Every dorm room needs a mini refrigerator. As a college student, even if you have access to a food court nearby on campus, it helps to have a place to keep leftovers and other refrigerated staples like milk, cheese, fruit, vegetables, condiments and beverages. In lieu of shoving everything inside your mini fridge and ending up with a chaotic mess, mini fridge organizers can help you keep track of your items while giving you easy access to them.
A mini fridge, also known as a compact refrigerator, isn't always mini. Sure, it's smaller than a standard refrigerator, but you can buy a mini fridge in various sizes. If your dorm room is like most dorm rooms, you probably have a fridge to fit a small space, in which case your organization accessories will need to fit accordingly. If you're still in need a mini fridge for your dorm room, check out our roundup of the best mini fridges.
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What to Consider When Purchasing a Mini Fridge Organizer
What You'll Be Storing: The shape and size of the organizer you purchase will be based on the things you need to store. Some items like milk jugs are too large to fit in certain organizers, so you might want to consider what your staples are before attempting to organize them.
Type of Organizer: Depending on what you plan on storing in your mini fridge, there are different types of plastic organizers to consider. The most efficient ones are clear so you can see the contents from all angles. Some have dividers to help with organization, some have handles so the container can be pulled out easily, and some are stackable to save room. In addition, there are organizers for outside of the mini fridge, including an over-the-fridge caddy that sits over the top of the fridge and has pockets on both sides to hold items like utensils, cups, tea bags, snacks and more. You can also buy a cart or shelving to place your mini fridge in or on, which gives you ample space to store dry goods and other necessities.
Mini Fridge Size: The size of your organizer will depend on the size of your mini fridge. It's important to know the dimensions of the fridge to make sure any organizational items you buy fit either inside the fridge or outside of it. Standard size dorm refrigerators generally vary in size from 2 cubic feet, which is a small square model, to about 4.5 cubic feet, which is about desk height.
Scroll on to find the best and most efficient mini fridge organizers of 2022.
1. Novelty E Fridge Drawer Organizer, 1-Count
Pull-out drawers give your fridge more space to hold small items like eggs, produce or cheese products. This fridge drawer organizer gets installed under the refrigerator shelf. Simply put the slide rail on the partition and install the storage box. It has a handle for ease of use and it's clear so you can see what's inside. Choose between no dividers in the drawer, four dividers or eight dividers.
Dimensions: 12" x 7.91" x 3.71"
2. ClearSpace Fridge Bins With Dividers
These clear plastic bins fit single-serving snacks and small condiment bottles and can sit sideways in your fridge if they don't fit the other way. Choose from a two-pack or a four-pack of bins. Each bin has four dividers to keep things extra organized. The product is made from BPA- and chlorine-free plastic that's shatter-resistant. The divided bins are food-safe and easy to clean using mild soap and water.
Dimensions: 10.5" x 6" x 3.5"
3. Suprima Portable Mini Fridge Organizer
Place your mini fridge on this portable, freestanding shelving unit that can also hold a microwave on the top shelf and snacks and other items on the bottom two shelves. It'll maximize your space so all of your kitchen appliances and items can stay together in one location. The shelving is adjustable to work with whatever size mini fridge you have, and it sits on caster wheels for easy movement.
Dimensions: 18" x 24" x 52"
4. Elfa White Mesh Rolling Cart With Drawers
Perfect for a tight space like a dorm room, this rolling cart with wheels can hold your mini fridge on top along with plenty of snacks and important kitchen accessories. It has three large mesh drawers and it's situated on wheels for portability. The see-through drawers offer visibility of all your things. It's sturdy enough to hold up for all the college years.
Dimensions: 22" x 21" x 20-7/8"
5. mDesign Plastic Kitchen Food Storage Bin With Handle
A storage bin with a lid can make a big difference in a small refrigerator. Not only can it help produce stay fresh for longer, but it can also lock in any odors the food in your fridge might create. This four-pack of BPA- and chlorine-free, shatter-resistant plastic storage bins have lids, as well as handles for easy access. They are great for storing produce, beverage cans or dairy products. The bins are stackable to free up room in the fridge, but you could also use them to store dry goods or utensils next to the fridge.
Dimensions: 14.5" x 6" x 4.25"
6. GlossyEnd Over-the-Fridge Caddy Organizer
Most dorm rooms are pretty small, so space-saving essential items can go a long way. This over-the-fridge caddy drapes over a mini fridge and has several pockets on both sides that can hold various items to minimize clutter and help keep things organized. Made of nylon, the gray caddy is flexible with a velcro strip and magnets to secure it in place.
Dimensions: 35" x 12"
7. Aiyomt Magnetic Shelf
Another great space-saving solution is a magnetic shelf. It can clear counter space and keep all your kitchen items in one convenient spot. This magnetic shelf mounts to any metal refrigerator to hold spices, sauces, peanut butter, beverages or any kitchen item that doesn't need to be refrigerated. It also has a paper towel holder. Its magnet is extremely strong and can support up to 18 pounds. The shelf comes in sizes medium and large, but the medium will probably work best with most mini fridges. You can also choose from a black or white finish.
Dimensions: 13.2" x 12.4" x 3.9" (medium), 18.3" x 11.8" x 4.5" (large)
8. DormCo Yak About It Mini Fridge Dorm Station
This mini fridge shelving unit takes up a bit more space than other options on our list, but it's ideal if you have a mini fridge along with a microwave or toaster oven and a coffee maker. Two shelves allow for storage space — whether that entails condiments, spices, drinks, snacks, paper towels and other food-related items or a place to store your books.
Overall Dimensions: 22" x 34" x 37"
Fridge Opening Dimensions: 19.50" x 22" x 36.50"
9. Pottery Barn Teen Magnetic Storage Caddy
Designed specifically for small spaces, Pottery Barn's Magnetic Storage Caddy will stick to a mini fridge and hold all of your narrow-ish kitchen accessories, like utensils, napkins, chip clips and sauces. It's an easy way to organize small items that would otherwise have nowhere to go and result in more clutter.
Dimensions: 12.75" x 5.25" x 9.75"
10. Suprima Adjustable Shelving
If you need a place to store your mini fridge, TV, microwave and other miscellaneous things in your dorm room, this adjustable metal shelving unit from Suprima is a great option. It's easy to put together, durable and it can hold up to 300 pounds. It's small enough to work well in a dorm room and large enough to accommodate a few electronics, snacks and whatever else you'd like to store.
Dimensions: 18" x 48" x 53"
