Jul 14, 2013 03:30 PM
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About two and a half years ago, I had gone to Croma store to buy a refrigerator for myself. Since I live alone, I planned buying one of those 65 litre mini refrigerators. However, I glanced at all the other models and found that the smaller refrigerators consumed much more electricity than the bigger ones. I am a ‘green’ person and really wanted a power saving refrigerator. I noticed that one of the best in power consumption was the Samsung RA21CDUX1/XTL. It was love at first sight for me. The fridge had a beautiful classy shiny black front. I love having things with a neat finish without any frills or decorations and felt this had the best look. The sales guy as usual tried selling me one which would fetch him incentives and recommended a Kelvinator with a grill at the back. I specifically told him over and over that I didn’t like these grills which spoil the look of refrigerators. He kept saying that these older models were built to last and I could keep it for decades. Something made me go against his suggestion and I am still happy about it.
Energy efficiency: This is the best model to fulfil the Indian worry over ‘kitna deta hai’. What is being told by the manufacturer is absolutely true. The EE sticker claims that it uses 221 units a year and I find that more than true. Though I don’t over load the fridge with stuffs, it uses much less than a unit per day. The reason I know this for sure is because during winters, I just use the TV for a few hours a day, water heater for half-an-hour a day and the fridge keeps running. My monthly unit consumption turns out to be barely 55 or 60 units. When I make the calculations, I find that the other equipments put together consume around 40+ units of electricity. That means that the fridge uses less than 20 units in the month. Thumbs up!
Frost free operation: This is not the most impressive. Of course I don’t see all that snow being formed inside the freezer but I can still see quite a few stalactites of water from the roof of the freezer. And once you defrost, the water outlet tray is not the kind that is easily removable. Once a packet of milk had broken inside the freezer and the milk and drained into a tray that is screwed to the fridge at the bottom, near the compressor. For days I had this horrible smell in my kitchen and I turned it inside out to see if there was a dead rat or something. Finally I noticed that the milk that had drained from the freezer had rotted in that white tray behind the fridge. I then unscrewed and cleaned the mess. Now this is not something you can expect everyone to troubleshoot and find out. I would have loved to have an easily removable tray for the fridge.
Doors: This is a single door 210 litre model. It is good enough for a family of four with average appetite.
Cool curtain and multi-flow: I love this feature. I have kept coke cans, water bottles and every conceivable location in the fridge and they have all been chilled as other. I keep the cooling knob at its lowest point even during summers and yet I find excellent cooling.
Stabilizer free operation: This saves you the added expense on a stabilizer. I don’t need to elaborate upon it because almost all electronic products these days come with this feature.
Noise: Well, when the compressor starts, you can hear it. But there is nothing worse than other refrigerators. I however get irritated with the plastic making an occasional knocking sound during winters.
Refrigerator’s sides heating up: This is claimed to be a feature of the product to prevent water condensation on the sides. Water often condenses on the sides of the fridge and on closer observation you can see patches of water smeared on the wall. Avoid keeping indoor plants near it because it damages the leaves on the side that faces the side walls. This is a slightly irritating feature of this model.
Other features: Now, we all know how a fridge looks. I don’t have anything in particular to say about its interiors, shelves and other things. We get refrigerator accessories in the market if we need an extra egg tray or ice tray. I am sure no one buys a refrigerator for these minor accessories. As for service and support, I don’t know really because I never had to get it serviced at all. But isn’t that great per se?
Overall, the look and efficiency of the fridge is fabulous. But owing to the minor flaws I mentioned I would give it a 4-star. I am surprised at how this fridge didn’t turn out to be THE killer model in this segment.
