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  • Design & Usability

  • Performance & Features

  • Counter-Depth Superiority

  • The Cold Hard Facts

  • Temperature Performance

  • Moisture Retention

  • Freezing & Thawing

  • Storage Space & Energy Efficiency

  • Design & Usability
  • Performance & Features
  • Counter-Depth Superiority
  • The Cold Hard Facts
  • Temperature Performance
  • Moisture Retention
  • Freezing & Thawing
  • Storage Space & Energy Efficiency

Pros

  • Can maintain consistent temperatures

  • Counter-depth

  • Door-in-door storage

Cons

  • Crisper has trouble maintaining humidity

With one exception, it's actually the best counter-depth model we’ve reviewed so far, and the best counter-depth French door we've seen in 2014.

In addition to its attractive stainless finish and sleek design, the RF23HTEDBSR comes with Samsung's door-in-door storage for improved accessibility. Our tests also show that when it comes to performance, this fridge is hard to beat.

Design & Usability

Good looking and shallow (but not in bad way)

This counter-depth fridge is essentially a shallower version of the Samsung RF28HDEDBSR. Bright LED lights, smooth slide-out drawers, and door-in-door storage are all shared between both models.

Since this is the counter-depth version, there isn't much depth in the fridge cavity where you can lose leftovers. The pull-out freezer, on the other hand, might feel a bit cramped, since the drawers can’t extend out very far.

The door-in-door feature on this model lets you open up a separate compartment inside of the right-hand door by pulling a subtle trigger in the middle of the door handle. You can store frequently-used items there for easier admittance, but the layout limits customization: None of the right-hand door's shelves can be moved, though the two large buckets do slide forward for improved access.

The primary shelves in the main compartment snap into each other for stability. If you need to take them out for cleaning or adjustment, those snaps turn out to be a bit of a nuisance. Undoing them can be quite hard on the hands if you're not careful. However, if you’re just trying to accommodate some tall items, one of the shelves comes with a conveniently retractable front half.

The slim icemaker doesn’t take up much room in the main cavity, but it’s a pain in the neck to remove for bulk ice access. Not only does it take up internal space, but left-hand door shelves are shaped awkwardly to accommodate the bulky dispenser. We prefer the door-mounted ice that tend to be found on LG, Kenmore, and GE models.

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Performance & Features

Everything you need, though the crisper could be better

Across the board, the temperatures we recorded in our tests of this Samsung were right on the money. Cool in the fridge and brisk in the freezer, this refrigerator is ideal for preserving any kind of food. Throw in excellent long-term temperature stability, and you can kiss freezer burn goodbye.

Responsive controls are easy to use, and look great against the Samsung RF23HTEDBSR's stainless exterior.

Responsive controls are easy to use, and look great against the stainless exterior.

This model's most glaring flaws are the crisper drawers. They lost about the twice as much moisture as the best crispers we've tested.

In terms of extra features, this counter-depth fridge keeps it pretty basic. Along with the standard interior icemaker, you have a control lock and an energy saver mode. Additionally, the adjustable-temperature drawer underneath the crispers has three settings: Deli, Fresh, and Chilled. Be sure to check the manual for helpful storage tips.

For in-depth performance information, please visit the Science Page.

While very smooth and easy to use, the crispers' performance was the most disappointing element of the Samsung RF23HTEDBSR.

While very smooth and easy to use, the crispers' performance was the most disappointing element of this fridge.

Counter-Depth Superiority

When one door opens, another stays shut

If you're looking for a French door counter-depth refrigerator, it's hard to do much better than the Samsung RF23HTEDBSR.

In addition to a clever door-in-door compartment and sleek good looks, this Samsung aced nearly every one of our performance tests.

Even though it's a brand new product, we’ve already seen deep discounts online: Major retailers are selling it for as low as $2,699. Among counter-depth fridges—which tend to be pricier than their standard-depth counterparts—this is a great value.

If you prefer the side-by-side layout, consider the LG LSC22991ST, which is available for about $270 less than the Samsung.

The Cold Hard Facts

The Samsung RF32HTEDBSR (MSRP $3,499) may be a shallow counter-depth, but its performance is on par with any fridge no matter how large. It passed all but one of our tests with flying colors—just keep an eye on your fresh produce.

Temperature Performance

Fridge temperatures were appropriately cool. From top to bottom, they averaged 37.58°F, 36.68°F, and 40.04°F. The extra warmth around crisper level is actually better for produce storage. While an average temperature fluctuation of ±0.3°F is wider than we might like, no part of the fridge got warm enough for that variance to have a major negative impact.

The freezer was even better, averaging -3.34°F at the top and -1.31°F at the bottom. Pair that with an average fluctuation of just ±0.32°F and you’ve got a chilly freezer that should resist freezer burn, which is caused by temperatures that go above and below 0ºF.

Responsive controls are easy to use, and look great against the Samsung RF23HTEDBSR's stainless exterior.

Responsive controls are easy to use, and look great against the stainless exterior.

Moisture Retention

Out of all our tests, crisper performance was the biggest disappointment. Over the course of three days, our test materials lost an average of 0.27 grams of moisture per hour. That’s roughly double what we consider an acceptable amount. You may find that produce stored here starts spoiling sooner than expected.

While very smooth and easy to use, the crispers' performance was the most disappointing element of the Samsung RF23HTEDBSR.

While very smooth and easy to use, the crispers' performance was the most disappointing element of this fridge.

Freezing & Thawing

Freezing times were acceptable, with test materials dropping from room temperature to 32°F in one hour and 25 minutes.

Cold retention was also decent. After 36 hours without power, the freezer stayed quite frozen. By the end of our test, it had only thawed up to 28.58°F.

Storage Space & Energy Efficiency

Shallow counter-depth fridges are always going to be smaller than their full-sized counterparts, but this Samsung uses its available space well.

Five shelves and three drawers in the main compartment are bolstered by left and right door storage. The left door’s shelves have to accommodate the ice dispenser chute, while the right door has four shelves accessible through the door-in-door feature. In total, you get 10.9 usable cubic feet of space.

The freezer is very straightforward, with an upper and lower sliding compartment. There’s even a shallow shelf just inside the door, perfect for storing ice packs, popsicles, and other small items. In total, you get 4.65 usable cubic feet of frozen storage.

The Samsung’s smaller size doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more efficient. In fact, this model is marginally less efficient than many other full-sized French doors we’ve tested. With the icemaker running, we estimate this model will cost you $57.14 per year for electricity. That’s based on the typical U.S. rate of $0.09 per kWh, and translates to roughly 0.11 kWh to cool each usable cubic foot.

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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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