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  • Introduction

  • Design & Usability

  • Features

  • Performance

  • Conclusion

  • Science Introduction

  • Temperature Performance

  • Moisture Retention

  • Freezing & Thawing

  • Storage Capacity & Energy Efficiency

  • Other Tests

  • Introduction
  • Design & Usability
  • Features
  • Performance
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Temperature Performance
  • Moisture Retention
  • Freezing & Thawing
  • Storage Capacity & Energy Efficiency
  • Other Tests

Introduction

Well, Magic Chef has an answer to your problem with the MCBR415S, a taller-than-average fridge that's still technically a mini fridge. It includes separate fridge and freezer compartments, very strong performance ratings, and enough storage space for two individuals... at a bit of a stretch. We had a very difficult time finding a new one through online retailers; Home Depot, at least, is selling it for $239 at the moment. If you need a compact fridge and can find one, buy it. True, it's not terribly energy efficient, but it’s one of the best mini fridges we’ve tested.

Design & Usability

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Take a full-sized top freezer, then squish it down into a proportionally smaller package. That’s the Magic Chef MCBR415S in a nutshell.

Two doors adorn the front of this refrigerator: one on top for the freezer, and a taller one underneath for fresh food. We don't normally call attention to this, but keep in mind, it's a mini fridge with two doors—an unusual thing indeed. It has a "stainless look finish"—yeah, you read that right—but it feels like (and is) plastic. It’s unusual and about as close to a conversation piece as a mini fridge is likely to get. Also, since it has recessed handles, it's very easy to reverse the doors if you need to.

It’s unusual and about as close to a conversation piece as a mini fridge is likely to get.

Inside, the fridge has two properly adjustable shelves, as well as a third one that serves as the lid to the drawer on the bottom. As is common for a mini fridge, the door not only has shelves, it also has a can dispenser that can hold up to four at a time. The freezer, on the other hand, is just an ice box with one wire shelf.

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Features

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Simplicity and versatility—all in one package.

Given the fridges towering height—compared to other mini's, anyway—getting to food is a bit easier than in other models of its class. Even so, losing food in the back isn't really a problem since the back is so close to the front. Notice, though, that the shelves don't extend all the way to the back. There's a small drain spout which collects any moisture that condenses onto the rear wall of the fridge interior; you'll want to keep anything wrapped in paper closer to the front. The freezer has a similar problem: No defrost cycle means you're stuck with icy build-up. Fortunately, the Magic Chef folks have thrown in a nifty little ice scraper that will fix that without any risk of damage to the inside of the freezer.

This control dial is annoying and adds an unnecessary element of frustration.

Controls consist of a basic dial that uses a scale of zero to seven. There’s a little note written on the panel reminding you that seven is the coldest setting, something that may seem counter intuitive to certain folks. Despite its simple design, the fact that you need an external thermometer to calibrate the fridge isn’t our biggest gripe—it’s how you turn the knob. It’s not designed to be gripped; rather, there’s a small indentation in the middle into which you essentially have to jam a coin, screwdriver, or your own fingernail, using pressure to turn it in either direction. This control dial is annoying and adds an unnecessary element of frustration.

Performance

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This fridge delivered some of the best performance ratings we’ve seen among compacts.

From top to bottom, we noticed that temperatures didn't shift any further than they would have in an average full-sized fridge. There's also almost no shift over time, another excellent trait that we expect from larger models. It’s not perfect, but it's some of the best temperature consistency we’ve seen in a mini fridge. On top of that, temperatures fluctuated less than 0.2 degrees over time.

Some of the best temperature consistency we’ve seen in a mini fridge.

The freezer wasn’t quite as spot-on as the fridge, but it still did a decent job. Despite its smaller size and fewer obstacles to air circulation, temperatures in the freezer also varied about the same amount. Fluctuation was a little worse, though still well within the range of acceptable performance.

Despite lacking any humidity control and handling like a dog in a cat show—hard to get out, and even harder to get back in—the drawer at the bottom of this fridge is an absolute star. The kind of minimal moisture loss that we saw from our test materials was really fantastic, and a lot of full-sized models could learn a thing or two from this mini. You may not be able to fit a lot into the drawer, but what does go in will be well preserved.

Conclusion

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An incredibly good mini fridge, although it's rather hard to find.

The Magic Chef MCBR415S was unusually difficult to find. It appears to be a Home Depot exclusive, where it sells for $239. To be honest, it’s worth the time and investment if you're looking for a mini fridge, especially if it's one that you plan on hanging onto for a while. It's truly a superior item, with excellent performance results (even when compared to full-sized models) and greater storage capacity than most other mini fridges. If you do find one and are in the market, definitely add it to your shopping list.

Science Introduction

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The Magic Chef MCBR415S had some of the best performance we’ve seen in a mini fridge, including solid fridge temperature consistency, outrageously superior moisture retention, and nearly perfect (by the standards of our test) freezer insulation, not to mention great storage space for a mini.

Temperature Performance

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More than satisfactory, even compared to its full-sized brethren.

In both the fridge and freezer, there was an average temperature difference of just about 2 degrees from top to bottom. While that surprised us a bit given the small size of the freezer, that amount of shift is fairly standard. On top of that, temperatures fluctuated a very small amount over time: less than 0.2 degrees in the fridge, and about 0.35 degrees in the freezer. The freezer's shift is pushing the boundaries of what we like to see, but it's absolutely better than really cheap mini fridges that have a freezer tray as opposed to a completely detached compartment.

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Moisture Retention

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One of the best vegetable drawers we've seen.

The tiny drawer at the bottom of the fridge is shallow, difficult to remove, and has no humidity control… and yet it turned out to offer some of the best moisture retention that we’ve ever seen. Moisture loss fluctuated a bit day to day, but the average rate after four days of testing came out to just 0.12 grams of moisture loss per hour. This is absolutely fantastic, better than many fridges we’ve tested regardless of size or retail value. It’s a shame that the drawer is so small, since it’s going to take very good care of any fresh produce that you purchase.

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Freezing & Thawing

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Great insulation for a mini fridge, but it takes a looooong time to freeze food.

Unfortunately, the Magic Chef takes way too long (2 hours and 4 minutes) to freeze food. It's unlikely that you'd be putting any $30+ cuts of beef in a mini fridge, but if you were thinking about it... just don't. That kind of freezing time is more likely than not going to decrease the texture and quality of sensitive items after you've defrosted them.

Speaking of defrosting, this mini fridge nearly made it! After just a bit more than 31-and-a-half hours without power, the Magic Chef’s freezer officially defrosted. Any full-sized fridge that doesn't pass this test has some major issues with insulation, but for a mini fridge it's fantastic. As long as you leave the freezer door shut when the power goes out, your food should be safe for at least a day.

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Storage Capacity & Energy Efficiency

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The taller design means more space all around, but the distribution of energy is definitely questionable.

Shallow shelves and a blocked off section for the fridge's working parts mean you only have about 2.21 cubic feet of usable space in the fridge. The freezer has just 1.11 cubic feet there, which may not seem like a lot, but it's definitely more than you'd find in a one-door mini fridge with just an ice tray. It may not be much more than many other mini's, but the balance of space between fridge and freezer makes for a more flexible product.

Mini fridges generally aren't very efficient in terms of energy distribution, but are definitely cheap to run. That said, the $27.22—based on a rate of $0.09 per kWh—that you’ll have to pay every year to power the Magic Chef is definitely more than you’d have to shell out for a standard sized mini fridge. In fact, it’s nearly double the rates that we saw on other, average models. That kind of energy consumption means you'll be using about 0.25 kWh per usable cubic foot of space. If we saw that in a full-sized model, we'd balk; for a mini, it's less of a deal breaker.

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Other Tests

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Meet the tester

Matthew Zahnzinger

Matthew Zahnzinger

Logistics Manager & Staff Writer

@ReviewedHome

Matthew is a native of Brockton, MA and a graduate of Northeastern, where he earned a degree in English and Theatre. He has also studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and spends most of his free time pursuing a performance career in the greater Boston area.

See all of Matthew Zahnzinger's reviews

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