Why You Can Trust CNET GE GSE25HEMDS Side-by-Side Refrigerator (Black Slate) review: This midrange GE side-by-side fridge just can't keep its cool
It looks classy in its black slate finish, but this mid-range side-by-side failed to impress in our cooling tests.
- 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
Setting aside the brand's ultrafancy, built-in models, GE's side-by-side refrigerators range in retail price from about $1,300 to $3,000. That puts the $1,700 GE GSE25HEMDS right at the lower end of midrange models, which appears to be a pretty popular spot for fridge shoppers -- the thing has over 3,000 reviews on GE's website, with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars.
GE GSE25HEMDS Side-by-Side Refrigerator (Black Slate)
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Safe to say that I'm less bullish on it. For starters, you could spend about $500 less on the equally spacious and nearly identical GE GSS25GGHBB, which also has thousands of reviews and an average rating of 4.4 stars. You'll barely notice the difference, because the GSE25HEMDS doesn't have any unique features to set it apart aside from the fancy black slate finish and a slight efficiency boost. Worse, the GSE25HEMDS was a poor performer in our cooling tests, with average temperatures in the main body of fridge that came back well over 40 F, a food safety benchmark used by the FDA. We saw hot spots like those even with the temperature dialed all the way down to the coldest setting, which is just too warm for me to recommend.
At 35.75 inches wide and with a total capacity of 25.3 cubic feet, 15.7 of which allocated to the fridge compartment, the GSE25HEMDS is a traditional, full-size refrigerator that sticks close to the side-by-side playbook. At an energy draw of 643 kWh, it'll add about $77 to your yearly energy bill. Divide that cost by the capacity, and that comes out to a little over $3 to cool each cubic feet -- a relatively low, efficient number.
With sturdy curved handles and subtle rounded edges, it's about as attractive as conventional, mid-range side-by-side fridges get, especially in GE's black slate finish, of which I'm a fan. That black slate finish gives the fridge a look and feel that's slightly coarser and significantly less shiny than traditional stainless steel. You'll still leave prints behind if you smear your smudgy fingertips over it, but it'll do a better job than most fridges at disguising them. One other note on the finish -- it is, indeed, magnet-friendly. More and more of today's fridges aren't.
Temperatures on those top two main body shelves were too warm at the refrigerator's default setting.
That hot spot on the top shelf persisted even with the fridge dialed down to its coldest setting.
Open the thing up and you'll discover a pretty ho-hum interior that doesn't do much to separate itself from the pack. The shelves are glass and come with thick, spill-proof rims, both of which are all but standard among side-by-sides these days. You can pull those shelves out to make it easier to grab items in the back or to rearrange them, but none of them slide in or fold up and out of the way to make room for tall items below.
As for performance, the GSE25HEMDS was an undeniable disappointment in my cooling tests. At the default setting of 37 degrees, temperatures were more or less accurate throughout the bottom half of the appliance, but the top two shelves in the body of the fridge both returned average temperatures warmer than 40 degrees F, as did the top door shelf (the same goes for the butter bin, which, in fairness, typically runs warm by design).
That pattern held when I dialed the fridge down to its coldest setting of 34 degrees. The top shelf -- a common spot for milk and other temp-sensitive groceries -- was still several degrees off target, returning an average temperature of 40.6 over the course of a 72-hour test.
At this price, you should expect better. For a few hundred more, the LG LSXC22436S offers better efficiency and performance that's much, much stronger, and it also includes a built-in Wi-Fi radio that can ping your phone if the kid ever leaves the door open. For now, I say that's the side-by-side to beat.
- Shopping for a new fridge and looking for assistance? Check out our full Refrigerator Buying Guide.
