BENTON HARBOR, MICH. – Whirlpool has begun shipping what it described as its most flexible refrigerator ever.
No, you won’t find this fridge touching its toes or doing a back flip. But what the new 26-cubic-foot double-drawer French door refrigerator can do is provide extra snack drawers for small kids, a separate space for special-diet foods or simply allow for extra storage space.
To accomplish that, the new unit, model WRV996FDE, has nine purposefully designed storage zones including two self-closing refrigerator drawers to provide, research shows, what families want most in a fridge: more room to store and organize.
The nine storage zones comprise what Whirlpool called a PerfectPlaces System that provides a place for every family staple – from easily accessible frozen pizzas in the pizza pocket, to tuck-shelves that adjust to fit taller pitchers of juice.
The model also offers two self-close refrigerator drawers, providing additional storage combinations. The left drawer is temperature-controlled with five settings, including one for thawing frozen meats. The space can also function as a zone to keep food separate for those family members with allergy sensitivities, and the drawer easily lifts out for fast cleaning.
The right drawer, meanwhile, comprises a Fresh- Flow produce preserver, otherwise known as a crisper, for use in storing fruits and vegetables.
Whirlpool said the product’s StoreRight environmental control system keeps food fresh and helps reduce freezer burn through the use of advanced dual cooling technology that senses conditions and automatically adapts humidity levels, keeping food fresher longer.
“Everything we do is inspired by how families care, day in and day out, including how we design our products,” said Whirlpool senior brand manager Jon Hall. “Consumers challenged us to get the most storage and organization possible while also keeping everything in clear view. This refrigerator delivers that and more.”
Options available on step-up models include dual icemakers, which make more than twice the ice of other Whirlpool French door refrigerators with indoor ice systems, and Under-Lit shelves that provide 50 percent more brightness under the shelves to reduce shadows and help keep food items in full view.
An Innovations honoree at 2015 CES, the fridge is now available in stainless steel, White Ice and Black Ice finishes at a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail (MSRP) of $3,299.
