- Samsung 28.0 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator with Thru-the-Door Ice and Water
- This refrigerator features an LCD touch screen with apps for easy operation and an independently controlled mid-drawer. The Twin Cooling Plus system ensures thorough temperature management.
Purchased this Samsung fridge as the final appliance to wrapup our change-over to stainless steel. For first 10 days, the refrigerator didn't seem to be keeping items cold in the refrigerator section. Freezer was working great (ice cream was rock solid) but refrigerator would not stay at temperature set on computer display. If I set the temperature for 34 degrees, the inside was anywhere from 46 to 55 degrees most days. Experimented for several days disabling energy saver and running on Power Cool, but nothing seemed to be a permanent fix.
I called Samsung was very disappointed with their response. They don't know much about this model yet. Level 2 support told me that I couldn't use a thermometer to measure the inside temperature. They told me that I could not use a mercury or digital thermometer because it would have to be calibrated for the fridge. When I asked what type of thermometer I could use, they could not give me an answer. I was told to trust the refrigerator to do it's job -Sure! They can eat the spoiled food! They told me that a few degrees was normal (which I accepted) but not 10 to 12 degrees all the time.....any, to make a long story short I decided to "reboot" my fridge.
Yup, it's a linux OS that runs the system and all the apps. I decided to pull the power plug for the first time since I installed the fridge and voila. The refrigerator started working correctly. Temperatures started reporting within 2 to 4 degrees of the set temperature on the control panel. So, if you buy this frige and have this problem, remember to reboot your fridge after a few days if the temperature doesn't hold.
As for the apps. yup, Pandor, Weatherbug, AP news, Picasa web album (SD Card or photos from any DLNA network device in your home), Epicurious and more all work via WiFi. Since my wife can no longer magnetically hang a calendar on the stainless steel, I showed her how to sync her IPhone with Google Calendar which puts all her appointments and reminders on the refrigerator screen for her to review every morning. Very cool. Also the NotePad option allows you to hand write notes and messages on the screen or with a keyboard. Very cool too. While the Apps are interesting and work quite well, I can't see myself reading the news or twitter feed on the door. The screen saver mode allows you to display all or some of the specific feeds.
Finally, there is a "Smart Grid" feature prominent on the display that nobody at Samsung Level 1 or Level 2 can tell me about. When you select the option, it gives you a warning that tells you a little about smart grid. It then displays an error message saying you don't have the SmartGrid modem. When I called Samsung support, they told me to just "go buy a modem". When I asked, what type and where do I "plug in" the modem board to the refrigerator, they came up blank for answers..... I suppose once enough people call and complain, they'll provide tech support with a better response.
Samsung support is outstanding! Call Samsung first before calling the retailer. They will send somebody onsite, no questions asked, to repair a $3000 refrigerator or a $350 microwave (which I bought a few weeks before which came with mfg cosmetic defects).
REFRIGERATOR: Oh yeah, how do I like the appliance as a "refrigerator". The refrigerator compartment is well lit with LEDs and spacious. Some of the door shelves needed getting used to when switching from my old Kenmore side-by-side as only certain bottles of certain heights will fit in specific locations. Seems more cramped on the doors. Inside shelve area, I can't seem to fill it with food or leftovers. The top right shelf (lowered one notch) is the one place tall enough to store bottled waters and some cold beer bottles. I would prefer to have them somewhere on the door, but they just don't fit.
COUNTER HEIGHT DOOR: The "counter-height" door is just silly. The sliding divider in the showroom seems like such a cool idea, but in practice, if you don't have solid block objects larger than the spacer, things are falling in between compartments as you poke around. COMPLAINTThe middle drawer does not come out far enough to easily see what's in the back section of the drawer. You can reach items, but you have to poke around and bend down.
FREEZER: Works rock solid and never had a problem. My wife and I complain that the ice cream is just too hard now. That's a good thing. Has section organizers but main section is just a big dumping place for stuff.
ICEMAKER: Works great but 1/4 the capacity of our old Kenmore and VERY NOISY when the ice drops into the bucket. Yeah...VERY noisy, otherwise you don't hear a thing from the fridge. Wife empties the ice bucket every morning with 3 "Big Gulp" type cups of ice she brings into work. My old Kenmore would half fill an Igloo Playmate. .
WATER DISPENSER: Works great and high pressure. Wife complains because the first few seconds the water is warm. This is because the water tube runs inside the door, behind the touch-screen computer. Water is cool after a few seconds. WARNING: Been about 3 week so far and the water still tastes and smells like the plastic reservoir. Looking forward to not having "that new fridge smell".
PRICE: Shop around. Purchased for $3300, then price discount a week later took off about $200. Then a competitor ran a Samsung 25% discount the next day and we saved another $600+ . Thank you Best Buy Price Match Policy.
AUGUST 2011 UPDATE: Refrigerator is performing flawlessly.Several software updates over the past few months have been pushed down and all the problems appear to be resolved...knock on wood.Counter-height door continues to be silly use of space with divider, Freezer is still a disorganized mess and we've gotten used to the "You've got Ice" plunk :-)
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Agree with above reviews.Reboot fridge (unplug, wait about a minute and plug back in) after a few days from the time you first plug it in.Ours had wild temp swings prior to the reboot.Sometimes display said 15F in fridge, but thermometer said 38F.Other times display said 38F but fridge was actually 45F.After reboot it seems to be accurate again.Also, have heard some people (on other sites) say touchscreen doesn't work well (or not at all).I had this problem with a display model I was looking at in the store and was ready to pass up this fridge and go with the version w/out the LCD.But, I performed the touchscreen calibration and it worked perfectly after that.I especially like Weatherbug and have programmed my home weather and also weather for my family in another state.I really like the flex-space drawer as we can put sodas in there and cool them down to almost freezing temp.Nothing like drinking a Coca-Cola at 33F!Can't do that with a normal fridge as it's not good for lettuce and etc.The fancy sliding divider is useless.If they really want to improve it they need to make it so that you can lock it in place.It is so loose, it allows stuff to move around.We plan on getting some plastic tubs to organize it better.I'm going to see if I can remove the sliding rail system altogether.This thing is quiet!Way quieter than our 8yr old Maytag wide by side it is replacing.Like everyone else says...when the ice drops into the bin, it is loud.Most fridges are loud when this happens, but this one is especially so.It's been 2 days and the water has that "plasticky" taste.I hope the lines and filter purge this eventually.I wanted a fridge that would "WOW" my wife every time she looked at it or opened it.This one does that for sure.
Update: 12/13/11.So far the refrigerator has been great!I purchased a refrigerator thermometer and the temp has been spot on in all 3 parts of the refrigerator.I do notice, it takes a day or so to stabilize temp after you add a bunch of groceries.Maybe it's the energy efficiency programming.But, you can use the "power cool" setting and it cools down quicker.We are still running the flex-space drawer at 29F and enjoying sodas nice and cold!The longer we have the fridge the better we like it.We flip the "flip-up" shelf and put wine there.Also, when the right door is full of milk & OJ, we can slide the right middle shelf back out of the way and store a gallon of apple cider there.Really handy!
Update 6/10/12:Fridge is working perfect.Temps in all compartments are spot on.So far we are extremely happy!I'm about to order my first replacement water filter.
Update 7/13/12:Ordered new water filter.This one gave great tasting water right away.The original filter was part # DA29-00020A, whereas the new filter is DA29-00020B.Samsung must have changed something between the two filters.
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I agree with many things the first reviewer had to say and yes, I rebooted my fridge as well although as I had the opportunity to read his review, I did it on the second day and now, temperature is basically spot on. All three compartments, fridge, drawer, freezer are usually +/1 degree of set point. I think the temperature sensors simply needed to stabilize and then calibrate with a reboot. I don't know that it wouldn't have happened on it's on as I didn't give it a chance.
Lighting in this thing is awesome. LED's all over the place, in every compartment so it's very easy to see what you have. Fit and finish seem excellent and it's EXTREMELY quiet. With any background noise in the kitchen at all I have to really listen to hear it running.
It's pretty cool having your fridge connected to the Internet, I particularly like having the Weatherbug app on the display and the wife likes having her Google calendar syncing with it.
I guess the only complaint I have and the reason I didn't give it five stars is the ice maker, and where it is. I would gladly give up having ice dispensed through the door (although water would still be nice) to have the ice maker mounted in the freezer to gain the lost space in the fridge. Most manufacturers however do the same thing. I can only recall one and I think it was Amana that had water only dispensed through the door and the ice maker in the freezer. Still, we moved from an old KitchenAid side by side with 25.0 cu/ft and this Samsung is 28.0 cu/ft so all in all, even with the ice maker in the fridge, we gained a HUGE amount of refrigerator space, so I don't complain too much.
I would buy this refrigerator again in a heart beat. Deals are to be had if you look
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Never, ever again will I buy a Samsung major appliance. I have three of their televisions, and love them, but this fridge is a steaming piece of crap.
Repairmen out 7 times since I bought it, all to repair problems with the freezer. Main board replaced. Then (less than two weeks later) main board AGAIN replaced, along with all the sensors in the freezer section. Then daughter board and more sensors. Then the door display panel. Then the main board replaced for the third time and blamed on me because I was running the freezer empty, so they charged me for it. Like I was going to trust this freezer after that many failures until it had run reliably for a good long time? I'm still arguing with Samsung over that one. This morning I woke up to find my kitchen and dining room flooded the water chiller tank in the fridge is broken, there's water everywhere, and the fridge is a frosty 65 degrees.
The best money I've spent on a fridge in the last year is the cheap one I put in the garage. It's never broken down, and it works even in the summer in an uncooled garage. This thing? Unless you've got a masochistic streak a mile wide, a bottomless checking account, a love of throwing away food that was perfectly good when you went to bed last night but the fridge managed to destroy while you slept, and someone to stay home all day long waiting for the repairman again, don't even consider it.
I'm either going to call the repairman again, and hope that I get the one guy at the Samsung Authorized Repair Center who actually knows anything about Samsung refrigerators, or I'm stopping on the way home to get a new fridge and toss this thing on the junk heap, where it belongs. It's a toss-up right now.
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I purchased my 26X series Samsung French-door refrigerator and also had the good fortune to remember to buy a Lowe's 4-year extended warranty.
Samsung products are junk, plain and simple.Once Korean-made quality products they are now made in China and are garbage.Samsung does not support their products unless you know how to create trouble for them.
Just a month after the Samsung warranty expired the icemaker reservoir did, too.That was repaired under the extended warranty the first, second, and third time.The bottom freezer gasket failed and was replaced. The freezer light switch failed and was replaced.Five days after the technician replaced the entire icemaker system the water dispenser failed.After replacing the main circuit board in back, the front control panel, lines, water switch and water reservoir with no luck the technician declared the refrigerator "unrepairable."
After the icemaker failed for the third time and the lower gasket and switch and the main CB had failed and been replaced I sent an email to Samsung Support from their website.What I got in response was that Samsung considers these types and numbers of failures within less than two years since purchase "Normal wear and tear."
Chatting online the representative apologized but refused to escalate my issues to a higher level ("Not allowed").
I contacted Lowe's Home Office and advised them of my problems and the fact of so many negative reviews in Amazon as well as the Class Action lawsuit against Samsung for selling several models of refrigerators with KNOWN defective compressors.Lowe's promised to look into the matter.
I waited a few days and then did another online chat.This time my claim was routed up the chain and I was assured I would get a call "within 2-3 business days."On the fourth business day I went back on the Chat Line and I got a call several hours later.
Suddenly, Samsung was "very concerned" and was willing to issue me a rebate for the depreciated value of the unit.All I had to do was send them a copy of the original sales receipt and invoices for the repairs.I did that and was told it would be 17-21 business days for my refund.
About a week later I got a call from a TV repair shop asking to set up an appointment to "inspect a Samsung unit."I told him I did not have a Samsung TV and he said he would cancel the call.I found out later that Samsung has no appliance service techs in my area and they then cancelled my claim.
Got that straightened out with the promise of another call to Lowe's Home Office and now I am SUPPOSED to be getting my depreciated rebate soon.The Lowe's Extended Warranty folks confirmed the "unrepairable" status with the technician and they are issuing me a Lowe's gift card for the full purchase price plus tax.
...and the icemaker gave up the ghost for the FIFTH time last night.Rather than try to sell it or give it away I am going to have Lowe's take it away and junk it.
Again, DO NOT BUY A SAMSUNG PRODUCT OF ANY KIND.
I'm posting this review because of my extreme dissatisfaction with this wine refrigeration product line.Two years ago my husband purchased the Edgestar 28-bottle fridge for me as a Christmas gift.We were so excited with the product that we raved to everyone about it.The following Christmas it was all my parents wanted.We purchased this smaller 16-bottle Edgestar for them.Not two weeks later ours died.My husband is quite handy and called to purchase various parts to repair the unit--over $100 worth--to no avail.We were devastated to throw away a brand new unit just one year after our purchase.I spoke with my parents last night and found to their utter disappointment now theirs has died too--just one year after we purchased it for them.This is TWO units that died immediately after a one-year period!These products are not inexpensive and were a costly investment to preserve our favorite wines.We are disappointed in the quality of Edgestar and have vowed to never purchase again from Compact Appliances.We are also planning to warn all of our wine-loving friends in the wine classes we attend to not purchase the products as well.What a disappointing Christmas!
