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

  • Temperature Performance

  • Moisture Retention

  • Freezing & Thawing

  • Storage Space

  • Other Tests

  • Introduction
  • Design & Usability
  • Features
  • Performance
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Temperature Performance
  • Moisture Retention
  • Freezing & Thawing
  • Storage Space
  • Other Tests

Introduction

Fridge and freezer temperatures were consistent, and the vegetable drawer in this unit will keep your produce tasting fresh. Though this Maytag isn't cheap among side-by-sides and top-freezers, it's one of the least-expensive French doors we've found that still performed well in our tests. Sale prices below $1,550 make it an even better value.

Design & Usability

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

The Maytag MFF2558VEM has a high-end look on the outside, but the interior borrows too much from less expensive models.

Handsome right angles and horizontal-grain stainless steel distinguish the front of this Maytag. The edifice attracts fingerprints, true, but the stainless finish is easy to clean with a damp cloth.

On the whole, the interior feels a great deal cheaper than the exterior would have you believe.

Inside, the fridge will be familiar to anyone who has used a Whirlpool/Amana/Maytag fridge in the past decade. A freezer drawer rolls out from the bottom, separated into two parts by a plastic divider. Above, a more shallow drawer contains the ice maker, which unfortunately takes up about a third of that space. Up top, adjustable glass shelves with metal frames and thin plastic drawers populate the fridge. On the whole, the interior feels a great deal cheaper than the exterior would have you believe.

All controls are located on the inside of the fridge at the top. Instead of offering actual temperature readings, Maytag presents users with an ambiguous, numerical scale with a recommended setting of "4."

{{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}}

The Maytag MFF2558VEM sports an easy-to-clean finish, but the crisper drawers are sticky and the shelves are quite heavy.

Like all bottom freezers, the Maytag MFF2558VEM requires some bending down to get to frozen foods. If that’s a problem, you should consider a side-by-side or top freezer. Meanwhile, shelves in the fridge are heavy and difficult to adjust because they must hook into slats at the rear of the cavity. Like most Maytag/Whirlpool/Amana fridges that we've seen, the flimsy-feeling crisper drawers stick. At least it’s easy to clean up interior spills, thanks to the plastic frames surrounding the glass shelves.

Instead of an exterior water/ice dispenser, this Maytag's freezer houses and internal ice maker and tray.

As we mentioned before, temperature controls use an arbitrary numeric scale instead of Fahrenheit/Celsius displays—if you want accurate information, you'll have to invest in your own thermometer. We do appreciate how easy it is to adjust these controls, though. Instead of an exterior water/ice dispenser, this Maytag's freezer houses an internal ice maker and tray. Some users will miss having a convenient cold water dispenser, but others will relish the clean, uninterrupted look of the exterior.

Performance

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

With less temperature variation than many of its competitors, the Maytag MFF2558VEM boasts impressive performance.

The Maytag MFF2558VEM maintained nearly consistent temperatures throughout its fridge cavity, though the top shelves were ever so slightly cooler than the bottom ones. Food stayed at consistent temperatures without fluctuating over time, ensuring extended freshness. The same goes for the vegetable drawers: produce kept in these compartments retained plenty of moisture.

Delicious frozen goods are safe from freezer burn in this appliance.

With such a small freezer, it’s not that hard for the MFF2558VEM to keep it all uniform. Temperatures were fairly steady throughout, and any fluctuation over time was trivial. What this means for consumers is that their delicious frozen goods are safe from freezer burn in this appliance.

Additionally, if electricity sells for $0.09 per kW-h, this fridge will only cost you $32.89 a year—an excellent result for a full-sized French door model.

Conclusion

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

Consistent temperatures make this feature-light fridge a winner.

French door refrigerators are usually on the costly side, and the Maytag MFF2558VEM, with its MSRP of $1,799, is no exception.

This model lacks features like a water/ice dispenser or a control panel, but it is still worth the price of admission. Temperatures are consistent in both the fridge and freezer, energy usage is efficient, and the fridge interior and exterior are both easy to clean. If you can get past the small freezer compartment—a design trait shared by many French door fridges—and the flimsy vegetable drawers, the MFF2558VEM would make a welcome addition to any household in need of a refrigerator.

Science Introduction

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

Though the fridge’s lower shelves are slightly warmer than the top shelves, the Maytag MFF2558VEM keeps food at consistent temperatures. It also has one of the best vegetable drawers we’ve tested. Energy usage was quite good, too, as was fridge storage—but don't expect the freezer to hold very much.

Temperature Performance

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

Consistent temperatures mean fresh food.

The Maytag MFF2558VEM kept food at consistent temperatures, without fluctuating much at all. The temperature sensors that we placed inside food packages registered no more than a half a degree of total variation.

The freezer was also a top performer, with temperatures ranging from a low of 0 degrees to a high of 0.7 degrees, depending on the location. These temperatures fluctuated very little—just 0.3 degrees at most.

{{photo_gallery "Science Section 1 Images"}}

Moisture Retention

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

Moisture retention is top-notch, keeping veggies safe and sound.

Vegetables stored in the Maytag MFF2558VEM’s vegetable drawer won’t dry out quickly thanks to this fridge’s excellent performance on humidity testing. The simulated vegetable we tested only lost 0.12 grams of water per hour, which is half of what similar fridges have lost on the same test.

{{photo_gallery "Science Section 2 Images"}}

Freezing & Thawing

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

This Maytag takes too much time to freeze room temperature items, but at least food is well insulated.

When food freezes slowly, it forms ice crystals that affect its texture when thawed. The Maytag MFF2558VEM didn’t do that well on the freezing test, taking 2 hours 9 minutes to freeze food that began at room temperature. That’s about a half hour longer than we like to see.

When the power goes out, you could lose plenty of dollars worth of food. We tested this Maytag’s insulation by unplugging it and monitoring the temperature of the contents. Impressively, the internal temperature of food stored in the freezer didn’t go above 32 degrees within 36 hours. In fact, after 48 hours the food had yet to thaw.

{{photo_gallery "Science Section 3 Images"}}

Storage Space

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

Less than half of the MFF2558VEM’s interior is usable, but most will have no problem finding places to put food anyways.

Unlike the manufacturers, we give a report of a refrigerator’s storage capacity that subtracts the curves and shelves that encroach on usable space. The Maytag MFF2558VEM only offers 12.45 cubic feet of refrigerator space, but it does make the most of it. Four shelves are adjustable, and above two crisper drawers there’s a long, wide “deli drawer” for storing cheese and meats. There’s also an odd drawer made up of widely-spaced wires—it doesn’t seem very useful.

The freezer only has a main drawer and a top drawer. Considering that a third of the top drawer is taken up by an ice maker, there’s only 2.44 cubic feet of actual storage space.

Once again adjusting for usable space, the Maytag MFF2558VEM uses only 0.08 kW-h of electricity per cubic foot of storage space. That’s above average for all refrigerators.

{{photo_gallery "Science Section 4 Images"}}

Other Tests

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

{{photo_gallery "Other Tests Images"}}

Meet the tester

Keith Barry

Keith Barry

Former Editor in Chief, Reviewed Home

@itskeithbarry

Keith was the Editor in Chief of Reviewed's appliance and automotive sites. His work has appeared in publications such as Wired, Car & Driver, and CityLab.

See all of Keith Barry'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