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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

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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

  • 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
  • Conclusion

Introduction

Front

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The front is finished in glossy black, and is set up like a miniature top freezer with separate doors for each of the two compartments.

The black finish may hide some smudges, but the glossy finish means you'll see every smear and fingerprint if the light hits it a certain way.

Temperature for both compartments are controlled using a dial located in the fridge section. It's stuck onto the side of the compartment, with an unusually-shaped indicator knob pointing to whichever setting on a scale of zero to seven is currently selected.

Shallow, recessed handles give the fridge a streamlined exterior. They're so shallow, though, that you likely won't be able to fit more than the tips of your fingers into the cavity.

Interior

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A freezer on top, and a fridge on bottom; its a traditional layout on a much smaller scale.

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

The fridge is broken up into three sections. There's a full-width shelf on top, with a half-depth (that's right, half-_depth_) shelf underneath. The rear half of the shelf is actually a section of fixed plastic. At the very bottom is a rather shallow drawer that looks like a vegetable tray, but has no actual humidity control.

Any condensation inside this product is going to accumulate as beads on the back of the fridge. You can either remove it with the included mini-scraper that comes with the product, or leave the door open to let it defrost. If you choose the latter option...

...the melted water will theoretically run down the back and pool into this little drain spout.

The crowning feature of this product is very easy to use and doesn't take up much room.

The fridge door has two regular shelves, as well as a can dispenser. You can fit four standard cans at a time, enough to keep your thirst quenched for an evening or two, or to give a small gathering of friends one chilled drink each.

The freezer is just a large ice box; the scraper will also come in handy here, as there's no way for the product to defrost on its own.

The shelf on the freezer door is rather shallow, which means its usability is somewhat limited. You may be able to fit one frozen dinner in it if you stand the package upright.

Back

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The bottom of the back is wide open, revealing all the workings of the fridge. Other than that, the only thing of interest there is the power cord.

Sides

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The sides have a matching glossy black finish which is just as susceptible to fingerprints as the front. On the side, though, your bigger concern is likely going to be accumulated dust.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS side views

Running Cost

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Using a standard rate of $0.09 per kW-h, we determined that this {{product.brand.name}} will cost you an average of $19.46 per year to operate. It's not as cheap as some other models, but still quite reasonable.

Power Use Per Cu Ft

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Proportionally, this fridge is actually quite inefficient. Per cubic foot of usable storage space, it will consume 0.21 kW-h. That's twice as inefficient as some of the best full-sized models we've tested, though you probably can't fit a 25 cu. ft. French door in your dorm.

Fridge Temperature

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The {{product.brand.name}}'s fridge was actually quite steady with its temperature output. The temperature difference from top to bottom was less than 2 degrees Fahrenheit, and they fluctuated only a quarter of a degree over time. The compartment itself is quite small, though, so expect most of the cold air to escape if you spend much time peering inquisitively into your fridge looking for something to eat.

Freezer Temperature

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At the end of the three day testing period, temperatures in the upper half of the freezer were still falling. The lower half was more consistent, but these are halves that are nigh indistinguishable due to the already small size of the compartment. Everything in it was frozen, but even without opening the freezer door for a full 72 hours, it hadn't reached its final equilibrium. If you're opening and closing the door to insert and remove food, cold air is going to escape and even further decrease the temperature consistency. As long as you're not storing delicate items like meat or fish for more than a day, you should be fine, but anything kept in there for longer should be something that won't spoil...like ice.

Vegetable Drawer

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While there's no formal humidity control in the {{product.brand.name}} compact, we still tested the drawer's moisture retention capabilities. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't very good. Losing moisture at a rate of 0.26 grams per hour, consumers will encounter the same problem that came up with the freezer. It's fine for storing items in the very short term, but if you stock up on fruits and vegetables, you may find them spoiling rather quickly.

Power Loss

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Surprisingly, the {{product.brand.name}} managed to pass our power loss test. After 36 hours, items in its freezer were still frozen. It may not be very good at cooling items quickly, but -- as long as the door stays closed -- the insulation is quite effective.

Freezing Performance

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Indicative of the aforementioned freezer issues, it took almost two hours exactly to freeze a room-temperature item. Not only shouldn't you keep frozen items in this model for a long time, but it's going to take the freezer a long time to put it into a state of cold preservation in the first place!

Usable Space

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Fridge storage is broken up for a simple arrangement of two shelves and a drawer. The total amount of usable space is just 1.82 cubic feet. It's worth noting that the drawer doesn't have a lot of space, and will likely be able to hold enough produce for one person...barely.

The door contributes to the storage total by offering two shelves and a can dispenser. The can dispenser's usefulness is somewhat limited, as putting items other than cans in that section may not be worth the trouble.

Freezer storage is quite simplistic: the large open cavity holds about 0.97 cubic feet worth of items.

The shallow shelf adds a small amount to that overall number, though its lack of depth means it'll only be suitable for certain types of items.

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 small shelves and storage compartments are all exceedingly accessible, a byproduct of the tiny fridge's design: the back is so close to the front that nothing will get lost there.

Controls

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Temperature for both compartments are controlled using a dial located in the fridge section. It's stuck onto the side of the compartment, with an unusually-shaped indicator knob pointing to whichever setting on a scale of zero to seven is currently selected.

The controls may look simple, but they're actually rather annoying. There's no thermometer, so you'll need to get an external one in order to properly calibrate it. Also, the unusual knob that serves as an indicator is set at an angle, so it's hard to tell what number of the control's arbitrary scale is actually being pointed at.

Water Dispenser

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Ice Maker

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Cleaning

Noise

Other Features

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Conclusion

Energy Efficiency

It's cheap to operate, and although it has inefficient energy distribution you're probably not cross-shopping this fridge with a full-size model.

Performance

The fridge was surprisingly consistent with its temperature output. The freezer was most emphatically not, however; long term frozen storage is definitely not recommended. Also, don't plan on keeping produce in the fridge for a long time if you plan on actually eating it.

Storage Space

The split compartments make for more balanced storage options, though the overall capacity isn't remarkably larger or smaller than what you'd find in a single door model.

Usability

The lightweight shelves are easy to clean, though the controls are a bit awkward to read.

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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