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Help choosing a mini-fridge for a theater bar!

9K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  ShoutingMan 
#1 ·
I need recommendations for an under-cabinet mini-fridge for a small wetbar. I thought I'd get a decent $150 22"-wide mini-fridge with freezer. Today I learned I need a fridge designed for in-cabinet installation. Naturally, these are much more expensive. Or, I can buy a smaller free-standing mini-fridge and have a gap around it underneath the bar; which is not attractive.

I wanted freezer space for ice, for mixed drinks or guests who want ice in their soda. The in-cabinet fridges all seem to be beverage coolers only, with no freezers. Are there other options for ice for a wet-bar?
 
#3 ·
Are there other options for ice for a wet-bar?
Even the smaller refrigerators with freezers don't make ice well, or even in good quantities for parties. When we have parties, we get a big bag of ice, put it in our freezer in a back storage room off our bar, and use ice buckets. And we go through a lot of ice at our parties.
 
#4 ·
Not an issue if they're outside the theater, but if it's in the theater area, make sure you demo it plugged in. Most of them make a good bit of noise. I have a Frigidaire undercounter from Lowes and keep it outside the theater.
 
#5 ·
The mini-fridge will be in the theater. No design options to be outside the theater except to not have one. The ice-maker is something for later; in the meantime I'll use an ice bucket.

I've settled on an in-cabinet beverage fridge. My two choices are a $400 Magic Chef or a $679 Avanti.

I like the solid door and wine-rack flexibility of the Avanti. I like the 40% lower price of the Magic Chef.
 
#8 ·
That's the wine fridge, which won't work for me. It's got lumpy-bumpy shelves specific to wine bottles.

“Magic Chef Vissani 50-Bottle Wine Cooler, Stainless Door-MCWC50DST - The Home Depot”

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Magic-Ch...ine-Cooler-Stainless-Door-MCWC50DST/100597196
If I click the $400 link from your previous message, the destination shows the can cooler as on sale. :)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Magic-Ch...y001rw&cm_mmc=CJ-_-6155355-_-11210757&cj=true
 
#14 · (Edited)
EDIT:

I'm pretty sold on this one:
Kalamera Beverage Refrigerator Single Zone Touch Control
by Kalamera
Link: https://amzn.com/B01AYTUFV0
96 can capacity: $499
175 can: $749

Seems to be the highest rated fridge (designed for in-cabinet) on Amazon. A lot of the reviews talk about how quiet it is, gets down to about 38F and a very reasonable price. LED lights can be turned off which is another plus if you want it in the theater room. I also love how responsive Kalamera is about their product if you look at the questions asked on the product page or the couple of negative reviews. For an additional $30 or so you can get a squaretrade 3-year warranty for it.





Even that $1000+ fridge has horrible reviews: https://www.amazon.com/U-Line-U1024BEVS00A-Built-Beverage-Stainless/dp/B00SCSCG72
 
#11 ·
Very important if in the room, the noise level. I have a wine cooler (I understand not what your are looking for) and I have a concern about running any kind of calibration while it is plugged in. Much noisier than our standard refrigerator.
 
#13 ·
I would stay away from all those specialty in-counter refrigerators...Avanti, EdgeStar, Magic Chef, etc. Most of them get poor reviews, plus they are expensive. The one I got, a dual-zone EdgeStar wine and beverage cooler, works OK, but it's way noisier than I would like, and it runs nearly all the time. Customer service is a joke...they want you to record any strange sounds the unit is making and send them, before even thinking about sending out a service tech or accepting a return. I have another "general purpose" mini-fridge, by Samsung, that is nearly silent. And it even makes ice! (Well, a little...it has a tiny freezer compartment and a couple of miniature ice cube trays.) It's intended for a small apartment or a college dorm room. It fits under the counter, even though it's not "designed" for built-in use, and it only cost, as I recall, a couple hundred $.
 
#17 ·
I'd love to have this for my office/jam room. You can tell pretty easily if a fridge is designed for under-cabinet use because it'll have the vent on the bottom or somewhere visible in the front. Otherwise it'll vent the hot air to the back like most fridges.. which could cause the compressor to overheat and break down if you put it in an enclosed spot.
 
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