Do Mini Fridges Have Freezers? (How to Choose a Mini Fridge)
Mini fridges have become a popular household appliance, and they’re great for keeping drinks and snacks cold. However, many people are curious to know if mini fridges come equipped with a freezer.
Some mini fridges do have a built-in freezer. However, not all mini fridges have a freezer, and the size of the freezer compartment can vary from model to model. Some mini fridges have a separate freezer compartment, while others have a freezer compartment that’s part of the main refrigerator section.
While hearing this is a relief, there is more than meets the eye. In this article, we will help you learn about the different types of mini-fridges, how they work to keep your foods safe, how cold they can get, and what things you need to consider before purchasing one.
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Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
Many mini-fridges come with separate freezer compartments, but the best ones are the ones that come with double doors. Single-door mini-fridges usually have a small freezer section, which is not convenient if you need more space.
If you need something larger, you may want to try a large mini fridge that can aid you in preserving important frozen foods, such as meat. We think these options may be suitable for your needs:
1. Galanz Retro Compact Mini Fridge – A large mini fridge with a separate fridge. It provides a wide space for food storage and lets you adjust its temperature.
2. 2-Door Stainless Steel Mini Fridge – This mini fridge uses a compressor to provide good cool temperatures to preserve food. It also comes with a reversible door.
3. Built-In Beverage Cooler – If you want to add a mini bar to your home, you can use this mini fridge to store your preferred drinks.
Mini Fridges
There is only one type of mini fridge that will be suitable for your needs. Nonetheless, you need to know how they work to understand the type of mini fridge you need. So, let’s discuss this matter below.
Is There a Cheap Mini Fridge With a Freezer?
There are affordable mini fridges with a freezer, although their cheap cost does not guarantee their quality. The working quality of a mini fridge is determined by its features and the convenience they provide you according to your needs.
The lowest cost for a cheap mini fridge ranges from $50 to $120, while the most expensive ones can go up to $400. While there are mini fridges with freezers at a cheaper rate, it does not mean they will fit your needs entirely.
Do All Mini Fridges Come With Built-in Freezers?
Although most mini fridges come with built-in freezers, other mini fridges don’t provide a freezer. These mini fridges are often used for storing medication, makeup products, and temporary cold items, like beverages.
Mini fridges that don’t have freezers are often used in work environments. For example, it’s common to find these types of fridges in break rooms at call centers or in personal offices in big buildings.
However, these can also be convenient for people that have minibars at their homes. Some mini fridges are designed to store wine and other types of beer, providing separate shelves for them.
Are There Mini Fridges Without Freezers?
There are mini fridges without freezers mainly used to store medication, beauty products, beverages, and temporary cold products. You can also use them to store fruits and vegetables, as they don’t perish quickly.
And if you think you need more space to store your items without spending much money, you can get a small mini fridge and accompany it with a mini freezer. The latter works like a mini fridge. The only thing is that it works at colder temperatures to store frozen items.
How Does the Freezer Work in a Mini Fridge?
The freezer works like a regular fridge if your mini fridge runs on a compressor-based cooling mechanism. The compressor will keep the inside of the refrigerator cold and provide enough cold air for the freezer to function.
If the compressor stops working, the whole device stops working. A compressor is an essential part of the fridge since it wouldn’t provide cold air without it. However, fixing or replacing this part is costly. Therefore, if it happens, it’s better to replace the entire appliance.
How Big Is the Freezer in a Mini Fridge?
A freezer inside a mini fridge is around three to 3.5 cubic feet big, depending on the model and general size of the small refrigerator. Usually, freezers of this size are accompanied by fridge storage of nine to 9.5 cubic feet of space.
This means that a general mini fridge would be 17.5 inches deep and 20 inches wide. Mini fridges don’t tend to go above these sizes unless they are large mini fridges with more space.
How Cold Are Mini Fridge Freezers?
Mini fridge freezers stay around five to seven degrees Fahrenheit to keep frozen foods from thawing or spoiling, but you can modify this temperature if your mini fridge provides that option.
For example, you can put your mini fridge’s freezer to the lowest temperature setting, which can be as low as negative three degrees Fahrenheit. However, not all mini fridges provide this option, so you should check if the appliance provides this feature before buying it.
Food Storage
Mini fridges are convenient because you can store many food items in an accessible way. However, what are the limits to food storage? Of course, ensuring your safety should be the priority, which is why we’ll discuss this topic here.
Can You Keep Frozen Food in a Mini Fridge?
You can keep frozen food in a mini fridge if you’re sure the freezer temperature is adequate for your specific food items. Otherwise, storing perishable frozen foods in your mini fridge’s freezer is not recommended.
The recommended temperature at which you need to store frozen items is zero degrees to avoid the risk of spoilage. However, not all mini fridges can provide this low temperature, and not all mini fridges allow you to control their temperature settings.
Can You Store Meat in a Mini Fridge Freezer?
Whether you can store meat in a mini fridge depends on the quality of your mini fridge freezer and how steady your power supply is. For example, it’s not recommended to store meat in the freezer of a mini fridge if you are in an area with constant voltage fluctuations.
Meat should be stored at temperatures ranging from 28 to 32 Fahrenheit to ensure its longevity. However, it’s preferable to keep meat at freezing temperatures to ensure that there is no bacterial growth.
Can a Mini Fridge Keep Meat Cold?
A mini fridge can help you keep your meat cold for two to three days if the temperatures are below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. However, any temperature higher than that will increase the chances of bacterial growth and spoilage, according to the US Department of Health.
It’s preferable to store meat at temperatures around 32 degrees Fahrenheit to keep them cold temporarily. You can store it for two to three days at maximum. After the estimated timeframe passes, the meat should be deemed as questionable and cannot be consumed.
What Can You Keep in a Mini Fridge?
You can store ice cream, frozen vegetables, frozen pre-made foods, and frozen fruits inside a freezer in a mini fridge. However, remember that you can only do so temporarily, as there is a risk of thawing within four days from storage.
Other items you can keep inside a mini fridge include makeup, skincare products, medications, and beverages. However, each product has its specific type of mini fridge.
For example, skincare products have a beauty mini fridge, while soft drinks and liquor have a beverage mini fridge with shelves designed to hold them accordingly. However, some mini fridges will have different shelves and compartments to store different food items.
Can a Mini Fridge Keep Milk Cold?
A mini fridge can keep milk cold so long as it holds a sustainable temperature that ranges from 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Anything above those temperatures can increase the risk of spoilage for the milk and make it unsafe for consumption.
Generally, mini-fridges keep a temperature significantly similar to regular fridges, so your milk should be fine. However, this could be different for breast milk. In that case, you should consult a trusted website to guide you properly.
Can You Keep Food Frozen in a Mini Fridge?
You can keep food frozen in a mini fridge that provides the temperature your food items need to remain preserved. However, if your mini fridge does not have temperature controls that let you control the level of cold, it’s unlikely you can.
Some mini fridges come with temperature controls that lower the temperature of the mini fridge’s freezer and the device. This can help you control the environment of your frozen foods, aiding in increasing their longevity.
However, if your mini fridge does not have this option, don’t keep frozen foods inside for too long. Perhaps you can keep ice cream, frozen fruits, and similar items inside your mini fridge. But, foods that need extra cold, like meat, shouldn’t be stored there long-term.
You might also enjoy our post on Why Do Icicles Form in Freezers?
Troubleshooting
Like with all appliances, mini-fridges can sometimes have their woes, so you need to understand what to do when these problems occur. An extremely frozen fridge is the most common situation any mini fridge owner has faced. So, how to thaw it? Let’s talk about it now.
Why Do Mini Fridges Freeze?
Mini fridges tend to freeze when the temperature is not adjusted correctly, and there is an accumulation of moisture, or when any mini fridge parts are loose. Likewise, a constantly untidy fridge can freeze quicker.
It’s common for the accumulation of moisture to be the number one culprit behind a freezing mini fridge. However, this accumulation could be caused by a loose hinge or gasket. If any of them are loose, air won’t be sealed properly and will cause freezing to accelerate.
When this happens, the compressor overworks, and thus it creates an icy problem. Certainly, you have to unfreeze your mini fridge as soon as you discover this situation. Otherwise, it may harm your appliance.
Can You Turn off the Freezer in a Mini Fridge?
Turning off the freezer in a mini fridge is impossible because turning it off will turn off the whole device. Likewise, if you try disconnecting the freezer, you might harm the appliance, causing it to cease to work as it should.
Therefore, you should avoid any attempt at disconnecting or tampering with the freezer to ensure the appliance’s longevity.
If your device is not cooling as you need it to, or you need to keep frozen foods but worry about not having the right temperature, try getting a standard separate mini freezer instead. Additionally, you can get a mini fridge with two-door compartments too.
How Do I Get the Frost Out of My Mini Fridge?
You can get the frost out of your mini fridge by using the defrost setting or by doing so manually. The first step is to get all your items out of the fridge and store them in a cooler or a bathtub full of ice.
Here are the steps and tips you should follow to defrost your mini fridge:
- Make sure the front door of your device is protected. Place a towel in front of it. There will likely be a watery mess in front of your fridge due to the excess water it may have.
- After storing your food items in a safe space, start by unplugging the device. Then, open the doors and leave them like that for an hour.
- If your mini fridge includes a defrost setting, press the corresponding button and let it be for a couple of hours. Once the fridge finishes, it will restart. Then, you can place your items again.
- For manual defrosting, try pulling it away carefully once the ice starts melting. If the ice is stubborn, you can use some vinegar and baking soda to help loosen it quicker. Then, grab the pieces of ice with an old rag or towel.
- Once everything is melted and taken care of, clean the device. After it is clean and dry, plug it in and place your items inside.
- Most fridges come with a drip pan that fills with water whenever you defrost your fridge. Make sure that this is in place before beginning to defrost. This applies to both automatic and manual defrosting.
How Often Should I Defrost My Mini Fridge?
You should defrost your mini fridge every two or three months since keeping it fresh and clean is easier with a consistent defrosting schedule. Additionally, it can help you increase the durability of your appliance.
Likewise, it is recommended that you choose to defrost your mini fridge at least two days before a big trip. That way, you’ll avoid being welcomed by huge messes that may involve your fridge. Further, it will also help you preserve your fridge.
How Long Does It Take a Mini Fridge to Defrost?
Defrosting your mini fridge can take up to three hours, depending on the type of mini fridge you have and your method of defrosting. If your mini fridge comes with a defrost setting, it will likely take a couple of hours.
Automatic defrosting tends to be quicker than manual defrosting. This is because, with manual defrosting, you would have to clean and dry everything yourself. If you have doubts about your freezer or defrost setting, consult your manufacturer’s manual.
Related Questions
Are Mini-Fridges Worth the Money?
Mini fridges can be worth the money if you’re the type who cares about saving money on their electricity bill or if you don’t want to invest much in an appliance. Also, since these fridges don’t require much energy, they will be convenient for your pocket.
Mini fridges can help keep food items in office environments and dorms. In addition, they aid in saving space or having easy access to beverages when entertaining guests constantly. The best part of these appliances is that they last, on average, about ten years if maintained well.
Do Mini Fridge Freezers Have Compressors?
Most mini fridges have compressors that help fluctuate cold air into the fridge, but not all refrigerators work with one. Some refrigerators use a thermoelectric cooling system to run cold air on the fridge.
The thermoelectric cooling mechanism uses a module to keep cooling temperatures within the fridge. Basically, they work using the Peltier effect. It uses two metallic plates, one of which passes heat onto the other to let the cold plate pass cold temperature to the fridge’s inside.
For this reason, they are best at reserving energy. And, since they don’t run on a compressor, they don’t make any sound. Nevertheless, there is also the absorption cooling system, but it is not very common and not cost-effective.
Do Hotel Mini Fridges Have Freezers?
Many hotel mini fridges have freezers within their rooms, but most charge an extra fee for choosing rooms with this feature. However, if you need to stay at a hotel and need a fridge for medications, your provider can accommodate this.
All you need to do is to call the hotel and ask for your options. Depending on the type of rooms and service, they could provide you with a room with a mini fridge that includes a freezer within your package or as an extra.
Final Thoughts
Many mini fridges include freezers, and it’s more convenient for people who are just starting to live on their own or for those who are just starting college.
However, to be a responsible mini fridge owner, not only do you have to learn to maintain it, but you have to learn what is allowed and what isn’t. For example, if you choose a mini fridge without temperature control, it’s unlikely that you can store meat and milk in it.
