Drinks fridges with a freezer or ice box

Ice box vs freezer compartment

Many small fridges have an ice box: a small metal compartment at the top that gets colder than the rest of the fridge. It can make ice cubes and keep ice packs or ice lollies for a short while. It is not a true freezer and usually is not cold enough to freeze fresh food for long.

Some under-counter fridges have a proper freezer compartment with its own door and a star rating. These can store frozen food for longer, though usually less than a full freezer.

What the star ratings mean

Freezer compartments in the UK and Europe carry star ratings that show how cold they get and how long frozen food keeps. Check the label or manual for the rating of any compartment.

Why most drinks and wine fridges have no freezer

A glass-door drinks fridge is designed to keep all shelves evenly cold, a few degrees above freezing, with fans or a cold plate on the back wall. Adding a freezer section means a colder plate that tends to frost up and makes the rest of the cabinet less even. Wine fridges run even warmer, so a freezer section would make no sense.

Fridges with an ice box are usually manual defrost: ice builds up and has to be cleared. See frost-free vs manual defrost.

Trade-offs of a fridge with an ice box

The benefit is convenience: ice and cold drinks in one small appliance. The costs are less space for drinks, manual defrosting, and often less even temperatures, with drinks near the ice box getting very cold and those at the bottom less so.

• Ice cubes and ice packs on hand
• Less shelf space for drinks
• Ice build-up to clear every few months
• Uneven temperature top to bottom
• Usually solid door, no display

Alternatives

If you mainly want cold drinks on display, a glass-door drinks fridge and a bag of ice from the kitchen freezer is the simplest setup. For a home bar, a separate countertop ice maker or a small freezer next to the drinks fridge works well. For a garden or party, see how to keep drinks cold without a fridge.

If you want wine as well, a wine fridge set to its own temperature is better than squeezing bottles into a fridge with an ice box; see wine fridge vs drinks fridge.

Choosing a drinks fridge

Decide what matters most: display and capacity for drinks, or ice. If drinks, choose a glass-door model with a low enough minimum temperature and adjustable shelves. Our beer and drinks fridge guide compares current models.

If ice matters, check the compartment's star rating, size and defrost type before buying, and accept less drinks space.

Think about where it will live as well. A fridge with an ice box in a garage or garden room may struggle in cold or hot weather; the climate class on the label shows the room range it was designed for. In a bedroom or study, the noise figure in dB matters more; see drinks fridge in a bedroom. Running costs depend on the kWh per year on the label, and a frosted-up ice box makes any fridge less efficient, so defrost it regularly; see drinks fridge running cost.

Compare glass-door drinks fridges →

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a wine fridge with a freezer? Combined wine and freezer units are rare. A separate small freezer is the usual answer.

Is a mini fridge ice box a real freezer? Usually not. Check the star rating; many are one or two star at best.

Why does my mini fridge ice box frost up? Ice boxes are usually manual defrost and build ice over time. Defrost when it gets thick.

Can a mini fridge be used as a freezer? Not unless it is designed as one. A fridge cannot reach freezer temperatures.