The Fisher & Paykel E522B was rated dead last on the bottom-freezer category in the August 2009 issue of Consumer Reports. The energy cost was estimated at $69 per year, versus $52 per year for the most efficient bottom-freezer model (Kenmore Elite 7759), a difference of $17 dollars, not around $5. Oddly enough, its noise as measured by Consumers Union was "Very Good."

Inox--I wasn't kidding when I said "awesome participants of the forum." Thanks very much for taking the time to write the detailed response.

I too am stuck with a relatively small refrigerator nook, and exactly two refrigerators--a KitchenAid and the F-P--will fit. So your advice is very helpful.

I, too, am considering this refrigerator, and really loved your review of it, inox. It was informative and made me chuckle too! If we loose our sense of humor, we're done for! Thanks!

I have had mine for 2 1/2 yrs. Problem free. The noise level is not bad at all and think they mention it because the noises are different than what one might be used to. I went from a 23 Cu FT refrig and was worried about the size but am amazed at how much fits in this refrig. Also I loved the drawer in my last refrig and wasn't thrilled at a door but have found the freezer user friendly and easy to keep organized. When you don't want water and ice there isn't a lot to choose from.

You are welcome.

This summer is the first one for my Fisher & Paykel, and I am pleased that now that the temperature and humidity have risen in my kitchen, the gaskets on the doors are dry and have no mold on them. Every other refrigerator I have used has had a gasket mold problem in the summer.

I love this refrigerator. It's the kind of product I almost wanted to get a spare of! I like it that much. I was worried about noise with the F&P's but it's certainly less noisy than the KitchenAid it replaced (which when I selected it was known to be a quiet model). Every once in a while it will "weird" noises, but they go away quickly and they aren't annoying. What bugs me is ongoing humming, and that's an issue I don't have with the F&P.

Other things I love about it are the huge capacity for the space it takes up. The space is just so usable. It's kind of bare bones up top, one lonely light, but lots of easy to use continuous space. Love the freezer drawers, super slim water dispenser that doesn't eat up interior space.

Oh, and if I leave either door open (as I often do) the blessed things beeps at me after a minute or so!

Hi Everyone,
I'm also faced with the small refrigerator conundrum. What's the deal with all of these ginormous refrigerators? I can't believe there is only one in the entire world that is comparable in size to my 25 year old kenmore side by side.
To add to my dilemma, my refrigerator does not slide in between cabinets, but rather is at the end of a countertop. Therefore, the left side of the refrigerator is exposed, as well as a bit of the right. I'm looking for stainless, and would like to stay away from the black sides that so many of them seem to have (I have white cabinets.) I've narrowed it down to the Fisher Paykel that is discussed here, and the KitchenAid Architect Series II KBRS19KTSS 18.5 CuFt, which has a gray cabinet, rather than stainless. I'm leaning towards the Fisher Paykel, but the reviews on the Lowe's website are negative. You guys seem to really like yours. Could I get more feedback please? How is the stainless finish on the sides of the refrigerator? It's a bit of a bummer that it's not energy star ($200 rebate), especially since the difference in operating cost/year is negligible...but I can live with that. It's a great looking fridge, I guess I just need a bit more encouragement to buy. So thanks for any input you can give!

I've had this fridge for about 8 years. It is very, very quiet. It very occasionally makes weird noises, but they are quiet noises. Also, it's really nice looking. I love it, but some people might find it doesn't have enough room. Also, I like to keep my fridge around 39-40 degrees. Not sure how it would perform if you want it colder.

We've has a FP for about 5 years. Overall it's a good fridge, but I do have two criticisms. (1) the door shelves do not stay as cold as the internal section of the fridge. Milk used to sour when kept on the door shelf; we push it to the back now. (2) We've had an on-again-off-gain problem with a loud "fan" noise. It has been finally determined that rhe problem is frost buildup where the frost would finlly ome in contact with the fan, which caused the noise. We are going to try and minimize the frost by keeping the difference between freezer and fridze temps to a minimum. The greater the difference, the greater the frost buildup.

Door shelves on all refrigerators typically aren't as cold as the interior. Same for freezer sections.