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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

  • Specs

  • Design

  • Performance

  • Storage Space

  • Usability

  • Specs

  • Design

  • Performance

  • Storage Space

  • Usability

  • Specs

  • Design

  • Performance

  • Storage Space

  • Usability

  • 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
  • Specs
  • Design
  • Performance
  • Storage Space
  • Usability
  • Specs
  • Design
  • Performance
  • Storage Space
  • Usability
  • Specs
  • Design
  • Performance
  • Storage Space
  • Usability
  • Conclusion

Introduction

Front

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The {{product.name}} top-freezer fridge features a magnetic stainless steel finish with black trim and recessed handles.

Should your kitchen look too clean, the stainless steel is easily accented with many grubby fingerprints. Luckily, a damp cloth will quickly have your fridge's finish looking like new.

There's a single temperature control for the freezer and refrigerator compartments on this unit, and the manufacturer recommends it be set on "3."

Interior

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The top part of the {{product.model}} is the freezer, while the bottom is the refrigerator. As single-compressor refrigerators rely on cool air falling from the freezer into the fridge, this is a common setup on budget units. A single knob at the top of the fridge controls the temperature.

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Inside the refrigerator, we find the familiar budget Whirlpool setup. Heavy glass and metal shelves hook into place on rear-mounted slats. There's one full-width shelf, two half-width shelves -- one with a plastic drawer beneath it -- and a fixed glass shelf on top of the crisper drawers. Those drawers feel cheap, made from brittle plastic and housed in a cheap plastic frame. When opened, heavy items topple the drawers like see-saws, lifting the glass shelf above. The humidity adjusters on the drawers feel like they could easily break off.

The fridge door features three half-width, adjustable, opaque plastic bins plus one shallow bottom shelf walled in by a flimsy-feeling metal bar. The top shelf features an opposable tray and dairy bin, both of which rattle around in the door as neither of them fits neatly into its designated shelf space.

Up in the freezer, a single wire shelf splits the interior into top and bottom. There's no ice maker.

The freezer door features two walled shelves with room for smaller boxes of frozen foods or vegetables.

Back

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With no ice maker, there's not even a water line input on the back of this fridge.

Sides

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Both sides of this fridge are black, matte and textured.

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS side views

Running Cost

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Assuming that electricity costs 9.1 cents per kilowatt, the {{product.name}} would set you back an average of $57 per year.

Power Use Per Cu Ft

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So we can compare smaller and larger fridges, we measure power usage over a fridge's interior volume. The {{product.name}} scores at 0.12 kWh per cubic foot, which is about normal for a fridge in this category.

Fridge Temperature

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In order to earn the title of "refrigerator," an appliance must keep food cold at a consistent temperature. We test this most basic function over several days by chilling simulated food packages that contain highly sensitive temperature sensors.

The {{product.name}} kept food in the refrigerator compartment chilled evenly. That means food won't spoil due to temperature spikes. Still, if we were to buy this fridge, we'd keep a close eye on the internal temperature and maybe turn the temperature dial up slightly from the manufacturer's recommended "3" setting to cool the fridge, as our sensors showed the top shelves stayed a little warmer than is ideal.

Freezer Temperature

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A freezer should keep an even temperature. Otherwise, food thaws and refreezes, leading to freezer burn and spoilage. We test the ability of a fridge to keep frozen foods at a consistent temperature by embedding temperature sensors within simulated frozen food packages.

Te temperature of food within the {{product.name}}'s freezer compartment varied more than a degree and a half. While this inconsistency probably won't ruin your food, compared to similar fridges, this is sub-par performance and indicates a compressor that may be cycling on and off less frequently than the compressors in similar fridges by other manufacturers.

Vegetable Drawer

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Because of all the cold air blowing around inside a fridge, fresh foods tend to dry out rather quickly -- like chapped lips on a cold winter day. Vegetable drawers are meant to insulate fruits, veggies and other fresh foods, keeping them from drying out. We put those drawers to the test with a simulated vegetable, a piece of wet floral foam that loses water like an actual vegetable.

The {{product.name}} did an admirable job, with our simulated vegetable losing only 0.19 grams of water per hour over a four day trial. That's worse than most high-end fridges, but still very good for a refrigerator in this price range.

Power Loss

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To find out how frozen foods fare during power outages, we pull the plug on our fridges and measure how long it takes the inside of our simulated frozen food packages to thaw. Frozen food inside the {{product.name}} took more than 36 hours to reach a temperature above 32 degrees Fahrenheit, though if our test fridge had been full of real food we would've eaten the ice cream long before then.

Freezing Performance

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The {{product.name}} took 2 hours, 17 minutes to freeze a formerly-room-temperature simulated food package.

Usable Space

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There are four shelves in this fridge: one adjustable full-width, two adjustable half-width and a fixed full-width shelf above two crisper drawers. The right crisper drawer is slightly narrower than the left. There's also a storage drawer hanging from one of the half-width shelves, which takes up a lot of the usable space from the shelf below.

On the top of the door are a reversible dairy bin and flimsy shelf. The curvature of the dairy bin makes it easier to fit large items inside.

Below that are three half-width adjustable bins. They easily hold tall items like soda or wine bottles, as does the shallow fixed shelf at the bottom of the door. All the shelves feel solid and sturdy with the exception of the flimsy metal bar on the bottom shelf.

Up in the freezer, there's a fixed shelf dividing the compartment widthwise. You'll definitely be stacking boxes and bags of frozen food on top of each other.

Two fixed shelves on the door fit smaller boxes and bags.

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 {{product.model}}'s shelves are adjustable but somewhat unwieldy. They're heavy and must be hooked into rear slats at a precise angle, which may be difficult for some users with mobility issues. Doors open and close with a minimum of effort, which is a plus when you've got an armful of groceries, but interior drawers don't glide with the same ease. They often get stuck when full.

Controls

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There's a single temperature control for the freezer and refrigerator compartments on this unit, and the manufacturer recommends it be set on "3."

Here's the temperature controller.

Water Dispenser

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Ice Maker

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Cleaning

Noise

Other Features

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Specs

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Though the {{product.brand.name}} and Frigidaire are different layouts -- a top-freezer and side-by-side -- they're fairly similar in size and price. If you haven't settled on a layout, the two fridges are certainly worth comparing.

Design

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Both fridges feature adjustable shelves, though the Frigidaire has an external icemaker and water dispenser. The Amana has a sleeker stainless-finish exterior, while the Frigidaire's textured white finish will blend in with older white appliances.

Performance

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Though the {{product.brand.name}} didn't have the most consistent refrigeration performance, it still outperformed the relatively lackluster Frigidaire in nearly all tests. The Frigidaire froze room-temperature food slightly faster, but otherwise was outpaced by the {{product.brand.name}}.

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Storage Space

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The main difference between these fridges is, of course, their layout. A side-by-side offers easier access to fridge and freezer compartments, while it's easier to store larger items in a top-freezer. You'll never fit an extra large pizza box or wedding cake in the Frigidaire, just as you'll have to hunt for that bag of frozen peas buried in the back of your {{product.brand.name}}.

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Usability

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The {{product.brand.name}} may have a cheap interior, but the Frigidaire's isn't exactly a paragon of luxury. Both fridges have adjustable shelves that hook into brackets and offer a modicum of spill resistance.

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Specs

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The {{product.name}} competes directly with the LG LTC22350SS. They're both stainless-finish top-freezer fridges with similar specs.

Design

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The LG offers a non-magnetic stainless exterior with a horizontal grain, which is more common among other appliances. The {{product.name}}'s vertical grain magnetic stainless may not match existing appliances. Open the doors, and it's clear that LG has crafted a fridge with a better fit and finish, with easier-to-adjust shelves and drawers that open a lot more smoothly.

Performance

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Both fridges offer good freezer performance, but it's the LG whose refrigerator offers the most consistent temperature.

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Storage Space

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The LG's large combination vent/control panel eats up a lot of the usable space inside the fridge.

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Usability

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At first touch, it's clear: The LG has the superior interior. Shelves are easier to move and clean up spills from, and crisper drawers slide in and out with relative ease.

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Specs

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Amana (or, more accurately, Whirlpool) built the A8RXNGMWG on a more compact platform than the {{product.model}}. It stands to reason that the {{product.model}} will offer more storage space.

Design

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While the A8RXNGMWG and {{product.model}} are both top-freezer fridges, the {{product.model}} appeals to a more traditional consumer while the smaller Amana's "Green Tea" finish may be more at home in a modern or "shabby chic" kitchen. We like the unique Green Tea finish, but caution that if you're buying for resale value of your home, you might want to go with a less polarizing fridge.

Performance

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Both fridges had very similar performance, though the little Amana's freezer was slightly less consistent than its big brother.

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Storage Space

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Obviously, the smaller Amana has less storage space than the {{product.model}}. The A8RXNGMWG does, however, have a little storage drawer that slides from side to side, which is a nice feature not present on the {{product.model}}.

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Usability

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The A8RXNGMWG and {{product.model}} have similar shelves, though only the {{product.model}}'s are split. That allows for easier configuration. The {{product.model}}'s shelves are also more spill-resistant.

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Conclusion

Energy Efficiency

The {{product.name}} is no energy hog, coming in about average for fridges in its class.

Performance

Keeping foods cold is what a refrigerator is all about, and the {{product.name}} doesn't disappoint. Still, we'd like to see less variation in temperature within the fridge compartment.

Storage Space

Like all top-freezer fridges, larger items are easier to fit in the {{product.name}} than in comparable side-by-sides, but foods way in the back may get lost until after their sell-by date.

Usability

This is where the {{product.name}} falls flat. A cheap interior, including brittle plastic storage bins that are very hard to open, does not impress us in the least. For folks looking to make a fashionable kitchen on a budget, however, the non-magnetic stainless-finish exterior might just do the trick.

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

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