Ask any man’s man what his thoughts are on a second refrigerator and you’ll likely hear some variation of the following response: “that’s a great idea.” Refrigerators were once prized for their uncanny ability to keep food edible for far longer than an ice chest ever could, but that was quite some time ago. Fresh meats, fruits and vegetables are expected luxuries today, and spoiled food is tossed out without a second’s hesitation. The real luxury of refrigerators today is the ability to have ice cold drinks and snacks at any given time of the day. Often, old refrigerators are retired to the garage or basement instead of being recycled. There, they are used to keep beer and soda nice and chilly.

Not every household has an old fridge to retire, though. Fortunately, there’s a great and inexpensive solution to that problem: purchase a small refrigerator. If your only requirement is to have ice-cold drinks or snacks, then a compact refrigerator is just the thing you need. While they don’t maintain rocky mountain temperatures as well as larger units, smaller refrigerators save a huge amount of space, fit practically anywhere, and keep drinks cold and at the ready just as well as a regular-sized refrigerator.

There are essentially three types of mini fridges that you can choose from. The most inexpensive option is cube shaped and ranges from $110-$130. These are the smallest units and will fit neat anywhere, but they also have the smallest storage capacity. Tall units are range from $95-$200, have a ice chest, and offer more storage capacity than cube fridges. The most effective small refrigerators are two-door units that include a freezer with temperature gauge. These can cost from $110-$240.

Small refrigerators have the additional benefit of using far less electricity than their standard counterparts and fitting practically anywhere. If having cold drinks at the ready in the living room is your fancy, compact refrigerators are the way to go.

Written by Asher Briggs