Coca-Cola Classic Portable Retro Mini Fridge Review

If you’re a fan of camping, traveling, or backpacking, you should already have a portable fridge in your kitchen. But if you don’t, or you need a second one, we’ve reviewed one of the best options available today.

The Coca-Cola Classic Portable Retro Mini Fridge is packed with convenience, despite its size. Today, we want to take you through a comprehensive take on this appliance. So, if you’ve been looking for a reliable assessment, you’re in the right space! 

Why would you want a mini-fridge anyway? We already have a refrigerator in the kitchen, which seems to take care of basic storage needs. Well, it turns out that a portable fridge can add a whole new range of benefits to your life. 

Benefits of a Portable Mini-fridge

Portable mini-fridges come with features, convenience, and ease-of-use, all packed into an excellent, portable appliance. I just wish I had one back when my backpacking trips were more frequent. All the same, this portable fridge by Coca-Cola is just as handy today in my day-to-day life. Here are a few benefits:

• First, I can easily carry it around wherever I go. Whether it’s a fun picnic, an outing with family, or at work, portability is the most obvious advantage. 
• Second, it saves space. The fridge’s dimensions are small enough to fit in any corner or pocket of the room. You don’t lose any substantial space, but you gain extra storage-capacity. 
• These portable fridges are easy to use. They don’t come with the complications or maintenance issues of giant refrigerators. 
• The small size also means that it requires less energy to function. As we’ll see below, most of these fridges will run on your car charger. 
• Next, they’re incredibly affordable. You don’t have to shell out a small fortune just to get one of these units. So, it’s a viable option for anyone, regardless of income. 
• Finally, they look great! This Coca-Cola mini-fridge, in particular, stands out because of its aesthetics and design. So, you get to turn heads even as you get the convenience of taking your cooling along with you.  

So, these are some general benefits that come with any portable fridge in the market. But choosing the right product means getting to know the features properly. The Coca-Cola Mini-fridge is easily one of the best options available today. So, we want to ensure that you, our readers, get the best information and the most reliable review. 

We’ve been using it ourselves, as well as collecting feedback from industry leaders. And we’re glad to share this information with you so that you can also learn more before making the purchase. 

Coca-Cola Classic Portable Retro Mini-fridge

The Coca-Cola Retro Mini-fridge is both a convenient appliance and a statement of style. The trademark red color identifies the brand and gives off that vintage vibe. The unit may be small, but it’s packed with all the right functions and features. So, let’s take a look at these attributes in a bit more detail. This way, you can arrive at a reliable conclusion instead of telling you how great it is. 

Capacity & Storage

The Coca-Cola Portable Mini-fridge comes with 4L of storage space. At first, this may sound negligible, but it has quite the capacity given the unit’s size and weight. Also, if the weight increases too much, you’ll have trouble carrying it around. The storage comes in two compartments. The lower chamber is taller, but both spaces have the same width and depth. 

In Coca-Cola units, you can carry six cans of 12oz/335Ml capacity. Six cans are quite enough for a small family or a few friends. But coke cans aren’t the only things you can carry here. I’ve stored everything from fresh food, cooked food, salads, chocolates, meds, pickle jars, etc. 

On several occasions, my wife has used it to carry her cosmetics and medication too. So, the 4L is big enough for a lot of personal and household items. In fact, the only thing I’ve not done yet is to pack it with six cans of coke because I’m not a big fan of soda. 

Dimensions and Size

Alright, when we talk of size and dimensions, we need to know two sets of measurements. First is the outer dimension, which will let you know how much space the appliance will take. The second is the inner measurement that gives you the capacity. 

The unit is about 10 inches tall—the breadth and depth measure approximately 7 inches and 9.45 inches, respectively. So, you can imagine how space-saving the unit is. I’ve taken it on cars, boats, RVs, SUVs, office, bedroom, etc. On my office desk, it occupies as much space as a few books stacked together. That’s how economical it is with space. 

The chambers both measure 5.5 x 5.3 inches (Breadth x Depth). However, the lower compartment has a height of 5.1 inches. So, you can place four cans of coke standing upright. The upper chamber is 2.8 inches tall. So, you’ll have to store 12oz cans horizontally in this case. 

Style and Design

At first glance, it looks like a miniature top-freezer type of refrigerator. Of course, it doesn’t have a freezer, but the two-chamber design lets you separate the contents. 

Personally, the retro aesthetics of this mini-fridge is one of my favorite elements. The striking red color is reminiscent of the groovy styles of the 60s and 70s. The Coca-cola logo and bottle drawing both serve as easy identifiers of the brand. So, if you’re a fan of the company, you can flaunt the graphics wherever you go. It can just as quickly be a collectible because of how distinct the design is. 

The rounded edges also give it an excellent form and silhouette. It adds to the vintage look as well as brings a modern element to the design. 

Portability

If there’s one thing this mini-fridge excels at, it’s portability. I really can’t imagine a more compact fridge that looks or works as well as this one. We’ve already discussed the dimensions. So, you know this unit will fit everywhere from the seat of your car to the side of your bed. But what adds to the portability is the negligible weight of the appliance. The empty mini-fridge weighs a measly 4.4 pounds. So, you can take this baby out to virtually any place. 

Now, carrying it around in your car is one thing. However, I’ve found that minimal weight is super convenient when I’m at the beach or in the backcountry. These are places where you may have to carry around your equipment manually. In these situations, the Coca-Cola Retro Portable Mini-fridge merely is unbeatable. 

Energy Efficiency

Mini-fridges are generally very efficient with energy consumption. And the Coca-Cola Classic Portable Retro Fridge is no different. One of the best parts about the mechanism is that it is free of CFCs. CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) are refrigerants that cause a lot of pollution and damage to air quality and the environment. 

Furthermore, the unit does not rely on a compressor for refrigeration. So, it doesn’t need vast amounts of power to run or function. The manufacturer’s estimate that your yearly energy consumption should come to about 235 kWh. 

Additional Features

Some features of the Coca-Cola Portable Mini-fridge are unique to this product. At the same time, there are other features that you’ll find in other models too. Let’s take a look at some of the distinct characteristics of this model.

Material

The material for the Coca-Cola Classic Portable Retro Fridge is mostly plastic. It’s also partly the reason why it’s lightweight. But this also means that the ambient temperature can affect its functioning. If you use the fridge at room temperature, the cooling will depend on this external temperature. If you use it in hotter climates, the cooling will not be as efficient. 

Power

The Coca-Cola Classic Portable Fridge comes with two power options. One is the 12V DC adapter that allows you to plug it into your car charger. The other option is to use the 110V adapter on the wall sockets at home.  

Cooling and Warming

One of the handiest features of this mini-fridge is that it has a warming function too. So, you can store cooked food and keep it warm for later. Of course, there are specific temperature limits that apply to both. The unit uses thermoelectric technology, which means you won’t get freezing or cooking temperatures. But that’s not the purpose of a mini-fridge, so it’s not a deal-breaker. 

The cooling function can bring the temperature down to 32°F (18°C) below the existing room temperature. The warming can go up to 135°F (57°C), which is quite enough for keeping snacks warm. 

Self-locking Handle

This unit also comes with a handle that stays latched when you close it. It’s a simple mechanism that’s easy to open when you pull on it. The reason why this feature is so practical is because you’ll use the mini-fridge on the go. And you can’t bother to always rely on manual locking and unlocking. 

Removable Shelf

The shelf that separates the two compartments is removable. Once removed, you can store 16oz or 20oz bottles too with some effort. It’s a handy/useful feature when you want to ditch those aluminum cans and go for bottled water or juices. 

Practical Tips for best results

We’ve been using this mini-fridge for some time now. Along with this experience, we’ve gathered some pointers from the manual to help you get the best performance. 

• Keep the plugs, cords, and car lighters clean and dirt-free. Small particles can get in the way of the plugs and decrease the performance. 
• The cooling is much faster if you pre-chill your items before placing them inside. Also, keep a few inches of free-space behind the mini-fridge for optimum cooling. 
• Always consider the ambient temperature before using the mini-fridge. This will allow you to get an idea of how cool your items can get. 
• Make it a point to clean the motor shaft and fan blades regularly. You can use a brush with soft bristles for cleaning the dirt and particles. Regular cleaning will ensure that your mini-fridge remains efficient and durable. 
• To clean the insides, use a soft cloth dipped in warm water. You can add a small amount of baking soda, bleach, or soap to the solution. Whatever the case, do not use abrasive or rough materials for cleaning. 
• Once your items go in, try to minimize reopening. This way, your fridge can build a consistent temperature over time. 
• Try to use the 12V car outlet only when you’re engine is running. The unit is small, but it can drain your battery if you’re not careful. I learned this the hard way. 
• Try to keep the contents full for best results. Whenever you remove a can, replace it with a new one. The circulation and cooling are better when the fridge is filled uniformly. 

Final Thoughts

The Coca-Cola Classic Portable Retro Mini-fridge is one of the most functional appliances you can get. It’s full of convenience and handy features. Of course, there are some downsides too. 

For instance, the room/outdoor temperature can decrease the cooling/warming effect of the fridge. But it’s a trade-off that’s understandable. The unit consumes low energy and doesn’t have those loud compressors. Also, the capacity can fall short for more prominent families who want to carry more items. But here, too, you’ll have to compromise on portability if you want more storage space. I suggest going for two units of this one, instead of a bigger mini-fridge. But I leave it up to you to decide that. The point is that it has a few drawbacks, but the pros far outweigh these small cons. 

As an affordable, portable, and functional mini-fridge, this one’s one of the best options available today. The Coca-Cola Classic Portable Retro Mini-fridge continues to dominate sales among the competition. And trust me, you’ll want one too if portability is a priority for you.