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Building a Home

OT- can U recommend a small undercounter fridge

bevangel_i_h8_h0uzz

13 years ago

Due to my builder NOT putting my HVAC in the mechanical closet between my kitchen and great room where it was supposed to go, I wound putting a wet bar in that space that I hadn't originally planned on. (I didn't need or want a closet in the spot so figured I might as well get some use out of the space!) So, now I need to find an undercounter refrigerator (free standing) that I can use to keep softdrinks and beer nice and cold. I'd get a wine cooler but DH and I aren't really wine drinkers and wine fridges just don't get cold enough for beer and sodas. We like our sodas and beer so cold that ice crystals are just about to form.

The available space is 30 inches wide, 38 inches tall, and 26 inches deep. Hopefully that will provide plenty of room for air to circulate around the fridge. I'd really like the fridge to be black so it matches the rest of my appliances which are visible when standing in front of the wet bar. Other than that, I just want the fridge to hold plenty of drinks, keep them nice and cold, and be reasonably reliable and not too expensive.

Any suggestions?

TIA

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Comments (5)

sanctuarygirl
13 years ago
U-line makes quality freestanding compact refrigerators. They are on the pricey side because they are on the high-end, but they have some good models. I don't have one at home, but we selected one for where I work and it has been going strong for over 8 years. Keeps drinks icy-cold. You can see them online at their own site, but they are sold through many distributors, the site has a locator. I have seen some good-looking Viking models, but have no idea about their performance.
bevangel_i_h8_h0uzz
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the recommendation re U-line. Unfortunately, they cost as much as my full size refrigerator so I'm sure they're good. The way our budget has been blown, DH would shoot me if I even suggested we consider spending $1000+ bucks to keep sodas cold at the wet bar when we could walk 10 ft further and get one out of the full size fridge. LOL!

I think the budget might stretch to around $300 bucks. If I can't find something for that amount, we'll probably wind up stashing an ice chest under the counter whenever we have parties and using the space to hold our recyclables the rest of the time.
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Erica - hey there! We decided not to get one in the end; too much money for what it would do for us. I would totally consider installing a whole bank of them under the countertops if I was loaded, though, as the concept is excellent. I just wish there was some more competition from affordable domestic brands to keep the pricing more reasonable. I went back through the other replies and only one person responded who installed one - all the others were speculative, not real life experiences (typical Houzz). You could try tagging cheztaki who was the only respondent who actually has one, maybe? I'd say if it looks like a great option for you, get it, but make sure it's not dead stock with an old warranty or anything, just in case. And if you do get it, let us know how it works out, and in the meantime I'll keep buying lottery tickets :)
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pps7
13 years ago
I had sticker shock too when I saw the cost of undercounter beverage frdges. It was cheaper to put a 28" regular fridge. The regular fridge also has an ice maker which will be nice to have in the basement.
marmoreus
13 years ago
Don't know if you've found anything yet, but this is what we are using. It's not installed yet so I can't say if I like it, but the price was right and it fit our space. It's black and can be found for a bit under $300.

Here is a link that might be useful: GE undercounter fridge
nanner10
13 years ago
Got mine at Home Depot. It was a Magic Chef, they still have it in the stores (but I don't see it online) but the name has changed. They also offer a wine fridge model but the one I got has glass shelves not wire shelves for wine bottles. I spent $300 (on sale) I saw them recently for more $$; sorry I forget how much. It is Stainless steel, has a glass door and looks great.

The down side is that it only gets down to 39 degrees, which we are okay with, but it sounds like you are looking for something that will cool them down much more. That said, a quick bout in the freezer would do the trick, so I guess it depends on what you are willing to spend!

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