Compact Refrigerators vs. Frost-Free Compact Refrigerators Buying Advice

Federal Standards

• Generally, the Energy Star approval means 20 percent less energy use than the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act maximum. NAECA is a federal law that gives the U.S. Department of Energy authority to set federal energy consumption standards on household appliances. You don’t have to give up efficiency in the purchase of a compact refrigerator; small doesn’t equal cheap or poorly insulated. Replace your supplemental refrigerator in the basement or garage with a new Energy Star compact refrigerator for maximum savings. Using a refrigerator more than 10 years old wastes energy and your money, according to Energy Star.

Frost-Free Compact Refrigerators

• Frost-free models cost more to operate because of the frost-free function. In fact, the California Energy Commission reports that frost-free models cost twice as much to operate as a manual-defrost model that is defrosted regularly. Energy Star provides a list of approved energy-efficient refrigerators that includes compact models. KitchenAid makes a frost-free compact that is about 6 cubic feet. Avanti makes a frost-free refrigerator that is 7.5 cubic feet. Jenn-Air, Samsung and Whirlpool make frost-free models, called automatic-defrost refrigerators on the Energy Star list. Danby has both automatic and manual-defrost compact refrigerators.

Manual Defrost or Partial Automatic Defrost

• A manual-defrost compact refrigerator requires less electricity to operate over the course of a year, but you'll need to defrost it regularly to maintain its efficiency. A compact refrigerator doesn’t take long to defrost. Avanti and Haier compact refrigerators are manual-defrost models, so you don’t have a choice with these brands. Magic Chef has partial automatic defrost features on its compact refrigerators, as do Oster and Vistra. Partial automatic-defrost or partial frost-free refrigerators have a defrost mechanism in the freezer compartment only. Danby offers a partial automatic-defrost compact refrigerator along with manual-defrost and frost-free models.

Features and Tips

• You may find that some of the compact refrigerators have a freezer compartment and some don't. You may not be able to make ice in some of these, as they are refrigerator-only models. Some Danby models have no provisions for ice. Other manufacturer's models have one door but have a freezer compartment that provides storage and ice. A side-by-side is more expensive to operate than a model with a top or bottom freezer. Keep your freezer full and defrosted for the most energy efficiency. Ice buildup causes the compressor to run more and costs more to operate.