Skip to main content
DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

BUY NOW
  • Introduction

  • Design & Usability

  • Features

  • Performance

  • Conclusion

  • Science Introduction

  • Fridge Temperature

  • Freezer Temperature

  • Freezing Performance

  • Storage Capacity

  • Other Tests

  • Introduction
  • Design & Usability
  • Features
  • Performance
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Fridge Temperature
  • Freezer Temperature
  • Freezing Performance
  • Storage Capacity
  • Other Tests

Introduction

Design & Usability

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

Sharing design elements found on KitchenAid fridges, this machine is sleek and attractive.

Despite IKEA's reputation for modern design, the Dåtid's stainless steel front is nothing special. Still, it looks elegant, even with the prominent vertical grain that can be seen in certain light. The controls and water/ice dispenser are located on the freezer door and fit aesthetically with the whole fridge.

Inside, thin glass shelves and clear plastic with grey highlighting give the Dåtid a pristine look. Blue LED lighting adds a very nice modern touch and generally makes food look more appetizing than it would under traditional yellow lights. Upon opening the door, the interior gradually illuminates, which is easier on the eyes during a midnight snack run.

Upon opening the door, the interior gradually illuminates, which is easier on the eyes during a midnight snack run.

The interior layout allows for lots of options. Two adjustable shelves are located at the top, with a third shelf below that. The third shelf serves as a top to a deli drawer, which is set above a fourth fixed shelf. At the very bottom of the fridge, you’ll find a crisper drawer with adjustable humidity controls and a convertible drawer complete with a switch that adjusts the internal temperature, making it suitable for either meat or vegetables. The fridge door has quite a lot of storage options, utilizing a dairy tray at the top, two deep bucket shelves below that, and two shallower shelves at the very bottom.

The freezer appears rather thin, but having the ice maker on the door means it’s actually more spacious than many other side-by-sides. You have four shelves here, the top three of which are adjustable, and two drawers located at the very bottom. It’s a traditional design, but still more visually appealing than usual due to the slim shelves and LED lighting. The top two-thirds of the freezer door are taken up by the ice maker and its connection to the through-the-door water/ice dispenser. The very bottom contains three small plastic shelves that offer some additional storage.

{{photo_gallery "Front Photo", "Fingerprints Photo", "Handle Photo", "Handle Detail Photo", "Water/Ice Dispenser Photo", "Water/Ice Dispenser Controls Photo", "Water/Ice Dispenser Detail Photo", "Interior Photo", "Refrigerator Main 1 Image", "Refrigerator Main 2 Image", "Refrigerator Main 3 Image", "Water Filter Photo", "Refrigerator Door 1-1 Image", "Refrigerator Door 1-2 Image", "Refrigerator Door 1-3 Image", "Refrigerator Door 2-1 Image", "Refrigerator Door 2-2 Image", "Refrigerator Door 2-3 Image", "Freezer Main 1 Image", "Freezer Main 2 Image", "Freezer Main 3 Image", "Freezer Door 1 Image", "Freezer Door 2 Image", "Freezer Door 3 Image", "Ice Maker Photo", "Back Photo", "Back Detail Photo", "Sides Photo", "Side Detail 1 Photo", "Side Detail 2 Photo", "Fridge Temperature Image", "Freezer Temperature Image", "Vegetable Drawer Photo", "Vegetable Drawer Controls Photo", "Ease of Access Photo", "Controls Photo", "Cleaning Photo", "Other Features Photo"}}

Features

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

A highly accessible ice maker and easy cleaning make this fridge an appliance that will take care of its owner.

A counter depth fridge is, by nature, shallower than a full-sized model, which means getting to items stored at the back of shelves is quite easy. Drawers slide in and out without a problem, though they don’t feel quite as smooth as their high-end appearance may suggest.

The door storage consists entirely of enclosed buckets—anything that spills in there will be completely contained.

The controls are found on the outside of the freezer door, and use a series of small buttons to control internal temperature, the ice and water dispensers, and a number of other fridge functions. Control symbols are lit with blue lights that turn off if you leave the fridge alone. The wording on the labels may be a bit small for some consumers, but accompanying large blue icons should make up for that.

The water dispenser cavity is spacious enough for your average drinking glass, plus the paddles are set far enough apart that you shouldn’t have any problems accidentally hitting the wrong one. The downside is that the paddles don’t depress all that far, so actually getting them to dispense their respective liquids may take some getting used to.

Inside, the glass shelves are easy to wipe down, but the lack of spill protection on the edges may mean larger spills can start to drip unless caught quickly. The shelves themselves are lightweight without feeling too fragile, so removing them for cleaning should be a cinch. The door storage consists entirely of enclosed buckets—anything that spills in there will be completely contained.

Performance

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The quality of the freezer performance leaves much to be desired in every way.

In both the fridge and freezer compartments, this fridge disappointed with temperatures that varied across shelves and over time, which means foods weren't optimally preserved. In the fridge, the crisper drawer did a lousy job keeping moisture in our simulated vegetables. Next door, we discovered a couple warning signs that freezer burn might be a problem for this fridge: It took nearly two hours to for test foods' internal temperature to fall below 32 degrees, and over a 72-hour period temperatures rose and fell upwards of three degrees.

Such temperature variation is somewhat common on a side-by-side, as it's hard to circulate air around a tall, narrow compartment. Still, when it comes to temperature uniformity over time, the Dåtid did a far worse job than most other similarly priced side-by-sides we've tested.

The Dåtid also isn't very energy efficient. We estimated it would cost about $68.55 per year to operate if your power costs are close to the national average. Overall, there's nothing about this fridge's performance that would lead us to recommend it.

Conclusion

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

With subpar performances in every test, we can't recommend the IKEA Dåtid.

It looks fantastic, but the Whirlpool-made IKEA Dåtid ISC23CDEXY01 is, at its core, a poor fridge. For $1,899, consumers can easily find a higher quality product, and we’re including other pricy counter-depth fridges in that assessment. While the interior was spacious and user-friendly, performance and energy efficiency proved uniformly poor. The fact that the Dåtid is an IKEA exclusive means sale prices won’t be that easy to find, either. You’re better off cross-shopping different stores and looking for another fridge than waiting around for the price to drop.

Science Introduction

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The IKEA Dåtid ISC23CDEXY01 had poor performance results across the board: Fridge temperature, freezer temperature, vegetable drawer performance, and energy efficiency were all subpar.

Fridge Temperature

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

Not the worst performance ever, but definitely not worth the price of admission.

While the very top of the fridge matched the exterior thermostat’s reading of 37 degrees Fahrenheit, the internal temperature in the fridge gradually warms up a full five degrees as it nears the bottom. While produce can generally be stored at slightly warmer temperatures, you’ll want to make sure items that spoil quickly are kept at the top. Also, fridge temperatures fluctuated anywhere from one half to just over three quarters of a degree over time; this isn’t terrible, but it’s a much bigger variation than we typically like to see in fridges that cost this much.

The crisper drawer in this machine was, in a word, inadequate. Our test material lost an average of 0.3 grams of water every hour over the course of three days. Vegetables that lose moisture that quickly are going to spoil much faster; if you want carrots in your salad instead of toothpicks, make sure to eat them quickly.

{{photo_gallery "Science Section 1 Images"}}

Freezer Temperature

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The temperature shift over time in this freezer means a higher chance of freezer burn.

The freezer side of the Dåtid suffered the same fate as the fridge: Temperatures were about zero degrees at the top of the fridge, but rose four degrees at the bottom. The top portion matched the external thermostat, with an average temperature of about 0 degrees Fahrenheit. The bottom, however, rose to almost four degrees. While the shift is in line with what happened in the fridge compartment, the worst feature with the freezer was the fluctuation over time: We saw shifts of almost three and a half degrees, which means food is much more likely to suffer from freezer burn. Don’t keep your frozen foods in there for long, otherwise you run the risk of them becoming more frozen than food.

{{photo_gallery "Science Section 2 Images"}}

Freezing Performance

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

It's way too slow for a premium model.

Adding insult to injury, this particular product takes an inordinate amount of time to freeze a room-temperature item. It took one hour and 52 minutes to bring our test materials down to a frozen temperature, putting this machine alongside other products whose freezing time is long enough to potentially have an adverse effect on the texture of thawed meats. If you’re a frozen food nut, or just like having things on hand for times when you can’t make it out to the store, you may want to shop around for something else.

{{photo_gallery "Science Section 3 Images"}}

Storage Capacity

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

Decent storage space for a counter-depth.

Four shelves and three drawers offer plenty of storage options inside the fridge compartment. Keep in mind, though, that counter-depth fridges tend to be a bit shallower than your average model. The 9.56 cubic feet available here may not seem like much, but that’s actually a decent amount for a counter depth.

Even if this were a full-sized fridge, the freezer capacity would be impressive. Given that this is a counter-depth model, it’s almost mind blowing. Four shelves, three of which are adjustable, and two drawers offer a sizable 5.49 cubic feet of usable space.

{{photo_gallery "Science Section 4 Images"}}

Other Tests

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

{{photo_gallery "Other Tests Images"}}

Meet the tester

Matthew Zahnzinger

Matthew Zahnzinger

Logistics Manager & Staff Writer

@ReviewedHome

Matthew is a native of Brockton, MA and a graduate of Northeastern, where he earned a degree in English and Theatre. He has also studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and spends most of his free time pursuing a performance career in the greater Boston area.

See all of Matthew Zahnzinger's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Shoot us an email

Up next