Finding the Right Mini Fridge for Your Needs

Looking for a compact yet functional mini fridge for your dorm room, office, or small apartment? The Insignia 1.7 cubic foot mini fridge is a great option worth considering. In this buying guide, I’ll provide a detailed overview of the Insignia 1.7 mini fridge including its key features, pricing, dimensions, storage capacity, and other important factors to help you determine if it’s the right mini fridge for your needs.

As someone who recently went through the process of selecting a mini fridge for my modestly sized apartment, I understand the challenges of finding the perfect balance of size, functionality, and price when space is limited. It can be tricky choosing the right model that won’t overwhelm a small room but still provides enough cooling power and storage to be useful. After doing extensive research comparing top-rated mini fridge brands and models on the market, the Insignia 1.7 cu. ft. mini fridge stood out as meeting my needs for an efficiently-sized and conveniently designed unit.

In this comprehensive buying guide, I’ll share details on the Insignia mini fridge’s key specifications and features that grabbed my attention during the selection process. Whether you’re looking for a flexible fridge for a college dorm, bedroom, office, wet bar, or other cozy space, the information provided here will help you determine if the Insignia 1.7 is a wise investment or if you should keep looking at alternatives. Let’s dive in!

Overview of the Insignia 1.7 Cu. Ft. Mini Fridge

The Insignia 1.7 cubic foot mini fridge provides a generous amount of cooling and storage capacity despite its conveniently compact size. It measures just 17.7 x 18.7 x 19.4 inches, making it easy to situate even in snug surroundings like small kitchens, dens, rec rooms, and more.

Don’t let the petite footprint fool you – this versatile Insignia mini fridge packs in 1.7 cu. ft. of interior storage space, enough room for a decent grocery haul of up to 60 canned drinks or several days’ worth of fresh food and leftovers. The one-door design opens to reveal a single open storage compartment rather than separate freezer and refrigerator sections.

Key features of the Insignia mini fridge include:

• 1.7 cu. ft. capacity – Provides ample storage for drinks, snacks, fresh foods, skincare products, and more
• Compact 17.7 x 18.7 x 19.4 inch footprint – Fits nicely in dorms, kitchens, offices, garages, and other small spaces
• Adjustable thermostat – Lets you customize cooling levels as needed
• Reversible door – Open from either side to accommodate different layouts
• 2 removable shelves – Adjusts storage configuration to accommodate various item sizes
• Interior light – Quickly find items even in dark environments
• Energy efficiency rating – Uses minimal electricity to save you money

Now that we’ve covered the Insignia mini fridge’s key specifications on paper, let’s look at some of its stand-out features and performance in real world use.

Notable Features and Benefits of the Insignia Mini Fridge

Conveniently compact design – Measuring less than 20 inches in height, width, and depth, the Insignia 1.7 has an impressively small footprint. It can fit into tight areas including underneath desks and counters. The trim proportions also give it a modern, stylish look.

Generous 1.7 cu. ft. capacity – In spite of the petite size, you get 1.7 cubic feet of flexible storage room. That’s enough space for several shelves of drinks or leftovers. Interior organizing features like the adjustable wire shelves and door racks allow you to customize the layout based on what you store.

Quiet operation – Thanks to the efficient compressor and proper insulation, the Insignia 1.7 runs quietly – an important feature for settings like shared offices and bedrooms. You won’t have to raise your voice on calls or miss sleep due to noise.

Adjustable thermostat – The easy-to-use thermostat dial allows you to set the internal temperature as needed between 32°F-50°F. You can turn up the cold for drinks or use a more moderate setting for fresh foods.

Energy efficiency – This Energy Star certified mini fridge only uses 110 watts of electricity. Your energy bills will thank you versus an outdated model. Eco-friendly without sacrificing performance!

Reversible door – The door hinges are designed to allow either left or right side opening to accommodate different room layouts. Much easier than rearranging an entire room to fit a fridge door!

Interior lighting – The handy interior light makes it easy to spot items in the back without moving things around. No more craning your neck to squint into the dark depths.

Available colors – The sleek white finish blends with any decor, but you can also choose between black or stainless steel finishes to match different styles.

Beyond the list of attractive features, it’s important to look at actual customer experiences with long term use. How does the Insignia 1.7’s real life performance stack up to its specs?

Insignia 1.7 Mini Fridge: Storage Capacity and Usage Review

To provide a realistic look at how much you can fit and store in the Insignia 1.7 mini fridge, it’s helpful to see the experiences of actual owners over time.

Many reviewers mention being able to store 60+ 12oz soda or beer cans on the shelves and door racks. Bottled drinks like water and juice boxes can also be stored in bulk. The adjustable wire shelves allow you to configure the space to fit your drink containers of choice.

For fresh foods like fruit, vegetables, yogurt, and leftovers, the 1.7 cu. ft. capacity provides several days’ worth of storage. Items stored on the door racks and higher shelves will stay properly chilled. The lower you place items, the colder the temperature, making the bottom shelf perfect for items that need maximum chilling like beverages and meat.

One user estimated being able to fit two average sheet cake pans side-by-side on the bottom shelf, demonstrating the spacious storage. Other owners use their 1.7 cu. ft. unit to store breast milk, skincare/cosmetics, and even hedgehog food!

The Insignia 1.7 really shines for customers who want to avoid daily trips to the community fridge down the hall. It provides just enough space to get through several days of drinks, produce, and leftovers – making it perfect for dorms and studios. For larger households, simply size up to a larger unit.

Cost of the Insignia 1.7 Mini Fridge

The Insignia 1.7 cu. ft. mini fridge provides excellent value for the features and storage space. As of this writing, the MSRP is $169.99 making it very budget friendly for individuals and offices.

The price is reduced further during Best Buy sales events. It has been offered for as low as $139.99 during holiday sales making it easy to purchase multiple units for a great price.

Compared to other models of similar size and capacity, the Insignia 1.7 provides more bang for your buck. Mini fridges of comparable dimensions and 1-2 cu. ft. capacity often cost $180 and up. The Insignia manages to pack in spacious flexible storage at under $170.

For students and parents shopping on a strict budget, the reasonable price point makes the Insignia an accessible option when you simply need a compact, basic fridge. If high-end finishes and premium features are less important, the Insignia 1.7 fits the bill beautifully.

Is the Insignia 1.7 Mini Fridge Right for You?

Now that we’ve reviewed the Insignia 1.7’s convenient design, generous capacity, energy efficiency, flexible storage, quiet operation, pricing, and overall value, you likely have a good sense of whether it fits your needs.

To recap, the Insignia 1.7 cu. ft. mini fridge is ideal for individuals and spaces with limited room who need basic refrigeration for drinks, fresh foods, and leftovers. For dorms, studios, offices, wet bars, and other modestly sized environments, it’s a perfect pick.

If you need to store large platters or sheet cakes, fit a week’s worth of a family’s groceries, or chill a full case of wine, you may want to size up to a larger unit. For traditional freezer capabilities, you’ll need a model with separate freezer compartment.

At the end of the day, simplicity, efficiency, and convenience are what the Insignia 1.7 does best. For lots of chilled drinks and your favorite fresh snacks close at hand without dominating your limited space, it gets the job done beautifully.

So take another look at your beverage and food storage needs, available space, and budget. If the Insignia 1.7 cu. ft. mini fridge aligns with your lifestyle and priorities for a compact chilling solution, I highly recommend putting it on your short list!