Product review (4 stars): Handsome and Energy Efficient
I started out to buy a top rated Amana&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Amana-Easy-Reach-Plus-Series-ABL1922FES-18-6-cu-ft-Freestanding-Bottom-Freezer-Refrigerator-with-4-Glass-Shelves-Adjustable-Fresh-Food-Door-Buckets-and-Deli-Drawer-Stainless-Steel-Left-Hinge-Door/dp/B000GZ2EI0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Amana Easy Reach Plus Series ABL1922FES 18.6 cu. ft. Freestanding Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator with 4 Glass Shelves, Adjustable Fresh Food Door Buckets and Deli Drawer: Stainless Steel/Left Hinge Door</a>&nbsp;but it turns out that this is basically the same machine with a few nicer touches, like see-through bins. They are made by the same company.  This fridge is pleasant to look at and does not jut out much beyond our counters, so it fits nicely in the kitchen.  The inside has some moveable/customizable elements, and it is worth experimenting with them to get the most of the space (we were used to a larger machine). For instance, you may not want to take up shelf space with the bulky egg holder, and the wine rack is best placed away from the area where you want to store large containers.  The dual controls come factory set at "4" and that has worked well for us: Ice cream is firm but not a block of ice, and the food in the fridge is the right temp.  Some negatives:  The freezer drawer is rather hard to open--it takes enough heft that before we loaded up with food we actually moved the refrigerator when we pulled on the drawer.  The ice maker has a large bin that takes up a lot of freezer space. It makes a huge amount of ice before shutting off, more than most people would have use for. Finally a word about the stainless steel front: It is delicate. The manufacturer warns you not to use paper towels, because they will scratch it!  It has a visible horizontal grain that will be marred by practically anything, including ketchup.  This makes no sense in a kitchen, and a stainless steel appliance should have the qualities we are used to in stainless steel.  I've only had this refrigerator for a couple of weeks, so my 4 stars are based on its performance to date and on its appealing exterior. Our last refrigerator (a Kenmore) had its sealed system fail after only 6 years, so it remains to be seen if this Maytag will be any more long lived or trouble free. It has only a one year warranty, so we certainly hope that that isn't a portent.
Update in July of 2010:  This fridge has worked perfectly and without a problem since we got it.  It doesn't use a lot of electricity, and with all of the ice being produced by the problem-free ice maker we ended up using more ice than we used to.