The overwhelming majority of today’s refrigerators come in stainless steel or some variation of it. That doesn’t leave you with very many options if you’re looking for something unique.
Enter Whirlpool, which recently started selling gold-tinted, “Sunset Bronze” refrigerators, including the WRSA88FIHN side-by-side fridge. At a retail price of about $1,900, it’s a fairly basic upper-midrange model with a distinctive design, and while it wasn’t as strong a performer as other side-by-side models I’ve tested, it still offers enough to serve as a tempting pick for design-minded kitchens.
The Sunset Bronze finish is a double-edged sword for Whirlpool — it makes the fridge feel like more of an upgrade than it actually is for folks that like the look, but it’ll also probably turn a lot of shoppers off (the same model is available for $100 less in standard stainless steel, too). I should also note that while Whirlpool has the retail price pegged at $1,899, you can currently find this Sunset Bronze side-by-side on sale at retail outlets like Lowe’s and Home Depot for about $1,400.
“Sunset Bronze” might also be underselling it. The finish is flat-out gold as far as I’m concerned, but it’s also surprisingly subtle. To Whirlpool’s credit, it’s gold without being gaudy, which seems like a pretty fine needle to thread.
Inside, you’ll find a standard side-by-side arrangement of shelves and drawers and about 28.5 cubic feet of total storage space, 17.6 of which are allocated to the fridge. None of those shelves slide in or fold up to make room for tall-size items, but they’re at least rearrangeable and made of glass, which helps keep the interior from feeling too cheap.
All of that is more or less right on par with similarly priced models from other manufacturers, if not a little bigger, so Whirlpool isn’t charging an outrageous premium just for the gold-bodied design. Bottom line; a full-size side-by-side fridge available for less than $1,500 with looks that set it apart from the competition is a pretty decent deal, but the lack of any notable features inside might give you pause.
That said, the WRSA88FIHN does come with a “Measured Fill” option on the water dispenser that’ll let you dispense the exact amount you need in liters, ounces or cups. That’s a handy way to fill a pot with a few cups of water as you cook, no measuring cup necessary. I wish the fridge had one or two other tricks like that up its sleeve to help set it apart, but if it had to pick just one, Measured Fill isn’t a bad selection.
