A mini refrigerator is the perfect addition to a college dorm, garage, home bar, outdoor kitchen or other social gathering space. It can accommodate food or drinks for all kinds of occasions without taking up much space or energy, and it’s often a budget-friendly investment.

If you’re designing an outdoor kitchen, make sure you have a compatible outlet for your new outdoor fridge. You may also want to shop for outdoor fridge packages that come with additional outdoor kitchen components, such as a grill or outdoor kitchen cabinets.

If you are outfitting a dorm, you can make yourself a whole tiny kitchen when you pair your dorm fridge with a compact microwave or a toaster oven for heating meals and leftovers. Alternatively, you might add a perk to your mornings with a coffee maker. Meanwhile, if you’re building a home bar, you can complement your bar fridge with a blender for making pina coladas and other blended drinks.

The biggest thing to consider when looking at mini fridge options is how much storage space you need and whether you want to include a freezer. A mini fridge with a freezer will help you store frozen meals and ice for drinks. If you are using your fridge behind a bar, you might want a mini fridge with an ice maker unless you already have a standalone ice maker.

How your mini fridge looks and fits with your other appliances also matters, especially if you’ll be entertaining. Sleek stainless steel mini fridges pair well with just about anything, while retro and colorful mini fridges can add a nice touch to a game room or family fun room.

You can also shop based on mini-fridge subcategories, such as beverage fridges, wine coolers and kegerators. Having a specialized mini fridge helps you fit exactly what you need in the most efficient way possible. That means you can make the most of your new mini fridge.