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  • Introduction

  • Front

  • Interior

  • Back

  • Sides

  • Running Cost

  • Power Use Per Cu Ft

  • Fridge Temperature

  • Freezer Temperature

  • Vegetable Drawer

  • Power Loss

  • Freezing Performance

  • Usable Space

  • Ease of Access

  • Controls

  • Water Dispenser

  • Ice Maker

  • Cleaning

  • Noise

  • Other Features

  • Specs

  • Design

  • Performance

  • Storage Space

  • Usability

  • Specs

  • Design

  • Performance

  • Storage Space

  • Usability

  • Specs

  • Design

  • Performance

  • Storage Space

  • Usability

  • Conclusion

  • Introduction
  • Front
  • Interior
  • Back
  • Sides
  • Running Cost
  • Power Use Per Cu Ft
  • Fridge Temperature
  • Freezer Temperature
  • Vegetable Drawer
  • Power Loss
  • Freezing Performance
  • Usable Space
  • Ease of Access
  • Controls
  • Water Dispenser
  • Ice Maker
  • Cleaning
  • Noise
  • Other Features
  • Specs
  • Design
  • Performance
  • Storage Space
  • Usability
  • Specs
  • Design
  • Performance
  • Storage Space
  • Usability
  • Specs
  • Design
  • Performance
  • Storage Space
  • Usability
  • Conclusion

Introduction

Folks who don't want to spend an arm and a leg may find it a tough pill to swallow—it's at the upper end of mid-range fridges, and a $2349.99 MSRP means this isn't exactly a budget appliance—but it's still more value for your dollar than many truly high-end models available today, and it's a good stepping stone from the entry-level market to top quality appliances. Since {{product.brand.name}} sells only through Sears it can be tough to find a sale price, but we managed to find drops as low as $1762.49; bargains are definitely out there, and the effort needed to hunt for those deals is very much justified for a fridge this good.

Front

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The front of the {{product.brand.name}} has a reflective stainless steel exterior. Two doors that open out from the center of the appliance onto the main fridge interior cover the upper portion. The freezer is accessed using a pull-out door with a horizontal handle.

Like many shiny, stainless appliances, this {{product.brand.name}} is very prone to smudging. If you have a household with lots of children or teenagers who go in and out of the fridge on a regular basis, be prepared to do a lot of cleaning. On the plus side, you'll always know if someone tried to sneak a midnight snack.

The controls are located on the left fridge door exterior, and consist of a gray inset panel with green lighting. Buttons are large enough to read without being garish, and wide enough that you don't have to worry about hitting more than one at a time. The green signal lights also go out after a minute or two, so you won't have an ethereal green glow filling your kitchen and making neighbors think you have some sort of spectral guest.

The handles are long and smooth, and have a matching stainless finish. They taper down to meet the door exterior, giving the fridge doors a sleek, uniform appearance. They're easy to grip and manage to provide enough room for your hands without jutting out very far into the room.

The left fridge door, right under the control panel, has a joint water and ice dispenser that offers both crushed and cubed ice. It also comes with a light that can be turned on for easy access to a glass of water before going to bed.

The device is operated using a small gray panel set in the back. It's essentially a paddle or button covered with a soft, gray material that feels a bit rubbery. Three small protrusions indicate the ideal spot to press your glass in order to activate the dispenser.

Interior

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The interior of the {{product.brand.name}} is actually quite straightforward despite its high-end exterior. There's not much going on by way of extra gadgets or fancy storage options like retractable shelves. The fridge is bathed in a pale blue light which gives the fridge an almost futuristic feel to it, and makes everything look much more attractive than it would if you were using more traditional yellow lighting. The LED lights will also last longer than traditional bulbs and take up less space.

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

In the {{product.brand.name}}'s fridge you'll find five shelves and two drawers. Four of those shelves are half-width, and can be adjusted using rear mounts that allow for plenty of different storage levels. The bottom shelf serves as the lid to the two identical crisper drawers located at the bottom.

The water filter is located in the rear of the upper left corner of the fridge. It's quite easy to change, but it can be a bit of a pain getting it back in simply because it screws in vertically. The hole it goes into isn't visible straight on, making it more complicated than you may think just from looking at it.

The right fridge door has three adjustable shelves which offer additional storage, but you may notice one typical feature is missing. This {{product.brand.name}} has no dairy tray, a rather unusual design choice given its near universal presence on most other models.

Part of the reason for the ample fridge storage is because the ice maker is relegated entirely to the left fridge door. As such, there's very little else here. At the bottom is a shallow shelf adding a little bit of extra storage space, but otherwise it's all ice maker.

The door bins here are quite large, holding up to two gallons and four water bottles each.

The pull-out freezer consists of a deep bin at the bottom and a shelf that can be opened or closed independently of the main portion. The lower section also has a plastic partition that can be slid left or right, depending on how you want to organize your frozen goods.

The On-Board Ice Maker, as {{product.brand.name}} has labeled it, is found entirely on the left fridge door. It's covered with a solid white door of its own that opens easily by pulling on a small handle. The interior houses the Ice Storage Caddie, a tall bin made almost entirely of thick, transparent plastic. This holds the bulk ice, and covers the actual ice maker when its in place. The whole thing is operated using a simple little switch located near the top of the interior, and explicit instructions regarding the operation of the device, as well as correct removal and replacement of the bin, are found both on the ice maker and the inside of its access door.

Back

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The back has a metal cover with a labeled access port used by technicians if your fridge needs anything fixed. There's also a spout for attaching the water line, and a tube that sends the water to the ice maker and water filter.

Sides

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The sides have a gray, matte finish which complements the stainless front. This makes for an appliance that should still look good in your kitchen even if the sides are visible.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS side views

Running Cost

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For our energy testing, we determine a yearly operating cost using a standard cost of $0.09 per kW-h. At that rate, this {{product.brand.name}} would cost $38.67 per year. This is excellent—most fridges this size can cost nearly twice as much, meaning you get a lot of appliance for not a lot of long-term expense.

Power Use Per Cu Ft

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Obviously, fridge size can have an effect on energy consumption. As such, we not only determine an appliances annual cost, but also how it distributes that energy. For every cubic foot of usable space, this {{product.brand.name}} uses just 0.07 kW-h, making it one of the most energy efficient fridges we've tested, and not just in relation to other models this large.

Fridge Temperature

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Fridge temperatures were very consistent over time, and remained constant throughout the entire compartment. There was a difference of about one or two degrees at the most from top to bottom, which is actually quite impressive given the size of the fridge interior and how much space cool air has to travel. Be careful, though—the exterior control panel measures air temperature, not the temperature of food. When we had it calibrated to 37 degrees Fahrenheit, the center of our test material was closer to 39 or 40 degrees. With food temperature a few degrees warmer than is ideal, we'd recommend turning down the thermostat just a little.

Freezer Temperature

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The {{product.brand.name}}'s freezer is a bit of a mixed bag with respect to our test results. The degree variance from the top of the freezer to the bottom was rather surprising. True, cold air does sink, but a difference of two and a half degrees came as a bit of a surprise. On the other hand, this freezer was more stable with respect to long-term temperature performance than almost any other model we've tested. This means your food is almost completely safe from freezer burn, resulting in less food wasted and more money saved.

Vegetable Drawer

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The {{product.brand.name}}'s vegetable drawers averaged a moisture loss of about 0.19 grams of water per hour. This is slightly better than average—really anything less 0.2 grams per hour is quite acceptable. It's not enough water retention to make this a deciding factor in your appliance shopping endeavors, but know that your produce should remain fresh and fit to eat for slightly longer than it would in most average fridges.

Power Loss

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Despite its large size, the {{product.brand.name}}'s freezer managed to keep our test materials frozen for well after 36 hours without power. As long as you don't open the freezer door during a power outage, you shouldn't have to worry about anything going bad for a full two days at least.

Freezing Performance

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This test was the only one that possessed results which weren't above average. The faster an item is frozen, especially if it's a perishable item like meat or produce, the higher its quality will be after it's thawed. As such, you want an appliance that can freeze items as fast as possible. The {{product.brand.name}} managed to freeze our room-temperature test materials in one hour and 35 minutes, an acceptable rate but nothing terribly praise-worthy. We've examined appliances that could do this in about an hour flat, as well as some that took over two hours; as such, the {{product.brand.name}} did well enough that you may notice a slight decrease in the quality of thawed items, but not enough to make them inedible.

Usable Space

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Since the ice maker is located completely on the left upper door, the {{product.brand.name}}'s fridge interior offers a pretty substantial amount of space. Storage is spread out over four adjustable half-width shelves and one full-width shelf at the bottom. The four smaller shelves are adjustable using rear-mounts, and can be moved to fit nearly any storage need. At the very bottom of the fridge are two identical crisper drawers. All of this totals an impressive 11.34 cubic feet of usable storage space.

Three adjustable shelves on the {{product.brand.name}}'s right door offer some extra fridge storage. They're all the same size, but they can be moved up or down to fit taller items as needed.

The left door has minimal storage space, given that the bulk of it is taken up by the ice maker. There's only one shelf here, located at the bottom of the door.

The pull-out freezer offers very straightforward storage. The shorter top drawer slides in and out, making it perfect for frozen pizzas or other boxed goods. Below this, the two deep buckets offer the bulk of the freezer's storage, with the adjustable plastic partition adding a small degree of customization. Between these three sections, the {{product.brand.name}} has a total of 4.89 cubic feet.

Below are the manufacturers own figures for capacity, and our own measurements for usable capacity. The manufacturers figures do not take account of the shelves, drawers and other removable features, but our measurements do account for the space these take up.

Ease of Access

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The adjustable shelves in the fridge mean you can arrange your storage any way you like, and the ample room allows for easy access to nearly any corner of the interior. Fridge door storage is also easy to get to, given that having the fridge on the upper portion of the appliance means all fresh foods are more or less at eye level. The smooth-sliding freezer means the drawers open with ease, but any appliance with the freezer on the bottom means there will inevitably be some stooping involved, and the deep freezer could be difficult to access for consumers with bad backs.

Controls

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The controls are located on the left fridge door exterior, and consist of a gray inset panel with green lighting. Buttons are large enough to read without being garish, and wide enough that you don't have to worry about hitting more than one at a time. The green signal lights also go out after a minute or two, so you won't have an ethereal green glow filling your kitchen and making neighbors think you have some sort of spectral guest.

The controls are quite comprehensive, yet remain very simple with a low learning-curve. The buttons are easy to read, and the green lights on the control panel mean you won't have to squint to know what is on or selected. The only disadvantage to this layout is found when adjusting interior temperatures. The Freezer and Refrigerator Temp buttons scroll downward through a range of degrees, meaning if you miss the one you're shooting for, you'll have to make your way through the whole scale again to get at the one you want. Since you shouldn't have to adjust this once your appliance is calibrated, though, it shouldn't make for too much of a hassle.

Water Dispenser

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The water dispenser can be a bit frustrating to use. It's well-lit and has plenty of room for regular drinking glasses, but the controls are almost too recessed. Unlike dispensers that operate using a traditional paddle, this one has a padded button that you have to depress. There's so much padding that it can be difficult to find the actual button behind it, and if you're filling a small glass, you may find yourself needing to reach in with one hand to make the water flow while holding your glass in place with the other.

Ice Maker

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The On-Board Ice Maker, as {{product.brand.name}} has labeled it, is found entirely on the left fridge door. It's covered with a solid white door of its own that opens easily by pulling on a small handle. The interior houses the Ice Storage Caddie, a tall bin made almost entirely of thick, transparent plastic. This holds the bulk ice, and covers the actual ice maker when its in place. The whole thing is operated using a simple little switch located near the top of the interior, and explicit instructions regarding the operation of the device, as well as correct removal and replacement of the bin, are found both on the ice maker and the inside of its access door.

Cleaning

Noise

Other Features

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Specs

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The Samsung RFG297HDRS and the {{product.name}} are both fairly expensive fridges on the higher end of the market. The {{product.brand.name}}, however, exhibited far more substantial reasons to justify the large price tag. True, the Samsung has a higher-end appearance and feel to it, but despite the pretty package, the {{product.brand.name}} displayed superior temperature consistency and noticeably more storage, factors that are arguably more important than appearance.

Design

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With its use of clear plastics and cool blue interior lighting, the Samsung is very much the more attractive appliance. Both fridges are stainless steel French-door models with nearly identical interior layouts—half-width shelves, a deep pull-out freezer, and limited fridge door storage. The Samsung alone, however, has an additional temperature-controlled drawer set below its crispers, a dairy tray, and a retractable shelf for storing tall items easily. On the other hand, the {{product.brand.name}} limits the ice maker to the fridge door, while the Samsung's unit is split into two sections with part on the door and a large portion taking up space in the fridge's interior.

Performance

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Other than the rate of moisture loss in the vegetable drawers which was slightly superior in the Samsung, the {{product.brand.name}} proved to be a more effective fridge. True, both models had some temperature variance from top to bottom in the fridge section, but it was less severe in the {{product.brand.name}}. Also, despite spatial degree differences in the {{product.brand.name}}'s freezer, temperatures fluctuated less over time, meaning the Samsung is at greater risk for freezer burn. The Samsung also took an extra 20 minutes to freeze room-temperature items, which could lead to thawed items with inferior quality.

{{score_bars comp_num="1", scores="Power Use Rating, Running Cost Rating, Fridge Temperature Rating, Power Loss Rating, Freezer Temperature Rating, Freezing Test Rating"}}

Storage Space

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While both of these appliances are very substantial fridges, the {{product.brand.name}} manages to eke out just a bit more space. The freezers are roughly the same size, but the {{product.brand.name}} has an extra half of a cubic foot worth of usable storage.

{{score_bars comp_num="1", scores="Freezer Usable Space Rating, Fridge Usable Space Rating"}}

Usability

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Due to their nearly identical layouts, both appliances have similar usability strengths and weaknesses. Half-width shelves are easy to remove and clean, though the rear mounts can be a hassle for consumers used to shelves that just slide in. The freezers open and close easily, but the deep main portion can be tough to deal with for consumers with back issues. The biggest variance here is with the ice maker. The large unit in the Samsung can be difficult to remove since it's so heavy and placed high up in the fridge. The self-contained unit on the {{product.brand.name}}'s fridge door, however, is easy to access, remove, and replace.

{{score_bars comp_num="1", scores="Usability Ease of Access Rating , Usability Controls Rating, Usability Water Rating, Usability Icemaker Rating, Usability Cleaning Rating"}}

Specs

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Sometimes there's only one or two differences between appliances, but even a small number of differences can make a world of difference when making a large purchase. In the case of the GE Profile PFSS6PKXSS and the {{product.name}}, consumers are presented with two fridges that are nearly identical in design and performance. The prices tags, however, are not quite so equal—the {{product.brand.name}} has an MSRP of $2349.99, while the GE Profile has one that's $250 more expensive. Ironically, it's the cheaper fridge that comes out on top, with energy use and storage capacity turning out to be the deciding factors. If you have the space in your kitchen for this sizable appliance, the {{product.brand.name}} delivers greater interior volume and superior energy efficiency, so not only does it cost less upfront, it results in long-term savings derived from a lower electric bill.

Design

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If you looked at them quickly, these two fridges may appear to be identical both inside and out. Both are stainless steel French-door fridges with a pull-out freezer, half-width shelves, and a through-the-door ice maker. However, there are nevertheless a few differences between them. The GE Profile has an additional wide drawer set below the crispers, as well as a bottle rack attachment, giving this fridge a bit more versatility with respect to storage. On the other hand, the {{product.brand.name}} possesses an ice maker that takes up no space in the fridge interior, giving you additional space for food items.

Performance

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Both of these fridges had a very similar set of test results, making them equally good in terms of actual refrigeration. Neither appliance had perfect temperature output in either compartment, but the issues in each fridge were rather minimal, and the freezers both had temperature differences from top to bottom of no more than two degrees Fahrenheit. The crisper drawers lost moisture at almost exactly the same rate, and freezing time was within 10 minutes of each other.

{{score_bars comp_num="2", scores="Power Use Rating, Running Cost Rating, Fridge Temperature Rating, Power Loss Rating, Freezer Temperature Rating, Freezing Test Rating"}}

Storage Space

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While they may appear to be roughly the same size on the outside, the {{product.brand.name}} actually has a full two cubic feet worth of space more than the GE in the fridge section, in no small part due to the {{product.brand.name}}'s use of a fully self-contained ice maker on the fridge door. It also has an extra half cubic foot in the freezer. Whether you prefer fresh or frozen, the {{product.brand.name}} is the one to go with if you have a big family or a big appetite.

{{score_bars comp_num="2", scores="Freezer Usable Space Rating, Fridge Usable Space Rating"}}

Usability

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These two appliances are equally accessible, a result of their very similar designs. Food can be reached without much fuss, though tall consumers or those with back issues may find the deep freezer drawers a problem—a potential issue with all French-door models, not just these two. Controls are intuitive all around, and drawers slide smoothly in every compartment. The only major difference is with regards to the ice maker. The {{product.brand.name}} utilizes an ice maker that takes up space only on the fridge door, so there's extra storage room in the fridge, and the container that houses bulk ice is very easy to remove. The GE, however, has a more traditional, bulky machine that can be harder to access due to its high placement in the fridge and its unwieldy size.

{{score_bars comp_num="2", scores="Usability Ease of Access Rating , Usability Controls Rating, Usability Water Rating, Usability Icemaker Rating, Usability Cleaning Rating"}}

Specs

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While the {{product.name}} serves as a good entry point to the world of higher-priced fridges, the Maytag MFF2558VEM offers equal performance with a lower-end design, usability, and price tag. It may not have the level of spill protection or ease of access found in the {{product.brand.name}}, but it also costs about $450 less with an MSRP of $1799. If you're looking for a slightly smaller fridge or are severely limited by your budget, the Maytag is a very good buy. If you're looking to make a more substantial long-term investment, however, the {{product.brand.name}} is definitely the way to go.

Design

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Both fridges are stainless French-door models, and they both use half-width shelves in the fridge, but the similarities essentially end there. The Maytag is a much cheaper fridge, and it shows—there's no through-the-door ice and water dispenser (in fact, there's no water dispenser at all), freezer shelves are made of wire instead of plastic, and the temperature controls are set inside the fridge instead of on the front of the appliance. These are all facets of a lower-end design that may give the Maytag exterior a more uniform look, but the inside comes across feeling cheaper and of a somewhat inferior quality.

Performance

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As far as temperature consistency goes, these two fridges both offer high levels of quality. They're not perfect—the Maytag has slightly more temperature issues from top to bottom in the fridge, while the {{product.brand.name}} has the same problem in the freezer. The temperatures are all consistent over time, though, so as long as you're not moving food up or down from one shelf to another, everything should be fine. There are two substantial differences, however—the {{product.brand.name}}'s crisper drawer lost moisture at a rate of 0.19 grams per hour, a fairly standard rate. The Maytag's rate, on the other hand, was a mere 0.12 grams of moisture per hour, a remarkable figure that means your produce will likely last longer. Conversely, the Maytag's freezer took about 40 minutes longer to freeze room-temperature items, resulting in thawed food with a noticeably lower quality.

{{score_bars comp_num="3", scores="Power Use Rating, Running Cost Rating, Fridge Temperature Rating, Power Loss Rating, Freezer Temperature Rating, Freezing Test Rating"}}

Storage Space

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The {{product.brand.name}} is no slouch in the storage department, and manages to significantly surpass the Maytag in both compartments. Compared the to the Maytag, this {{product.brand.name}} has approximately one and a half cubic feet more usable storage in the fridge and an extra two and a half cubic feet in the freezer.

{{score_bars comp_num="3", scores="Freezer Usable Space Rating, Fridge Usable Space Rating"}}

Usability

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The {{product.brand.name}} is by far the more user-friendly appliance. The eye-level ice maker inside the fridge is much easier to access than the separate unit inside the Maytag's pull-out freezer, controls are much more intuitive and have a actual degree correlation instead of the Maytag's arbitrary number scale, and the drawers are smoother to open and shut. Also, the wire shelves in the freezer offer no spill protection whatsoever, unlike the fully contained buckets in the {{product.brand.name}}.

{{score_bars comp_num="3", scores="Usability Ease of Access Rating , Usability Controls Rating, Usability Water Rating, Usability Icemaker Rating, Usability Cleaning Rating"}}

Conclusion

Energy Efficiency

Despite its large size, this {{product.brand.name}} is a very energy efficient fridge. It won't cost you very much to run, both with respect to appliances of this model type and capacity as well as fridges in general. It make take a while, but this fridge will definitely save you money in the long run.

Performance

With superior performance results in every test, this fridge could very well be worth the high price tag. Temperatures remain consistent over time, despite some issues with uniform cooling from top to bottom in both compartments. Moisture retention in the crispers is nothing spectacular, but at least hits an average rating.

Storage Space

This {{product.brand.name}} is a very substantial fridge, both inside and out. With a fridge and freezer that offer more usable space than is found in most other models, you'll have enough room to store all the groceries needed to feed even the largest family.

Usability

Controls are intuitive, drawers slide in and out without a problem, and the smooth half-width shelves offer easy customization of your storage space. Slits in the bottom of shelves make for a tough time if anything spills, but otherwise this fridge is a breeze to use.

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

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