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View on Amazon Affiliate disclosure Power and Interior CapacityĮnergy consumption in 24h: 0.569 kWh / 24h (Also, let me know, so I can check it out!) The best energy-efficient mini-fridges: our top picksĬurious about how we rate products? Click here to view our methodology, which at its core, is about voting with our dollars to fight climate change. If you do happen to spot a Bosch or Smeg mini fridge sometime in the future, though, chances are it’s energy efficient, eco-friendly and a great choice. Sadly, many of the best brands making standard sized refrigerators don’t make mini fridges. If you end up having to replace a faulty refrigerator after just a few weeks or months, that’s not very sustainable, so I’d suggest giving Avanti a miss until they up their game (which they might do as they’ve just been acquired by a bigger company). While I cannot currently recommend most household names in large appliances, this will likely change in the next couple of years as companies make the switch to planet-friendly coolants.įor now, the companies I recommend most highly for eco-friendly mini refrigerators include:Īvanti also make a lot of Energy Star mini fridges, but the reviews of these tend to skew heavily towards poor construction and operation and poor customer service. I think there’s still room for improvement in this category, so am reserving that 5th leaf for whichever company really knocks it out of the park in terms of energy efficiency and eco credentials.
#Mini refrigerator with freezer full#
In case you’re curious as to why none of the mini fridges gets the full 5 leaves, this is because they’re still not as energy efficient as I’d like them to be, compared to a regular sized refrigerator. California has now banned HFCs entirely, meaning that many companies who want to sell products across the US have switched their coolants already. Fortunately, this is changing as HCFCs and HFCs began to be phased out in 2019. Isobutane has been widely used in household refrigerators in Europe and parts of Asia for several years, but HFCs and HCFCs remain redolent in US refrigerators. Also, all of GE’s appliances and components are labelled for recycling and Liebherr design their refrigerators to better enable recycling.ĭespite GE’s achievement in getting EPA approval for isobutane, other manufacturers have mostly failed to follow suit. Isobutane and cyclopentane are easily processed when the time comes to recycle your appliance and are far more environmentally friendly than CFCs and HFCs. The first HFC-free refrigeratorĭid you know? After approval, GE launched the first HFC-free refrigerator in the US, the built-in Monogram 30-inch ZIK30GNHII Refrigerator ( View Price on Home Depot) with an optional glass door, with cyclopentane as the insulating foam. Indeed, GE were the first company to apply to the EPA for approval to use isobutane as a coolant instead of HCFCs or HFCs back in 2011. Liebherr, GE, Black + Decker, and a few other companies make mini fridges using R600a coolant. The following recommendations are for mini fridges that don’t rely on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), or HFCs, which damage the environment (namely, the ozone layer). I’ve done the digging, so you don’t have to. That’s a lot of work! Don’t worry, though.
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In the US, many still use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), meaning that even some of the better looking Energy Star certified mini fridges are bad for the environment. Most companies still aren’t up front about the type of coolant they use, for instance. Mini fridges are highly variable, however, in terms of energy efficiency and eco-friendliness.
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Whether it’s for your RV, garage, dorm room, or home office, a mini fridge is a great way to keep perishables (and beverages!) cool without the expense and energy consumption of a regular-sized refrigerator. Other Options for Energy Efficient Mini Refrigerators.BLACK+DECKER BCRK43V Compact Refrigerator.The best energy-efficient mini-fridges: our top picks.Environmental considerations for mini-fridges.