Product review (5 stars): A Solidly Built, Beautifully Designed Refrigerator
This is a review of the Samsung 28 cu. ft. 4-Door Flex Food Showcase Refrigerator with FlexZone
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After twenty long years with a durable Kenmore side-by-side that just wouldn't die, it was time to move on.  Despite the immortal quality of the Kenmore, it was a white color model and had started to yellow.  We also needed/wanted more storage space.

So we were looking for a unit that had more storage space and we also wanted to take advantage of some of the newer design features we've been seeing crop up in the newer refrigerator models.  We liked the French Door design of many of the newer models, but what we didn't like was the big roll-out freezer drawer sections.  It just seems like you end up piling stuff on top of other stuff in the freezer drawer and then have to dig around later to find items.  So it was quite a pleasant surprise to walk into a showroom and discover this new design by Samsung ... the double French Doors!  Not only does this unit have the easy-to-use double French Door design, but this Samsung refrigerator features the FlexZone.  Which means essentially that the bottom right compartment can be used either as additional refrigerator space, or if you need it, additional freezer space.  This was perfect for our needs.  We typically don't need a ton of freezer space and were looking for as much refrigerator space as possible.  This design gives you the best of both worlds.  You suddenly need extra freezer space for upcoming holiday cooking?  No problem.  Push a button or two and that FlexZone becomes a freezer section.  After the holidays, no problem, just switch the FlexZone back over to a refrigerator section.  With the double French Doors it also eliminates the hassle of having to dig through a big freezer drawer for items that all stacked up on top of each other.

In addition, this unit offers a Food Showcase door.  Open it with the bottom handle and you have immediate access to three shelves without pulling the entire door open.  It saves energy and is super convenient.  Also, in the FlexZone section, there is a built-in wine rack.  This was a very welcome addition for my wife who previously always had to fight to find space for her wine bottles.  Most refrigerators never seem to account for the size of wine bottles and you end up having to use up all the tall shelf space you have.  The wine rack, for us, was a godsend.  It stores wine bottles perfectly, on their side, slightly tipped down toward the top of the bottle.  Not only does this create perfect dedicated space for wine bottles, but by doing so, it frees up so much more space for everything else in the refrigerator.

Another welcome feature is the Power Freeze / Power Cool capability.  This allows the additional use of energy to rapidly cool down sections or get them to an adequate freezing temperature very quickly.  Which comes in handy if you end up using the FlexZone and changing from a refrigerator compartment to a freezer compartment or vice versa.

Inside, the shelving is very well designed and thought-out, with some of them able to slide or lift away depending on the size of containers you are putting into the unit.  Everything feels extremely well-built and solid.  The entire unit is almost entirely soundless.  The space is cavernous.  The lighting is bright and efficient and makes everything super easy to find.

Inside, due to the FlexZone technology, Samsung uses three evaporators to cool the unit, which makes for very consistent, even temperature throughout.  On the outside, the entire unit with it's treated stainless steel veneer is gorgeous.  I have to say, the "fingerprint resistant" coating doesn't seem to do much of a job in eliminating fingerprints and smudges.  But just after a few weeks, I found that I quickly started using the recessed door handles without even thinking about it and 90% of the time I don't end up touching the outer surface of the machine.  When smudges do appear, it's very easy to take a clean rag or paper towel with some plain water and wipe away any prints, smudges or marks.

Another quality feature is the water filter which is designed INSIDE the refrigerator nestled between the two crisper drawers ... and creating easy access so that when the filter needs replacement there's no need to get behind the giant unit.  You just open the refrigerator, then open the water filter compartment and swap out the filter.  Additionally, if you decide to NOT use a water filter, the water dispenser will still work!

I read that some people have had trouble with their ice makers and this gave me some pause before purchasing.  However, upon further research, it turned out that several manufacturers have had trouble with their ice makers as well.  So far, after a couple months, our ice maker has worked flawlessly.  Installation was only tricky because we live in a vintage home and the doorways are generally 31 - 32" wide.  The installers were JUST able to get it through the last door into the kitchen.  Otherwise, it hooked up quickly and despite being told it would take 20 - 24 hours to cool and freeze all the way to operating temps, our unit hit the operating temps within 4 hours.

Overall, the unit is beautiful, spacious and efficient with many excellent new design features.  Just the exterior alone has made our kitchen look that much nicer.  My wife and I have found ourselves staring at the unit in admiration.  And when you open it, it is even more impressive in terms of space, light and design.  The retractable and sliding shelves are easily overlooked, but they are by themselves, a fantastic design feature.  We simply could not be happier.