I work from home, so while I don’t technically need an office fridge, I love the convenience of rolling back in my chair to fill my water bottle or grab a snack. My old office fridge was fine for that, but the West Bend Mini Fridge has something transformative that most mini fridges lack—a separate freezer compartment.
That same convenience that keeps me fueled during long writing sessions and endless Zoom calls is exactly what makes this the best mini fridge for dorm rooms, first apartments, or shared student housing.
When you’re juggling late-night study sessions, early morning classes, and limited cafeteria hours, a mini fridge with real freezer space means you can stock frozen meals, ice cream, or even ice for get-togethers.
Sleek retro styling—and a fire engine red finish evocative of the Snap-On toolbox I have from my days as a mechanic—drew my eye, but this mini fridge is only old-school on the outside.
Inside, the West Bend is a real, modern fridge with much of the performance, conveniences, and extras you’d expect from a full-sized fridge (just a lot smaller and less expensive—it’s less than $300).
Stylish Storage
With a total of 3.1 cubic feet of cold storage split between the compartments, this fridge has plenty of space for quick breakfast and lunch items, late-night study snacks, and frozen treats that won’t get melty.
I love having this fridge in my home office, but the size makes it perfect for any small space—even next to your couch for easy access to drinks and snacks on movie night. Why pause the movie and walk to the kitchen when you can just open this fridge and pull out a cold drink?
The storage options could be a little more flexible. The can holders on the door are fantastic, especially if you’re stocking up for game day, but only if you typically buy drinks in standard 12-ounce cans. However, it’s way easier to organize than other mini fridges, and nothing ever gets shoved to the back or lost.
Credit:
HausChic
I love the clear crisper drawer—perfect to keep salad greens or fruit fresh so you can skip yet another cafeteria run—and both it and the shelves pull all the way out for easy cleaning. The can holders and door bins are also technically removable, but I like having the in-door storage as it is.
The shelves are tall enough to fit standard drink cans standing up, but taller energy drink cans, bottles, and other items need to be laid down unless you want to remove the top shelf. The pocket shelf on the drawer is perfect for a bottle of juice or a pitcher of water, and it has a smaller door shelf for condiments, too.
Beyond functionality, this fridge also has style to spare. My old office fridge was a standard dorm model, the kind you find in nearly every dorm—square, featureless, black, and boring. The West Bend Mini Fridge is available in black if that’s your thing, but I’m all about the nostalgic color options in seafoam green, robin’s egg blue, and red.
The handles are plastic, but the faux-chrome finish gives them a metallic, retro look. I was initially concerned about the handles since they didn’t feel very robust, but I’ve had the mini fridge for over a year and the finish hasn’t flaked, nor have the handles loosened up at all.
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The glass shelves lift up and out for additional storage.
Credit: HausChic
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The crisper drawer is good for leafy veggies, but I use it for more snacks.
Credit: HausChic
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You can pull out the crisper drawer to fit larger items if you need.
Credit: HausChic
Space for Your Frozen Favorites, Too
My old mini fridge had the classic inside-the-fridge-compartment freezer drawer that you’ll find in most dorm fridges, and it wasn’t worth the space it occupied. It didn’t get as cold as a real freezer, couldn’t keep things frozen as well, and was constantly filled up with frost. That’s why I wanted to upgrade to a mini fridge with a real freezer.
The freezer compartment in this mini fridge is just like the ones found in full-sized fridges, and it gets just as cold, which means you can actually store ice cream. It’s just shy of 1 cubic foot of storage, which is about 10 times more room than the tiny freezer pocket found in typical mini fridges.
The freezer isn’t big enough to stow a large (14- to 16-inch) frozen pizza, but it fits a small frozen pizza just fine, with plenty of room for other items. You might want to consider adding a small freezer to your space if you like to stock up on frozen favorites, but this size is perfect for my home office, and just as handy in a dorm room or student apartment.
Credit:
HausChic
It’s a Real Fridge, Just Smaller
With fun chrome accents styling, a spacious fridge compartment, and a real freezer that actually keeps things frozen, the West Bend Mini Fridge really is just like a petite kitchen fridge.
The freezer compartment is the game-changer for me. I love stashing popsicles and other frozen treats in the freezer during the summer (it can get uncomfortably warm and humid in my Florida home office, even with great air conditioning). And it’s just as good to keep frozen burritos or microwaveable meals on hand for nights when you’re cramming for an exam or the dining hall’s closed.
I love it as an office fridge because of how easy it makes it for me to stay hydrated throughout the day—but it would do just as well in an apartment or dorm where there isn’t room for a bigger fridge, in a basement living room to avoid constant trips upstairs, in a workshop, or anywhere else you want easy access to drinks and snacks.
Credit:
HausChic
Why It’s Worth It
The West Bend Mini Fridge is more expensive than a smaller cube-style dorm fridge like I used to have in my office, but it’s well worth it for the extra storage space, convenient organization options, and freezer that really freezes.
It’s priced way less than a full-sized fridge, at less than $300, and I’ve seen it go on sale during events like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday for as low as $180. I bought mine on sale, but I’d buy it again today at full price without hesitation.