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Since 2023, Rocco has made a strong case for keeping your drinks somewhere other than the kitchen. When we first tested the brand’s OG beverage fridge, Domino’s former deputy editor praised everything from its surprisingly roomy interior to its colorful exterior, and, crucially, the fact that it could pass for furniture. Now, for the first time since launch, Rocco is adding a new appliance to the family, and this one’s intentionally more furniture-y than before.
Rocco Essential Fridge
Meet The Essential, a slimmer, more streamlined sibling to the original model (which is now officially called The Classic). At $900 less than The Classic, the new fridge wasn’t simply stripped of features to reach a lower price. Rocco co-founder Alyse Borkan says the brand spent more than a year developing it around what people were actually storing in their Roccos.
“Most of our customers are using their Rocco for seltzer, soda, and everyday drinks—not to collect wine,” says Borkan. “The Essential still accommodates wine perfectly; we just designed it to make even better use of the space for the drinks most people are reaching for every day.” So instead of The Classic’s two temperature zones, there’s just one that gets even colder, reaching 34 degrees Fahrenheit. It holds 77 standard cans, 90 mini cans, or 27 wine bottles; add the optional two-shelf Expansion Pack, and there’s room for more than 100 cans or 32 bottles.
The design got a rethink, too. At just 16 inches deep, with front ventilation, squared-off corners, and flat glass, The Essential can sit flush against a wall and blend in more like a credenza than an appliance. It still uses the same whisper-quiet compressor as The Classic and comes in Graphite, Cream, and a new Sage Green—a softer spin on one of the brand’s most popular colors. Borkan explains that the more pared-back palette was designed to match The Essential’s svelte silhouette.
For an even more furniture-like finish, there’s an optional wood serving tray/cutting board and matching handle—with chrome and gold handles available, too.
Early-access orders start at $1,095, with the first shipments expected in September. As Borkan puts it, the goal was “a cheaper price point without being a cheaper fridge.”
