Cool Mini Fridges & Wine Chillers

During a recession, the first thing to go from a consumer standpoint is any nonessential purchase. Lifestyle appliances—appliances that are geared toward home entertaining—are nonessential purchases. This might explain why sales of mini fridges and wine chillers, which are the largest categories of lifestyle appliance, have tanked since the recession hit.

Manufacturers’ shipments of mini fridges were down in 2009 by about 20 percent from 2008, and they declined more than 10 percent during the first three quarters of 2010 when compared with year-earlier figures, according to manufacturer Haier. Wine-chiller sales were down nearly 30 percent for 2010, according to market-research firm NPD.

The good news is that the declining sales have not caused manufacturers to abandon these categories. In fact, in the past 3 years, appliance-makers have improved their mini fridges and wine chillers at all prices, so consumers will get more bang for their buck than ever before. But if you’re interested in buying, you ought to move quickly. Sources tell Consumers Digest that prices are expected to rise this year, by as much as 12 percent.

FREEZER BURN. As you might suspect, mini-fridge manufacturers are tinkering with ways to keep your foodstuffs cold. In the past year, the manufacturers have begun to rethink that often-disappointing staple of freestanding units—the freezer compartment. These compartments can store ice cubes or keep ice cream hard for a few hours, but they don’t have the capability to freeze foods for the long term, and the capacity typically is limited. The solution for some: a separate freezer compartment.

Two-door freestanding mini fridges, which have an actual freezer as well as a refrigerator, barely existed 3 years ago. But now Avanti, Curtis International (which makes the Igloo brand), Danby, Emerson, Haier and Sunpentown each offer such models in their lines. These models typically have a total capacity of up to 3.3 cubic feet, which includes a freezer that’s as large as 1 cubic foot. Prices for two-door models start at around $200. And manufacturers tell Consumers Digest that you will see more two-door models in the coming years.

But in a somewhat schizophrenic move, manufacturers also are launching more mini fridges that eliminate the freezer compartment. These newer refrigerator-only models start at about $110 for a 1.7-cubic-foot unit.

A few manufacturers even are tinkering with how their mini fridges operate. In 2010, premium manufacturer U-Line added what it calls a “convection cooling” system to its 2000 Series line of built-in mini fridges. The refrigeration system uses a fan in the back of the unit to force air throughout the cavity. (Think convection oven but with cold air blowing.)

U-Line says this system is more energy-efficient than are typical models, because it chills food more quickly than does a conventional refrigeration system, and the mini fridge recovers faster from temperature increases that are caused when the door is opened. Although we were unable to verify U-Line’s claims, the 2000 Series is the only line of mini fridges that we found that includes models that have a Tier 3 rating from Consortium for Energy Efficiency.

U-Line has used this feature in its Combo line of refrigerator/icemakers that have prices that run well over $3,000. The mini fridges that were launched last year start at a mere $1,319—still a premium price for a built-in mini fridge.

Meanwhile, Avanti says it figured out a way to make thermoelectric technology work in a mini fridge. Thermoelectric technology creates a cooling effect by using an electric current that runs through two types of materials. Because it doesn’t rely on a compressor, thermoelectric technology produces mini fridges that are quieter and less expensive than are traditional models. A thermoelectric model runs about $90 for a 1.7-cubic-foot size, compared with $100 for a similar-size compressor-based model.