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Including cube-sized, mid-sized, and almost full-sized fridges for your student.
If you have a child preparing to go off to college or you're planning for the big move yourself, then you know there's plenty of college dorm room essentials you'll need. While shower caddies and mattress protectors are usually at the top of the list, many kitchen necessities are almost forgotten about, including mini fridges. And, yes, you definitely need a mini fridge for college. Whether you opt for a small cube-sized fridge or you max out your space (ideal if you're living in a suite-style dorm), a mini fridge is worth the investment.
But, fortunately, it doesn't have to be a big investment. While a regular-sized fridge can cost thousands, mini fridges can come at pretty reasonable prices, including under $100. All of the mini fridges that made this list combine efficiency, durability, and bargain pricing so you can cut down time on shopping and spend all the family time before they fly the coop.
But before hitting "buy now," you may want to do a bit of research on mini fridges.
Well, that depends on your college or university. Any form of student housing is going to inform parents and students of the maximum fridge size they can bring. Here are the most common you'll come across:
Now that you've determined the size you're shopping for, there are a few other things to evaluate, the first of which being whether or not you'd like a freezer. Mini fridges can come one of three ways—without any freezer compartment, an upper freezer or chilling compartment included in the main fridge area, or a separate freezer on a two-door fridge. If you plan on storing multiple frozen meals or half-gallon tubs of ice cream, then you might want to opt for a separate freezer door. Otherwise, a freezer compartment should suit you fine.
Next up, you'll want to look for reversible door hinges. This allows you to switch the way the door opens, which is a nice feature when you're not sure exactly how your dorm will be laid out.
Now that you know exactly what you want, you're ready to get shopping!
The middle adjustable shelf on this mini fridge kicks it a notch above the rest. The tempered glass shelves are also easy to clean, making this mini fridge perfect for messy college students. We love the in-door storage that includes spots for eight cans, one 2-liter bottle, and a small spot for butter or something of similar size. While it doesn't have a crisper drawer, the lack of one frees up the bottom of the fridge completely, so the storage space is surprisingly large for such a small refrigerator.
One major note on this mini fridge, however, is that there's not much difference between the 2.6 cu. ft. model and the 3.3 cu. ft. model (which we'll discuss soon). For just a bit more money, you're getting far more space, shelving, and an interior light. We'd advise opting for the larger unit if you're able to.
Dimensions: 19 1/8 x 31 3/8 x 17 3/4 in.
Don't be fooled by the slightly smaller size of this mini fridge in comparison to the previous one—the freezer storage on it is quite impressive in comparison to most other models. The freezer compartment encloses the upper portion of the freezer, so if your student is low on space in their room but still wants to indulge in a frozen meal or ice cream, this model might be your best bet.
The main compartment of this compact fridge includes two shelves for three separate areas to store snacks and beverages. The in-door storage has a six-can dispenser, a spot for a 2-liter bottle, and a full shelf of upper storage.
Dimensions: 17.5 x 26.6 x 18.5 in.
If you're looking for plenty of space and have no need for a freezer compartment, then this 3.3 cu. ft. fridge should provide more than enough for one-two people.
The main interior compartment includes a whopping four shelves in addition to a crisper drawer at the bottom. The door features four total compartments—a can dispenser, long shelf at the top, small shelf in the middle, and a shelf at the bottom that can hold a half-gallon of milk or 2-liter bottle. However, in comparison to the Frigidaire model coming up next, the storage in the door could be utilized more efficiently.
We really appreciate the adjustable shelves on this unit. With so many shelves, adjusting (or even removing 1) to create your ideal space efficiency is beyond easy. Not to mention the tempered glass looks incredibly chic and is easy to clean.
Dimensions: 19 1/8 x 32 3/4 x 17 3/4 in.
The space efficiency of this mini fridge is bar none, particularly the layout of the door compartments. In the door alone, you have five separate storage areas, including one that can fit either a 2-liter bottle or half gallon of milk.
The interior area has two tempered glass adjustable shelves and a chill box that can hold frozen meals. While the freezer box and interior are box controlled by the same temperature dial, the freezer box does have a door to hold in plenty of cold air.
Dimensions: 18 7/10 x 33 2/5 x 17 1/2 in.
Complete with a removable crisper drawer, this mini fridge has room for 8 canned drinks, a 2-liter bottle, a pack of butter, plenty of produce, and still with 2 shelves worth of room left in the main compartment. While the freezer is smaller, you could fit multiple 1/2 gallon ice cream tubs as well as frozen dinners in the door.
The tempered glass shelves give this mini fridge a slight upgrade for little cost, and the crisper drawer is removable if you'd prefer to maximize your space efficiency. While many reviewers weren't thrilled about the can dispenser, they were quick to change their minds after realizing that the spots could be used for yogurt, small bottles, and so much more.
One complaint about this mini fridge is that both the freezer and the fridge are controlled by the same temperature dial, though this is standard on almost any mini fridge/freezer of this size.
Dimensions: 18.7 x 33.78 x 21.5 in.
This cube mini fridge comes with a 4.6/5 star rating for under $100, which we'd consider quite the bargain. It has a fairly spacious interior considering the small space it takes up, with 1.7 cu. ft. of room for all your snacks and beverages. The door features two shelves, a small upper shelf and a lower shelf that is able to fit a wine bottle or something of similar size. The interior includes one wire shelf that's easy to clean and leaves plenty of room for taller items to fit.
The biggest downside with the Insignia cube fridge is that the shelf isn't adjustable and you also can't add more shelving. If you're looking for plenty of space to fit taller items like gallon or 2-liter bottles, though, this is your best bet. Because it lacks a freezer compartment, there's plenty of space above the wire shelf for taller items.
Dimensions: 19 5/16 x 17 5/16 x 19 1/2 in.
Just because you're looking for a cube-sized mini fridge doesn't mean you have to sacrifice having a freezer. The Midea compact fridge has a separate freezer compartment in the upper corner, complete with a door to lock in as much cold air as possible. The main compartment of the fridge features a wire non-adjustable shelf and the door includes two separate shelves, a smaller one at the top and one that spans the bottom of the door with an area for a 2-liter bottle.
With a similar interior design as the Insignia fridge, this mini refrigerator doesn't offer as much space for taller items due to the chilling compartment. And the lack of adjustable shelving is a shared downside between the two. But, considering the amount you can fit inside this little guy, he takes one of our top spots.
Dimensions: 17.72 x 18.58 x 19.37 Inches
If your student is lucky enough to be in a dorm that allows for slightly larger fridges, then take advantage of that and give them all the space they can have—trust us, they'll love you for it.
The interior of this fridge boasts more than enough room for two people to store their necessities and then some. The main compartment includes a crisper drawer and two additional adjustable glass shelves. The door has an eight-can dispenser as well as a full bottom shelf that can store two half-gallon milk jugs and two smaller upper containers.
While this compact fridge doesn't have a separate freezer compartment, it does have an upper chilling section that's large enough to fit a few frozen meals, something your student will assuredly get tons of use out of.
Though this 4.5 cu. ft. compact fridge seems large thanks to all the storage space, it's surprisingly small on the exterior.
This fridge earned our top spot thanks to the incredibly efficient layout. The main compartment includes a crisper drawer as well as two adjustable glass shelves. The in-door compartment has a can dispenser in addition to a full-length upper shelf, small middle shelf, and a lower section that can store two half gallons of milk.
The separate freezer section is a luxury your student will love. Not only does it have a shelf in the main compartment, but it also has in-door storage. This fridge is a bit more of a splurge, but it's worth it if your child will be in student housing for more than one year.
The only major downside of this fridge is that it seems to lack the ability to switch the door direction, so you'll have to make sure it's situated in a spot that makes it easy to open.
They'll be the talk of the hall with a mini fridge this cute. This retro-inspired mini fridge has the classic Frigidaire logo, along with a vintage-style door opener and even a bottle opener on the side.
But it's not just cute. This mini fridge packs some serious space inside with 3.2 cu. ft. capacity. It has two adjustable glass slide-out shelves in the main compartment in addition to a top freezer section that includes an ice tray. The door contains a can dispenser, two narrow shelves, and one long shelf, so they'll have plenty of room for all the necessities. This retro-style fridge comes in a variety of colors as well as a cube sized option and a separate freezer option.
Dimensions: 16.5 x 19 x 31 inches
Let's be real: dorm rooms are tiny, so any item that can play double-duty is a win in our books. This fridge is small but mighty. It can sit atop their desk or vanity and doubles as a mirror—complete with LED lighting—and a spot to hold their drinks and a few snacks. If they're truly low on space, this might be a winner for you. It comes in two sizes, 4 liter and 6 liter, so they can choose one that perfectly fits their space.
Dimensions: 7.25"D x 10.25"W x 11.25"H