Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator - In-depth Review

The Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator is a product of an appliance manufacturing company known as Edgestar.

Edgestar was founded in 2004 and since then has grown to become of one of the leading manufacturers in the consumer appliance industry. With the steady growth of the company, two additional brands were created, Koldfront and Avalon, to fit into other niches and provide appliances to suit the needs of the customers.

It aims to build appliances that are durable and efficient in operation; some of which include refrigerators, dishwashers, ice makers, and washing machines.

Edgestar ensures that each product it manufactures is tested in-house. It also assures its customers of long-lasting use with a warranty card.

Let’s examine the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator. It may be what you’ve always been looking for.

Who Needs the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator?

The Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator is well-suited for people looking for something to place in a small corner of their kitchens, bedrooms or offices.’

The size and design of this mini fridge also allows you put in a variety of items ranging from breast milk in bottles for nursing mothers who need to feed their babies, to people who have to preserve insulin in small bottles or vials between 36⁰F and 46⁰F, and it even satisfies people who take their nutrition very seriously and love to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Many people have things they would love to keep frozen and not just cold. Without them being at this frozen state, these items may get bad and useless. The separate freezer compartment which sits comfortably atop the fridge is large enough for whatever it is that you have in mind.

Large ice cream bowls, several kilos of frozen foods such as fish, meat, and chicken, or even cooked foods and soups that won’t stay preserved if left in the fridge can all fit into the freezer compartment without hassles.

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Features of the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator

Design

The design of the Edgestar 3.1 cubic feet mini fridge is very simple.

It comes in a plain stainless steel color. So, it will fit in just right in your kitchen or bedroom. If you are keen on a neutral color like black or white, you won’t be able to get it from this fridge because the stainless steel color is the only option available.

The back of the fridge has a very flat surface which allows you to place it close to the wall without any obstructions, thus saving more space. You would appreciate this more when you come across such refrigerators that have some parts of the compressor sticking out at the back.

But don’t forget, being the freestanding model that it is, you need to ensure ample clearance around the unit for ventilation. Otherwise, the unit may overheat and may break down sooner than envisaged.

When you open the refrigerator, you would be welcomed by a decent arrangement of shelves – all of which are removable. These shelves allow you to fit in a variety of items of different sizes.

More so, both the refrigerator and freezer compartments have door bins. This is a whole lot of space for you to store whatever you want. The door bins in the refrigerator compartment alone are up to 4 and would take large and small items.

The door of this compact refrigerator is reversible. So, with the user’s comfort in mind, the unit can be open in whatever direction that the user prefers.

Automatic Defrost

The refrigerator in this unit has an automatic defrost function. So, irrespective of the temperature you set it to, you can rest assured that you won’t wake up to see a trailer load of ice in the unit.

The freezer, on the other hand, comes with a small container to manually defrost it when the need to arises.

Connectivity

There is no special connectivity option associated with the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator. Many portable refrigerators come with a DC adapter for car use and some even have USB adapters to connect to power banks.

You’ll agree with us that this refrigerator is too big to be placed in a vehicle, even though it is a mini-fridge.

This is why the only connectivity option that it offers is an AC adapter to connect to 110V AC socket in homes, offices, stores, and any other place that has AC power supply.

Temperature Control

Refrigerators need to have a method of regulating the internal temperature. Items that need to be stored in a refrigerator or freezer have different temperature ranges within which they need to be cooled.

The Edgestar 3.1 Cubic Feet Mini Fridge comes with a thermostat which eliminates this problem.

How?

The thermostat allows you to control the internal temperature of your fridge. This means it would never get too cold without your knowledge that your items would become frozen.

You can also take advantage of the fact that it is usually cooler at the top of the refrigerator section than at the bottom of the section. So, some of the items that you don’t want to freeze but need to cool at lower temperatures can be placed at the top.

This way you’re able to preserve your items at optimum temperatures.

Freezer Compartment

The freezer compartment of the Edgestar 3.1 cubic feet mini-fridge is separated from the refrigerator area, unlike many other compact refrigerators where the freezer shares the fridge space.

This separation gives way to a more spacious freezer where you can store more items than the ice cube tray that comes with the refrigerator.

The freezer which works at less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit also comes with a defroster. So, you don’t risk damaging the fridge by using a metal item to scrape the frost off.

Because the mini-fridge works with a very flammable refrigerant, on a very bad day, you may pick up that metal bar and begin to remove the ice that has been filling up the place, and everything explodes.

This can be avoided if you stick to using plastic to defrost.

Even better, if you have the time, you can put off your refrigerator and let the ice melt. Then you can wipe the melted ice with a clean dry cloth.

Even though it may take a while, it actually works.

Pros of the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator

i. Features a separate freezer compartment.

ii. Has removable shelves that let you fit in a variety of items.

iii. Comes with a thermostat for temperature control

iv. It has reversible door hinges to suit both right-handed and left-handed users

v. The freezer comes with an ice tray and plastic defroster.

vi. It can fit into small places.

vii. The refrigerator has an automatic defrost feature.

viii. Works quietly.

Cons of the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator

i. Few users complained that their unit came with some dents and scratches (But that blame isn’t on the product but the shipping company used).

Check out these other in-depth articles/reviews…

Alternatives to the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator

Freezerless Option

Galanz 4.4 Cubic Feet Mini Fridge

While many of the larger compact mini-refrigerators come with freezers of various sizes, some of them function as freezers only. One of such products is Galanz 4.4-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator.

This mini-fridge comes in an attractive retro design with fancy colors such as red and blue. It also has a glossy finish which makes it shine wherever you place it.

Because it is a fridge, it has 3 shelves which allow you to put in as many items as you want. It also has a door shelf so you can throw some things there too.

What’s more? It comes with a thermostat to control the internal temperature.

So, if you are in the market for a freezerless fridge, then this may be the fridge you’ve been looking for the whole time.

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Smaller Capacity

Midea 2.4 Cubic-Foot Mini Fridge

The Midea 2.4-Cubic Foot Mini Fridge is a much smaller refrigerator when compared to the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Refrigerator.

It has a nice design and comes in three simple colors – black, white, and stainless steel.

More so, it features a small chilling compartment that doesn’t get items frozen but keeps them much colder than the fridge.

It also has a thermostat to regulate the temperature.

It is well suited for tabletops and under-counter spaces.

You may want to try this one out if you want a smaller unit and are not so keen on a freezer.

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More Affordable

Midea 3.1-Cubic Foot Mini Fridge with Freezer

The Midea 3.1 Cubic Feet Mini Fridge is a lot like the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator.

Being a top-freezer refrigerator, this fridge also has a separate freezer compartment that will come in handy when you need to freeze some foods or make some ice.

If you go for this product, you will also get to enjoy the benefit of a temperature regulator in the fridge section.

While the Edgestar compact refrigerator is quite pricey, this one comes at almost half the price of Edgestar refrigerator.

So, if your budget won’t let you have the featured product, then you may want to consider getting the Midea 3.1-Cubic Foot Mini Fridge.

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Quick Comparison

	Featured Product	Freezerless Option	Smaller Capacity	More Affordable
Product	Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Refrigerator Click here to get it on Amazon!	Galanz 4.4-Cubic Foot Mini Fridge Click here to get it on Amazon!	Midea 2.4-Cubic Foot Mini Fridge Click here to get it on Amazon!	Midea 3.1-Cubic Foot Mini Fridge with Freezer Click here to get it on Amazon!
Dimensions	19.8 inches x 18.8 inches x 33.5 inches	21.7 inches x 24.3 inches x 35.4 inches	17.5 inches x 20.1 inches x 24.8 inches	18.5 inches x 19.4 inches x 33 inches
Capacity	3.1 cubic feet	4.4 cubic feet	2.4 cubic feet	3.1 cubic feet
Weight	52 pounds	75 pounds	37.9 pounds	52.2 pounds
Temperature ranges	At ambient temperature Cooling– 36⁰F – 38⁰F Freezing – 0⁰F	Cooling – 30°F-40°F	Cooling – 32⁰F-35.6°F	At ambient temperature Cooling – 30⁰F-50⁰F below ambient temperature Freezing – -11.2⁰F – 5⁰F
Removable Shelves	2	3	2	2
Color(s)	Stainless Steel	Red, Blue, Black	Black, White, Stainless Steel	Black, Stainless Steel, White

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What Users Are Saying About the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator

The Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Mini Fridge has generated hundreds of reviews from users who were mostly pleased with what the product has to offer.

The users were pleased to learn that the unit was true to Edgestar’s claims and they got what they were told to expect.

One interesting quality which the customers kept talking about is the freezer option. Several compact refrigerators similar to this one have just a cooling compartment and their freezer doesn’t freeze items. The freezer in this unit gets cold in a short period and produces ice in just an hour.

The automatic defrosting function also works well. When ice forms at the back of the fridge, it all melts down by itself without any user interference. A user claimed that the ‘ice vanished into a big hole’ and she was delighted.

That’s not all.

The durability of the Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator got some users talking as well.

A lady had her two sons use it while they were in college before moving it into her husband’s office later. On average, the unit lasted for over 5 years for a good number of users.

One downer though, some of the users noted that shipping and handling weren’t as good as they hoped because some of them got their order with dents and scratches on the unit.

Nonetheless, these same users were pleased to know that the performance of the unit wasn’t compromised.

In general, this compact refrigerator is splendid and both the fridge and freezer compartments work very well.

Those who have it already continue to recommend the product to their families and loved ones.

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Our Verdict

The Edgestar 3.1-Cubic Foot Compact Refrigerator is one of a kind. Although it is quite pricey, it actually gives users good value for their money.

This mini-fridge is perfect for dorm rooms, kitchens, office spaces and any space you think you can fit it in. So, whether you’re a student or businessman, the fridge will do well wherever you want it placed.

The fridge stays within a temperature range of 36⁰F to 38⁰F, but if you decide to turn the thermostat way down, it could get colder than that and would freeze most of the items in your fridge overnight.

The freezer works at around 0 degrees Fahrenheit just as described and can produce ice cubes in an hour.

When compared to other refrigerators, the freezer compartment of the Edgestar 3.1 cubic feet mini-fridge is a lot better.

So, if you’re looking for a compact refrigerator that runs quietly, works efficiently, gets cold on time, has an automatic defrost feature, and is low on power consumption, then this may be the fridge you’ve been looking for.

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