Choosing the right refrigerator for your home can be a daunting task, because of the plethora of options available in the market. In this article we will dive deep into things you should consider when buying a new fridge and also provide an in depth review of what we consider a great choice in the market today.
The Product we have bought is the Samsung 523L Double Door Top Mount Freezer. This freezer is a great choice if you want ample space to store your food and want great cooling too.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Samsung 523L Double Door Top Mount Freezer |
| Purchase Date | March 2020 |
| Purchase Price | 69,900 rupees |
| Purchase Source | Amazon |
| Delivery and Installation | Fast delivery, next-day installation |
| Current Location | Kitchen |
| Usage Duration | Daily since March 2020 |
| Build Quality | Sturdy, no dents or signs of rough usage |
| Handles | Plastic bar handles with a glossy metallic look |
| Doors Finish | Brushed silver finish, still looks new |
| Internal Panels | Combination of plastic and glass |
| Storage Capacity | 523L |
| Energy Rating | 2 stars |
| Warranty | 10 years |
| Features Overview | Double Door Freezer, Auto Defrost, Digital Inverter, Twin Cooling, Convertible 5 Modes, Water Dispenser, Child Lock, Digital Display, Anti-Bacteria Protector, Door Alarm |
| Storage Overview | 4 main storage areas with divisions |
| Top Door Features | Deep freezer, twin cooling fan, ice maker, 2 storage racks |
| Bottom Door Features | Various shelves for meat, groceries, fruits, and vegetables, anti-bacteria module |
| Door Racks | 3 levels with compartments for water dispenser, adjustable compartments |
| Convertible 5 Modes | Normal, Extra Fridge, Vacation, Seasonal, Home Alone |
| Nice-to-Have Features | Water Dispenser, Power Cool, Power Freeze, Digital Display, Anti-Bacteria Protector, Door Alarm |
| Energy Consumption | 2-star energy rating, increased electricity bills by 200-300 rupees on average |
| Energy Savings Note | Compromises energy savings for features |
| Cheapest Price Source | Amazon |
The refrigerator was bought in March of 2020, and has been used daily since then. The unit was purchased at 69,900 rupees from Amazon. The delivery was very fast and installation was done the next day itself. It is currently located in our kitchen space and blends in well with the kitchen interior.
In our year of usage, we have had absolutely no problems with the refrigerator and there was no malfunction we had to report. Even if we had a problem, the refrigerator has a warranty of 10 years, so repairs will be free, apart from major dents and damages of course.
The cooling has been great and in our opinion, the best feature of this refrigerator is the ability to convert the freezer and fridge portions to our liking. This has made storing more food easier, and also allowed us to completely turn off portions of the fridge if we were not at home for a vacation.
We do think that the energy savings star rating could have been higher, at least 3 stars, but for the price, we do get a ton of features which compensate for it.
Similar Model – Samsung 523 L 2 Star ( 2019 ) Frost Free Double Door Refrigerator(RT54K6558SL/TL, Silver)
Check Cheapest Price : Amazon
- Tons of features for the price, there are not a lot of alternatives that match its features.
- Very Sturdy Build
- Convertible Freezer and Fridge modes are a blessing
- Energy saving is only 2 star (Amazon model), could have been better
- Water Dispenser could have been larger to store more water.
Features at a glance:
- Double Door Freezer
- Auto Defrost Mode
- 523L Capacity
- 10 year warranty
- 2 star energy rating
- Digital Inverter
- Twin Cooling
- Convertible 5 Modes Cooling
- Water Dispenser
- Child Lock
- Digital Display
- Anti Bacteria Protector
- Door Alarm
Table of Contents
Build Quality:
The Samsung freezer is very sturdy and after almost one year of usage, it has zero dents or signs of rough usage. The feet at the bottom do not wobble and can easily support the massive freezer.
The bar handles are made of plastic but they never felt flimsy. They have a glossy metallic look to them, which complements the look of the freezer too. The brushed silver finish of the doors have not lost their shine and still look new.
The panels inside the freezer are made from a combination of plastic and glass. The main panels are very large, and can fit a whole lot of food and other groceries on it.
Storage:
There are a total of 4 main storage areas in the freezer, with further divisions inside each of them.
Top Door:
The Top Door has two sections, one in the body and another on the door itself. The first section can be used as the deep freezer and is significantly cooler than the bottom door freezer. This section has two parts, the upper part with a twin cooling fan and the lower part which also contains the ice maker. The ice maker can be placed anywhere in this section, so space management is very easy.
On the top door, there are two storage racks, both along the entire length of the door.
Bottom Door:
The main body of the freezer has many parts.
The topmost shelf is for storing raw meat like fish or chicken, this has a plastic door, which helps keep odours from entering or exiting this part.
The next shelf is a movable one which can be used to store a ton of food and other groceries.
The next two shelves below it are similar but cannot be moved outward since they do not have any sliding feature. Here you can also find the anti bacteria module, which is a great feature in this price range.
The next shelf is a smaller version of the bottom most shelf, used to store fruits and vegetables, this section is adjusted to keep fruits fresh and prevent them from going stale.
The bottom most shelf is more of a box, which is used to store fruits and vegetables in bulk. This is more of an extension of the above shelf, with the similar adjustments to keep fruits fresh.
The Door has three levels of racks, The first level consists of the water storing compartment for the water dispenser. Next to it there is a smaller rack.
The 2nd rack level has two compartments, the rightmost compartment can be moved up and down to your convenience should you 3want to store a large bottle in the bottom most rack.
The 3rd rack is a fixed one and is generally used to store ketchup bottles and larger bottles.
Features:
Auto Defrost: Most freezers have a common problem where a lot of ice builds up inside the main storage unit. The Auto Defrost mode uses an evaporation technique to stop the build up of ice and prevent frost.
Digital Inverter: This feature is very useful because it allows the fridge to run more quietly and use less energy. This technology automatically adjusts the energy levels and makes sure the freezer lasts long.
Twin Cooling Plus: This technology means that the freezer and the fridge both use separate airflows. This stops odors spreading from the fridge to the freezer. So, frozen food retains more of its original flavour.
Convertible 5 Modes:
This is by far the best feature of the whole refrigerator. The entire refrigerator can be converted into 5 different modes configured to your preference:
Normal Mode: In this mode, the lower portion acts as the Fridge and the upper portion is the freezer.
Extra Fridge Mode: The upper portion is converted from freezer to fridge, which means you can store more food at adequate cool temperatures.
Vacation Mode: If you have plans to leave home for long stretches, then the Vacation mode is very useful. This turns the Fridge off and only the Freezer is kept running.
Seasonal Mode: This is the opposite of Vacation mode. Here, the Freezer is switched off and only the fridge is kept on.
Home Alone Mode: This mode can be used whenever you don’t have a lot to store, so it turns the Freezer into Fridge mode and turns the lower Fridge off.
Nice To Have Extra Features:
Water Dispenser: The fridge has a water tank to store almost 4 litres of water. This water is kept cool and provides a quick and convenient way to drink cold water directly.
Power Cool: This feature is used to chill food very quickly. The rate of cooling is increased in this mode. The food stays fresh for longer and beverages will be quickly chilled.
Power Freeze: This is similar to the Power Cool mode, but this increases the rate of cooling in the freezer, so ice forms a lot quicker than usual.
Digital Display: The Top door has an informative LED display that shows the current temperatures of both the fridge and the freezer. This is the main control center to switch modes and turn on Power Cool and Power Freeze.
Anti-Bacteria Protector: This keeps the air clean and fresh. Air is passed through an Active Carbon Filter, which sterilizes it.
Door Alarm: This feature is very useful because it reminds you with a beeping alarm that you have left the door open for a long time. This ensures food does not spoil.
Energy Savings:
The refrigerator is rated at only 2 stars (Amazon Model) which is a bit concerning. On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, having 2 stars means that the product is not that energy efficient and consumes a lot of electricity. In our year of usage, we did notice our electricity bills increase by around 200 to 300 rupees on average. This means in our year of usage, we paid around 2500 rupees more than what we would have paid if the star rating would have been 3 or more.
For people who are picky about energy savings, we do remind you that for the price you pay for this refrigerator, you compromise energy savings for tons of features. There are more energy efficient alternatives in the market, but almost none have the same features that this Samsung refrigerator has for the same amount of money.
Check Cheapest Price : Amazon
This content is collaboratively crafted and vetted by Shubham, a Mechanical Engineering specialist. His passion for unraveling the intricacies of machinery and consumer electronics mirrors his avid interest in gaming. With his wealth of expertise, Shubham adeptly navigates readers through the complexities of audio, home appliances, and everyday products, guaranteeing a smooth and enjoyable shopping journey. For every product you read about on this site we do rigorous research and testing behind the scenes to bring you the best value for money options. For any query directly reach out to me at my personal Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shubhamgarg8024/
