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  • Design & Usability

  • Performance & Features

  • High-End Excellence

  • The Cold Hard Facts

  • Temperature Performance

  • Moisture Retention

  • Freezing Time

  • Storage Space & Energy Efficiency

  • Design & Usability
  • Performance & Features
  • High-End Excellence
  • The Cold Hard Facts
  • Temperature Performance
  • Moisture Retention
  • Freezing Time
  • Storage Space & Energy Efficiency

Pros

  • Maintains consistent temperatures

  • Deli drawer

  • Through-door dispensers

Cons

  • Nothing we could find

Editor's Note:

The Kenmore Elite 72483 (MSRP $4,199.99) is the perfect example of how to take a good thing and make it better. When we tested the similar Elite 74025 late last year, we thought we’d seen the best Kenmore could do. Turns out we were wrong.

The 72483 takes the 74025's sleek design, useful layout, and excellent performance and adds a separate temperature-controlled drawer in the center.

Of course, there’s always a catch. The 72483's MSRP is north of $4,000—a price you should never settle for. While sale prices on the 72483 have been hard to come by, we did recently see a price drop to $2,999. Still, the three-door 74025 is on sale for a much more reasonable $2,599, so we hope Kenmore drops the price on its four-door fridge even further.

Design & Usability

A little bit extra

The 72483's middle drawer draws air from the fridge and lets users choose between four distinct temperature settings ranging from 29°F to 42°F.

The design helps the user organize food, and can even make a fridge more family-friendly: Fill the central drawer with snacks, drinks, and other goodies for the kids, and they’ll have no reason to stand with the main doors open waiting for inspiration to strike. BBQ aficionados can also use it as a specialized meat drawer, or party hosts can use it to store wine and cheese.

Beyond that, both fridges have bright LED lights, smooth-sliding drawers, and tons of storage space that’s both accessible and—in many places—adjustable. Controls are actually located along the top of the frame around the main fresh food section, leaving the ice and water dispenser with a minimal, futuristic look.

All other differences between the two models are a bit more subtle: The water filter, for instance, is built into the left fridge door and hidden behind a shelf.

If you want this fridge in a finish other than stainless, it will save you about $100. The Kenmore 72482 comes in white, and the Kenmore 72489 comes in black. Unlike the 74025, the new model isn’t available in bisque.

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Performance & Features

One word: Wow

Based on our extensive lab tests, we simply couldn’t find anything wrong with the Kenmore 72483.

The freezer did a great job keeping temperatures consistent over time, and the fridge averaged the ideal 37° average temperature over three days—which means any temperature fluctuations won’t have a major impact on your food.

Controls for the Kenmore Elite 72483 are kept along the top edge of the main fridge compartment's frame.
Credit: Reviewed.com / Matthew Zahnzinger

Controls are kept along the top edge of the main fridge compartment's frame.

Kenmore’s Airtight Crisper did an excellent job living up to its name, and retained most of the moisture added to our test materials during the 72-hour testing period. A second regular crisper is available, featuring an adjustable humidity slider.

As has been the case since the new Energy Star standards were released last year, the 72483 is very energy efficient. In fact this is one of the most efficient French door models we’ve tested. If your current fridge is ten years old, you'll likely notice a drop in your electric bill.

In terms of extra features, this Kenmore has a very typical set. In addition to the through-the-door ice and water dispenser, the only extra feature available is Ultra Ice mode, which speeds up cube production. Also, as mentioned above, the central drawer has five distinct settings: 29°F for meat and seafood, 33°F for drinks, 37°F for deli snacks, and 42°F for chilled wine.

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

High-End Excellence

If you can find a lower price, snap it up.

The new Kenmore Elite 72483 adds a fourth drawer to superb food preservation. You’ll have a hard time finding a better fridge.

The only factor keeping this exceptional appliance from our wholehearted recommendation is its price. The fact is, the Kenmore 74025 is a nearly identical model minus a middle drawer, and it's currently on sale for about $1,000 less. The now-discontinued, four-door KitchenAid KFXS25RYMS did almost as well as the Kenmore 72483 in our tests, except we've found some remaining clearance models on sale below $2,000—which is an astounding deal for a four-door refrigerator.

Keep an eye on this Kenmore. As long as the price is below $3,000, it could be one of the best values on the market.

The Cold Hard Facts

As one of the best scoring fridges we’ve ever tested, the Kenmore Elite 72483 (MSRP $4,199.99) nearly aced every condition we have a test for.

Temperature Performance

It’s not often (even with fridges that use degree-based thermostats) we see such spot-on temperature accuracy. The main fridge section averaged 37.13°F at the top, 37.03°F in the middle, and 38.59°F at the bottom. That extra spurt of warmth near the crispers is actually good for storing produce, so we’d say that’s just about perfect.

Temperatures did shift by about ±0.28°F over time—one of the widest gaps we’ve seen in a fresh food section—but the average temperatures were so accurate that this fluctuation shouldn’t have any impact on your food.

Controls for the Kenmore Elite 72483 are kept along the top edge of the main fridge compartment's frame.
Credit: Reviewed.com / Matthew Zahnzinger

Controls are kept along the top edge of the main fridge compartment's frame.

The freezer was even better, with fluctuations of just ±-0.18°F over time. What’s more, average temperatures at the top and bottom were -2.58°F and -1.3°F respectively, meaning freezer burn won't accumulate right away.

Moisture Retention

For our tests, we focused on Kenmore’s Airtight Crisper drawer. As we’ve seen before, the Airtight Crisper lived up to its name: After three days, our test materials lost an average of just 0.06 grams of moisture each hour. Excluding other fridges that have this specialized crisper, that performance is second to none.

Both of the Kenmore Elite 72483's crispers are roomy and slide with ease. Plus, recessed into the bottom of the fridge compartment right in front of the crispers, you find two extra storage areas.
Credit: Reviewed.com / Matthew Zahnzinger

Both crispers are roomy and slide with ease. Plus, recessed into the bottom of the fridge compartment right in front of the crispers, you find two extra storage areas.

Freezing Time

Freezing times were very much in line with the established averages we’ve tracked over four years of testing. Room temperature testing materials hit 32°F after after about 1 hour and 25 minutes inside this freezer.

Storage Space & Energy Efficiency

Not only does the 72483 look good, it can fit a huge amount of food.

Between the ample shelf space, large crispers, sliding compartments, door shelves, and central drawer, the main section offers up an impressive 15.58 usable cubic feet of fresh food storage.

The freezer, with its multiple sliding drawers of varying heights, is proportionately roomy. Altogether, it provides consumers with 5.78 usable cubic feet for frozen food storage.

As one of the first large French door models we’ve tested since the new EPA guidelines were launched last year, it was unsurprising that the 72483 was one of the most efficient fridges we’ve tested. It only needs about 0.06 kWh to refrigerate each usable cubic foot, which—based on a typical American electricity rate of $0.09 per kWh—translates into about $42.88 per year in electricity costs.

The Kenmore Elite 72483's freezer has multiple drawers of varying heights that will help keep your frozen food organized.
Credit: Reviewed.com / Matthew Zahnzinger

The freezer's multiple drawers of varying heights will help keep your frozen food organized.

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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