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If your Instagram algorithm is anything like mine, I can almost guarantee you’ve seen the Rocco fridge pop up on your feed at least once in the past year. Even if you’re algorithm is nothing like mine the chances are better than 50/50. If you’re unfamiliar, I’ll give you the rundown: First released in fall of 2023, the Rocco Super Smart Fridge is a beverage fridge that doubles as a bar cart. It’s one of the best additions I made to my home last year.
I’ve been a staunch advocate for the whole mini fridge-as-bar concept since I moved into my apartment several years ago. I live in a small space, but that doesn’t keep me from hosting dinner parties, game nights, and cocktail soirées on a regular basis, so it’s always been important to me to have a designated area where guests can help themselves to all manner of drinks, alcoholic and not. Before the Rocco, that meant my roommate’s old college mini fridge: a retro-looking light blue number that looked quite cute next to our yellow couch, but was quite bulky and left something to be desired functionality-wise. The interior was designed like a fun-sized version of a normal fridge, so there was no space-efficient way to store cans or bottles. It also jutted into the room far more than we’d have liked, with a square-shaped top that worked fine for stashing bottles on, but not as well for actually seeing said bottles.
The Rocco caught my eye immediately because it seemed like the ideal level up from my existing mini fridge. Intended to hold a mix of wine bottles and canned beverages on its adjustable racks, with a top that’s specifically designed to function as a home bar and a shallow depth that works great in tight quarters, it promised to meet each and every one of my needs—plus it was, well, pretty. It also boasts dual temperature zones to keep your reds and whites appropriately chilled and a host of “smart†features (hence its name), like app connectivity and a camera that supposedly tells you what’s inside your fridge.
Now, I’ll tell you right off the bat that if the camera function is what entices you about this fridge, you should meter your expectations —it’s a bit hit or miss as of now, though I have noticed some improvements in the technology in the few months I’ve been using it. But I’m willing to bet that most of you who have been coveting this thing are drawn, like me, to its mix of form and function. And I can almost guarantee that if you’re into it as an aesthetic choice you’ll be surprisingly impressed with its functionality.
The Rocco camera function a few weeks after installation versus now. It’s doing a much better job of sensing (at first it was only displaying drinks on two racks even though each rack was occupied), but there’s still work to be done in terms of the software. The fridge controls, however, work very well via the app.
After testing this fridge for several months, I can confidently say that it’s been a true hosting game-changer. I love that I can set one half of it to fridge-cold for sodas, hard seltzers, and the like, while keeping the other half at a warmer temp more suitable for wine—all of which I can control remotely from the app (which does work well for that purpose). It’s incredibly quiet, and even has multiple noise level modes that you can switch between (“Smart,†“Quiet,†and “Partyâ€). As someone whose kitchen and living room are essentially one unit, I’ll do anything I can to keep guests on the other side of the room while I’m futzing around with appetizers or frantically getting dinner to the table—and there’s simply no better way to do that, I’ve found, than an eye-catching fridge that’s fully stocked with all of their favorite bevs (and even a premade batched cocktail if I’m feeling like it).
The big caveat here? It’s not cheap. At $1,495, the Rocco’s price tag would be enough to give anyone some serious pause before purchasing. And look, no one needs a fancy beverage fridge. But if you’ve been eyeing it, consider this your sign to bite the bullet while you can still get it delivered in time for that next dinner party you’re hosting. Your guests will thank you, as will the bevy of wine bottles and six packs of beer that are currently crowding the depths of your big fridge.