The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW is a budget counter-depth 28-inch top-freezer fridge. It sits below the Frigidaire FFTR1835VW in the brand's lineup, with a smaller advertised refrigeration capacity of 10 cu ft (283.2 L) and a full-width crisper drawer as opposed to the latter's split drawers. Like the FFTR1835VW, it's compatible with the IM117000 freezer-mounted ice maker. Mechanically speaking, it uses a fixed-speed compressor, a single evaporator in the freezer, and regulates temperature using a mechanical thermostat.
We've recently started testing refrigerators. We independently purchase each unit from major retailers, just like you, to keep our reviews free from manufacturer influence. Each refrigerator goes through the same tests to measure objective data for metrics like temperature uniformity, produce preservation, and actual storage capacity so you can easily compare the results.
Want to learn more about how we operate? Check out our about us page.
Our Verdict
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW is okay for everyday use. This is a small fridge; while that makes it a solid option for apartment dwellers living with a partner or roommate, its limited interior capacity will be tight if you have a big family and cook larger dishes, or simply meal-prep heavily. Temperatures inside the freezer are rock-steady, as they are in the main fridge cabinet for the most part, aside from notably higher temperatures in the lowest door bin that make it an unsuitable space for foodstuffs like dairy. Produce preservation performance is nothing to write home about, as delicate greens can become wilted and mushy within the span of a week or so.
Relatively consistent temperatures across fridge shelves.
Highly consistent freezer temperatures.
Limited internal voume in fridge compartment.
Freezer compartment is tiny.
Lowest door bin trends notably warmer than the rest of the fridge.
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW's produce preservation performance is only okay. Humidity levels both inside the full-width crisper drawer and main cabinet are lower than average, causing foodstuffs like iceberg lettuce or celery to begin losing their snap within the span of a week or so.
Humidity retention in crisper drawer is below average.
Dry main fridge cabinet.
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW has mediocre refrigerator capacity, unsurprisingly for a compact fridge like this one. The cabinet is narrow and short, and you'll find it a challenge to fit things like larger casserole dishes or soup pots. The door bins aren't quite tall enough to fit things like narrow-neck bottles either, though you'll still be able to squeeze in squat juice cartons.
Limited internal voume in fridge compartment.
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW is an inadequate option for storing large amounts of frozen food. Its freezer storage space is very limited, especially if you install the optional ice maker. If you regularly shop for items like value-sized boxes of frozen fish, chicken, or burgers, it'd be sensible to invest in a smaller chest freezer or to look for a larger fridge.
Freezer compartment is tiny.
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW's temperature uniformity is impressive. Despite the imprecise mechanical thermostat and fixed-speed compressor, temperatures inside the freezer don't fluctuate dramatically, so you don't need to worry about frost-burned meat on one shelf and soft ice cream on the other. Temperatures are mostly steady in the fridge compartment as well, with little difference between the top and bottom shelves. However, the door bins, more specifically the lowest one, sit a handful of degrees warmer than the rest of the compartment, making it a bad spot to store things like jugs of milk.
Relatively consistent temperatures across fridge shelves.
Highly consistent freezer temperatures.
Lowest door bin trends notably warmer than the rest of the fridge.
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW's ice-making performance is decent. Its ice bucket is impressively capacious, especially for a relatively compact ice maker, and can hold enough ice to supply a large family gathering. That said, its production rate is slow, so you'll need to start filling that bucket pretty early.
High-capacity ice bucket.
Slow ice production rate.
Performance Usages
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW is only available in one color: 'White'. For those interested, here's the product label for our test unit.
If you come across another variant of this fridge, let us know in the comments so that we can update our review.
Popular Refrigerator Comparisons
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW is a 28-inch top freezer refrigerator. It's about as basic as a fridge can be, with a simple fixed-speed compressor, a mechanical thermostat, and no extraneous fripperies like an in-door water dispenser or a separate temperature-controlled compartment. Its highly compact footprint makes it an attractive option for smaller kitchens, and its back-to-basics design introduces few obvious failure points. That said, if you have the room for it, we'd recommend going for a larger 30-inch model, like the Frigidaire FFTR1835VW or LG LTCS20020S. These models offer roughly a 20% jump in interior volume, in exchange for an approximately 10% bigger footprint. This added space makes them far more useful for small families, especially when it comes to freezer space. In the case of the LG specifically, there are a few additional quality-of-life enhancements, like an inverter-controlled compressor, which can help reduce energy demands during normal operation, and an available ejector-style ice maker, which will hold up over time better than the Frigidaire's available twist-tray unit.
Test Results
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW's refrigeration storage space is only passable. That isn't a surprise, given its small exterior dimensions. It's a narrower, shorter space than that of the Frigidaire FFTR1835, and as a result, you'll find it hard to fit larger items like family-sized casserole dishes on its shelves. Its deli drawer also cuts into the space above its crisper drawer, where you'll really only be able to fit narrower items or stack smaller meal prep containers. That said, the drawer can at least be slid from side to side depending on your needs. The small size of the door also limits the capacity of its door bins, which are really only deep enough for smaller milk jugs and juice cartons.
The usable freezer storage space inside this unit is middling. You'll struggle if you regularly buy family-sized boxes of frozen chicken or pizza or larger bags of bread. When you have the ice maker installed, the space below the main shelf is very tight and can really only be used for smaller bags of veggies and fruit or bricks of butter or cheese. The same can be said of the door bins, which are short and shallow.
The Frigidaire FFTR1425VW can be fitted with the same separately available IM117000 ice maker as the Frigidaire FFTR1835VW. While it can be an inconvenience in the latter, larger model, it renders the freezer cabinet in the FFTR1425VW almost impossibly cramped, since it takes up roughly a quarter of the interior volume. Removing the ice maker yields a usable space of 3.33 cu ft (94.35 L), which is still less than the FFTR1835VW with its ice maker installed. On the upside, removing the ice maker also allows you to move the shelf in the cabinet.
This fridge's cooling system is simple, with a fixed-speed compressor and a single evaporator. Temperature control is governed by a mechanical thermostat. This well-established design has few obvious failure points compared to higher-end models using inverter-controlled compressors and digital thermostats, though it's still important to note that this doesn't guarantee long-term reliability.
The trade-off for this kind of design is largely felt in terms of efficiency. Mechanical thermostats aren't as sensitive or precise as digital units, which, combined with the binary operation of a fixed speed compressor, will result in higher energy consumption while maintaining the setpoint.
This fridge is sold without an ice maker, but you can purchase Frigidaire's IM117000 ice maker kit separately from their online store and install it yourself. This is a twist-style ice maker; as the name implies, the ice mold is twisted by a motor to release the cubes inside. Traditionally, these ice makers aren't quite as robust as an ejector-style unit, with their almost entirely plastic construction becoming brittle in sub-zero conditions and being liable to cracking as they twist.
This unit's temperature uniformity inside the refrigerator cabinet is decent. There isn't too drastic a swing in temperature from the top to the bottom shelf, giving you a bit of added flexibility in terms of placing temperature-sensitive items like raw meat or sour cream. That said, much like the larger Frigidaire FFTR1835VW, the bottom door bin is noticeably warmer than the rest of the cabinet and is best used for things like drinks or hot sauces.
Temperatures in this fridge's freezer compartment are amazingly uniform. Despite the fixed-speed compressor, swings in temperature are fairly minimal, and items inside should be chilled to a similar level regardless of where they're placed.
The temperature within the freezer of our test unit averaged out to over 0 °F, the desired setpoint. This is likely a result of the less precise nature of the mechanical thermostat. If you also have this fridge and have noticed that food isn't quite as cold as you'd desire, you should set its thermostat to a lower level.
This refrigerator does an okay job of maintaining produce freshness. Its crisper drawer isn't tightly sealed, allowing moisture to evaporate from delicate greens. This will render them soft and wilted within a week or so. A similar story goes for the main fridge cabinet, which is somewhat dry.
