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What size power station runs a mini fridge or chest freezer?
Updated
A mini fridge or a small chest freezer averages only about 25 to 50W over a day. A 1,024Wh power station runs that for roughly 15.4 hours to 26.3 hours. A 300Wh unit gives you about 4.4 hours to 7.5 hours, if it can start the compressor at all.
Find your real number in one minute
Look for the yellow EnergyGuide label, or the spec sheet. It lists kWh per year. Turn that into average watts:
kWh per year x 1,000 / 8,760 = average watts.
So a mini fridge rated at 220 kWh per year averages about 25W. A chest freezer rated at 300 kWh per year averages about 34W. Compressors cycle on and off, so the running watts on the back plate (often 60 to 100W) are higher than the average. Use the average for runtime and the running watts for sizing the inverter.
Runtime by average draw
| Average draw | 292Wh unit | 1,024Wh unit | 1,152Wh unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25W (efficient mini fridge) | About 7.5 hours | About 26.3 hours | About 29.6 hours |
| 35W (small chest freezer) | About 5.8 hours | About 20.5 hours | About 23.0 hours |
| 50W (older or larger unit) | About 4.4 hours | About 15.4 hours | About 17.3 hours |
Hot rooms, a warm garage and frequent door openings all push the average up.
The startup surge decides if a small unit works
A compressor pulls a short burst when it kicks on, often three or more times its running watts. A mini fridge that runs at 80W may ask for 250 to 400W for a moment. Both of our 300W picks list a 600W surge, so many mini fridges will start on them, but it is not a sure thing. If the power station's outlets click off each time the compressor starts, the unit is too small.
Picks
- Jackery Explorer 300: enough for a mini fridge overnight on a camping trip or in a dorm outage. Caveat: only 300W of output, so test it with your fridge while you can still return it.
- Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2: the safe choice for a chest freezer full of food. With 2,000W of output, the startup surge is not a worry, and you get about a full day at 35W. Caveat: it weighs 24.9 lb.
- BLUETTI AC180: a little more runtime, and a UPS mode, so a freezer in the garage keeps running if the power drops while you are out. Caveat: 37.4 lb.
A chest freezer buys you time on its own
USDA guidance says a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours with the door shut, and a half-full one for about 24 hours. So you do not need to power a freezer every hour of an outage. Running it for a few hours, then resting the battery, stretches a small power station a long way. Keep a thermometer inside: frozen food should stay at 0F, and fridge food at 40F or below.
For a full-size kitchen fridge, see our refrigerator page.
Put your own numbers into the runtime calculator, or compare all five units on the best picks page.