Mitsubishi Electric 458L Top Mount 458ER Series

Chosen for high energy efficiency, maker's reputation, potential longevity, Choice awards for 3 years – So far, the fridge "maintains a consistent and reliable temperature in all compartments" and keeps all foodstuffs excellently. Very happy with that. After the initial settling in/cooling process, which was a bit loud and lengthy, the fridge is very quiet indeed, much quieter than any I've had before. Top marks for that. The fridge and freezer doors are very easy to open and close, especially for a senior (no silly handles to have to grip through or to slip off), though they're pretty quick to sound the alarm if they're left open for more than a couple of seconds. In other words, know what you're going for, don't stand there looking or you'll get squawked at. The ice-maker tray is pretty nifty (I keep making ice just so I can play with it). The door bins in both the freezer and the fridge are roomy and have excellent capacity. However, they are fixed i.e. not height adjustable, which is decidedly inconvenient. In the fridge, particularly, I was disappointed to discover there isn't enough room between the bottom pocket and the next one up to store a white wine bottle (usually longer in the neck than reds or champagne, which do fit in the pocket) and other taller items. There is provision within the body of the fridge to 'fold-back' one of the shelves to half-width and supposedly thereby allow for taller items to be stored in the front but I find this unsatisfactory; it may be intended as a feature but it diminishes the available shelf space and I'm wary that the 'break' between the two halves causes items to come to grief i.e. spill over. It would have been far more simple and satisfactory to allow the shelves in the fridge itself to be adjustable. So I have a lot of items stored in the doors, rather than on the shelves where I'd rather have them; it did not occur to me to check before buying that the shelves in the body of the fridge and the doors were adjustable because I automatically thought that all shelves in all fridges, whether door pockets or shelves, were adjustable as a standard. This fridge is very deep, which could be a good thing, except this senior has to get down in an awkward crouch to see to the back of the shelves (and bang one's head on the underside of the freezer door getting back up again), which is an exercise not assisted by the poor light within. I've been told by the stockists that these 'low-light LEDs' are standard now in most new fridges; that being so, I still can't see easily. As a senior, I find all this very annoying and user-unfriendly. Also, the fruit and vegetable bin has a 'warp' in it so that it does not close properly, though again I have been told by the stockist that this is by design - to allow air movement in and out of the bin - and is not a flaw. It's disappointing, though, because I would have thought that designers who could come up with that clever ice tray idea could do something better than a warp in the bin to regulate the airflow (even my old fridge did better than that). Having said all that, I assume I'll get used to its limitations and work around them and I look forward to it lasting longer than me! Oh and by the way: thank heavens I had young people on hand to take the front door off its hinges so that the installers could even get it in the house. Buyers, do be aware that you must measure *all* access through-points for this one - it's short and squat rather than tall and thin. Enjoy!