Having lived in a relatively small flat for years, I’ve always grappled with limited kitchen space and the perpetual challenge of keeping drinks and extra snacks adequately chilled, especially during the warmer months or when entertaining. The main fridge was simply too packed, leading to warm beverages and a constant struggle to find room for perishable items. This wasn’t just an inconvenience; it meant less fresh food accessible, wasted purchases, and an overall feeling of disorganisation in my compact living area. I knew I needed a dedicated solution, something that wouldn’t dominate the room but could still provide essential supplemental cooling.
When contemplating the purchase of a compact refrigerator, it’s crucial to first assess your specific needs and the environment in which it will reside. These ingenious appliances are primarily designed to offer supplementary cooling or serve as a primary cooling solution in very confined spaces, such as student dormitories, small office cubicles, bedrooms, or even a home bar setup. They excel at keeping beverages, light snacks, medicines, or personal provisions perfectly chilled without demanding the space of a full-sized unit.
The ideal customer for a small table top mini fridge is someone who requires convenient access to refrigerated items without a large footprint. This includes students, remote workers, individuals in studio apartments, or anyone looking for a dedicated space for drinks and extra groceries. If you’re a family needing to store weekly shopping for multiple people, or if you plan to rely on it as your sole refrigeration unit for extensive meal prep, then a compact model is likely not for you; a standard fridge-freezer would be a far more appropriate investment, offering the necessary capacity and dedicated freezer compartments.
Before making a purchase, several factors warrant careful consideration. Firstly, assess the available space for your compact refrigerator. Dimensions are paramount, as is the door’s swing direction. Secondly, consider the capacity you truly need – is it just for a few drinks, or will it house more? Noise level is another critical aspect, especially if the fridge will be in a bedroom or office. Energy efficiency, temperature control options (like an adjustable thermostat), and whether you need a small freezer compartment are also important. Finally, look into features like a reversible door for flexible placement and the overall build quality and durability.
Introducing the Fridgemaster MUR4545: A Closer Look
The Fridgemaster MUR4545 Small Table Top 45cm Mini Fridge presents itself as a compact, freestanding refrigeration solution designed for those with limited space. Its promise is straightforward: efficient and quiet cooling for your essentials, wherever you need them. When you purchase this unit, you receive the fridge itself, ready to plug in, along with a handy drip tray for the small internal freezer compartment. While it doesn’t directly compete with the sprawling capacity of a market-leading family fridge, for its niche, it offers a compelling alternative to more expensive or less featured compact models available. Compared to its predecessors or older compact designs, it stands out with its modern E-rated energy efficiency and broad climate design, making it a more versatile and eco-conscious choice.
This specific mini fridge is perfectly suited for individuals living alone, students in dorms, professionals in small office spaces, or anyone who simply needs an extra chilling spot for beverages, snacks, or even specific medications that require refrigeration. It’s an ideal addition to a bedroom, study, or even a games room. However, it is definitely not intended for a family seeking primary food storage or anyone requiring significant freezer space. Its compact nature means it won’t replace a conventional kitchen fridge-freezer.
Here’s a quick overview of its strengths and weaknesses:
Pros:
* Highly Compact & Space-Saving: Ideal for small rooms and limited areas.
* Generous 45-Litre Capacity: Surprisingly spacious for its footprint, fitting a good number of drinks and snacks.
* Low Noise Operation (39 dB): Barely noticeable, perfect for quiet environments.
* Adjustable Thermostat & Broad Climate Design: Ensures optimal performance in various temperatures.
* Reversible Door: Offers flexible placement options to suit any room layout.
Cons:
* No Internal Light: Can be a slight inconvenience in darker spaces.
* Flimsy Packaging/Potential for Damage: Some users have reported minor cosmetic damage upon delivery.
* “Cheaply Made” Feel: While functional, the build materials can feel a bit basic.
* Not Suitable for Integrated Doors: Cannot be built into cabinetry.
Diving Deep into Its Capabilities: Key Features and Advantages
My experience with the Fridgemaster MUR4545 has been extensive, and I can confidently attest to its functionality and thoughtful design, despite a couple of minor drawbacks. Here’s a closer look at the features that make this little appliance stand out.
Compact Dimensions and Reversible Door
One of the first things that struck me about the Fridgemaster MUR4545 Small Table Top 45cm Mini Fridge is its incredibly practical size. At just 46.8D x 44.5W x 50H centimetres, it’s remarkably compact and truly lives up to its “table top” designation. This modest footprint means it can comfortably sit on a desk, a small cabinet, or even tucked away in a corner without feeling obtrusive. For me, this was a game-changer; it fit perfectly into the spot where my old, slightly smaller unit used to be, yet offered far more usable space inside. The benefit here is clear: it solves the problem of needing extra chilled storage without sacrificing precious floor space in already cramped areas like bedrooms, dorm rooms, or small home offices.
Adding to this versatility is the reversible door feature. This seemingly minor detail is incredibly important for flexible placement. Being able to change whether the door opens from the left or the right means you’re not restricted by wall or furniture placement. You can simply adapt the fridge to suit your room’s layout, ensuring convenient access no matter where you put it. This level of adaptability makes it a superior choice for dynamic living situations, such as student accommodation where layouts vary greatly.
Generous 45-Litre Capacity
Despite its compact exterior, the 45-litre capacity of this 45-litre capacity refrigerator is genuinely impressive. Initially, when reading “45 litres,” it’s hard to visualise, but in practical terms, it translates to significant storage. I found it could easily accommodate an entire tray of 24 standard drinks cans, with room to spare for other items like water bottles, small juice cartons, or even some snacks and chocolates. My previous mini-fridge, despite being only marginally smaller externally, struggled to hold half that amount comfortably.
The internal layout, with adjustable shelving and decent door storage, further enhances its utility. You can customise the space to fit taller bottles or wider containers, making it incredibly versatile for different needs. This ample capacity directly solves the problem of overflowing main fridges or having to store drinks at room temperature. It provides a dedicated, easily accessible, and capacious spot for all those extra items that require chilling, making it perfect for personal use, especially for keeping beverages icy cold.
Mechanical Control with Adjustable Thermostat
The Fridgemaster MUR4545 comes equipped with a straightforward mechanical control and an adjustable thermostat. This means you have precise control over the internal temperature. When I first set it up, I had it on the maximum setting to get things chilled quickly, and it did a fantastic job. Once everything was at the desired icy temperature, I could easily dial it back to a mid-setting to maintain optimal cooling without over-chilling or wasting energy.
This adjustable thermostat is a huge benefit because it allows you to tailor the cooling intensity to whatever you’re storing. Whether it’s delicate medicines that need specific temperatures, or just a batch of beers that need to be frosty, you can adjust accordingly. It ensures your items are always at their ideal temperature, preventing spoilage or suboptimal enjoyment of your chilled drinks.
Broad Climate Design
One often-overlooked feature that makes this mini fridge stand out is its “Broad Climate Design.” This means the refrigerator is engineered to perform optimally across a wide range of ambient temperatures and environments. Unlike some cheaper models that might struggle in very hot or cold rooms, the Fridgemaster MUR4545 maintains its efficiency and cooling power regardless of whether it’s sitting in a warm student dorm in summer or a cooler home office during winter. This reliability is crucial, as it ensures consistent performance and extends the life of the appliance, giving you peace of mind that your perishables and beverages will always be kept cold.
Low Noise Operation (39 dB)
For an appliance that might sit in a living space, bedroom, or office, noise level is paramount. The Fridgemaster MUR4545 boasts a remarkably low noise design, operating at just 39 dB. In my experience, this translates to an almost imperceptible hum. It’s incredibly quiet, easily fading into the background of daily life, and certainly won’t disrupt your sleep or interfere with conversations or focused work. This low noise profile makes it ideal for shared living situations, quiet study areas, or bedrooms where any significant appliance noise would be a major distraction. While one user noted it was noisier than their *predecessor*, my personal observation, and that of many others, aligns with its discreet operation, quickly becoming background noise.
Small Freezer Compartment and Drip Tray
A pleasant surprise was the inclusion of a small freezer unit within the main compartment. While not designed for storing large quantities of frozen food, it’s incredibly handy for making or keeping a tray of ice cubes, or for chilling small items very rapidly. This solves the problem of having to constantly open your main freezer for ice or for those tiny frozen treats. The inclusion of a drip tray to go underneath this freezer unit is a thoughtful addition, making manual defrosting a much less messy affair. It shows attention to practical user experience.
Manual Defrost System
The fridge features a manual defrost system. While some might prefer an auto-defrost, for a fridge of this size and intended use, manual defrost is perfectly manageable and helps keep the cost down. The small freezer compartment collects ice, and when it needs defrosting, the included drip tray makes the process straightforward and less of a chore.
E-Rated Energy Efficiency
In today’s world, energy efficiency is more important than ever. The Fridgemaster MUR4545 is E-rated, which signifies good energy performance for a compact unit. This means it won’t be a significant drain on your electricity bill, making it an economical choice for long-term use. This contributes to both lower running costs and a smaller environmental footprint, which is a definite bonus.
While the overall functionality is excellent, it’s worth noting the build quality. The fridge has a somewhat plastic feel, which might not exude premium quality, but it certainly doesn’t detract from its performance. Furthermore, there were occasional reports of units arriving with minor dents or cosmetic imperfections, which seems to stem from somewhat thin packaging. This is more of a shipping issue than a product fault, but it’s something to be aware of and to check upon delivery. However, in most cases, these are superficial and don’t impact the fridge’s ability to perform.
What Other Users Are Saying: Testimonials and Feedback
Having delved into various online reviews, it’s clear that the general sentiment towards the Fridgemaster MUR4545 is overwhelmingly positive, with many echoing my own experiences. Users frequently highlight its impressive capacity for such a compact size, often mentioning how it surprisingly holds more than anticipated, including full trays of drinks cans. The quiet operation is a recurring point of praise, making it suitable for noise-sensitive environments like bedrooms or home offices. Many appreciate the adjustable temperature control and the convenience of the small freezer compartment for ice cubes. While some feedback mentioned receiving units with minor dents or thin packaging, leading to cosmetic damage, these instances didn’t deter from the product’s functional performance or its excellent value, especially when purchased with discounts. Overall, the consensus is that it’s a “small but mighty piece of kit” that delivers on its promises.
Final Thoughts: Why This Fridge Could Be Your Perfect Match
The struggle for adequate cold storage in compact living situations is a common one, leading to warm drinks, limited fresh food options, and general inconvenience. The complications of not having enough space can be frustrating, especially when you crave a chilled beverage or need to keep essentials accessible. The Fridgemaster MUR4545 Small Table Top 45cm Mini Fridge is an excellent fit to solve these problems.
Firstly, its compact yet surprisingly spacious 45-litre capacity means you can finally have that dedicated spot for your drinks, snacks, or medical supplies without cluttering your main fridge or consuming excessive floor space. Secondly, its remarkably low noise level ensures it can operate quietly in any room, making it an unobtrusive addition to bedrooms, offices, or student accommodation. Lastly, the combination of an adjustable thermostat, broad climate design, and a reversible door offers exceptional versatility and reliable performance, adapting effortlessly to your specific needs and environment. If you’re ready to enhance your chilling capacity and simplify your life, then click here to check the product out and see how it can benefit you.