Clark Howard says that with kitchen appliances, it is better to replace rather than fix, after the 3-5 year mark, which I found surprising. I just bought a slightly smaller Whirlpool for $160 at HD, though it has a separate freezer door. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may Frigidaire fridge earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
This allows you to keep an eye on your inventory and not have to stand there with the door open while fishing around or deciding what you want. As we mentioned earlier, the longer and more often you open your mini fridge door, the more you overwork the poor little built-in compressor, and the faster you shorten the appliance’s life. GE’s whirlpool mini refrigerator 3.1-Cubic-Foot mini fridge has a separate freezer and plenty of smartly-designated space for cans, food, and more. Normally $190, currently $150 which is pretty good for a 4.3 cubic foot mini fridge with a freezer compartment too (0.5 cubic feet). A mini fridge can absolutely be worth the cost, especially if you’re going off to college.
We did not physically test any refrigerators for this guide, but we think that our extensive research actually helped us identify important trends that we never would have found with testing alone. We haven’t done rigorous hands-on testing of any fridges in this guide, but we have touched most models we mention here at appliance showrooms. We used an AI-powered analysis tool to scan 28,000-plus customer reviews across 34 fridge models for complaints and praise. Below, shop Target’s discounted mini fridge deals and enjoy the storage possibilities.
Our guide to small kitchen ideas struck a chord with space-challenged readers. Some wrote in with suggestions of their own, which we thought we’d share. Now that you’re going to the store less often, here’s how to pick the produce items that will last the longest and how to store them smartly for weeks. Liam McCabe is a former senior staff writer for Wirecutter, and has covered the wild world of appliances since 2011. After testing dozens of robot vacuums, he is neither worried about AI nor holding his breath for self-driving cars.
Customer ratings for these pricier models often reach 4.7 stars out of five on Home Depot’s site, whereas the midrange models tend to earn closer to 4.4 stars. And according to our reader survey, brands that exclusively sell premium fridges have higher owner satisfaction than brands that sell fridges at a mix of prices. Whirlpool was one of the few brands that had enough survey responses about bottom-freezer models to be statistically significant, and the ratings were strong.
If you need a fridge on short notice and a Samsung model looks like a top bet, it probably won’t be a disaster. But most people seem to think that a built-in ice maker is worth having. Some upscale fridges even have specialty ice features, like LG’s Craft Ice clear spheres (38% of the owners of one model whose reviews we analyzed cited Craft Ice as one of their favorite features). Normally priced at $139.99, the mini fridge can hold just about anything with its two shelves, such as cans of soda, two-liter bottles, and even frozen pizza and ice cream.
This UL- and ENERGY STAR-certified refrigerator is quality built and made to last. The US federal government issues the certification to the most energy-efficient appliances available. The goal is to save you money on your utility bills when you choose whirlpool mini refrigerator the most efficient ENERGY STAR model. You’ll find a light blue and white ENERGY STAR logo on certified refrigerators or a yellow card that displays its efficiency with an estimate of how much it will cost you to run the mini fridge per year.
The most important thing is to keep the back of the fridge at least three inches away from surfaces to allow for optimal airflow, according to David Moreno, a service technician with Liberty Home Guard. If you have ordered one of these non-returnable items,please inspect the item carefully and if possible, refuse delivery of incorrect or damaged products. Once the item has been accepted it will be deemed to be the correct item and in good working condition. Any issues that arise after the item is signed for must be resolved through the manufacturer’s warranty. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services.