The Best Portable Fridge

If you’re looking for a way to keep foods chilled or frozen, a portable fridge serves as a flexible option for both at home and on the go. You can take one of these small appliances with you and use its multiple power options. Therefore, they’re suitable for activities such as camping and boating. They can also keep foods cold if you have a power outage or just need more space in addition to your main fridge.

Think about what you’ll store in your portable fridge so you can choose the right design and capacity. Some portable fridges resemble very small refrigerators with a few shelves inside and are lighter weight for easier transport. These work best for items such as cans, bottles, medicines, snacks and cosmetics. Larger portable fridges are bulkier and look more like camping coolers with a single compartment. These can fit many more items and work well for bringing meals and drinks along for a trip.

The temperature ranges for portable fridges vary, so you’ll want to consider whether you need to keep items chilled or frozen. Many options have temperature settings for flexibility and list their temperature ranges. For example, most can work as either coolers or freezers, although some even offer the option to keep already-cooked items warm. Keep in mind that the practical temperature range of the item also depends on where you use the freezer.

You’ll want to consider power sources. Most refrigerators will have power adapters for plugging the fridge into a regular home outlet or your vehicle’s cigarette lighter, where it can draw energy from a running engine. You may also be able to plug the portable fridge into another power supply like a generator or battery power station.

Other features might be helpful in your portable fridge. For example, you might consider getting one with a magnetic door for more security, or you might prefer an eco-friendly model that uses less electricity. You can also find portable fridges that run very quietly.

• Always keep your portable fridge closed as much as possible and use any latches provided. Otherwise, your items are at risk of deviating from the desired temperature, which can affect both quality and safety.
• If you’ll use your portable fridge outside, place it away from sunlight when possible so that it can be more efficient in keeping your items at the right temperature.
• To keep your portable fridge running longer when you’re away from home, consider external power options like hooking it up to a portable generator. You could also use solar panels with enough wattage to power your portable fridge while you’re camping, boating or otherwise away from a power outlet.
• When using the fridge in hotter areas, consider using a portable fridge cover that can help with insulation and thus allow for better performance in more extreme conditions.
• Note that a refrigerator may be able to keep food warm due to its insulating properties, but it won’t heat your items for you.
• If you want to keep your portable fridge cleaner, avoid storing loose food in it. Instead, use closed containers so there’s less chance that things will spill.
• To save power and keep foods frozen, stick with a temperature just a little below freezing rather than use the lowest temperature your portable fridge supports.
• Always check the packaging of food to check whether it needs to stay refrigerated or frozen for safety reasons. Also, check medicine or cosmetics packaging to see if there’s a recommended temperature range.
• Choose a fridge style with shelves, rather than a chest-style one, if you want more organization and accessibility options.
• When organizing your portable fridge, put items you’ll use last near the bottom or back, and put the ones you use the most up front or on top. Not only is this more convenient for you, it increases the fridge’s performance because you can reduce the amount of time the lid needs to stay open.