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Ah, the garage fridge. Also known as the Michigan fridge, or the place where your six-pack goes to wait for kickoff. It’s an old-school staple for anyone who likes having a second location stocked with the essentials, conveniently close enough that you never have to miss the game.
And while we’ll always have a soft spot for these classics, they can be, well, a little rough around the edges. They’re often beat-up, not particularly great at keeping drinks consistently cold, and rarely complement the aesthetic of the rest of your home.
Rocco solved this. The viral fridge brand fixed the problem with its best-selling Rocco Fridge, which we previously reviewed, and now it’s back with its latest launch: The Rocco Essential Fridge. It’s the brand’s second major release, bringing the same design-forward thinking to a more approachable package. At just under $1,100, it’s also nearly $1,000 less than the brand’s flagship model. And Rocco even notes that the Essential is crafted by the same people who make “Sub-Zero fridges that can cost $20,000.”
Best for a budget
Rocco The Essential Fridge
The brand says orders will ship in early September.
According to Rocco, the Essential can hold “27 wine bottles or 77 standard cans,” giving you plenty of room to load it up with whatever you consider a priority — whether that’s sauvignon blanc, beer, or bubbles. Temperature controls let you dial in the chill, while the connected app helps you keep tabs on what’s inside so you know when you’re running low.
It comes in three colors, including a sage green, and is compact enough to tuck into a corner of your home, apartment, basement, or music studio without looking like an appliance you’re trying to hide.
I’ve owned the original Rocco Fridge for a few months now, and calling it one of my favorite things in my house is not an exaggeration. I genuinely look forward to stocking it with my latest grocery haul, and it has somehow turned keeping my favorite drinks on hand into a small but meaningful luxury.
The Essential takes many of the things I love about the classic — multiple racks, a remarkably quiet operating system, and that signature pop of color — and packs them into a less pricey option.
Rocco dropped a special-edition version of its original fridge earlier this year, and it sold out at record speed after social media spotted the release. If the response to that launch is any indication, we wouldn’t wait too long to grab the Essential. Although the garage fridge may have started as a place to stash your beer, Rocco is making a pretty compelling case for giving it a little more je ne sais quoi. Get yours now.
