The Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer may not be the most expensive appliance we tested, but it's one of the most reliable.
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If you’re in the market for a new refrigerator, start by determining the best size for your needs. If you’re storing loads of extras, a full-size garage refrigerator may be for you. But if you’re simply looking for something to hold a few extra drinks or snacks, a mini fridge could be exactly what you need—or, better yet, a mini fridge with a freezer.
These compact appliances are perfect for placing within arm’s reach in a home office, finished basement, bedroom or dorm room. Many models hold more than you might expect, and they keep your food and drinks just as cold as your trusty kitchen refrigerator.
“If you need a freezer and not just a refrigerator for drinks, I would choose one with a separate freezer compartment,” says Andrei Suprunov, owner and lead technician at FixitBay LLC Appliance Repair. “To store frozen food, you need a stable temperature.”
To find one that delivers on both cooling and convenience, our product testers tried nine options. One stood out from the rest: the Whirlpool Mini Fridge with Freezer. Here’s everything you need to know before you buy.
Whirlpool Compact Mini Fridge with Dual Door True Freezer
This compact mini fridge offers convenient storage for drinks, fresh produce, everyday essentials and frozen snacks.
What is the Whirlpool Mini Fridge with Freezer?
The Whirlpool Mini Fridge with Freezer is a stainless steel mini fridge with a top door freezer and a total capacity of 3.1 cubic feet. Both doors are reversible and have recessed handles that extend across the top of the fridge door and the bottom of the freezer door. It has one power cord that measures 59 inches long and is Energy Star certified.
The main compartment of the fridge has interior lighting, two removable glass shelves, a crisper drawer, a can storage system and adjustable door shelving. It also has a temperature dial ranging from 0 to 7. The freezer compartment has a door rack and does not include any shelving, baskets or bins.
The Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer measures 19.1 inches wide, 21 inches deep and 32.8 inches tall. It weighs 52.9 pounds.
Features
- Stainless Steel Finish: This mini fridge with freezer has a stainless steel finish that our testers feel is mostly fingerprint-resistant. It has black trim and a small black Whirlpool logo at the top.
- Mechanical Thermostat: The Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer has an adjustable mechanical thermostat that ranges from 0 to 7, with 0 being the warmest setting and 7 being the coldest.
- Internal storage: The refrigerator has two removable glass shelves, a crisper drawer, and adjustable door storage. The door has a can storage system that holds up to four cans.
How We Tested It
Product tester Annamarie Higley ran the Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer for 500 hours in the testing lab to assess how well it maintained the proper temperature and humidity levels. Higley set the thermostat to 4, the middle setting recommended in the manual.
To test the temperature, Higley placed three thermometers inside—one in the freezer, one in the crisper drawer, and one in the main compartment of the fridge. She proceeded to record the temperature in the morning and again late afternoon, once a week, for the entirety of August. She also placed a humidity gauge in the main compartment and checked it along with the temperature. The recommended temperature range for food safety is between 34 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Over the course of the month, this refrigerator averaged 40 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Higley, the temperatures were very consistent, fluctuating by only two degrees throughout. The freezer, on the other hand, averaged 18 degrees Fahrenheit. “I considered target freezer temperatures to be around 0 degrees Fahrenheit,” she explains. “This freezer is generally warmer than you’d want.” She also notes that the humidity levels were quite consistent, averaging 74%. Higley’s target humidity level was 65%.
In addition to carefully monitoring temperature and humidity levels, Higley performed a fit test. She gathered an assortment of common refrigerator and freezer items, including a gallon of milk, a 2-liter bottle of soda, a carton of eggs, a gallon of ice cream, and a standard-size frozen pizza, and checked how well each item fit inside this mini fridge with a freezer. She had no trouble fitting the soda, eggs, ice cream and pizza. However, she was unable to fit the gallon of milk.
Higley also liked the can storage on the door, noting that while it held only four cans, it worked better than other models. “The cans are easy both to insert and remove,” she says. “Though I don’t love that you have to drop them in there. It feels like a foamy explosion waiting to happen.”
Overall, Higley feels that the Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer is a great value. “This is one of the least expensive units on our list, but it’s one of the most elevated-looking,” she raves.
Pros
- Minimal assembly and setup
- Very consistent fridge temperatures
- Attractive design
- Designated can storage
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- Does not fit a gallon of milk
- The freezer ran a little warm
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
Walter, a verified purchaser at The Home Depot, gave this Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer a five-star review. “Very nice refrigerator. So much room, it’s almost like getting two refrigerators for the price of one. I highly recommend it to anyone else,” they write.
Heather, another happy The Home Depot customer, is delighted by how much this fridge can hold. They write, “Perfect size for small office. Can fit several frozen meals in freezer and plenty of room in fridge for lunches, beverages, creamer containers and soda cans. Quiet machine, was quick to cool once we plugged it in.”
And out of the many reviewers who call this the perfect dorm refrigerator, verified user LDS5 explains why. “Great for a college dorm! My daughter loves that the freezer is separate from the fridge. Nice size for a mini fridge! Plenty of room in both the fridge and freezer,” they write.
Mini Fridge with Freezer Comparison: Whirlpool vs. Insignia
Our product testers tried nine mini fridges with freezers. We found that the Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer had very consistent fridge temperatures and a pretty affordable price point, given its elevated look. That said, its freezer ran warmer than other models we tested, including the Insignia Mini Fridge with Freezer.
The Insignia mini fridge with freezer also has a stainless steel finish and a separate freezer door and is similarly priced at $220. The Insignia’s freezer averaged 6 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the Whirlpool’s 18 degrees Fahrenheit. However, Insignia’s fridge had an average temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just above the recommended temperature range for food safety. Additionally, the Insignia includes an ice cube tray and an ice shovel, whereas the Whirlpool does not include any accessories.
Final Verdict
The Whirlpool Mini Fridge with Freezer is a great option for adding extra cold storage to a home office, bedroom, dorm room or other small space. During our testing, it maintained very consistent refrigerator temperatures and humidity levels, offered plenty of usable storage and had an elevated look despite its relatively affordable price. Just keep in mind that the freezer ran warmer than we would have liked.
Wherever you place a mini fridge, ensuring it has enough airflow can help it perform at its best over time. Suprunov says some of the most common mistakes are inadequate ventilation and installing a refrigerator in a space it wasn’t designed for. He also recommends periodically cleaning the condenser coils and checking that the door gaskets seal tightly, since both can affect cooling performance and the compressor’s workload.
Where to Buy
Whirlpool Compact Mini Fridge with Dual Door True Freezer
A sleek design and stainless steel finish make this compact fridge the perfect addition to any space.
The Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer is available at Target and costs around $220 (when it’s not on sale).
FAQ
What is the life expectancy of a Whirlpool mini fridge?
Since Whirlpool is one of the most reliable refrigerator brands on the market, your Whirlpool mini fridge will last several years with proper care and maintenance.
Is 0 or 7 colder in a Whirlpool mini fridge?
0 is the warmest temperature setting, and 7 is the coldest in a Whirlpool mini fridge with a freezer. The manual recommends putting your mini fridge on a middle setting. Higley set it to 4 during testing.
How do I adjust the temperature of a Whirlpool mini fridge?
This model has a temperature dial located in the refrigerator’s main compartment. You can adjust the dial from 0 to 7.
Why You Should Trust Us
At Taste of Home, we know how important it is to find quality products that make your life easier and won’t leave you with a bad case of buyer’s remorse. This especially applies to appliances, which can be a significant investment. Our editors and testers have years of personal experience with some of the most reliable refrigerator brands that won’t require frequent repairs. And we only recommend a product if we believe it’ll enhance your own space as it did ours.
Our product testing experts spent hours in our testing lab getting up close and personal with nine mini fridges with freezers. At least 18 of those hours were actively spent with the Whirlpool mini fridge with freezer, though we ran it for a total of 500 hours. We performed 13 tests on each appliance and collected roughly 500 data points overall.
