Here's a Whirlpool fridge that really keeps its cool
It's pretty basic-looking, but this top freezer from Whirlpool is the coldest we've ever tested.
At $1,100, the Whirlpool WRT511SZDM is a large top freezer fridge that might be too powerful for its own good. Click through to see more of it.
Door storage
Out of a total 21.3 cubic feet of storage space, 15.2 are allocated to the fridge. That includes an excess of storage space in the door, where you get plenty of shelf space.
Flexibility
You can rearrange those shelves to your heart's content, thanks to a plethora of slots.
Flexi-Slide bin
Inside the fridge, the only real feature of note is this drawer: the "Flexi-Slide Bin."
In action
That drawer slides back and forth beneath the top shelf, making room for items on the shelf below.
Crisper bins
You also get a set of crisper bins at the bottom of the fridge. They feel a bit flimsy to the touch, and don't glide in and out as smoothly as I'd like.
Problem shelf
This bottom door shelf felt flimsy, too, and it kept popping out of position during my tests. In the end, I was forced to tape it in place.
Performance
At the recommended setting, most of the refrigerator held tight in the low-to-mid thirties -- but that bottom shelf (light blue) ran way too cold.
Heat map
Here are the average temperatures in each region of the fridge from that same test. You can see that the bottom shelf is the coldest part of the fridge, but in general, everything is colder than it should be. In most cases, fridges aim for 37 degrees at the default setting.
Colder still
Things obviously get even colder when you crank the fridge down to its coldest setting, which we did. I was surprised just how cold it got, though. The entire body of the fridge sits well below 30 degrees.
Getting warmer
Of course, you could dial the fridge up to try and stave off frozen milk, but don't dial it up all the way. At the warmest setting, it runs too hot to recommend.
Price point
At $1,100, the Whirlpool WRT511SZDM isn't an inexpensive top freezer -- is it worth the cash? Check out our full review for more.