Best Mini Bar Fridge for Your House
Whether you’re hoping for a calm evening with loved ones or planning the next great party, having a mini fridge specifically dedicated to your drinks can make for a wonderful addition to a kitchen or wet bar. Mini bar fridges are designed to keep your drinks at the optimum temperature and close at hand so there’s no time wasted when it’s time for celebrations.
This article looks at our favorite seven mini bar fridges that we think deserve a place in your space. We’ve also gone over important tips we think are worth keeping in mind before you make a commitment to one of these great options.
Top 7 Mini Bar Fridges for Your House
- Large glass pane makes it easy to see what’s inside
- The easy-adjust thermostat allows homeowners to set the temperature that best suits their drinks
- Auto-Defrosting functionality minimizes maintenance
- Comes with a 2-year warranty
- Premium build quality and built-in design gives this product a luxury feel
- Stainless steel design is especially durable
- Simple, adjustable shelving and LED lights make it easy to arrange and see contents
- Includes a 1-year warranty on parts and a 5-year warranty on the compressor
- Compact, no-frills design makes this fridge one of the most affordable on our list
- Built-in freezer compartment could be great for spirits
- The perfect size for individuals and smaller apartments
- Comes with a 1-year warranty on parts and a 2-year warranty on the compressor
- Dual door and compartment design is wholly unique
- Two separate temperature zones offer total control for those with different types of drinks
- Elegant wood and wood-fronted shelves create a unique look
- Includes a 1-year warranty
- Warmer temperature range is perfect for those who specifically need wine options
- Digital display allows homeowners to quickly check the internal temperature of the unit
- Shelves can be arranged to hold bottles or make room for larger beverage items
- Comes with a 1-year warranty
- Lots of color options make it easy to match this fridge with your home
- Reversible door greatly improves space management
- Lots of compartments for different types of drinks
- Includes a 1-year warranty
- Highly-accurate thermostat keeps wine at the perfect temperature
- Automatically adjusts humidity to the optimum levels
- Exterior controls make it easy to adjust as needed
- Comes with a 1-year warranty
The hOmeLabs HME030065N comes with lots of adjustability and plenty of room for just about any-sized event. It features a large glass-fronted door and an LED light to show off everything you’re keeping inside of it. The included 3 shelves can be adjusted easily to best fit your drinks, and the clear digital thermostat quickly relays the temperature without pushing a button.
We appreciate the spacious interior and relatively small footprint of this hOmeLabs product, which manages to accomplish a lot for its mid-range price. The AutoDefrost feature is also worthy to note, which is especially helpful when setting this fridge to near-freezing temperatures. There’s little to complain about when it comes to this versatile and straightforward mini bar fridge, which we recommend as the best-overall in terms of features, size, and price.
Pros
- Great design
- Adjustable shelves
- Great temperature range
- Large capacity
- Automated design
Cons
- A little expensive
If you’re working with a modern wet bar or kitchen and you’re not willing to sacrifice on design, then the Avallon AFR241SSRH stainless steel mini fridge is certainly going to fit the bill. This model is the most durable and solidly designed fridge on our list. Coming with a massive 5.5 cubic feet of space for all of your drinks, you shouldn’t have a problem storing up for this coming New Year’s party, and maybe next year’s at that.
We appreciate the simple adjustability of the internal shelves to help homeowners maximize their internal space. Like the hOmeLabs fridge, this one also comes with an easy-to-use thermostat with a great range. If it weren’t for the exorbitant price, this could be the easiest recommendation on our list. You’ll need to consider the size of your space as well as your budget, though, as this fridge is going to eat up a fair amount of both.
Pros
- Large capacity
- Premium build quality
- Stainless steel exterior
- Large temperature range
- Adjustable shelving
Cons
- Very expensive
- May be too large for some
The Black+Decker BCRK17B may look like it belongs in a dorm room, but don’t underestimate the versatility of this product when used as a dedicated mini bar fridge. This model offers a fair amount of storage options within its modest 1.6 cubic feet of space. The design seems to allow for a little bit of everything, from smaller cans and a slot for a single wine bottle to the dedicated freezer compartment to quickly cool spirits. While you will need to manually defrost this section of the fridge from time to time, having the option is always nice.
The efficiency of this fridge earns it the first and only Energy Star rating on our list. Possibly because of this, you won’t be getting a whole lot of quick cooling power from this product. Still, there’s no denying that the price is right.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Handy freezer compartment
- Energy star certified
- Clean, all-black design
- Adjustable, removable shelf
Cons
- Not very powerful
- Low temperature range
- Can be a struggle to fit in tall drinks
If you can’t decide between keeping your fridge warmer for your wine or cooler for your spirits, why not purchase a fridge that can do both? The EdgeStar CWB1760FD is a built-in wine and beverage cooler that comes with two separate compartments that can be set to different temperatures. While the left side of the fridge can be kept near-freezing, the right side is best for wine as it stays warmer overall.
The end result is a highly adjustable fridge that certainly wins on versatility. This versatility of course comes at a cost: this EdgeStar product is the most expensive on our list. Provided the cost doesn’t scare you off, this product also comes with a safety lock, touch controls, and fan cooling. We would have preferred a little more capacity given what we’re paying, but otherwise, this mini bar fridge is going to demand attention at your next party.
Pros
- Dual compartments offer two temperature options
- Large temperature range
- Excellent organization options
- Safety lock
Cons
- Very expensive
- Could offer more capacity
If you’ve been waiting for a dedicated wine option, then the NewAir AW-181E may be for you. This model is set at a warmer temperature range, making it perfect for keeping wine just right. Like the hOmeLabs product, there’s also a dedicated digital thermostat to ensure that your temperature is set correctly. Other features of the NewAir cooler include a cool LED light and lots of removable shelving that’s specially-made for holding wine bottles.
While the temperature range is clearly for wine, we wish the range could have gone just a little bit lower to accommodate others. Likewise, the specialty shelving makes it difficult to adjust this cooler for anything that isn’t wine. Still, specialization isn’t necessarily a bad thing, so if you’re all about wine and little else, then the NewAir AW-181E is about as specific a product as you could get.
Pros
- High temperatures great for wine
- Lots of removable shelving
- Automated design
- Digital display
- Dedicated wine shelving
Cons
- Too warm for spirits and some drinks
- Could offer more capacity
- Small temperature range
The RCA RFR321-FR320/8 is RCA’s best-selling mini fridge and is perfect for minibars and any space that needs a few cans of booze nearby. It comes with shelving, behind-the-door storage, and, like the BLACK+DECKER unit, even has a dedicated freezer compartment. The interior shelving is adjustable to fit whatever drinks come their way, and with 7 color options, you should find it easy to get this product to blend in wherever you’d like.
We appreciate the behind-the-door storage options especially, which provide dedicated spots for two tall glasses of wine or spirits. While the price is right, though, we would have appreciated some stronger cooling potential and a little sturdier build. Regardless, this RCA unit is great for anyone on a budget but need more space than the BLACK+DECKER model offers.
Pros
- Fairly spacious
- Highly adjustable & customizable
- Dedicated freezer space
- Reversible door
Cons
- Temperature range could be better
- Build quality could be better
- Takes a while to cool down
Our final pick is the Ivation IV-FWCT181B, another dedicated wine cool that may be even more specialized than the NewAir pick. This model is built to cool wine accurately. The comparatively minuscule ten-degree range is especially designed to keep wine aging properly and at the right humidity. This unit offers storage capacity for 18 bottles, and the specially-designed shelves will keep your wine in place until the time is right.
This does mean, of course, that storing anything other than wine in this cooler may be a waste of time. The temperature is too warm for many drinks, and the shelves would need to be totally removed to make room. Nevertheless, wine enthusiasts will love the external controls, minimal lighting, and auto-adjustments for humidity.
Pros
- Perfect for keeping and storing wine
- Great internal organization
- Very precise thermostat
- External touch controls
Cons
- Poor performance on spirits and cans
- Shelves can only be used for wine
- Could offer more capacity
Buyer’s Guide:
Mini Bar Fridge for Your House
It’s perfectly understandable if many of our picks above seem to have no clear differences from their competition. We’re confident in each of our picks, but we also know that you’ll need to consider all of the different aspects of your prospective mini bar fridge before committing to your purchase.
We recommend you keep the following in mind to help you pick out the mini bar fridge that’s right for you:
