With the festival of Holi just around the corner, the Summer season has officially begun in India. In India, Summers mean extreme heat and rising temperatures, which leads to rising demand for refrigerators to keep food and beverages cool and fresh. As part of getting our home ready for upcoming summers, I recently visited a Reliance Digital outlet as I felt the need to buy an extra refrigerator to store seasonal fruits, extra ice creams, and chocolates that I hoard.
While taking a look at the refrigerators, I took a close look at the Samsung 236L 2-star Convertible Digital Inverter Refrigerator in Elegant Inox color variant. The fridge was on display and was available for demo in the store, which made it easier to get an idea about its performance and features.
The Samsung 236L Refrigerator is a convertible 3-in-1 appliance with digital inverter compressor, moist fresh zone, movable ice tray and easy slide shelf. It is suitable for nuclear families with 3 to 4 members and can easily fit into small-sized homes/apartments.
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Samsung 236L 2S-RT28C3732S8 Convertible Refrigerator: Price
The MRP of the refrigerator is Rs. 35,990 but in the showroom, it was listed for Rs. 28,490. On cross checking the price online, I found it available on Amazon for Rs. 25,490 with extra exchange discount of up to Rs. 1050. So, I would prefer buying it online as it costs 3000 less than offline stores.
Samsung 236L 2S-RT28C3732S8 Convertible Refrigerator: Specifications
- Capacity- 236L
- Type-Double Door
- Energy Efficiency- 2-star rating
- Cooling Technology- All round cooling, power cool for fast cooling
- Special Features: Convertible, moist fresh zone, easy slide shelf, stabilizer-free operation
- Durability of Shelves- Toughened Glass shelves
- Ice making speed & quality- movable ice maker, simple twist to dispense large quantity of ice
- Door alarm- loud ring if the door doesn’t shut properly for more than 2 minutes
- Frost Free fridge as it auto defrosts itself.
- Weight- 46 kg
Samsung 236L 2S-RT28C3732S8 Convertible Refrigerator Hand-on Review: Performance & Real- World Usage
Cooling Performance
On opening the refrigerator, I noticed two main compartments, the freezer and the fridge. The fridge has a capacity of 183 L while the freezer has a capacity of 53 L, including a movable ice tray. The freezer can be converted into a fridge if one doesn’t have enough use of the freezer, and in this case, all the space will be usable as a fridge for storing whatever you want to. I asked for a demo from the sales representative and he was eager to offer one, however time was limited as the store was crowded and other customers too needed his attention.
Nevertheless, he switched on the refrigerator and left it to attend someone else. For 10 minutes after it was plugged in, there was very little cooling in the fridge and almost no cooling in the freezer. It started getting cool after 15-18 minutes of being switched on, which was acceptable as it was switched on after days. Once it started cooling, the executive turned on the Power Cool mode and the cooling effect doubled. Within 5-7 minutes, the refrigerator got cool enough to store packaged items. From this I deduced that the cooling time is decent and the cooling was evenly distributed as well.
The refrigerator can run on an inverter as well, so you don’t need to worry if there are long power cuts. Just make sure your inverter is large enough to handle the power supply for the fridge.
Storage and Organization
The fridge compartment has two shelves and one vegetable drawer for storing your essentials. The easy slide shelves are built on rolling hinges and can simply slide in and out so organizing and reaching food is super-simple. This allows you to quickly find what you want and easily reach things at the back of the shelves in every corner without worrying about items in the front getting spilled or crushed.
The vegetable drawer is a moist free zone that preserves the freshness and flavor of fruits and vegetables for a long. It has been designed to create ideal conditions for storing perishable foods. The easy slide feature of the shelves makes it ideal for Indian cooking habits, as there are times when an important item like a milk utensil is at the back of the shelf and you need to take it out 3-4 times in a day. Also, the shelves as well as the vegetable drawer are easy to clean and never smell bad due to an inbuilt deodorizer in the refrigerator.
Energy Efficiency
The Samsung 236L convertible refrigerator is 2-star rated for saving electricity bills. It uses a digital inverter compressor that uses up to 50% less power and is guaranteed to work for 20 years. It comes with a stabilizer, free operation as if the voltage increases too much, this feature automatically cuts the power supply so your appliance remains safe. Door Alarm will ring a loud sound if the door isn’t shut properly for more than 2 minutes, so you can remain worry free about excessive power consumption. The annual energy consumption is 263 kWh per year.
Noise Level
The refrigerator is powered by digital inverter compressor so the appliance is not only energy efficient but also has a silent operation. During the demo too, there were no loud noises.
Durability & Build Quality
The Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator weighs 46 kg and has a freezer on top design. It comes in silver, elegant inox color, along with an anti-bacterial gasket to keep food safe from any bacteria or viruses. There is LED light inside and a digital display on the outside for easy operation. The shelves are made of toughened glass and there is a lock and key operation to keep it protected. There are four door shelves inside and, on the outside, it has a solid pattern design. The outer finish is glossy and the door is made of stainless steel. The appliance looked premium from the outside and the build quality too felt solid.
Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator Hands-on Review: Special Features
- The refrigerator is equipped with a convertible technology so you can suit your changing needs. In India, freezers are mostly used in summers while in winters, one needs fridge space more. So you can turn the freezer compartment into a fridge so there’s plenty of space for fresh food in every season.
- Power Cool function offers a rapid cooling performance. With the touch of a button, Power Cool blows intensely cold air into the fridge to cool your groceries or drinks with 2x speed.
- Movable ice maker not only offers ample ice with a simple twist, but also can be easily removed to create more space in freezer when needed. In India, many times when seasons change families don’t need ice. During those times, movable ice maker can be removed to use freezer in full capacity.
Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator Hands-on Review: Pros & Cons
Pros
- Power Cool offers rapid cooling when needed
- Movable ice tray can be used as per convenience
- Convertible so the freezer can become a fridge
Cons
- 2-star rated so energy savings are limited
- Shelves might feel less as many have 3 shelves
- The outer side of the door is a smudge magnet
Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator Hands-on Review: Is it Value For Money
Considering the price of the appliance (which is roughly 25,000 to 28,000), it comes with some useful and unique capabilities like being convertible, inverter operation, LED controls, movable ice tray, power savings and more. All these make Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator a value for money product.
If Samsung’s claim of 263kWh per year holds true, then using it over the long haul would cost you around Rs. 2500 annually for power. This is based on an electricity rate of Rs. 9 per unit in your area. Even if the estimate is off, the yearly operating cost could go up to Rs. 3000, which is still quite reasonable given the features it provides.
Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator: Alternatives
| Features | Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator | Godrej RT EONVOGUE 280CRI OK WD | Whirlpool FP253D PROTTON ROY |
| Type | Multi door | Two-door | Two-door |
| weight | 46kg | 57.4 kg | 52 kg |
| Freezer mounted | top | top | Top |
| Body material | Stainless steel | Oak wood door | Plastic |
| Toughened glass | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capacity | 236L | 244L | 235L |
| Compressor | Digital inverter compressor | Digital inverter compressor | Inverter compressor |
| Frost free | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Door alarm | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Star rating | 2 | 3 | N/A |
| Compressor warranty | 20 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Price | Rs. 25,990 | Rs. 25,990 | Rs. 24,990 |
Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator Review: Conclusion
All in all, based on my first-hand experience, Samsung 236L Convertible Refrigerator is a decent product for small Indian families that will fit into small homes or apartments. It is a convertible appliance that comes with inverter operation, adjustable shelves, movable ice tray, power cool and more. Based on my experience, I would recommend the fridge to those who have 3-4 member families and are looking to buy something stylish to match the aesthetic of their space. It offers excellent cooling performance and can be customized to match seasonal needs. To buy the refrigerator, links are provided below.
Have you experienced this Samsung fridge or any other refrigerator with some shared features? If yes, let us know your experience in the comments section below. Also, if you have any questions regarding the appliance, ask away in the comments box below.
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