Honeywell 116-Can Beverage Refrigerator Review: a simple, cold workhorse for drinks and beer

I picked up this Honeywell 116-can beverage fridge because my main fridge was always packed with cans, bottles, and random leftovers. I wanted a separate spot just for drinks that I could put in the office / game room and basically forget about. After a few weeks of use, it’s pretty clear what this thing is good at and where it’s just “okay”.

The main thing: it keeps drinks cold and stable. I’ve got it set near the lower end of its range and cans come out properly chilled, not lukewarm like some cheaper beer fridges I’ve had. The digital thermostat actually seems honest, which is already better than a lot of dial-only mini fridges where “max cold” means “maybe cold-ish”.

In day-to-day use, it’s been quiet enough that I don’t really notice it. It hums a bit when the compressor kicks on, but it’s not the kind of noise that dominates a room. I’ve had louder computer fans. I also like that I can see what’s inside through the glass door without opening it and dumping all the cold air out every time I want a soda.

It’s not perfect. The interior layout isn’t 100% flexible, the light is more for looks than real visibility, and there are some minor quirks with the top and bottom shelf space. But overall, if you just want a no-drama drink fridge that gets the job done and doesn’t sound like a jet engine, this one is pretty solid so far.

In terms of value for money, this Honeywell sits in that middle zone: not a bargain-bin mini fridge, but also not a high-end bar unit with fancy features. You’re paying for a few specific things: glass door, digital thermostat, triple-pane insulation, and a decent brand name. If you just want the cheapest way to cool drinks, you can definitely find a basic white mini fridge for less. But you’ll lose the glass door, the more accurate temperature control, and probably some build quality.

Where it earns its price is in reliable cooling and decent noise levels. It actually hits the advertised 34°F, which some cheaper units struggle with, and it stays relatively quiet while doing it. For a fridge that’s going in a living room, office, or bedroom-adjacent space, that matters more than saving a few bucks upfront. The fact that it’s currently a bestseller in its category and sitting at around 4.4/5 stars with 1300+ reviews lines up with my experience: most people seem to find it good enough to keep.

There are a couple of small downsides value-wise. The interior light is basic and always manual, there’s no lock on the door, and the top and bottom shelves have some space limitations because of the fan and compressor box. None of that kills the product, but if you’re trying to squeeze maximum utility out of every inch, it’s something to factor in. Also, the annual energy consumption is listed around 288 kWh/year, which is okay but not ultra-efficient. It’s not going to crush your electric bill, but it’s not the greenest thing ever either.

Overall, I’d call the value pretty solid if you care about looks and consistent temperature. If you just want a garage beer fridge and don’t care how it looks or sounds, you can probably save money with a plain mini fridge. If you want a glass-door unit that works like a small commercial cooler without going into crazy prices, this Honeywell hits a reasonable sweet spot.

Design-wise, this Honeywell fridge looks like the kind of unit you’d see in a small bar or office break room. Stainless steel trim, glass door, black interior, and wire shelves. Nothing flashy, but it doesn’t look cheap either. If you like seeing all your cans lined up, it does that job well. I keep a mix of IPA cans, seltzers, and some energy drinks in there, and the labels show clearly through the glass, which is actually pretty handy when you’re half awake and just want to grab something without thinking.

The digital control panel is inside near the top and is easy enough to use. A couple of buttons to set the temperature and a light button, that’s it. No app, no Wi-Fi, no nonsense. The temperature readout is bright enough to see when you open the door but not blasting through the glass all night. The interior light is a white LED near the top. It looks nice with the glass door, almost like a little display fridge, but it’s not super strong. It’s enough to see what’s there if the room is dim, but don’t expect floodlights.

One thing I noticed is how low it sits. At just over 31 inches high, if you put it directly on the floor, you’re bending down a lot, especially for the bottom shelf. I ended up doing what one of the reviewers mentioned: I put it on a small stand to lift it 4–5 inches. That makes a real difference for daily use. If you’re planning to tuck it under a counter, that might not matter, but in an open room it’s worth thinking about.

Overall the design is practical and neutral. It blends in with most setups: home bar, office corner, gaming room, or even a workshop. It doesn’t scream “college dorm mini fridge,” which I like. There are some quirks with the shelf layout and the blocked areas, but visually and functionally, it feels like a small commercial-style beverage cooler more than a cheap plastic cube.

For a mid-range drink fridge, the materials are decent. The exterior is mainly stainless steel and black metal, not thin shiny plastic. The door uses tempered glass with three panes, which is more serious than the single-pane glass doors on some cheaper models. That helps with insulation and also makes the door feel more solid when you open and close it. It doesn’t feel flimsy or wobbly in the hand.

Inside, the shelves are metal wire with a PVC coating, all in black. They don’t flex much under the weight of loaded cans, which is important when you start stacking heavy drinks. They slide out for access, and the coating keeps them from feeling rough or scratching cans easily. They’re not fancy, but they’re practical. I prefer this over glass shelves in a drink fridge because wire shelves let the cold air move around better.

The hinges and handle setup are simple but solid. The recessed door handle means there’s no plastic bar sticking out that can snap off. The door can be reversed if you want it to open the other way, which is handy if you’re trying to fit it into a tight space. The adjustable legs are basic plastic/metal but they do their job: you can level the fridge so the door doesn’t swing open or shut on its own.

Nothing here screams luxury, but nothing feels cheap enough to worry about either. It feels like a small commercial-style unit more than a dorm fridge. The UL certification is also a plus for safety. I wouldn’t abuse it like a garage shop fridge with constant banging, but for home or office use, the materials seem up to the task and should handle daily opening and closing without falling apart.

Durability is always tricky to judge early, but between my use and the user reviews, this Honeywell fridge seems sturdy enough for the long run. One of the more convincing stories is the person who left theirs running all summer in Florida, door propped open, basically making it work 24/7 in hot conditions. They came back to a block of ice and a mess, thawed it, cleaned it, plugged it back in, and it still cooled fine. That’s a decent stress test, even if it was by accident.

Day to day, the door seal feels solid, and the hinges haven’t sagged under normal use. The door closes with a firm feel instead of a loose rattle. The triple-pane glass also gives some confidence it won’t crack at the first light bump. Obviously, if you slam it or kick it, that’s on you, but for regular use in a kitchen, office, or bar area, it doesn’t feel fragile.

Shipping damage is something a few people mentioned, but to be fair, that’s more about carriers than the product itself. One user had a damaged unit on arrival, but the supplier handled the replacement quickly and covered shipping. That doesn’t change the build quality, but it does matter if something goes wrong. At least they don’t make you fight for support.

Overall, I’d say it feels like a workhorse: not indestructible, but solid enough that you don’t baby it. The compressor is only 80 watts, but that’s normal for this size and doesn’t scream “underpowered”. As long as you don’t block the vents, don’t leave the door half open for weeks, and keep it reasonably clean, I don’t see an obvious weak point that would kill it early. Time will tell, but early signs and other users’ abuse stories are encouraging.

The main thing I care about with a drink fridge is does it actually keep stuff cold and does it do it without sounding like an old air conditioner. On both points, this Honeywell does pretty well. With the thermostat set near the lower end (around 34°F), cans come out nicely chilled. Not icy, but definitely cold enough for beer and soda. One Amazon user mentioned they wished it could go one degree colder, and I kind of get that, but the unit is clear about its 34°F limit, and in practice that’s fine for most drinks.

Cooling is even enough across the shelves that I don’t feel like I have a “warm zone” and a “cold zone”. Some fridges have a huge temperature swing between top and bottom, but here, everything feels fairly consistent. I didn’t go crazy with multiple thermometers, but just from using it daily, I don’t notice warm cans on one shelf and frosty ones on another. The triple-pane glass door seems to help keep the cold in, and the compressor doesn’t seem to struggle much once it’s at temperature.

Noise-wise, it’s pretty quiet. You hear a soft hum when the compressor kicks in, but it’s not the kind of noise that bothers you during a movie or a Zoom call. Multiple reviewers said they sometimes forget it’s running, and I agree. If you’re extremely sensitive to noise, you’ll still hear it in a totally silent room, but compared to other mini fridges I’ve had, this one is on the better side for sound.

The defrost system is frost-free, so you don’t have to chip ice off the back wall. One user actually abused theirs by leaving it running all summer in Florida with the door propped open and ended up with a block of ice, but after thawing it out, it still worked fine. That’s a good sign that the compressor and cooling system aren’t weak. For normal use—door closed, reasonable room temperature—it holds temp well and doesn’t build up crazy frost. In short, performance is solid: cold drinks, stable temps, low noise, and no constant maintenance.

On paper, this thing is a 3.0–3.2 cubic foot beverage fridge that can hold up to 115–116 cans, depending on how you arrange them. It’s meant for drinks only: soda, beer, seltzers, maybe some wine bottles if you play with the shelves. No freezer, no ice compartment, just a straightforward cooler. The temperature range is 34°F to 50°F, controlled by an electronic digital panel right inside the door.

The outside footprint is compact: roughly 17.5" deep x 19" wide x 31.3" high. That size works under a counter or next to a desk without taking over the whole room. It’s listed as undercounter, but keep in mind it still needs some space around it to breathe, so I wouldn’t wedge it completely airtight under custom cabinetry. It weighs a bit over 68 pounds, so it’s not fun to carry alone, but once it’s in place you’re not moving it every week anyway.

Inside you get wire shelves with a black PVC coating. They slide out and are adjustable in height. There’s a compressor hump at the back of the bottom section that eats some depth, so that bottom shelf isn’t full-depth. Same story at the top where the fan area slightly limits what you can stick there. In reality, you can still load it up pretty well, but the “116 cans” number assumes a pretty optimized packing job with mostly standard 12 oz cans.

The door is tempered glass with three panes, which helps keep the cold in and supposedly blocks UV a bit if you’re storing beer. The handle is recessed, so nothing sticks out to snag you when you walk past. There’s also a reversible door option, which is nice if you’re trying to fit it into a tight corner or next to cabinets. All in all, what you see is what you get: a compact glass-door drink fridge with basic but useful features and no fancy gimmicks.