Credit: https://the-gadgeteer.com By Matt Gregersen
REVIEW – My wife has been asking for a garage fridge for years, but it seems like something’s always taken priority whenever we get a bit of extra money. I would never have even thought to look at display coolers like the Bodega Single door display cooler, but when the review offer came into my inbox a light bulb lit up in my head and I jumped to volunteer. Several weeks later, I have zero regrets, except maybe the increased consumption of soda since I see it every time I come and go through our garage now.
The Bodega Single door display cooler is a narrow cooler with a clear display door and internal lighting for the stored products. It features adjustable shelves and internal temperature, as well as a backlight lightbox for your own signage on top.
What’s included?
- Bodega Single door display cooler
- 3 adjustable wire rack shelves
- One rail guide piece preinstalled on the top shelf
- Two keys for the lock
- Manual/instructions
Tech specs
Capacity: 9 cubic feet
Dimensions: 21.93″D x 17.01″W x 74.8″H
Weight: 105.8 pounds
Can capacity (12 oz. soda): 150 cans
Shelves: 3 adjustable plus items can be placed on the bottom
Door material: Double-pane Tempered glass
Temperature range: 29-44°F
Operating Noise level: 42 dB
Defogging: Automatic (every 6 hours)
Light box signage: Replaceable
Lighting: LED in the cooling compartment, LED backlight sign on top, both can be turned on/off
Design and features
The Bodega Single door display cooler is a bit more narrow and less deep than a typical consumer refrigerator in the United States. It’s well constructed of metal and double-paned tempered glass for safety, and has bright lighting both for the customizable signage up top as well as the internal contents.
The Bodega Cooler signage area on top is backlit and can be replaced with custom signage of your choice by simply unscrewing a couple of screws. I didn’t change this yet, but plan on putting something funny there in the future. If you’re going to use this in a retail setting, it’s a great spot to put branding or informational signage and can be quickly changed as needed.
Swivel wheels (two of which are lockable) make moving the cooler around very easy and keep it firmly in place when locked.
You’ll need a bit of clearance behind the cooler (you can see the air intake/exhaust above) but you could install with minimal clearance on either side.
The cooler door is sturdy and easy to open, and it swings shut when released with a satisfying thump. It can also be locked with the two included keys.
The four adjustable shelves can be adjusted for fully customizable heights per shelf. By default, the top shelf has rail guide piece in place (which can be moved to other shelves or removed). I do wish they’d included one of these for each shelf as it keeps products neatly aligned on the shelf. Above the shelves is the cooler blower fan and the temperature adjustment dial.
The bottom of the cooler can also be used as a shelf, for a total of 5 usable shelves. The shelves all feel sturdy and secure.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
I then rolled it into place, locked the two front swivel wheels, plugged it in, and loaded up some cans of soda. Within an hour they felt cold, it seems like it cools pretty fast.
Final thoughts
My wife couldn’t be happier with her new garage cooler. I have to fight the temptation to grab a soda every time I go through the garage, having them visible and lit up definitely has added a can or more to my daily average. I 3D-printed some soda can storage bins so we don’t have to reach to the back to get the last few cans on each row, and the adjustable shelves have been great to dedicate space to milk and other common items, while also being flexible for future needs. Our toddler loves his little juice shelf near the bottom as well where I ended up putting the product divider rack.
What I like about the Bodega Single door display cooler
- Appealing lighting and product display
- Large enough size for most standard food boxes/bottles
- Customizable signage lightbox and shelves makes it versatile
What needs to be improved?
- Nothing!
