![]() Over the course of a week, including a day for calibration, we put each mini fridge through its paces. 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. To mitigate these effects, we test each refrigerator in a special lab that conditions the air to a temperature of 72☏ +/- 5☏, and a relative humidity of 50% RH +/- 15% RH (basically, room temperature conditions). 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. In cold weather, the fridge can struggle to operate in general. In hot weather, the fridge's condenser and cooling coils have to work harder to cool the warmer air. Refrigerators pull in the surrounding air and cool it down to around 37☏ to preserve food and inhibit bacteria growth. Mini fridges (and full-size refrigerators) in particular can be very sensitive to ambient air 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. You've probably noticed that different appliances and devices operate best in certain temperature conditions. We tested mini fridges the same way we test full-size fridges-just scaled down to size. 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.ĭespite its shortcomings, the Magic Chef HMCR320WE offers more than enough performance to make it our top pick. The downside of this design is that it actually causes the door to spring open if you don't close it with sufficient force. The door seems to have an internal mechanism to help it close and stay closed. ![]() In terms of drawbacks, there is only one minor usability issue. All the other models we tested run a few degrees warmer than they should on their default settings. The HMCR320WE was actually the only mini fridge we tested to have a properly calibrated freezer. Its freezer temperatures aren't as consistent, though it didn't stray far from -2☏ during testing. Its fridge and freezer temps are remarkably stable, hovering right around the ideal 37☏. can dispenser rack, a bin capable of holding a 2-liter bottle, and another, smaller bin.īut, the best feature? The HMCR320WE's excellent temperature control in both its fridge and freezer compartments. It also has a good mix of storage options inside, with an 8-oz. For starters, it has a really interesting look, mixing a pastel green with a classic car design. The Magic Chef HMCR320WE isn't perfect, but it does so much right. 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. Our favorite fridge is the Magic Chef HMCR320WE ( available at Home Depot for $0.00), which is a good fit for those looking for a high-performance mini fridge at a great price. In our tests, we consider temperature consistency, storage capacity, and usability as the most important aspects of a good mini fridge. 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. As a result, we decided to test some of the highest-rated mini fridges on the market to see how they hold up. ![]() ![]() Here at Reviewed, our experts have tested hundreds of full-size refrigerators over the years and found some are definitely better than others. 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. Very few people actually shop around for their mini fridge. Written by Mark Brezinski, Jonathan Chan, and Kyle Hamilton
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