Due to the untimely demise of nearly all of our kitchen appliances at the same time, we have recently purchased a new suite of appliances by KitchenAid. In an effort to keep our readers informed about current items on the market, we have decided to do some specific product reviews. We will cover aspects such as ease of use, appearance, ease of maintenance, cost, and overall features. We will provide a summary of our findings and opinions and list out the pros and cons for each product. These pros and cons will be listed as “plaudits” and “tweaks” respectively. Why? Because it’s just more fun than saying “pros and cons!”
On that note, here is our first review:
Product: KitchenAid Architect Series II KSCS23FSMS Stainless Steel Side-by-Side Counter-Depth Refrigerator 
Manufacturer Product Features:
· Through-the-door ice and water dispenser provides quick, easy access
· In-Door-Ice® bucket increases usable freezer space
· ExtendFresh™ Temperature management system helps ensure maximum taste and texture
· Refrigerator is ENERGY STAR® Qualified so it conserves energy without sacrificing performance
· Base-grille filtration system
· FreshSeal™ humidity-controlled crisper
· FreshChill™ -Chilled air from the freezer helps keep meat at appropriate temperatures
· Freezer Compartment Capacity - 9.1 Cubic foot
· Refrigerator Compartment Capacity - 14 Cubic foot
· Total Capacity - 23.1 Cubic foot
· 3 Freezer Baskets
· Wine Rack
· 4 Adjustable SpillClean™ Glass Shelves
· 4 Adjustable Door Bins
· Overhead Temperature Control
· Water Filter Indicator
· 1 year Limited Warranty
Ease of Use: Basically this is a very nice refrigerator. There are plenty of shelves and bins. Milk and juice bottles need to be kept on a main shelf of the refrigerator because there are too many bins on the door for them to fit height-wise. This is okay though because the beverages stay colder in the main compartment.
The Fresh Chill bin really keeps things cold when the lever is turned to maximum chill which is great for storing meats in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. You have to be careful with this feature however, as the lettuce we also put in this bin actually froze. We weren’t used to having a meat bin that actually kept things extra cold!
The drawers are a bit difficult to use. You have to pull them a bit to the left when you open them or they hit and mark-up the refrigerator door. A bit of an annoyance.
Ease of Maintenance:
Okay, here is where it gets interesting. We seriously hesitated about getting stainless appliances because of everything we heard about how hard it is to keep them clean. We were reassured many times by our appliance salesman that if we used a commercial stainless steel cleaner, maintenance of that polished stainless look would be no problem. Wrong!!
The finish itself is quite attractive but it DOES show every fingerprint and mark. We have been cleaning and polishing every day so far. Right now we are using a cleaner called “Zep” sprayed onto a cloth, not on the appliance as the can suggests. We clean the appliance and then rub it with a clean soft cloth. That has been the best and easiest method so far.
Other than the exterior, the interior is easy to clean and the replaceable water filter is easy to reach
Cost:
As with anything it pays to shop around. Prices range from $1,800 to $2,800.
Plaudits:
· This KitchenAid refrigerator is a beautiful appliance and really enhances the look of the kitchen.
· Very energy efficient
· Plenty of storage bins and shelves
· In the door ice maker takes up less room in the freezer
· Fresh Chill bin works great
· Easy to use water filtration system
Tweaks:
· Stainless steel finish is hard to keep clean
· Drawers don’t open fully without banging into refrigerator door
· It is expensive
Overall Opinion:
We like this refrigerator despite a few annoyances and would purchase it again. We would have to give some serious thought to the finish however.
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