My Magic Chef Portable Refrigerator Is Not Getting Cold

Magic Chef Units

• Magic Chef makes a number of refrigeration units, many of which are small in size but don’t offer the same portability as the Magic Chef portable fridge. While most Magic Chef mini-fridges are designed for use in small spaces, such as dorms and travel trailers, the portable is designed for use in even tighter spaces, such as in vehicles or boats. The portable requires little electricity and can plug into the AC outlet of a vehicle.

Cooling System

• Though a Magic Chef portable is smaller than a standard Magic Chef refrigerator, the unit’s cooling system operates in the same basic way. The Magic Chef portable has an interior dial on the right side of the unit to control its temperature. At any time, you can increase the coolness in the portable refrigerator by turning the temperature dial to a higher number. The maximum coolness in the Magic Chef portable is reached by keeping the dial on “7.”

Starting the Unit

• If a Magic Chef portable refrigerator refuses to get cold when you first turn it on, it may be due to plugging the unit in too soon after moving it. Once you unplug a Magic Chef portable unit to move it to another location, wait at least three minutes before plugging the unit in again. Plugging the unit in too quickly after it has been unplugged may interfere with proper operation.

Running the Unit

• When you first plug the portable refrigerator in, Magic Chef recommends, put the dial at the maximum cooling setting of 7 for as long as 20 minutes before dialing back to between the “3” and “5” settings for maximum efficiency. These settings generally keep foods cold enough while using less electricity. If you want to make ice in the freezer section of a portable refrigerator, however, turn the unit to “7.”