10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Solid Refrigerator, Water Filtration
Date of Review: Nov 16, 2005
The Bottom Line: Nice design, sturdy construction, "satina" finish gives the feel of stainless steel without the expense (and lets you use fridge magnets). Overall I am happy with this purchase.
I recently replaced my 25 year old refrigerator with this model (in the "Satina" finish, that looks like stainless steel on the front, the sides are black).
Installation went smoothly, the delivery guys actually hooked up the water line (but since I had the line for my old refrigerator, it was no big deal). There is a long filter you insert at the bottom of the refrigerator that filters the water going to both the Ice Maker and the Water Dispenser built into the front door.
The door came from the factory installed so you open it from the right. The Best Buy deliver guys had to take the doors off in order to fit it through the doorway to the kitchen (I have an older house). I asked them if they could put it back on to open the opposite way, they said it wasn't possible, you had to special order it from the factory that way. Obviously, that is not true, but I didn't push the point. After they left, I reversed the door myself, it was pretty simple, just make sure you have all the tools they list in the instructions.
You can't get ice from the front door, but the water itself is cold enough for the most part. The water dispenser is very 'shallow', you don't place the glass in the compartment, you kind of push the edge of the glass against it, and water comes out as you hold the glass against the panel; when you move the glass away, the water shuts off. They say the water filter should last up to nine months, there is an indicator light (just inside the refrigerator compartment) that lets you know when you should replace the filter.
I am pretty happy with the layout of both the freezer and refrigerator. All the shelves can 'slide out' in the refrigerator, and they are all made of glass/metal, and seem sturdy. In addition, the shelves in the door are big enough to hold gallon containers. The freezer has a bottom shelf that also slides out.
Initially, I was concerned about getting the "satina" finish. My oven and microwave are both stainless steel, and I considered getting a stainless steel fridge as well. However, I do like to stick fridge magnets on the side of the refrigerator, and you can do that with the satina finish (or on the front if you want, as well). But I didn't have anything to worry about, the satina finish matches pretty well with the stainless steel appliances. Again, it's only 'satina' on the doors, the sides are painted black.
Other features include a 'night-light' that illuminates the water dispenser area when it's dark. Also, there is a 'lock-out' button that you can activate by holding it down 5-seconds. This prevents the use of the water dispenser (in case you have friends you brings over their 3 year old who would want to press the dispenser for 10 minutes and watch the water come out).
