bit-tech Shopping: Amana AFF2534FES 24.8 Cu. Ft. Refrigerator

• Adjustible Shelves
• Egg Bin
• Slide-Out Shelves
• Spill Proof Shelves
• Vegetable Crisper
• Wine/Beverage Holder

• Frost Free
• Removable Shelves

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1

Strengths: Cheaper than identical fridges from sister-brands,Sharp high-end looks,Well-organized compartments

Weaknesses: Slightly noisier than our previous KitchenAid,Freezer baskets are so-so.

Summary: This Amana stainless-steel fridge looks very good in our medium-toned wood and stainless kitchen. It matches well with KitchenAid and Bosch appliances.This is the first of the "armoire" style fridges I've ever owned, and it seems to be a very good balance of features. The doors are considerably lighter than our old side-by-side (which I like) and you can get access to the fridge without opening up the full compartment (both of which I like). But this model takes advantage of the full-width refrigerator with a very nice "deli" compartment that is surprisingly large (and will fit a deli tray or pizza box, or similar).We consciously went downmarket on this Amana model and compared to our previous fridge, we lost ice and water on the door. It was like $200 to add a water filter and another $200 to put the dispenser on the door. We have filtered water at the sink (that feeds the fridge water line anyway), so this was a worthwhile cost savings for us.When we were shopping for this fridge there were near-identical models from KitchenAid and (I think) Kenmore. The Amanas were the cheapest ones, and I didn't see any features that we lost that I cared about. So I'd recommend comparing other brands, you can save maybe $300-$400 by having a different badge.I will say this Amana fridge is a little noisier than our previous KitchenAid (and this is noted in the recent Consumer Reports roundup of fridges), but I'll bet in two months I won't notice any more.Internal organization in the fridge compartment is great. It didn't come with any dedicated soda can storage or wine bottle storage, for what it's worth. But the shelves slide out, the storage bins and door bins seem well constructed, and I do like that deli tray compartment. The freezer baskets are really basic, just two big cavities. I don't know if you can do much better in a bottom freezer.