Making plans to buy a new refrigerator is always recommended to obtain from your purchase long years of trouble-free cooling service. Even though, there is a common misconception when it comes to select between a compact or a portable refrigerator because of similitude of the word that refers to its size.

Compact refrigerators are the smallest among the full-size refrigerating kitchen appliances. A compact refrigerator most of the times include a large or micro-freezer compartment in its upper part, what makes of this appliance. Therefore, people with little space at home can enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits, make ice cubes and store frozen food in a compact mini refrigerator unit.

Magic Chef makes several compact and mini refrigerator models. Magic Chef mini refrigerators come in 1.7, 3.6, and 4.4 cubic feet. The Magic Chef MCBR360W is a 3.6 cubic foot model that features adjustable leveling legs, full-range temperature control, extra door storage, and a full-width freezing compartment. Home Depot offers this model for $129.

A compact refrigerator can provide you with the same services than a top-mounted refrigerator, but in a smaller scale. Cooling temperature of this appliance is similar to full-sized refrigerators, but it may lack of some functions or add-ons like digital thermometers, ice cube machine and other amenities available in standard refrigerators. Besides saving space, the smaller size of a compact refrigerator allows easy moving from one place to another.

When it comes to portability, a mini refrigerator fits almost anywhere, including your briefcase or purse if you carry the appliance with you to refrigerate at office your beverages. A portable mini refrigerator does not produce ice, but keep its content cool all the time. Being the smallest refrigerators available in the market, its capacity is limited to contain from a few cans to a single item at a time.

If you seek a 1.7 cubic foot mini refrigerator but do not have much to spend, you may want to look at the Haier HNSB02BB. It looks almost like a budget version of the Magic Chef MCBR170B, including the small freezing compartment and reversible hinging. This model sells for $85 in Walmart.

Frigidaire's Silver Mist (Model FRTC03B5GM) may be a 3 cubic foot compact but it features a separate, single-door freezer above the main compartment and also features reversible door hinging. A new model has been seen as low as $139 at Tech For Less. But if you insist on a few bells and whistles in a mini or compact refrigerator, the Danby DAR482 may suit your need. At 4.4 cubic feet, it features auto-cycle defrosting, three slide-out shelves, door storage for two-liter bottles, glass-covered produce crisper drawer, and a specialised can dispenser. They sell new for as low as $190 at Savinglots.com.

Find out more about sanyo compact fridge and mini portable refrigerator options at Lily Hackford's site.