Protects my food from thieving students! (Argos 6 Litre Mini Fridge)

Member Name: shopaholicleo

Product:	Argos 6 Litre Mini Fridge
Date:	17/03/09 (362 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Handy, convenient, cold

Disadvantages: Could be bigger, noisy

Now if you've ever been a student, you'll probably know what it's like to have your food disappear. After numerous occasions, where I'd come home to find my milk gone, cheese halved and butter non-existent, and many furious denials, I knew something had to be done. I'd always had the idea of getting a mini-fridge in the back of my mind since starting uni, but my new thieving housemates were the catalyst for this final decision. I found the 6 Litre Mini fridge on the Argos website, which was temporarily reduced to £19, and after reading a few customer reviews, I opted to pick it up in store. Even though some of the reviews referred to the noise, I knew that I'd rather have that then dwindling food supplies.

The fridge was relatively easy to set up, coming with a standard and additional lead, meaning that it can be plugged into cars when going on a long journey. At the back you select whether you'd like it to be hot or cold, (naturally I chose cold) and leave it for around half an hour to reach a nice cold temperature. After removing the included shelf, I found that I could fit in a 2 pint milk bottle, 1 litre juice carton, small tub of butter and block of cheese, plus whatever else I could fit in. It can also fit a 4 pint milk bottle, though not much else, and I'm sure it could fit quite a few cans (though it doesn't stretch to bottles of wine). I was quite happy with the temperature of my food, I even saw ice forming near the back, meaning that my milk would last until and perhaps beyond the sell by date.

The main problem I had at first was the noise, as it's kept in my bedroom. The first few nights, I found it difficult to get to sleep (the sound is similar to a PC that's been left on), but after persevering, I got used to the constant humming and now I hardly notice it. I think I had problems because I'm quite a light sleeper, but if you're one of those people who can sleep through anything, or keeping it in another room, I wouldn't worry. The size could also be bigger, but I'm quite happy with what I've got for the price. I would say that roughly half of the dimensions make up the refrigerator, and the rest is the motor and components, so when seeing pictures on the website you may think there's more space than there actually is. Another small thing, is that the door isn't magnetic, so no fridge magnets will stay on. Now I know this isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but we students love our quirky decorations...

I would recommend that all students get this product, I wish I could have had it in halls (when I'd come back from lectures and find my butter had bits of garlic in), and it's really helped my peace of mind. It's reasonably priced and can fit all of your essentials, so I think it would be a handy going away gift for any student or useful for long journeys. I don't know how I'd live without mine.

Summary: Does the job

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