The RCA 3.2 cu ft and the Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft are both good mini fridges that pack a lot of great features. While they are not necessarily the best bargain you can get, they are still good value. But at the end of the day, you will probably only choose 1 product to carry home and use. So which product is the most suitable for you? RCA vs. Black+Decker mini fridge, which one should you choose?
RCA 3.2 cu ft mini fridge
The RCA compact fridge 3.2 cu ft
Black+Decker 3.2 cu ft mini fridge
Both the RCA compact fridge 3.2 cu ft and the Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft come with a plethora of feature to justify their relatively high price.
Similarities
In features:
- Additional storage: Beside the normal space in the fridges themselves, the doors also have additional storage for drinks and small items like eggs, condiments, aromatics, garnishes, and more.
- Dedicated freezer space: You can use the freezer space to freeze and store food for a long period of time for later use.
- Reversible door: The door can be opened both ways so you have more versatility during the fridge in multiple spots in the house.
- Adjustable thermostat: You can change the temperature so that it is suitable for what you store inside the fridge.
- Manual defrost: You just simply press a button and the fridge will defrost.
- Adjustable lever legs: the 4 legs’ height can be individually assisted to compensate for uneven ground surface.
- Removable shelves: With the 2 shelves, you can arrange them as you want to fit certain foods and drinks in the fridge; or you can remove them completely for bigger space.
Differences
RCA compact fridge 3.2 cu ft
Specification
- Size: 17.68” W x 18.5” D x 32.8” H
- Capacity: 84L or 3.2 cu ft inner space
- Weight: 50.7 lbs
- Freezer capacity: 0.2 cu ft
- Refrigerant type: R134a, 1.77 Oz/50g
Feature
Multiple color variants: you can get this fridge in black, blue, green, orange, purple, red, stainless (silver), and white.
Keep in mind that all other color variants are a lot more expensive than the black variant (roughly $150).
Pricing
The RCA compact fridge 3.2 cu ft is about $150 for the cheapest variant and up to about $500 for the most expensive one.
Black + Decker Mini fridge 3.2 cu ft
Specification
- Dimensions: 19.29” L x 17.52” W x 32.72” H
- Freezer size: 12.8” W x 4.3” H
- Weight: 50.7 lbs
- Capacity: 3.2 cu ft
- Wattage: 219W
- Lowest reachable temperature: 32°F (or 0°C)
- Refrigerant type: R600a refrigerant, No Ozone depletion
Feature
- Low sound operation: The fridge can operate relatively quietly at 45dB, which is suitable for a variety of places like waiting room, entertainment room, or even baby room if you want to keep the milk cool for feeding.
- Inverter: This technology helps save some electricity and makes the fridge operate more efficiently.
Pricing
The Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft is about $176 for the cheapest variant and up to about $215 for the most expensive one.
Which fridge should you choose? And why?
You should choose the Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft fridge. While it is pricier than the RCA compact fridge 3.2 cu ft, it offers more meaningful features in terms of convenience and saving the environment.
Let’s take a detailed look at why the Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft is better. For about $50 more, you will get:
A quieter fridge
The Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft can run relatively quietly at just 45dB. Which means, this fridge can be placed in more places than the RCA compact fridge 3.2 cu ft.
In particular, you can place the Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft in the waiting room, game or TV room, and even baby room for storing the milk and getting it ready on the go for feeding.
Black and Decker – Ultra Quiet
A more efficient fridge
With the inverter technology, the Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft is able to run constantly at the most optimal speeds.
This has 2 key benefits:
- The fridge doesn’t need restarting every time you need to use it
- The speed is variable and dependent on the outside temperature or how much stuff there are inside the fridge
Both benefits help the fridge run more efficiently, waste less electricity and preserve the life span of the compressor better.
A more environment-friendly fridge
The refrigerant type can affect the ozone in the hemisphere to some extent, and the ozone depletion figure points out how much the fridge will affect it.
The R600a refrigerant found in the Black + Decker 3.2 cu ft generally doesn’t deplete ozone at all, and its contribution to greenhouse effect is neglectable.
Also, R600a refrigerant can reduce power consumption compared to R134a found in the RCA compact fridge 3.2 cu ft.
Further reading: Best Mini Fridge Under $200
Conclusion
Overall, the Black+Decker 3.2 cu ft is better than the RCA compact fridge 3.2 cu ft in many areas such as noise, efficiency, and environmental impact.
Reference:
- Exergy analysis and optimization of R600a, sciencedirect.com, Jun 2013
- RCA RFR322-B RFR322 3.2 Cu Ft Single Door Mini Fridge, amazon.com, Retrieved on Nov 20, 2021
- BLACK+DECKER BCRK32B Compact Refrigerator, amazon.com, Retrieved on Nov 15, 2021
