Mainly, their lowest temperatures. Refrigerators are intended for storing food and hover above the freezing point to stop bacteria and cultures from growing. Carbonated beverages at this temperature tend to begin icing over and can explode if completely frozen, so this isn’t great for them. Storing soda pop on the top shelf of your refrigerator especially is rife for trouble, so some of you are likely more than aware of this already. On the other hand, a beverage cooler offers adjustable temperature, but generally operates about ten degrees higher than freezing. Great for storing frosty drinks! Bad idea for food storage.