Portable fridge recommendations

[Fr J Hackett]

Just for interest we bought a Waeco 12V / 240V for a totally boat unrelated event 7 years ago one summer, since then it has served as an overflow fridge and run continuously without problems in the house for the last 7 years. We have even used it as a freezer for a couple of months and also when the freezer is defrosted.

 

[Fire99]

I'm with you, i have a pair of 7l diesels and a 12 kva generator, don't want to run either of those for a few cold beers. With no inverter at the moment it's bad enough that we have to fir the genny up to boil the kettle, even with both engines running. Will be fitting an inverter in the New Year, followed by some solar panels, it'll all make better sense then.

Exactly where I'm at. I've no inverter at the mo so boil a kettle = chug chug of generator when anchoring (and feeling a bit guilty if any other boats are around as I hate the sound of the generator). I'm going to do the same. Solar panels where I can and inverter to get some 240v from the batteries..

 

[Fire99]

Really, the efficiency is good whatever propels your boat. its just more of an existential crisis for sailboats.

I know. My last boat had sails and 10hp of petrol power and a fuel tank not much bigger than my hand.. Any electricity use was treated like an episode of Panorama.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We are fine with gas for the kettle, but some friends have shown us their air fryer working on an inverter. Less current, but for much longer. I feel a lithium house battery conversion coming on

 

[QBhoy]

Can’t recommend highly enough…the waeco/dometic CF range. I have a cf11. Likely the best thing I’ve ever bought for a boat. Has easily surpassed 1000 hours for sure. Maybe twice that. So efficient it’s in real. Can freeze too, if required

 

[ChromeDome]

Just a heads up on Dometic brands.

There is also a brief on their history, since 1925, on the site.

98 years in business. Impressive, me thinks.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Just a heads up on Dometic brands.

There is also a brief on their history, since 1925, on the site.

98 years in business. Impressive, me thinks.

Even more impressve if ordinary people could afford them.

 

[Andrew M]

We have a Totalcool 55, got to say it is INCREDIBLE ! huge capacity, takes large bottles standing up , has a smaller comp, , 1 comp can act as a freezer, 12/24/240V, we get on board , turn it on and it's down at 5deg within 15mins. The comp doesn't run full time, only when it's needed, so it's silent most of the time,so is clearly well insulated. Everything about it feels good quality, the lid the locking catch etc etc, can't recommend it enough.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Even more impressve if ordinary people could afford them.

Says the man with Jaaag

 

[PaulRainbow]

We have a 120l Waeco fridge in the galley and it's got to be a good few years old. Works well and we're please with it. The Dometic portable models have had some good comments in this thread, but i'd have difficulty justifying the prices. For instance, the 10.5l CF11 mentioned above costs nearly twice as much as the 40l Alpicool.

 

[ChromeDome]

Even more impressve if ordinary people could afford them.

When comparing value & TCO the Mobicool scores very well, IMO.

 

[harvey38]

Our 80 litre domestic fridge freezer only uses .3kw a day, the wine cooler even less so plenty of chilled beer, Bacardi and ice and minimal current drawer off the inverter.
Obviously not portable so of no use to Paul but only £130

 

[rotrax]

Thinking of putting a portable fridge in the cockpit for occasional use as an overflow for the galley fridge, or for extra supplies on longer trips. Was looking at the Alpicool range, in particular : Amazon.co.uk

Any comments on the above or suggestions of alternatives would be appreciated.

TIA

My mate Bob is a retired designer for refrigeration cabinets.

He told me the Patent for the mini Danfos compressor has long expired, the technology is now free for anyone to use.

The Chinese are, of course, leading the race with cheaper versions.

I like the look of-and the name-of the "Brass Monkey" range.............................