How chilly is just too chilly, although? The freezing level (32 F) looks as if a good place to begin, and certain sufficient, this Whirlpool blows proper previous it, with a mean physique temperature of 26.4 F on the coldest setting. Even on the default setting, the fridge’s backside shelf is available in at 30.1 F.
That stated, it is powerful to fault a fridge for being too good at its job — particularly when you’ll be able to dial it up a setting or two and save slightly cash in your energy invoice. If cooling efficiency that errs on the cool facet is what issues most, then this no-frills high freezer matches the invoice. Simply do not blame me when your milk freezes.
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There’s an entire lot of space for storing in these in-door cabinets.
Design and options
The WRT511SZDM is a sturdy-feeling stainless-steel fridge that is additionally obtainable in white or black for $100 much less. It is a very fundamental construct that passes on important design prospers in favor of a safer, extra conventional aesthetic. In different phrases, it is a token high freezer.
Open it up, and you will find a grand whole of 21.3 cubic toes of space for storing, 15.2 of that are within the fridge compartment. That is an honest quantity of room so far as high freezers go, however it’s not as a lot as you will get with the king-sized LG LTCS24223S — that fridge beats Whirlpool by 2.5 cubic toes. Nonetheless, it was large enough to suit all of our check groceries, together with 5 out of six of our king-size stress check objects (I could not fairly jam the social gathering platter and the additional giant pizza field inside on the identical time.)
By the best way, the MVP of these storage exams was the in-door shelving. The cabinets are sizable sufficient to carry a shocking quantity of groceries, and there are sufficient of them to make it simple to part issues off and arrange the whole lot simply how you want. I additionally appreciated that there have been loads of completely different spots into which I might rearrange the cabinets.
High freezer fridges for round $1,000
| Whirlpool WRT511SZDM | LG LTCS24223S | Frigidaire FGHT1846QF | GE GAS18PSJSS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fridge capability | 15.2 cubic toes | 17.6 cubic toes | 14.2 cubic toes | 13.5 cubic toes |
| Freezer capability | 6.1 cubic toes | 6.2 cubic toes | 4.1 cubic toes | 4.0 cubic toes |
| Whole capability | 21.3 cubic toes | 23.8 cubic toes | 18.3 cubic toes | 17.5 cubic toes |
| End | Stainless Metal | Stainless Metal | Stainless Metal | Stainless Metal |
| Obtainable in Black Stainless Metal | No | Sure (+$100) | No | No |
| Power Star Licensed | No | Sure | Sure | No |
| Yearly vitality consumption (kilowatt hours) | 443 kWh | 501 kWh | 363 kWh | 399 kWh |
| Yearly vitality value ($0.12 per kWh) | $53 | $60 | $44 | $48 |
| Power effectivity (yearly value per cubic foot) | $2.49 | $2.52 | $2.40 | $2.74 |
| Urged retail value | $1,100 | $1,200 | $1,100 | $1,000 |
| Lowest retail value (as of seven/19/16) | $900 | $1,075 | $850 | $900 |
Function-wise, there is not a lot else price mentioning, save for the “Flexi-Slide Drawer,” which is only a drawer that slides from left and proper beneath the highest shelf to make room for tall objects under. That is actually about it. No water dispenser, no spill-proof cabinets, no further bells or whistles in anyway.
Regardless of the sturdy exterior, sure elements of the inside additionally felt a bit flimsy to the contact. The crisper bins do not glide out as easily as you will see in nicer fridges, and among the door cabinets did not snap into place as tightly as I might like. The bar that blocks off the underside in-door shelf was notably annoying, popping misplaced sufficient instances throughout my exams that I used to be pressured to tape it into place.
All of it provides as much as a fridge that does not do very a lot to set itself other than the competitors. That is considerably forgivable within the top-freezer class, however nonetheless disappointing on condition that it is a $1,000+ fridge we’re speaking about.
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On the advisable setting, many of the fridge held tight within the low-to-mid thirties — however that backside shelf (mild blue) ran manner too chilly.
Chilly as they arrive
For those who’re on the lookout for the factor that units this fridge other than the competitors, it is efficiency. Merely put, the Whirlpool WRT511SZDM is as chilly a fridge as we have ever examined, which is not essentially a superb factor, on condition that we noticed temperatures drop under freezing even on the fridge’s advisable setting.
Fridges sometimes default to a 37-degree setting, however with this fridge, your default temperatures are nearer to 34 levels, with a few spots that run even colder. That features the underside shelf within the physique of the fridge, which spent the near-entirety of our 72-hour default setting check under the freezing level, and finally yielded a mean temperature of 30.1 F. It is the sunshine blue line on the backside of that fridge graph up above.
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We examined the WRT511SZDM at its coldest setting, its advisable setting, and its warmest setting. None are perfect — the “candy spot” is someplace in between the second two.
We additionally examined the fridge out at its coldest setting, the place issues have been clearly even colder. That backside shelf was as soon as once more the coldest spot within the fridge, with temperature swings starting from 28 F to an icy 18 F, with an incredibly chilly remaining common of twenty-two.3 F. Even the butter bin — sometimes the warmest spot in a given fridge — dropped near the freezing level.
That is just about unprecedented in our exams. We have seen the occasional fridge dip under freezing in a single part or two throughout the coldest-setting check, however by no means the near-entirety of the fridge, and by no means something within the default setting check.
On condition that, I made a decision to run a 3rd check on the fridge’s warmest setting. Temperatures rose as anticipated, and maybe by greater than anticipated — an excessive amount of so to advocate the warmest setting for something apart from storing drinks.
That places the efficiency “candy spot” someplace in between the advisable setting and the warmest setting. If I had this fridge in my kitchen, I believe I might attempt to discover it by inserting a jug of milk on the underside shelf, seeing if it froze, after which dialing up from there. Not the worst drawback to have, however an annoyance, nonetheless.
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The decision
Frigid efficiency is not an automated deal-breaker — some individuals would in all probability desire it over a fridge that runs a bit heat. Nonetheless, it is sufficient to present me pause earlier than recommending this fridge outright. The dearth of attention-grabbing options and design touches would not assist a lot, both.
That stated, at $1,100, the Whirlpool WRT511SZDM is a no-frills high freezer with loads of space for storing that will not ever have an issue holding your groceries chilly. For those who’re not on the lookout for a forward-thinking aesthetic out of your icebox and also you’re snug dialing issues up a tad to stave off icy milk, then it’d benefit consideration.