Thinking about turning that forgotten corner of your house into a mini bar?? Then you may want to consider investing in a bar refrigerator. If you’ve always wanted a minibar, or perhaps you are the type that entertains family and friends often, a minibar is a great idea; and no mini bat is complete without a bar refrigerator. This is the reason why today, we’ll be talking about bar refrigerator types.
Make your minibar complete and functional with a cool bar refrigerator. A bar refrigerator may seem like nothing special; they work virtually the same as their regular counterparts, with the main difference centered around size. But when you have people over, or you find pleasure in having your drinks chilled to perfection and ready for any occasion, bar refrigerators get the job done.
As you can see, a bar refrigerator can give your bar the makeover you’ve wished for. However, if you are new to bar refrigerators and find yourself searching for the best possible option for you and your needs, things may seem a bit overwhelming. But do not worry because we’ll be breaking down everything you need to know. Check out below different bar refrigerator types and choose your favorite.
Bar Refrigerator FAQs
What is a bar refrigerator?
Bar Fridges are a general-purpose appliance with plenty of space for drinks, drink garnish ingredients, and snacks. They function similarly to larger fridges but on a smaller scale.
Is a bar fridge worth it?
There are many benefits to owning a bar fridge, apart from the obvious one (no one likes a warm beer). Known as an under-bench fridge, its small size makes it easy to move around the house or into storage if you don’t need it, with the bar fridge also being considerably cheaper than buying a second fridge.
What size do bar fridges come in?
The bar fridge market offers a wide range of storage capacity, including tiny house fridges with as little as 1.6 cubic feet of storage and apartment-size appliance with as much as 4.7 cubic feet.
Do bars have fridges?
Aside from barstools and the bar itself, the centerpiece of an outdoor bar is the bar fridge. After all, what’s the fun of an outdoor bar if you have to step indoors for a refill? However, not just any fridge will do.
Can I put food in a bar fridge?
If you intend to store any food in your bar fridge, then ensure that the economy mode is not in use and that the temperature remains below 5 degrees Celsius throughout each cycle. Commercial glass door fridges do, however, have a few factors in their favor that will make food last longer than domestic fridges.
What is the temperature range of a bar fridge?
Pale ales should be kept slightly warmer, but no warmer than around 42. If you prefer a very flavorful beer like many varieties out of Belgium, you’ll want them even warmer. Around 50 degrees is suitable for beer like this.
How do you store beer bottles?
Keep your beer upright in a cool (but not freezing) dry place. Note that light kills beer; even a cup of beer can start going bad when you’re drinking in the sun. A great beer fridge will protect your cans and bottles from rays.
What are important factors to keep in mind when choosing a bar refrigerator?
- Size: The typical width for an under-counter refrigerator is 15 inches (when you’re tight on space) and 24 inches (fit for a dishwasher).
- Store capacity: You want to create more space to accommodate more items. So choose a model with adjustable shelving that will allow you to store both regular cans and larger containers.
- Noise production: As a rule of thumb, a refrigerator is considered to be quiet if it produces sound less than 40 decibels (dB). So ensure you go for a refrigerator that produces less noise.
- Temperature range control: If your purpose of getting a mini-fridge is to serve as a beverage cooler, then go for options with minimum temperatures of at least 38°F. And you can go for models with almost freezing temperatures if you need something colder.
- Door type: A stainless steel door refrigerator is easier to clean and offers better insulation than those made with glass doors. With a glass door refrigerator, you can easily inventory its content with the door closed.
- Energy rating: This rating usually ranges from D to A+++. It would help if you chose a fridge with an energy efficiency closer to A+++.
Bar Refrigerator
1. Whynter – 90-Can Beverage Refrigerator
This Whynter BR-091WS refrigerator features three slide-out wire shelves to hold up to 90 cans so that you can stock up on plenty of your favorite beverages.
An internal air-cooled system with fan-forced circulation helps maintain an ideal temperature. Along with a powerful compressor, keep your beverages at an optimal temperature.
What Our Testers Say
This fridge is a godsend with a wife that will drink my beer, kids that will drink my coffee creamer, and eat my food. Am I a jerk (I’d use another word, but they would probably remove the review)? Yes. Yes, I am. I don’t care! I don’t buy whiskey, beer, and coffee creamer for other people to drink it! The fridge as a great price, and it locks! Can the lock be easily defeated? I’m sure it can. I’ve picked much harder locks, but the family can’t! The LED light gives the basement a nice glow. I don’t have to turn on the light to sneak a shot of whiskey.
We have had this refrigerator for sometime now, yet I meant to write a review some time ago. What a great small beverage refrigerator, perfect for storing beer, sodas, and water – making more space in our primary refrigerator without having to purchase another full refrigerator. Plenty of space for an assortment of beverages, easy to clean, and fits perfectly in small areas.
Fan-forced circulation moves cool air throughout the refrigerator. Allows you to see inside the fridge easily. Reversible design can be fastened on the right or left for optimal placement.
What We Like
- Stainless-steel-trimmed glass door
- Recessed handle
- 90-can capacity
What We Don’t Like
- A Bit loud at times.
2. NewAir – 46-Can Freestanding Beer Froster with Frost-Free Shelves
If you like to store your favorite beverages just an arm’s reach away, then the personal NewAir Mini Beer Fridge Froster is exactly what you need.
What is unique to a mini Beer Froster is that it brings beer down to a colder-than-most 23F so that you can chill brews, frost beer mugs and whisky glasses, or store mini-kegs.
What Our Testers Say
I’ve had this wine fridge for several weeks now and I am very happy with my purchase. The delivery process was flawless, it was on time and was packed extremely well – not a dent or a ding on it. Set up was easy and the dual zone controls work great. It’s a great looking unit – especially with the blue led lighting- really sharp!
Beautiful and affordable. Super quiet and great experience with shipping. Packaged very securely and my husband and I were able to install it under our counter where the previous wine cooler was.
You won’t have to wait for the restocked beer to get cold; the chilly 23F temperature frosts beverages fast. For long-term beverage storage, use the wide temperature range of 23-72F to preserve the flavor of every drink.
What We Like
- Frost-Free Glass Shelves
- Stainless Steel
- Chills down to 23 degrees
What We Don’t Like
- The Celsius and Fahrenheit readings alternate by themselves
3. Kegco Keg Dispenser, Black
The Kegco HBK163B-3 features durable construction, high powered performance, and quiet and energy-efficient operation that make it suitable for both commercial and residential applications.
The HBK163B-3 comes complete with Kegco’s Exclusive Home Brew Dispense Kit and everything you need to tap three Cornelius home brew kegs, including a triple faucet stainless draft tower, three chrome faucets, an empty 5 lb. CO2 tank, a double gauge CO2 regulator, and three complete sets of ball lock keg taps.
Intuitive push-button controls and a clear LED display make it easy to precisely set the internal temperature between 32 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, low enough to dispense kegged beer or high sufficient to ferment homebrew.
What We Like
- Powerful cooling
- Keg Tapping Kit
- Large Interior
What We Don’t Like
- Expensive.
4. Kalamera 24″ Beverage Refrigerator
It can be installed under the counter in your kitchen or bar or used as a free-standing unit in your family or dining area, man cave, or entertainment area!
The refrigerator is designed from stainless steel, with a triple-layered transparent glass door insert. It’s lit by blue LED lights that are soft and yet highlight where to find the soda or beer during the big game.
What Our Testers Say
Bought it to replace an old Sears model that had condensation issues.
1. Big, and very very solid. I got one 24″ wide and it did not disappoint. Metal shelves that are extremely sturdy. Lots of shelves (maybe even too many?) you could space them about every 5 inches or so… I think it’s intended as a wine fridge.
2. Vents to the front–good for under counter slide in applications where you don’t want heat build up behind the unit.
3. Good temperature control.
4. Really quiet. Unit is pretty quiet when running. The bonus is that it is SILENT! when it’s at temperature (compressor appears to shut off entirely). Never realized how dang loud my previous unit was.
5. Has wine bottle shaped molded bottom, so with all the shelves in place, in addition to that, you can put 5-6 wine bottles at the very bottom of the unit.
6. Nice LED light inside.
7. It’s pretty. Stainless steel, glass doors.
The Kalamera refrigerators are built with whisper-quiet compressors to maintain temperatures from 38-50°F without constant starts and stops.
What We Like
- Blue interior LED light
- Reversible door
- Compressor cooling
What We Don’t Like
- Temp only goes down to 38, not quite ice cold
5. RCA Single Door Mini Fridge
The RCA compact fridge with a freezer can store ice packs, frozen foods, fruits, vegetables, and beer. The RCA Mini Fridge measures 18.5 x 17.7 x 32.8 inches and has a 3.2 cubic foot capacity, making it ideal for a small office, dorm room, kitchen, or playroom.
Small in size, yet capable of holding a lot. The inside area of the small fridge is generous, allowing you to organize your food and drinks.
What Our Testers Say
I’m in the middle of the third month, and the fridge is still perfect–AND I finally figured out how to use the freezer. See, it has a little door that slides down into place (I didn’t realize that because I’m a guy and never read the instruction manuals) so now my freezer AND refrigerator are perfect. A note to potential buyers: buy square or rectangular plastic containers in which to store stuff. This fridge will surprise you with what it will hold, but round containers waste a lot of space.
The thermostat control allows you to maintain your drinks and meals at the ideal temperature. This high-quality small fridge with a freezer has a reversible door and adjustable feet, allowing you to put it in any location.
What We Like
- Compact Multi-purpose
- Reversible Door
- Compressor Cooling
What We Don’t Like
- Buyers said their Model Came with Some Small Dents.
Are you wondering about what kind of outdoor refrigerator you should get for your bar on the terrace?
