What To Look For In A Mini Desktop Refrigerator
Mini desktop refrigerator – Mini desktop refrigerators are a great way to store items in a separate part of the house, such as in the garage, or even to install in an RV if you’ll be going on a road trip. Of course, perhaps the most famous use of the desktop mini refrigerator is the college student, who uses it as a shrine to beer and Ramen leftovers. Of course, before you go out and purchase any appliance, you need to take your particular use and what you plan to do with the device into consideration, so you will be sure you are getting the right fridge for your needs.
As with any major purchase, you should always keep your budget in mind. It can be very easy to look at mini fridges and think they are a relatively small purchase, but the more features you get and the more square footage in the refrigerator, the more it will cost you. Thus, keeping your budget in mind will help you make a great purchase without going over what you are willing to spend. Since portable fridges are so varied in their features, it is possible to find fridges that range from $200 to $1500. This is why it is so important to keep the budget in mind.
Once you have your budget set, size is your next biggest concern. You need to have a rough idea of how much food you want to store in the fridge, so you can get one that is sized appropriately. If you will just be using the fridge to store drinks and snacks, you probably won’t need a fridge that is larger than a few six-packs of drinks.
Bar Fridge - Mini Fridge
Of course, if you will be practically living out of the fridge as a college student would, then you will probably want one that is much larger and might contain a freezer on top. This way you can store a few pot pies or other frozen items, while still having room for your other items that need to be chilled but not frozen solid. There are a wide variety of fridge manufacturers to choose from, but the most popular is probably Kenmore or Electrolux.
If you are ready to make the leap and purchase a compact mini refrigerator for your own personal use, you might be wondering what finishes you can get it in. Generally they are available in a black or white finish, but some companies have taken to offering stainless steel models. Of course, if you want to go retro you can find a fridge from the 80s that is finished in wood grain, which is surprisingly making a comeback in style and fashion.
No matter what style of fridge you get, make sure it is within your budget and fits your needs perfectly. This way, you don’t have to lament your purchase for getting a fridge higher than what you wanted to pay, or one without a feature you wanted.
How much does it cost to operate a mini-fridge? Once the fridge cools down to its desired temperature, it’ll only run maybe 30-50% of the time after that. These things don’t draw nearly as much power as one would think, and you could realistically run one for less than $25 a year, give or take depending upon the wattage
Mini fridges can also be purchased with specific projects in mind; Last year we updated our rec-room and added a bar to the space for entertaining purposes. The bar fridge we purchased was a perfect addition and functions as a way to keep out draft beer at a constant, icy cold temperature.
Mini fridges will need to be regularly defrosted in order to keep large ice chunks from forming on the mini fridge freezer compartment, which in turn will keep the freezer door from properly shutting. How do you defrost a mini fridge without the water going everywhere? I’ve found the best way to keep the water flow from this process to a minimum is to simply line the bottom of the fridge with paper towels or small cloth towels. Simply toss the paper towels or wring out the cloth towels occasionally and you’ll be all set. Recently, the ice had grown so large in my freezer that the freezer door simply popped off. I thought the thing was broken, but after the defrosting I simply popped it right back on. Voila!
You could also use a little drip pan like one you would commonly find underneath a hot water heater. Any pan that’ll fit into your fridge will do. Simply empty the pan occasionally and you should be all set.
Bar Fridge – In order to convert a mini fridge into a bar fridge, all you need to do is provide space in your rec-room or bar area for the mini bar fridge to rest conveniently. There isn’t really much more to the process than that. If the fridge is small enough to fit under the nearest bar counter, then that fridge has just become your main bar fridge. Many think of bar fridges as over-sized clunky things that suck the electricity away from the rest of the house. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A compact fridge is a great way to store extra drinks and whatnot for parties and upcoming events, while helping to turn extra space into functional storage. For more great ideas on home appliances, simply visit out crock pots home page and see how you can continue living the slow-cookin’ lifestyle…
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