What are the qualities of a great garage refrigerator? Does such a thing even exist or is it all just a marketing gimmick? Can I place a standard refrigerator in a garage? We’ll try to answer these questions and more by deep diving into what why garage ready fridges are ideal for use in garages.
Long story short, the fundamental difference between a ‘normal’ refrigerator and a garage fridge is the ability to handle a broad range of temperatures. They also come with thick insulation to keep the system components of the refrigerator protected from the harsh elements.
This is important because you can expect garages to get unbearably hot or cold, especially if the garage is unfinished and not properly isolated. Another feature of a garage fridge is that it occupies a smaller space while providing decent storage space.
The average garage is a harsh environment that could decimate a ‘regular’ refrigerator in months. A perfect mini refrigerator for garages can remain functional, sturdy, and aesthetic even in extreme conditions without wear and tear.
Other than these features, some people also look for energy efficiency – because you don’t want your energy bill spiking up on account of the mini refrigerator. We’ve provided our pick of the best garage fridges along with information on why we chose them and a quick guide on how you can choose one yourself. But first, here’s a quick low-down of our top garage refrigerators.
Don’t have time to read? Here’s a quick summary of the products we recommend.
| Product Name | Why We Picked It |
| Midea 3.1 WHD-113FSS1 3.1 Cu Ft | This novelty compact refrigerator by Midea wins the battle when it comes to space. The adjustable legs and reversible door racks are the cherries on top. |
| Winia WTE18HSBCD 18 Cu. Ft. | For those situations where storage capacity matters. This garage refrigerator hits the sweet spot between size and storage space. |
| RCA RFR835 2 Reversible Doors | A tiny garage refrigerator designed for users who don’t have much space in their garage. It gets the job done as long as you don’t pack too many things inside. |
| Galanz GLF11UWEG16 Convertible Freezer/Fridge | Galanz provides you with the best value for your buck and comes jam packed with features such as electronic temperature control. |
| Kenmore Top-Freezer 20.8 Cu Ft | This heavy duty garage refrigerator provides a ton of extra space with adjustable temperature ranges. |
The Best Mini Fridge for Garage
Now that you know what features to look for in a garage refrigerator, you’re ready to check out the best products on the market.
Midea Mini Refrigerator WHD-113FSS1 3.1 Cu Ft
If you’re serious about buying something that’s really small, then consider Midea’s WHD-113FSS1. It weighs only 52 pounds and measures 18.5 x 19.37 x 32.95 inches. This allows it to be stored just about anywhere.
The interior of the refrigerator contains sturdy shelves as well as drawers for fruit and produce storage. An adjustable thermostat allows you to change the temperature to your requirements. It also comes with a freezer compartment with a temperature range of -11. 2′ to 5’F. Moreover, this is an environmentally friendly fridge that is energy star compliant.
The best part is that it only draws 80 watts of power – now that is energy efficient. It’s a no-brainer when it comes to smaller garage spaces.
Essential Features
- Weight: 52.2 pounds
- Capacity: 3.1 Cubic Feet
- Size: 18.5 x 19.37 x 32.95 inches
The Pros
- Small size
- Adjustable thermostat
- Freezer compartment
The Cons
- Storage capacity may be too inadequate for storing larger items
Winia WTE18HSBCD 18 Cu. Ft.
Winia’s 18 cubic feet refrigerator strikes the ideal balance between size and storage. It is relatively small and compact, allowing it to go unnoticed without making a sound while keeping things at the perfect temperature.
Although Winia is a lesser known brand, it holds up pretty well to the extreme temperature ranges in garages thanks to the built-in sensor.
The fridge comes with customizable door racks that can hold larger containers, including gallon sized jugs, and can be adjusted to suit containers of varying heights. The clear drawers make it easy to see what’s inside.
This particular model comes in black and white, making sure that it fits in any space. The stainless steel finish is durable but we would recommend keeping power tools away from the fridge to prevent any accidents.
More importantly, this refrigerator offers a large capacity of 18.18 cubic feet, ensuring that you never run out of storage space ever again.
Essential Features
- Weight: 186.6 pounds
- Capacity:18.18 Cubic Feet
- Size: 28.8 x 29.9 x 66.3 inches
The Pros
- Larger capacity
- Removable shelves
- Stainless steel finish
The Cons
- It may be a little too expensive compared to a similar refrigerator for garage
RCA RFR835 2 Reversible Doors
At a storage capacity of just under 3.2 cubic feet, this refrigerator by RCA is no underdog. It’s smaller dimensions allow the garage ready refrigerator to be placed just about anywhere in your garage space. It comes with two interior racks and fully adjustable shelves – allowing you to pull them out and adjust their positions based on your preferences.
The doors feature beverage holders to nearly organize everything. It’s a good idea to fit larger water bottles, beers, or keep your butter in there. More importantly, an adjustable thermostat makes it easy to adjust the temperature to your needs.
What’s more, this fridge can enhance your garage and accentuate its aesthetics. If you want to make a splash in your small space, then this fridge will install make the area come to life. A nice interior decor tip is to place art pictures nearby to create a vibe that guests will find inviting.
This particular model is designed to be energy efficient and won’t hog your resources. Unfortunately, it does not come with an energy star certificate and may contribute to a higher energy bill. But we’re nitpicking at this point because at a capacity of under 3.2 cu. ft., this refrigerator for garage won’t draw much power.
It weighs around 57 pounds, so you could effortlessly move it around the garage without breaking your back. There is one drawback – this fridge makes a lot of noise, probably because the manufacturers managed to squeeze all the essential system components of this RCA refrigerator into a tiny space.
Essential Features
- Weight: 57 pounds
- Capacity: 3.2 cu. ft.
- Size: 22 x 20 x 34 inches
The Pros
- Adjustable shelves
- Lightweight and can be moved around effortlessly
- Comes with a thermostat
- Durable stainless steel finish
- Fits into any space
The Cons
- Very noisy
Galanz Garage Fridge GLF11UWEG16
This mini fridge offers a storage space of 11 cubic feet. This makes it ideal for storing in a garage setting. It comes with a freezer compartment and refrigeration section with glass shelves and drawers. Although it’s a fairly standard refrigerator for garages, what makes this model stand out from other mini-fridges is that it can convert from a fridge to a freezer.
The temperature level can be controlled electronically to suit your needs. AIt will keep drinks and other items extremely cold, even when the temperature gets really warm, and the unit doesn’t take very long to cool quickly when you start it.
As far as the aesthetics go, this mini fridge fits works best in a room with a retro design. It comes in four different options and styles, so you can choose one that aligns best with your interior decor. The white works perfectly in our utilitarian garage.
The only issue is that this refrigerator isn’t very small and will require at least two people to move around. But if you want a garage ready refrigerator with a high storage capacity, this unit by Galanz is hard to miss.
Essential Features
- Weight: 134 pounds
- Capacity:11 Cubic Feet
- Size: 23.58 x 27.68 x 66.97 inches
The Pros
- Keeps things chilled
- Nice design that looks great in any garage space
- Easy to clean
- Adjustable shelving
The Cons
- Very heavy
Kenmore Top-Freezer 20.8 Cu Ft
With its nearly 21 cubic feet of capacity, Kenmore’s high-performing garage ready fridge ranks as one of the best solutions on the market. It comes with removable shelves for produce as well as gallon door bins for larger items, including tall wine bottles and gallon jugs.
Its noteworthy features include LED lighting, a reversible door, and an energy star certified rating (to save your energy bills). Do keep in mind that this model does require more space for storage because it is 66.1 inches tall and weighs over 220 pounds – it would not be easy to move it around the garage.
But we are willing to overlook the heavy size of the refrigerator on account of its durable design that protects condenser coils from the harsh environment of a garage space. This means you won’t have to worry about dust and dirt taking a toll on this refrigerator.
Essential Features
- Weight: 221 pounds
- Capacity: 20.84 Cubic Feet
- Size: 33.8 x 32.87 x 66.1 inches
The Pros
- Lots of storage space
- Removable shelves
- Durable design that protects condenser coils
- Ideal for use in garages
- Energy star certified
The Cons
- Very heavy
- Takes up a lot of room space (compared to smaller fridges)
Mini Fridge for Garage – Why You Might Need One
The entire idea behind mini fridges is that they offer ample storage space (through the use of clever glass shelves and a freezer compartment) while occupying less garage space. Sure you could try squeezing a normal refrigerator into the garage, it won’t fare well in the harsh environment due to extreme ambient temperatures.
A refrigerator for garage is designed to handle a broad temperature range while featuring a tougher overall construction. This is important because you’ll probably be using power tools in there, which will create a lot of dust, debris, and particulate matter – a regular refrigerator simply won’t survive, or it will, but not for long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Put a Regular Fridge in a Garage?
Only if the refrigerator is rated for use in a garage setting. Garages are usually not isolated from the outside world and this means that your unit could be exposed to extreme temperature changes. This might increase your likelihood of malfunction when faced with extreme cold or heat.
Should I Buy a Special Fridge for my Garage?
It is highly recommended to buy a garage ready refrigerators, especially if the area where you live is prone to extreme temperature changes. Garage ready refrigerators can work in spaces that are not climate controlled and with border temperature ranges.
What Qualities Makes a Fridge “Garage-Ready”?
Garage ready refrigerators come with similar features as standard fridges, but they have a few differences. The most notable difference is the extra insulation to protect parts of the fridge in adverse temperatures. These fridges come with a lower range of operating temperature that is better suited to fluctuating temperatures.
Things You Should Consider While Buying the Best Mini Fridge for Garage
Now that you’re ready to buy a mini fridge for your garage, don’t empty your wallet just yet. There are certain features you should consider before buying the fridge, these include storage space in cubic feet, price tag, temperature range, and durability.
You may also want to consider the noise levels if you plan on hosting those late night parties in the garage or need to concentrate on troubleshooting problems. It’s also worth noting that there are two different types of garage ready refrigerators:
- Freezer refrigerators that can handle extremely low-temperature ranges (such as 34 to 46 ºF)
- Convertible refrigerators that can be switched to freezer mode – they can handle even lower temperatures in the range of 0-10 ºF
A garage refrigerator will feature durable construction to deal with the higher moisture in the garage environment (unlike the relatively dry atmosphere that a kitchen fridge stays in). This is important if you live in a climate where temperatures regularly fall below 0ºF or even lower.
In this case, you will need a more advanced refrigerator designed to handle such environmental conditions, otherwise, you’ll have to insulate the garage or a portion of the refrigerator. That could be more expensive depending on where you live.
The best garage refrigerator is designed by the manufacturer to account for extreme temperature fluctuations, sparing you the time and money needed to insulate the garage.
Temperature Range
The temperature range should be the primary factor when buying a garage refrigerator. A standard refrigerator might not handle ranges outside of 50 to 100 ºF without overworking or malfunctioning. A garage ready refrigerator is designed to operate in areas that don’t have climate control with a broader range of operating temperature ranges of 30 to 110 ºF.
Dimensions
What good is a garage ready refrigerator if it doesn’t fit in your space? This is why we recommend planning ahead and measuring the area where you want to install the fridge. You will also want to look at the depth of the refrigerator and its door swing. If your garage lacks adequate space, you may want to go for a mini fridge (with a capacity of 3 to 4 cu. ft.).
Finish
This is a garage setting so you may not be too concerned about interior decor. But in case you worry about aesthetics, then you will want a garage refrigerator that complements the interior decor. Stainless steel is a popular option with reversible doors is a popular option for garages especially because they are so much more durable.
Shelves
There is a lot to consider when it comes to shelving options. Sliding shelves make it easy to organize access to food items in the refrigerator. You can effortlessly pull a shelf in and out to retrieve the food. Shelves have the added advantage of providing storage space for tall bottles. Adjustable shelves come with the same advantages because you can remove one to make room for the features. It also becomes easier to see what you are getting from the garage refrigerator.
Adjustable shelves should be designed with spill-proof lips that prevent spillages from getting into the bottom parts. If you plan on storing lots of liquids in your garage refrigerators, then these would be ideal.
Energy Efficiency
It goes without saying that smaller refrigerators use less energy, which translates into savings for you and also leaves a smaller carbon footprint. Look for a mini fridge that is energy star certified. These garage ready refrigerators are designed to comply with stricter guidelines for efficiency and can save you up to $300 on your energy bills over the lifetime of the appliance while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Conclusion
So there you have it, our countdown of the best refrigerators for garages. These units are designed to be used in a garage, so you won’t have to worry about regular wear and tear taking a toll on performance.
There are a few drawbacks with some of these units (some are too heavy, while others are too small) – but most of these problems can be overlooked because of the overall efficiency and cooling capacity of these five garage refrigerators.
To wrap this article up:
- if you want a unit with lots of storage capacity, choose the Winia WTE18HSBCD
- If you want an energy complaint refrigerator that lowers your bill, choose Kenmore Top-Freezer
- and if you are struggling for stage space in your garage, then you might want to opt for Midea WHD-113FSS1
Keep in mind that just because these refrigerators are more resilient doesn’t mean you can miss out on regular maintenance.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
