BLACK+DECKER BCRK17 1.7 Cu Ft Compact Refrigerator
The budget and small-space pick. At 1.7 cu ft and under 20 inches tall, the BCRK17 slots under a lofted bed or onto a desk shelf where the taller fridges will not fit, and it is the cheapest unit here. It is ENERGY STAR certified with efficient R600a refrigerant and runs quietly, but its cooling is a full-width chiller compartment, not a real freezer.
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Our Verdict
The cheapest, smallest, and most efficient unit here — ENERGY STAR certified and quiet — which makes it the right call for a shelf or under a loft bed. It ranks fifth only because 1.7 cu ft and a chiller compartment simply hold and cool far less than the larger fridges above.
Score Breakdown
Pros & Cons
Pros
- •Lowest price and smallest footprint here — fits under a loft bed or on a shelf
- •ENERGY STAR certified with R600a refrigerant and just 70 watts of draw
- •Quiet operation suits a desk-side or bedside spot in a shared room
- •Reversible door and a slide-out glass shelf despite the compact size
Cons
- •1.7 cu ft holds far less than the 3-plus cu ft picks — a personal fridge, not a shared one
- •The chiller compartment with ice tray keeps items cold but will not freeze them solid
- •A single shelf limits how you organize taller items
Specifications
| Total Capacity | 1.7 cu ft |
| Doors | 1 (single door) |
| Freezer | Internal chiller, 0.2 cu ft |
| Energy Star | Yes |
| Noise Level | Quiet |
| Defrost | Manual |
| Dimensions (D x W x H) | 18.5" x 17.5" x 19.7" |
| Weight | 34.2 lb |
Who Is This For?
Best For
- Tight spaces like under a lofted bed, on a shelf, or beside a desk
- Students who want the cheapest, most efficient personal fridge
- Anyone who only needs to keep drinks and snacks cold
Not For
- Students who need to freeze food or share the fridge with a roommate
- Anyone who wants full-size grocery capacity
Where to Buy
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Customer Reviews
Alternatives to Consider
Midea WHD-113FSS1
Midea
The strongest all-around dorm pick. Alone among the compact fridges here, the WHD-113FSS1 puts its 0.92 cu ft freezer behind its own insulated door, so ice cream and frozen meals actually stay frozen instead of thawing every time the fridge is opened. Reviewed.com's testing rated it the best mini fridge for most dorm rooms, and it pairs that real freezer with quiet operation and ENERGY STAR certification.
EUHOMY 3.2 Cu Ft Mini Fridge with Freezer
EUHOMY
The best value in a true two-door dorm fridge. For less than the Midea, the EUHOMY delivers the largest separate freezer in this lineup — a full 0.96 cu ft behind its own door — plus 2.24 cu ft of fridge space, an LED interior, and a reversible door. It skips ENERGY STAR certification, so it costs more to run, but for the up-front price it is the most usable freezer-plus-fridge combination here.
Frigidaire EFR840 Retro Mini Fridge
Frigidaire
The style pick, and a genuinely functional one. The EFR840 wraps a two-door, top-freezer fridge in a rounded 1950s-diner shell with a chrome handle and a side-mounted bottle opener. Reviewed.com named the retro Frigidaire a strong value for looks-driven buyers, calling out steady fridge temperatures — with the caveat that its plastic fixtures feel flimsy for the price.
Igloo 3.2 Cu Ft Single-Door Mini Fridge
Igloo
The most refrigerator space for the least money. The Igloo trades a real freezer for a big single-door box: 3 cu ft of fridge room — the largest fresh-food compartment here — for well under $200. Its automatic defrost is a convenience the manual-defrost picks lack, but the small internal freezer compartment is a chiller at best, so it suits students who mostly need cold drinks and food, not frozen storage.