X

This fancy Samsung fridge costs less than you might think

A great-looking design, compelling features, and strong performance all for less than $3,000? We're cool with that.

Ry Crist
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Ry Crist
samsungshelffridge-7.jpg
1 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

The Samsung RF28JBEDBSG is a French four-door fridge with a modern aesthetic and a lower price tag than you might expect. Click through to take a closer look.

samsungshelffridge-6.jpg
2 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Food Showcase

The marquee feature here is the "Food Showcase" door. Pull a trigger on the right door handle, and you'll open the front panel of the door without opening the refrigerator itself. That gives you quick, easy access to drinks and condiments stored in those in-door shelves.

samsungshelffridge-4.jpg
3 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

FlexZone Drawer

The other big feature is the "FlexZone Drawer," which offers an extra 3.8 cubic feet of storage space for groceries as well as four distinct temperature presets.

samsungshelffridge-5.jpg
4 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Temperature settings

Those presets run the gamut from a beverage-friendly 42 F to a very chilly 29 F.

samsungshelffridge-2.jpg
5 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Open wide

As for the fridge, you'll find 15.7 cubic feet of storage space, along with two movable shelves that slide in and fold up out of the way to make room for tall items below.

samsungshelffridge-3.jpg
6 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Ice Master

The ice maker (or, the "Ice Master," as Samsung calls it) sits up on the top shelf, then dispenses cubes down through a chute in the door.

samsung-ice-maker-fridge-refrigerator-shelf-tabasco.jpg
7 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Shelf fail

That chute gets in the way of the door shelf just below it, making it largely unusable.

samsung-heat-map-37.jpg
8 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Default setting

We tested this refrigerator's performance for nearly a month. Here's how it does at the default, 37-degree setting. The average temps all look great, save for that bottom shelf in the left door that creeps ever-so-slightly up above 40 degrees.

samsung-heat-map-34.jpg
9 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Coldest setting

Performance was steady again at the fridge's coldest setting, 34 degrees F. Note the orange FlexZone drawer -- we cranked it up to its highest setting for this round of tests, and just like the coldest setting in the last one, it hit the bullseye.

samsung-rf28jbedbsg-flexzone-drawer-perf.jpg
10 of 11 Ry Crist/CNET

Drawer performance

In yet another round of tests, I stepped the FlexZone Drawer down from setting to setting over the course of four days. It errs a bit on the warm side in those middle two settings, but it nails it when you crank it all the way down to 29 F.

samsungshelffridge-1.jpg
11 of 11 Chris Monroe/CNET

Bottom line

This fridge originally retailed for $3,700 when it debuted last year, but this year, you can get it for well under $3,000 (as of writing this, it's down to $2,500 at several major retailers). At that price, it's a solid bargain -- check out our full review to learn more.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos