It’s sometimes called the modern “icebox” and appropriately so. The refrigerator is a fairly modern kitchen appliance that replaced the icebox, which reigned supreme for nearly two centuries prior to the refrigerator’s popularity.

Refrigerators are food storage appliances. There are plenty of food items that deteriorate or deteriorate fast in room temperature; refrigerators or fridges for short, increase the longevity of perishable food.

Mini-refrigerators are perfect for cramped or limited living spaces. But dorm rooms are not the only places you’d find mini-refrigerators. Offices, hotel rooms with mini-bars – practically anywhere and everywhere you’d find use for a small cooling storage unit.

Although these compact mini-fridges would naturally have very limited storage spaces, they’re lightweight. You can pack these on to your car and take them with you for weekend trips. There are also USB-operated, portable models that let your computer keep your beer cold while you’re out camping. Isn’t that exciting?

Brando, a HK-based manufacturer is the maker of this sleek new, portable mini-refrigerator. The model is indeed lightweight at 362g (0.8lbs). At 19.4x9x9 cm (7.6×3.5×3.5 in), this red and white tiny, little fridge – perhaps the smallest there is - looks more like toy miniature than the real thing. Obviously, it can cool only one can of your favorite drink at a time.

General Electric (GE) makes a versatile mini-refrigerator – the GE Spacemaker. At 4.3 cu ft, this one looks more like the small version of a real refrigerator. It has top freezer, fresh food door shelves, wire cabinets and easy trays. This unit made with stainless steel features manual defrosts. There’s also the 6.0 cu ft Spacemaker for added storage space.

Haier’s Small Compact Refrigerator features 1.7 cu ft and a larger 3.3 cu ft. The 40-pound 1.7 cu ft model features half-width freezer, ice trays, an adjustable thermostat, and full/half-width door shelves for storage. Although manual defrost, it has a slide-out wire shelf.

Choosing which mini refrigerator that is right for you shouldn’t be very difficult. Firstly, you have to decide where you’d like it or use it the most. If you’re thinking of getting one for a dorm room, you’d need as much storage space as you can cram in the limited space. Perhaps the 3.3 cu ft from Haier would suit your needs best. If you want a larger one, you can try GE’s 6.0 cu ft Spacemaker. The same goes for hotel rooms or mini-bars. For offices with already-cramped cubes, the smaller 1.7 cu ft from Haier could fit inconspicuously into a corner you’d hardly even notice it take up space.

Space and purpose are basically your biggest considerations. Mini-refrigerators are hardly expensive. You can get one for US$80. A lot of models actually sell for under a hundred dollars. You could get them from your neighborhood appliance stores or from online stores like eBay and Amazon. You could check out manufacturer’s websites for legitimate dealerships, too. Thumb through your choices for the best deals in town or online.