High-capacity refrigerators get more family friendly
With today's tendency to buy staples in bulk, refrigerators have been getting bigger and bigger. And the models Consumer Reports has seen at CES 2015 this week are no exception. On display are refirgerators from some of the top names in appliances including large capacity refrigerators from LG, Samsung, and Whirlpool. All are 36-inch models and should be in stores sometime this spring.
LG double door-in-door “mega-capacity” refrigerator
Both LG and Samsung announced last year refrigerators with so-called door-in-door, a design that offers a small compartment that lets you reach often-used items, such as beverages and condiments, without opening the refrigerator's main chamber. This year the LG LPXS34886C offers this feature on both sides. LG says that by using the door-in-door option instead of opening the entire refrigerator you can reduce cold-air loss by up to 47 percent.
Features and finishes. With a claimed 34 cubic feet of space, the refrigerator offers LED interior lighting, bins that let users adjust the height of the internal compartments, and a finish LG calls Contour Glass.
Samsung counter-depth T9000
Back in 2013, Samsung announced what was then among the first truly four-door refrigerators, the Samsung T9000 French-door refrigerator. The company this week announced a counter-depth version of the same refrigerator that gives it a look that’s more in harmony with modern kitchen cabinets. As with the prior model, the $4,000 Samsung RF22H9010SR’s lower right cavity is especially flexible and can be used for kids’ snacks, as a prep zone for a special meal, or additional freezer space.
Features and finishes. With about 22 cubic feet overall, the Samsung RF22H9010SR has two compressors, three evaporators, and various sensors designed to keep food fresh by maintaining even humidity levels. Among other features are slide-in/flip-up shelves and two crisper drawers. It comes in stainless steel.
Whirlpool double-drawer French-door refrigerator
Consumer Reports has tested many four-door, French-drawer bottom freezers. But Whirlpool’s 26-cubic-foot, double-drawer French-door refrigerator splits what’s typically a short horizontal drawer between the refrigerator and freezer into two separate drawers. The right-hand one is intended for produce that doesn’t fit in the upper compartment; it’s cooled from above with no other settings. The left drawer, however, has a choice of five independent temperature settings.
Features and finishes. The icemaker is built into the left door and takes no space from the left inside compartment. Certain models, still to be specified, might add a second icemaker with an ice bin replacing the left-hand storage. There’s more to like: soft-close drawers, under-lit shelves, frozen-casserole and pizza drawers within the freezer drawer, and gallon-size door bins. It’s expected to start at about $3,200 and come in two finishes: monochromatic stainless steel (Whirlpool WRV996FDEM) and black ice (Whirlpool WRV996FDEE). One caveat: Whirlpool is among the more repair-prone brands of bottom-freezer refrigerators with icemakers.
Need a refrigerator now? Check out our refrigerator buying guide before viewing the results of our tests of almost 300 top- and bottom-freezer, side-by-side, built-in, and compact refrigerators.
—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)
Click on the image above to find all of Consumer Reports' coverage from CES 2015.
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Best refrigerators of 2014
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5 secrets to a long lasting kitchen
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