We knew the day was coming, our 1970 something refrigerator was getting louder and louder, to the point where I found myself turning up the volume on the TV or waking up in the middle of the night to the jarring sound of the motor switching off. Not to mention, it was a power-sucking monster and I was ready to switch to something more energy efficient.
So we did it, we purchased a Fisher & Paykel RF170WDRX5_N Active Smart refrigerator after several years of researching what models we wanted to buy. I even wrote about it a few years ago, you can read that over here.
We’ve had our Fisher & Paykel for well over a year now and I feel like that’s enough time to review it, for those of you thinking about getting a new fridge. I’ll start by saying this is not a sponsored post, this is purely something I wanted to write because I’ve put a lot of time into researching fridges and this was my final choice that worked for us, 2 adults in an open-plan loft apartment that cook at home for almost every meal.
(photo from Fisher & Paykel’s website)
I have to admit I was sad to see our big 1970s beast leave, only because it was a fun pop of colour in our kitchen. We spray painted it pastel green back in 2012, check that out over here. Unfortunately, Canada doesn’t really have any functional, affordable and quality options that are colourful, they’re only just arriving now and the prices are crazy or the quality feels cheap. I looked into the SMEG but it felt so cheap, the exterior is plastic and the freezer was so tiny. I also didn’t want anything too retro. So we opted for a minimalist stainless steel fridge with not a lot of bells and whistles that may breakdown over time. That was one of my biggest fears, having to pay for repairs on water filters, ice makers etc… so we opted for simplicity.
(Above, both photos from Fisher & Paykel’s website)
Because we live in an open-plan loft apartment, we really wanted to make sure it wasn’t a huge fridge that took over the entire space, and it also had to be pretty silent, because it’s not built into the cabinets, it just sits on the outside of the cabinetry, so you can really hear the motor. Our old fridge was ridiculously loud, so I was extremely nervous that this new fridge would arrive and we’d be able to hear the motor, but we plugged it in and I could barely hear a thing. It was a silent purr, it was beautiful. I was actually concerned it wasn’t working, but it was. No more sleepless nights!! Occasionally I hear a slightly louder purr when I’ve opened the door for a long time or if I put a fresh load of groceries in it. The only other sounds I had to get used to was the beeping from leaving the door open, but I’d say that’s pretty normal on new fridges. Occasionally there’s also a cracking or popping sound, this is normal for this brand and it isn’t really noticeable once you get used to it, it doesn’t happen that often.
PROS
Minimalist modern design
Extremely silent (must-have for our home)
Easy to clean stainless steel
Counter-depth slim size
Easy to organize fridge section
Lots of adjustable shelves
Smooth pull out drawers
Bright interior lighting
ActiveSmart™ technology
Small freezer means less food waste, food doesn’t get lost in the back
CONS
Freezer is too small (we like to batch cook and freeze)
Hard to organize drawers (we’re used to vertical freezer space)
Top shelf of the fridge is very cold due to the smart technology, food will freeze if it’s too near the top back wall
It’s a very shallow fridge so you can’t fit a large pizza box in it, that’s ok though, we don’t get pizza often
Sidewalls of the fridge are not real stainless steel, but it’s not black like most fridges which sold me since it’s exposed in our kitchen
Overall this Fisher & Paykel refrigerator is perfect for 2-3 people, a family of 4 if your kids are young. Nice and basic and works great. If I could do the purchase over again I’d probably go the next size up just for the added freezer space, but I’m not a fan of the look or function of french doors. One thing is for sure I’d stick with this brand, I’ve owned an LG and a Samsung in a previous life and they just don’t last. Fisher & Paykel have got some new models coming soon and slightly smaller options too, check them out over here. I even saw a white version and a black version, so colours are finally coming to North America, but I’m pretty basic and I’d still go with stainless.
thanks for posting this! I’ve been looking this refrigerator for a while and all the appliance stores were telling me not to go with it it’s going to fit into my kitchen much better than the other options, just like yours
They told you not to get this brand? Strange, I have a feeling they work on commission and are trying to push more mainstream brands like Samsung and LG because that’s what they make a better commission on. I’ve had bad experiences with both those brands and will never go back. So glad I could help!
My LG lasted less than seven years. Replaced compressor and less than a year later it needs another compressor. Customer service at LG is non existent. Also, you have to use their service repair – I don’t feel their management are trust worthy.
The technician who came out to do the work recommended against buying LG products. Class action has been filed against LG.
hi thanks for the review! just wondering if the small white drawer underneath the produce drawer is an actual usable drawer or not. Or if its just for like moisture from the veggie drawer or something? Looking for a place to store deli meats etc. Would that work there? thanks!!
Hi Shana,
That white “drawer” isn’t actually a drawer. It’s what you hold on to when you pull out the clear plastic produce drawers. It’s a pretty basic interior.
Hi Nicole,
We are remodeling our kitchen and reading through all of the product reviews becomes so confusing and discouraging. So thank you for your calm and insightful review of the FIsher & Paykel refrigerator. We have turned our attention to the same model F&P fridge you purchased for a lot of the same reasons, and I am interested in knowing how has your refrigerator has performed since you wrote this review 1.5yr ago?
Thank you
Hi Eric
Thanks for reading! I love my fridge just the same as when I wrote that blog post. My only regret is not going with the larger fridge, but then I bet if I got the larger fridge I’d wish I had the smaller one because it might cause more food waste. I just find that since the pandemic started we buy more groceries for longer term storage and larger sizes and it would be nice to not have to juggle things around in the fridge on days when it’s really full. For example we buy bulk raw nuts and I like to keep them in the fridge, so a shelf or drawer dedicated to nuts would be ideal. Overall I’m still super happy with how it’s functioning, it does make the odd funny sound but they mention that in the instruction manual, it’s rare though and generally very silent. Hope this helps!
Hi I’m thinking of getting this exact fridge. I’m a single person with a rather large kitchen. I’m wondering if you think it might look like it belongs in mite of an apartment/loft setting? Thanks Andrew
Hi Andrew, I think it’s the perfect size for a single person, but if you have a large kitchen the scale might not work, however, I think it would work if you build cabinets above it and on the side to fill up the space and make it visually larger. Hope this helps!
The constant gurgling sound is irritating. My son has the same model and his is quiet. Both are counter depth, new, and have no water or ice maker. Any suggestions welcome.
Hi Ann,
I’d reach out to the manufacturer or the retailer your purchased from. All I know is that this brand lasts longer than many North American made brands. Good luck!
I would not recommend this brand refrigerator. It was the only refrigerator that would fit in my kitchen and I didn’t want to take out cupboards to accommodate the newer bigger appliances. I had my old Gibson refrigerator since 1982 and never had to have it serviced. The Fisher & Paykel I bought 2 years ago is on its third ice maker & this one is dying too. I have to keep paying service fees to have them replaced. They don’t even stand behind their product. Sadly nothing is made to last anymore but come on 3 ice makers? They don’t even work for 6 months before dying
Good to know, I personally would never buy a new fridge with an ice maker or water dispenser, all the brands have issues, not just FP. Mine doesn’t have an ice maker and luckily it’s going just fine no issues.