Can the Samsung Bespoke Refrigerator Compete with Premium Brands Viking and Sub-Zero?
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There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder, “Do they really work?” In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
The Product on Trial
Samsung Bespoke 3-Door French Door Refrigerator
The Tester
Brandon Carte, an appliance expert who is passionate about good design
The Brief
The Samsung Bespoke Refrigerator offers a sleek and modern design that will fit sleekly into any kitchen without the steep price tag of premium appliance brands such as Sub-Zero, Viking, or Wolf.
The biggest selling point to the Bespoke is its interchangeable panels that allow you to customize its look to fit your kitchen’s color scheme or décor to appeal to your unique style sense. You get to mix and match between the choice of three finishes, glossy or matte glass and stainless steel, and beautiful colors such as emerald green, navy blue, and sunrise yellow. You can even create your own custom panels.
Bespoke French Door Refrigerator
$2399.00
lowes.com
“The beautiful thing about Samsung’s Bespoke collection is that it brings joy and art to your home in the most unexpected way,” said multidisciplinary artist Alex Proba, who founded the Brooklyn and Portland-based StudioPROBA design studios and has collaborated with Samsung on the Bespoke collection. “You don’t have to look for the ideal space to hang or place a piece of art, it’s right there for you on an item that every household needs and uses every day.”
Looks aren't the only thing that makes this refrigerator stand out, as it also offers some of the best features and performance in the market to cater to every family's needs.
Sleek and Spacious
The Bespoke line comes in variants that feature two-, three-, or four-door designs. I tested the three-door French door model that features two doors that open to the main fridge compartment with a freezer drawer below.
It's also available in standard or counter depth variants — the latter is not as deep which helps it align better to your kitchen countertops and cabinets or in my case, get the appliance through my front door! Measuring 70 inches in height, 35.75 inches in width, and 28.75 inches deep the fridge is fairly large, but it should fit into most kitchen layouts. Make sure you allow about 4 inches of clearance when installing along a wall, so its doors can open 90 degrees.
As a Costco and Sam’s Club cardholder, I was slightly nervous about opting for the smaller 24 cubic-foot counter-depth model (the standard depth has a 30 cubic-foot capacity), but I’m happy to report that it’s spacious enough for my needs. For what it’s worth, a good rule of thumb for capacity is to aim for 4 to 6 cubic feet of storage space for each member of your family.
The fridge’s interior has plenty of shelf space and drawers for organizing everything. I had no issues storing over a week’s worth of groceries for a family of four with the Bespoke. Its shelves are adjustable, which is great for accommodating tall items like gallon-sized jugs or 2-liter bottles. I keep cans of soda and condiments mostly on the top shelf, my larger beverage containers and leftovers on the second shelf, and shorter items (like egg cartons) that I want to be within reach on the bottom shelf.
Double Door Duty
Another nice touch is that some models of the Bespoke have a quick-access compartment on the left door that provides easy access to canned drinks, condiments, or snacks without needing to fully open the door. Less cool air escapes when you open this compartment, which saves you on your energy bills and will help keep food fresh.
This area of the fridge also houses a beverage center which includes a surprisingly fast nozzle for filtered water — and even better, an automatically refilling water pitcher that can be infused with fruits, herbs, or tea bags for flavored beverages.
Samsung’s AutoFill pitcher is my favorite feature of the fridge. With its generous 48-ounce capacity, I love being able to quickly refill large water bottles and my dog’s water bowl. I also like that I can have the right door open while I’m refilling something on the left side — which is something that I haven’t been able to do with any other refrigerator I’ve previously owned.
Samsung also sells a variant of the Bespoke with a flex drawer with adjustable temperature — perfect for wine bottles or for those who need extra freezer space.
A Top-Tier Bottom Freezer
The Samsung Bespoke is equipped with a 6.8 cubic-foot freezer compartment on the bottom, boasting a convenient pull-out drawer system for easy access to frozen items. The freezer is able to accommodate a large quantity of frozen food, without seeming like a deep abyss in which it’s impossible to find what you’re looking for. That’s because there’s an inner drawer with multiple compartments to keep everything organized.
Not only that, the Samsung Bespoke features a convenient dual ice maker — and we're not just talking crushed and cubed ice. There's a fully removable ice tray that holds standard-sized ice cubes and smaller ice bites for even faster chill times for your drinks. It's worth mentioning that these ice bites are firmer than nugget ice, but I still found them to be quite enjoyable and perfect for anything from cocktails to iced coffee.
Rich, Radiant, and Reliable
At Best Products, we value reliability and longevity and know that appliances are a major purchase. So, we always look at repair and reliability data when making appliance recommendations and publish our findings.
Over the last few years alone, reliability has improved significantly for refrigerators. "We don't see many compressor problems anymore, but more annoying issues like broken handles," said Steve Sheinkopf, CEO of Yale Appliances.
I've found that every brand has its own strengths and weaknesses. Based on reports and data from Yale Appliance and Consumer Reports, in addition to J.D. Power’s annual Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Study and the ACSI Household Appliance and Electronics Report, all things considered, Samsung is a decent and reliable brand.
Most problems arise with refrigerator models that feature an ice maker in their door. Fortunately, the Bespoke's ice maker is located in the freezer section.
“Most repair techs will tell you that Samsung’s seal systems and compressors are pretty well-designed, as well as their electronics,” said Ben Schlichter, who runs a used-appliance store in Central Ohio. “So, if you have to fix one, it won’t be a horrible and costly affair.”
I've been using the Bespoke refrigerator for just over 6 months now and my tests have found that it consistently maintains its temperature in both the refrigerator cabinet and the freezer. Its crisper drawers work amazingly, as well and do an excellent job of maintaining humidity. I immediately noticed that my greens had a longer lifespan.
There weren’t any warmer or cooler spots in the fridge which gives me confidence in knowing my food will stay fresh longer, too. Since freezer temps hover around 0 degrees Fahrenheit, I have yet to deal with any aggressive (and annoying) freezer burn. Another small but nice touch is that the refrigerator’s control panel is located along the inside of its right wall, making it easily accessible even when the fridge is filled to the brim.
What About the Competition?
GE's luxurious-looking Café French-door refrigerator is the Bespoke's closest competitor. Although I haven’t personally tested that model, editors at Reviewed said that not only does the Bespoke have more finishes available than GE’s refrigerator, but it also has better overall performance.
If you’re trying to match your fridge’s handles to the rest of your cabinetry, you’d be better off going with the Café line, which has 18 different handle combinations, but I think most users will appreciate the Bespoke appliance's slew of customization options and sleek handle-less design.
And if you’re worried about fingerprints — don’t be! Mine barely shows fingerprints or smudges. When I’m baking and it gets dirtier than normal, the panels always wipe clean with glass cleaner. And I have yet to discover any noticeable scratches on it.
The Closing Argument
If you're in the market for a gorgeous-looking modern refrigerator that's versatile, functional, and spacious, the Samsung Bespoke should be on your shortlist. It is one of the most reasonably priced and stylish appliances you can buy, and thanks to its numerous customization options you can opt for a variant that perfectly suits your own unique style.
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