Top Fridge -- Bottom Freezer -- It Works -- I'm Happy!
Written: Jun 09 '06 (Updated Sep 08 '07)
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Pros: plenty of room with height-adjustable fridge shelves, individual humidity controls for drawers, cleans easy
Cons: refrigerator door swings wide
The Bottom Line: A great roomy refrigerator with a large bottom freezer.
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| dlstewart's Full Review: GE Profile Energy Star 22.2 Cu. Ft. Bottom-Freezer... |
They just don’t make appliances like they used to. My KitchenAid refrigerator had just turned ten years old, and not only were the shelves cracking apart but the compressor was going. I decided it would cost too much to repair the compressor, particularly with all the wear and tear the refrigerator was showing. Time to invest in a new refrigerator. This time I wanted one with a bottom freezer since everyone in the family has, at one time or another, cracked their head on the handle of the freezer located above the refrigerator section of the KitchenAid. After some research, I chose the GE Profile Refrigerator with Bottom Freezer (model # PDS22MBS).
Overview
This appliance has a 22.2 cubic foot capacity. According to the specification sheet, the fridge holds 15.21 cubic feet, and the freezer holds 7.04 cubic feet. I purchased this appliance in bisque with a slightly textured surface. It also comes in white or black. The overall dimensions are 68 5/8" high x 33 7/8" deep (counting door handle) x 32 7/8" wide.
Refrigerator – Inside the Door
This door offers lots of options for storage. Four of the plastic shelf-bins are half-shelves that are height adjustable. A wonderful feature is that the front of the door bins is composed of clear plastic, allowing a view of the entire shelf. I no longer lose things on shelf bottoms since I can see everything. There is a fixed shelf along the entire bottom width of the door, and also a “butter compartment” with a clear plastic flip door.
Starting at the top of the door, the butter compartment is on the left, holding a 12-ounce tub of cream cheese and a butter dish. (Note that the fridge did not come with any butter dishes.) Immediately below the butter compartment is a half-shelf holding an assortment of yeast packets and baker’s chocolate. To the right of these shelves is another half shelf, which is filled with three different juices (48-ounce round bottle of cranberry juice, 64-ounce square orange juice container, 64-ounce round bottle of fruit juice).
In the middle of the door are more half shelves. A great thing about these half shelves is that two one-gallon jugs of milk can fit inside each shelf. It’s a snug fit, but they cozy up aside each other. Since these shelves are height adjustable, I am using one of the shelves to fit taller bottles such as maple syrup.
The bottom fixed shelf is narrower than the half shelves and is ideal for smaller bottles. I have an assortment of small jars, bottles of soda that won’t fit in the can holder, and even an assortment of semi-chocolate chip bags for my baking.
Refrigerator Interior
The inside of the fridge is roomy with four glass half-shelves (3 slide out and one can slide backward to make a quarter shelf). There is also a rack for soda can storage that fits beneath a shelf. These shelves are all height adjustable. Bins include a deli drawer beneath a half shelf, and two larger produce drawers beneath the fixed bottom shelf that runs the full width of the refrigerator. A nice feature is that three of the half-shelves are “spill proof”. The glass shelf is slightly recessed in the plastic frame so that if there is a spill, it is more likely to be contained rather than flooding the entire fridge.
I like the convenience of the sliding half-shelves. It is simple to pull the shelves forward to reach items at the back. However, if the shelves are loaded with heavy items, then the shelves are more difficult to move. Right now on the top sliding shelf, I have a lot of plastic containers filled with leftover Chinese food. The shelf requires a hefty pull to move it forward. I’ll solve that problem by eating the leftovers tonight!
GE has a “QuickSpace Shelf” that can either be extended to its full depth like the other half-shelves, or the “QuickSpace Shelf” can slide back under itself ... making the half shelf a quarter-shelf size. When the shelf is a quarter shelf, I can fit six half-gallon square boxes of Silk Chocolate Soy Milk on the shelf. And since it is now a quarter shelf, it opens more space to store taller items on the shelf beneath it. Recently I purchased a bottle of juice that is too wide to fit in the door and too tall to fit beneath the shelf above ... so sliding the “QuickSpace” shelf backward out of the way allowed me the extra room I needed for the tall juice bottle.
The vinyl-coated wire soda rack is divided in half and is removable. I like having this rack in the refrigerator, though. I use one half of the rack to hold five one-pound boxes of butter. The other side of the rack contains six cans of Pepsi. If you prefer to use the rack for all soda, it will hold twelve cans. The instructions that come with the refrigerator state that if you wish, a bottle of wine can fit lengthwise on each side of the rack.
The deli drawer and two produce bins all have individual humidity controls. The controls are slider bars that go from Low to High. A nice feature of the deli bin is that if it is placed in the seventh slot from the refrigerator bottom, cold air from the freezer circulates around the deli bin to keep it very cold. The deli drawer can be moved if warmer storage is desired. All these drawers can be removed for cleaning. I have not had any problem with condensation forming inside the bins.
The Freezer
I love having a bottom freezer. On the old top-freezer, without fail, once a week, someone would crack their head on the freezer door handle when straightening from their search of the refrigerator. The bottom freezer is easy to open and offers a variety of shelving for storage. (Note that I have a separate full-size freezer in another part of the house, so this GE freezer does not house all my frozen food.)
This freezer uses “FrostGuard Technology”. The freezer monitors the opening and closing of the door and defrosts the freezer only when necessary. This helps protect food from freezer burn.
The top of the freezer section is divided in half with two bins. At the left is a slide-out shelf above a bin. Two ice cube trays came with the freezer and are designed to sit on the slide-out shelf, and the bin is to hold a quantity of ice cubes. Our family rarely uses ice cubes. So I use the slide-out shelf to store freezer bags of chopped onions and more bags of chopped peppers from my garden. The bin contains a variety of hotdogs for grilling.
To the right of the ice cube area is slide-out wire bin. I store frozen cans of juice here. It also holds the longer boxes of Klondike ice cream squares.
Beneath these bins is another wire slide-out shelf that runs the width of the freezer. This is a shallow shelf. It can hold up to nine bricks of ice cream (1.75 quart boxes). My shelf holds ice cream as well as other items. I don’t want you to think that I eat nine boxes of ice cream in a week!
Under the shallow shelf is the mainstay of the freezer, a fixed wire bin that is deep. I keep a variety of frozen meat here. There are also packages of french fries and other items.
The Doors
I have no problem opening the doors. If desired, the doors are reversible. Running my hand over the doors, the surface feels smooth, yet I can see a slight texture in the doors. The handles are large, comfortable and easy to grab and hold. They are color-matched to the bisque color of the appliance.
My one complaint about this refrigerator is that the door swings open in a wide arc. I have to be careful that no one is standing behind the door, or it could swing into them. It’s habit now to hold onto the refrigerator door after I open it.
When the freezer is opened, the large bottom bin is visible. The slide-out doors and bins have to be manually pulled out. However, one does not have to slide the drawers back into place before closing the freezer. For example, after pulling out the shallow drawer and scooping ice cream for the family, I can close the freezer without pushing that shallow drawer back into place. The freezer drawer scoots it back into place without my help.
Another nice feature of this appliance is that it has an alarm system that alerts me if someone has left open either of the doors. If the doors are open for more than two minutes, a sharp beeping starts. Just close the door to stop the alarm. Inside the side of each door is a plastic piece that slides into the side of the refrigerator or freezer when the door is closed. You can also press this piece of plastic into the door with your hand if you need the door to remain open for longer than two minutes.
Temperature Controls, Lighting & Quiet Design
The temperature control is located in the top center of the refrigerator. The readout is digital, and easy to set. There are controls for both the refrigerator and freezer. Temperature is adjusted by tapping either the Colder or Warmer button. I haven’t placed a thermometer in either section, but I have not had any food spoil ... so it’s all good!
There is also a TurboCool button. Press this button to rapidly cool the refrigerator. I have never used this control, but I can see where it will come in handy should we have a power outage. After power returns, I can press the button to quickly cool the unit. Once the TurboCool feature is activated, the compressor will turn on, spinning the fan at a higher speed (on and off) for eight hours.
It is recommended to turn off the refrigerator and freezer before replacing light bulbs. Both bulbs are easy to reach (unlike some appliances I have owned). The bulbs are located at the top of the refrigerator and freezer within a plastic light shield.
When I first heard the refrigerator working, it didn’t sound as quiet as I expected. However, the unit is not loud ... just not whisper quiet. I’ve become used to the sound so that I hardly notice it. If I am in a room abutting the kitchen, I do hear the fridge when it turns on.
Purchasing & Energy Savings
I bought this GE refrigerator for $1549.95. According to GE, this appliance retails for $1579. The store where I purchased it wanted to charge me an extra $20 to remove the old refrigerator, but I convinced them to take it away for free. And I thanked them ... that $20 looked so good remaining in my wallet.
The Energy Guide card that came with the unit, states that estimated operating cost is $39 a year. It uses 476 kWh a year.
Installation
I purchased this refrigerator from a local appliance store, and they offered free delivery and set up of the refrigerator. When the two men arrived, they removed the old refrigerator and brought the new one into the kitchen. They placed the refrigerator on a board (to protect the floor) where they then removed the packing material and instruction manual, assembled the doors, arranged the shelves and drawers, then plugged in the fridge.
We were told we could reload the refrigerator and freezer with food. All we had to do was keep it closed for two hours to bring the unit up to temperature. This worked out well.
Cleaning & Care
It is simple to keep this appliance clean with the swipe of a damp cloth (soap optional depending upon the cleaning needed). I also like the spill-proof shelves that help contain liquid messes. I never use hot water to clean cold shelving since a severe temperature change could damage the glass.
This GE refrigerator comes with a “NeverClean Condenser”. The encased coils do not require cleaning under normal conditions.
Update -- September 8, 2007
I thought you would like to know that this refrigerator is still working great. There have been no problems.
Summary
I am extremely happy with the GE Profile Refrigerator with Bottom Freezer (model # PDS22MBS). I have all the room I need, and the food is easy to view. The shelf layout and accessibility is great, too. So far I have owned and used this appliance for two months, and it has been trouble free. I’ll keep this review updated so that you know how the fridge performs as time goes on.
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Warranty
Compressor – 5 years from date of sale
Sealed System (evaporator, condenser tubing, refrigerant) – 5 years from date of sale
All other parts – 1 year from date of sale
Please read my other reviews
Maytag Gemini Electric Range
Broan Allure III Range Hood
Whirlpool Over-the-Range Microwave
T-Fal Avante Elite Convection Toaster Oven
Oxo Good Grips 14-piece Professional Knife Set
Keurig B50 Coffee Maker
KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Mixer
Hamilton Beach BlendMaster 12 Speed Blender
West Bend Automatic Egg Cooker
Maytag Dishwasher
Dyson DC14 Animal Vacuum Cleaner
Copyright 2006 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1549.95
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