Alright, so I finally caved and got myself one of those shallow depth beverage fridges. For ages, I’d been wanting a separate spot for drinks, but my kitchen? Nah, no space. Every normal mini-fridge I looked at was just too bulky, sticking out and getting in the way. You know how it is, you try to make it work, but it just looks dumb.
I was pretty much ready to just give up on the whole idea. Figured I was doomed to a life of lukewarm sodas or cramming everything into the main fridge, which is always a battle for space anyway. Then, I don’t even remember how, I stumbled on the term “shallow depth.” Lightbulb moment, seriously. Suddenly that weird, narrow space next to the cabinets, the one that was too small for anything useful, started looking like prime real estate.
So, the actual hunt started. Got out the measuring tape – that thing became my best friend for a week. I must have looked at a hundred of these things online. It’s not like they’re all the same. Some were still too deep, even calling themselves shallow. Others were the right depth but then way too tall or too wide. And the reviews! Some people said theirs sounded like a jet engine, others complained they barely got cool. It was a whole thing.
I was looking for a few key things:
- It had to be genuinely shallow. Like, under 18 inches deep, ideally. My spot was unforgiving.
- Decent capacity. Didn’t need to hold a liquor store’s inventory, but enough for a good mix of cans and maybe a few bottles.
- Not crazy loud. It’s in the kitchen, near where we hang out, so couldn’t have it droning on all day.
- Actually get cold. Sounds obvious, right? But you’d be surprised what some reviews said.
Found one that seemed to tick most boxes. Took a gamble and ordered it. The delivery guys had a bit of a time getting it in, but we managed. Unboxing was the usual excitement. Pulled it out, and man, it really was slim. Slipped it into that narrow spot, and it just fit. Like it was made for it. Felt pretty smug about that, not gonna lie.
Plugged it in, let it run for a few hours to get down to temperature. Then came the fun part – loading it up. Arranged all my cans of sparkling water, a few beers, some sodas. It’s not a magic box; being shallow means you gotta be a bit strategic with how you place things. You can’t just chuck stuff in there like with a deep fridge. You learn to stack smart.
Now that I’ve had it for a bit, I can tell you it’s been great. Yeah, if the house is super quiet, you can hear a faint hum when the compressor kicks in, but it’s way quieter than I feared. It keeps everything perfectly chilled. And the best part? My main fridge is finally free of all those drink cans. It’s made a bigger difference than I thought it would, just in terms of kitchen sanity.
So, if you’re squeezed for space but really want a dedicated drink fridge, definitely look into the shallow depth ones. You gotta do your homework, measure carefully, and read a ton of reviews. Don’t expect to store a mountain of stuff. But for what it is, and for fitting into those impossible spots? Absolutely worth it. My little beverage nook is now one of my favorite parts of the kitchen.
