Help me avoid the stinkfridge!

February 27, 2007 10:23 AM

Help me save money by bringing lunch to work: I need a mini fridge (not a dorm fridge!) that is of decent quality.

I'm looking for one of those super small desktop fridges for work, because the idea of packing a lunch and putting it in the disgusting science experiment that is our community fridge is repulsive.

A google search for desktop refrigerator yielded a couple of results, but only from sellers I've never heard of and brands I've never heard of.

A couple of my coworkers have nice little ones I think are made by Sunbeam, which they got from Target a long time ago. However, no Target I've been to has ever had one in stock or even known what I was asking about.

All I need:
- Big enough to fit a sack lunch and a drink
- Small enough not to take up tons of space in my cubicle
- Someone that has actually used one to vouch for the quality!

posted by twiggy to food & drink (16 comments total)

Is this what you're looking for?
posted by peep at 10:30 AM on February 27, 2007

Another option - cheaper.
posted by peep at 10:34 AM on February 27, 2007

Why not just a little coleman cooler with an ice-pack in it?
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 10:40 AM on February 27, 2007

(If no one has a personal review on a mini-fridge, you might want to check out the major office supply sellers (OfficeMax, Staples, OfficeDepot). They all have a variety of mini-fridges on their websites--just unfortunately not the Sunbeam model you are interested in.)
posted by divka at 10:44 AM on February 27, 2007

peep: The first link is probably a little bigger than I'm looking for, but it's closer than what I've found. The second link looks interesting, but the huge fan slots worry me about noise levels. I'll definitely take a deeper look and see if I can find reviews. For anyone who might be looking at it - looks like AC adapter is not included for this unit.

M.C. Lo-Carb: The reason I won't do the ice pack thing is because I'm realistic about how incredibly lazy and forgetful I am. If I forget to bring the ice pack home, my whole system is screwed up. I know this sounds absolutely nuts, but knowing myself I know
posted by twiggy at 10:46 AM on February 27, 2007

Once you have a fridge here is a weekly menu.
posted by mjger at 10:50 AM on February 27, 2007

I use one of these. I use it mainly for cokes, it's already paid for itself since I buy 12 packs from the grocery store instead of paying $0.60 for a single coke from the machine.

It also has a car adapter which can be nice on long trips.
posted by beowulf573 at 10:52 AM on February 27, 2007

This more like it?
posted by baltimore at 10:53 AM on February 27, 2007

If I can chime in as Responsible Energy Guy: Those things are notorious inefficient. What about getting a nice insulated lunchbox? Chill the lunch in your home fridge overnight, and a good Thermos-type box should keep it the right temp for a good six hours.
posted by blueshammer at 11:36 AM on February 27, 2007

Here is one with reviews on amazon.
posted by necessitas at 11:45 AM on February 27, 2007

I have one of the 6 can fridges that baltimore links to. The one piece of advice I would have is to check out the power supply. Mine came with a permanent car adapter plug and a remarkably bulky and cumbersome car-home adapter, making it almost useless as an under-the-desk fridge.
posted by .taft at 11:48 AM on February 27, 2007

Why not bring a lunch that doesn't need to stay cold? Leftovers that need up-warming are good.
posted by DU at 11:50 AM on February 27, 2007

Seconding the coleman-cooler/ice-pack idea -- it's energy efficient and earth-friendly. In the past, I used a large "insulated lunch bag". If you're planning a huge lunch, you could use an "insulated grocery bag".
posted by Robert Angelo at 2:41 PM on February 27, 2007

as a cheaper and more space effective solution you might try one of these
they keep hot stuff hot and cold stuff cold and it's pretty neat to look at
posted by estronaut at 2:50 PM on February 27, 2007

dang that was supposed to be a link to http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHL6PY/ref=wl_it_dp/002-8186125-3636809?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3DF2OFF8XK40Y&colid=1806CK9DBM4JR
posted by estronaut at 2:51 PM on February 27, 2007

One trick, depending on what you bring to drink, is to freeze your drink and pack it with your lunch. It will keep your lunch cold, and by the time you're ready to eat, it should be thawed enough to be drinkable.

Honestly, I don't bother refrigerating my lunch. I haven't had food poisoning yet.
posted by craichead at 4:12 PM on February 27, 2007