerator.
Should you buy a mini fridge with separate freezer?
Depending on your needs, you can decide whether to buy a mini fridge with freezer or not.
A freezer may be an internal part of the fridge. Other mini fridges have separate freezer which is open with its own door. Here are some points to consider before choosing a fridge with separate freezer.
Mini fridges with separate freezer are larger than the ones with internal freezers. You should only consider buying them if you have enough space for them. More storage space also means they’ll be more expensive than mini fridges with an internal freezer or no freezer at all.
Obviously, a mini fridge with a separate freezer has a lot more advantages such as it will have more space for food, some models also include shelves to make it convenient for arranging different kinds of food. You will also get frozen items without affecting the cool compartment.
However, if the freezer is a separate unit, it will most likely have no lights. It can become inconvenient when you’re trying to get stuff from the freezer in the dark.
How to buy a good mini fridge with freezer
To choose a mini fridge in general and a refrigerator equipped with freezer, you should pay attention to the following criteria:
Big size
Even if it is a mini refrigerator, you should also choose a cabinet that is as large as possible. The larger the refrigerator, the less energy it consumes. The reason is that the large refrigerators are equipped with insulation panels while small refrigerators are not. This insulation helps the cabinet not have to operate continuously to keep the refrigerator cold, so it consumes less electricity.
Refrigerator with separate freezer
Some products require storage in the freezer. If a refrigerator without freezer, it is inconvenient. However, if you choose a mini fridge with separate freezer compartment, it will be best because the required temperature in each compartment is different. Two separate compartments will help preserve the food best.
Customizable shelves
Some refrigerators have fixed shelves, which is also inconvenient. Instead, choose a refrigerator with shelves that can be flexibly moved up and down to change the height of that compartment to suit your needs. Sometimes, when necessary, you can remove the shelves to make the refrigerator more spacious.
Shelves material
It is best to choose shelves made of tempered glass or made of high-quality plastic. These materials are durable for a long time, no rust, ensure hygiene and are also easy to clean.
Low noise level
As mentioned above, mini refrigerators are often used in bedrooms, student accommodation, office or hotel rooms. These are all small spaces, so it’s better when buying a mini fridge that operates quietly or with a small noise level so as not to affect your living or working space.
Save electricity
Currently, most large refrigerators are equipped with Inverter technology – today’s leading power-saving technology. However, mini fridges are almost not. You can choose a fridge that consumes as little power as possible. To save electricity, you should put the fridge in a cool place so that it can radiate heat normally. This will help save energy for mini refrigerators and help them work well.
Choose a reliable brand
Danby, Midea, RCA, Frigidaire, Galanz, Black & Decker are the trusted brands for you to consider.
Conclusion
Not all mini fridges have freezers. Although it brings many benefits to you, a mini fridge with freezer also has some disadvantages as mentioned above. You should choose a mini fridge from famous and trusted brands for better quality and warranty policy.
Reference
- Everything You Need to Know About Mini Fridges, homecookworld.com, Retrieved on Apr. 29, 2022
- How do mini fridge freezers work, sidmartinbio.org, Retrieved on Apr. 28, 2022
