The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD is a 36" standard-depth French door refrigerator. It's part of Frigidaire's higher-end Gallery lineup and differs from the cheaper but similarly-designed Frigidaire FRFN2813AF with a few extra convenience features. These include dual fridge and freezer ice makers, a temperature-controlled deli drawer, and CrispSeal Plus produce drawers, which feature ethylene absorber filters to slow spoilage. Otherwise, it's fairly conventional, with an inverter compressor/single evaporator cooling system.
We've recently started testing refrigerators. We purchase each unit independently from major retailers, just like you, to keep our reviews free of manufacturer influence. Each refrigerator undergoes the same tests to measure objective metrics such as temperature uniformity, produce preservation, and actual storage capacity, so you can easily compare results.
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Our Verdict
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD is decent for everyday use. Fridge capacity is a high point: even with the space-hogging in-fridge ice maker, there's more than enough room for home cooks to stock up on bulk groceries or fit larger containers inside. The space is also highly reconfigurable thanks to the split shelving. Freezer space is satisfactory, though you'll gain nearly 20% more space by removing the in-freezer ice tray. Unfortunately, this fridge isn't a standout in terms of performance. While freezer temperatures are very uniform, there's dramatic temperature inconsistency inside the fridge cabinet. As a single-evaporator unit, it also doesn't do the best job of keeping fresh produce crisp.
High-capacity fridge cabinet.
Highly consistent freezer temperatures.
Large lower bins in freezer.
Relatively little storage space along the top freezer shelf.
In-fridge ice maker takes up a fair amount of room.
Poor temperature uniformity in fridge.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD's produce preservation performance is okay. As a single evaporator fridge, cold and dry air is shared across the fridge and freezer cabinets. This creates a low-humidity environment inside the fridge cabinet, and causes produce with a high water content, like celery or spinach, to wilt quickly.
Fridge cabinet is quite low in humidity.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD has excellent capacity in its fridge cabinet. The fridge cabinet is deep, wide, and tall, and is highly adaptable thanks to its split shelving. The door bins can also accommodate larger beverage jugs, and the crisper drawers are big enough to fit bulky produce like cabbage or heads of broccoli. It also features a temperature-controlled deli drawer, which can be used to keep cheese and meat, or smaller canned drinks, out of the way. The main drawback is the in-fridge ice maker, which sits at the top of the cabinet and occupies quite a bit of space.
High-capacity fridge cabinet.
Fridge cabinet offers plenty of flexible storage solutions.
In-fridge ice maker takes up a fair amount of room.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD has decent freezer capacity. This is a standard-depth fridge with a generous 36" width: its lower bins are plenty big, and are well-suited to family-sized boxes and bags of frozen meat or vegetables. That said, quite a bit of space on its upper shelf is taken by the high-capacity ice tray, to the point where that section is really only useful for smaller containers.
Large lower bins in freezer.
Relatively little storage space along the top freezer shelf.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD's temperature uniformity performance is only satisfactory overall. Temperatures in the freezer cabinet are very consistent, so you can place items like ice cream wherever it's most efficient without worrying that it won't freeze fully. That said, temperatures in the fridge are something of a mess: the upper shelf and door bins are dramatically warmer than the desired setpoint, while the lower fridge shelf is noticeably cooler. As a result of all this, you should place the most temperature-sensitive items in the middle of the fridge cabinet.
Highly consistent freezer temperatures.
Poor temperature uniformity in fridge.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD is an excellent option for making ice. This unit is equipped with twin ice makers: one in the freezer and the other in the fridge. While the latter's production rate is slower than the in-freezer unit, the combined output of both systems is more than enough for most family dinners. If you have time to fill both trays, you should have enough ice for serving cold drinks even at large family barbeques or cocktail parties.
High ice production rate.
Combined ice tray capacity is sufficient for large gatherings.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AF/GRFS2853AD is available in two color finishes, but they're otherwise identical in terms of specifications.
| Model Name | Surface Finish/Color |
|---|---|
| GRFS2853AF | Stainless Steel |
| GRFS2853AD | Black Stainless Steel |
We bought and tested the GRFS2853AD variant with a black stainless steel finish, and for those interested, here's the product label. Let us know in the comments below if you come across another variant of this refrigerator so that we can update our review.
Popular Refrigerator Comparisons
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD is an upper mid-range 36" French door refrigerator. While it offers sufficient capacity for the biggest of families and is excellent for producing ice, it doesn't stand out much beyond that compared to other similarly priced options. The cheaper Frigidaire FRFN2813AF has even more capacity and fewer potential failure areas thanks to the lack of an in-fridge ice maker, all the while delivering near identical performance. Meanwhile, alternatives like the GE Profile PGE29BYTFS feature dual-evaporator cooling systems and do a better job of keeping produce fresh and maintaining consistent temperatures across their fridge and freezer cabinets.
If you're looking for other options, see our recommendations for the best French door refrigerators, the best refrigerator brands, and the best refrigerators overall.
The LG LF29H8330S ultimately edges out the Frigidaire GRFS2853AD in a few key areas. The LG has a better-executed implementation of the climate-controlled drawer design, as it's physically isolated from the fridge and freezer cabinets and can be used to freeze items. It also does a better job of maintaining uniform temperatures inside its fridge and freezer cabinets, and runs quieter to boot. That said, the Frigidaire has a more consistent supply of spare parts and a farther-reaching service network that'll make it easier to get in touch with an authorized service provider.
The Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL is a better-performing 36" French door refrigerator than the Frigidaire GRFS2853AD. The Samsung delivers superior temperature consistency performance across its fridge and freezer cabinets, and its dual-evaporator cooling system keeps produce crisp and fresh for longer. It also runs quieter than the Frigidaire. With that being said, the Frigidaire offers more convenient serviceability, with a more robust service network and a more reliable supply of spare parts. Its maximum ice capacity is also significantly greater.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD and the Frigidaire FRFN2813AF are both similarly designed products, though given the fact that the FRFN2813AF is often sold at a lower price, it's typically the smarter buy. The FRFN2813AF's lack of an in-fridge ice maker minimizes potential failure points and increases storage volume, though it's far from the best choice if you do make use of your fridge ice maker regularly; the FRFN2813AF's in-freezer system is very slow when it comes to making ice.
Test Results
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD's fridge cabinet is amazingly spacious. This is a standard-depth 36" refrigerator, which translates to enough space for bigger families who shop in bulk often, or frequent home cooks who batch make meals and store them in large containers. The split shelving also allows for plenty of reconfigurability depending on your needs. The one main obstruction is the ice maker, which occupies a good chunk of the top left corner of the cabinet, and can make it a pain to squeeze bigger items up there. The door bins are also quite spacious and can fit larger beverage jugs or cartons, too.
Unlike the otherwise similarly designed Frigidaire FRFN2813AF, this fridge features an additional Adjustable Temp Drawer. Its implementation differs from the climate-controlled drawers found in some other refrigerators, like the GE Profile PGE29BYTFS, as the GRFS2853AD's drawer isn't physically isolated from the main fridge cabinet. Instead, it's designed more along the lines of a conventional deli drawer and can't be used to freeze items. It features the following temperature preset settings:
- Meat/Seafood
- Cold Drinks
- Deli/Snacks
To note, this fridge also features a Chill Boost function, which lowers fridge temperatures for six hours unless manually deactivated to cool freshly unpacked groceries faster.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD has a decent amount of space in its freezer. The cabinet is effectively identical in design to that of some other Frigidaire refrigerators, like the Frigidaire FRFN2813AF. That comes with its own fair share of pros and cons. The lower bins are wide and deep, making them ideal for squeezing in bulk-size bags of frozen fruit or veggies, as well as larger boxed items. However, space is somewhat limited along the top shelf, due in part to the high-volume ice tray. Removing the tray increases usable storage space to 4.16 cu ft (117.75 L), a near 20% increase. One thing you'll want to be wary of is the upper shelf's semi-open design. If you close the freezer very quickly, unstable items could tumble out.
This refrigerator's cooling system is a little basic for an upper mid-range refrigerator, with an inverter-controlled compressor and a single evaporator in the freezer.
Inverter-controlled compressors generally provide superior overall cooling performance versus cheaper fixed-speed components. Instead of cycling on and off to maintain a set temperature, they can simply run at a speed that matches the required load, resulting in more stable temperatures and higher energy efficiency.
A single-evaporator cooling system is mechanically simple and presents fewer potential failure points than a dual-evaporator system, but it also comes with a few performance compromises. A single-evaporator fridge shares cool air across the freezer and fridge compartments. This cool air is low in moisture to minimize frost buildup on a freezer's evaporator coils, but it also creates a low-humidity environment in the fridge, which can cause high-water-content produce to wilt prematurely.
This fridge has two ice makers, one in its fridge compartment and the other in the freezer. As a general rule, you should expect the in-fridge ice maker to be more likely to fail than the in-freezer unit. In-fridge ice makers require additional insulation to keep ambient temperatures below freezing, which can degrade over time, drastically impacting ice formation.
These ice makers have a twist-tray design, which tends to be less robust than ejector-style ice makers, the other type of ice maker you're likely to encounter in household refrigerators. Twist-tray ice makers are mechanically simple, with few moving parts, but their flexible plastic tray is generally the main failure point. Given continuous exposure to sub-zero temperatures and repeated mechanical stress, they can become brittle and potentially crack.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD has an in-door water and ice dispenser, which also features an ice crushing function. Pressing the button with your glass turns on the integrated light. You can also adjust fridge and freezer temperatures with the integrated control panel.
Due to the additional water lines and added general complexity associated with in-door assemblies, these designs tend to have more potential failure points than in-fridge water dispensers and in-freezer ice makers.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD has a very robust supply of spare parts. Both components that are replaced on a periodic basis and parts that are critical to the function of the fridge are consistently available from more than one major supplier. If you do experience some sort of malfunction with your fridge, don't expect to have to wait too long for a spare part.
Frigidaire has a far-reaching network of authorized service providers. With the exception of more rural states, you shouldn't have to search very hard to get in touch with a reputable technician to execute in-warranty repairs.
Temperature uniformity is poor. Despite the fridge's EvenTemp Cooling System, which is advertised to even out temperatures across both the fridge and freezer cabinets, there's a significant temperature variance across the shelves. The top of the cabinet is significantly warmer than the setpoint, while the lower shelf is a few degrees colder than the setpoint. You should place temperature-sensitive items on the middle shelf, lest they either begin to freeze or spoil prematurely. The upper door bins are also far warmer than the desired setpoint, and should really only be used for chilling unopened drinks or condiments.
In contrast to the refrigerator, temperatures inside the freezer cabinet are amazingly consistent. The lower freezer bins are only fractionally warmer than the upper and middle sections, and you're unlikely to notice much difference in freezing performance when unpacking and placing your groceries.
The spikes in the Freezer Temperature Uniformity Graph are due to this unit's evaporator defrost cycle; we observed the same behavior with the Frigidaire FRFN2813AF, which has an identical cooling system. These temperature spikes are brief and unlikely to affect food preservation in the short to medium term, though it's something to be wary of if you regularly keep items in your freezer for years at a time. If that's the case, we'd recommend that you look towards a unit with a manual defrost system instead, which maintains consistent temperatures.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD's produce preservation performance is fair. Its single-evaporator design results in a fairly dry environment inside the fridge, which causes produce with a high water content, like lettuce, spinach, or celery, to begin wilting pretty quickly. Placing items inside the crisper drawers only helps slightly, since they don't seal in moisture very tightly.
This refrigerator has twin ice makers, so it should come as no surprise that ice production is impressively rapid. In a 24-hour period, it can produce enough ice to serve drinks at a medium-sized gathering. The breakdown in ice production rates across both ice makers is listed below:
- Freezer ice maker: 1,167 g (2.57 lb)
- Fridge ice maker: 656 g (1.44 lb)
To note, given the fact that both ice makers have a near identical design, the in-fridge ice maker's slower production rate can be chalked up to conditions that are less conducive to ice formation.
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD's combined maximum ice-making capacity is superb. The in-freezer ice tray in isolation is massive, and can hold enough ice for serving iced drinks at a big family gathering without worry of running out. Combined with the extra ice from the in-fridge dispenser, you shouldn't need to buy an extra bag of ice unless you're hosting a truly colossal party.
The maximum yield for each ice maker is listed below:
- Freezer Ice Tray: 5,318 g (11.72 lbs)
- Fridge Door Ice Bucket: 2,403 g (5.30 lbs)
The Frigidaire GRFS2853AD is somewhat loud, especially for a fridge with an inverter compressor. Fridges with inverter compressors are typically quieter than models with fixed-speed compressors, which need to cycle on and off periodically to maintain a temperature setpoint. This fridge won't wake you up overnight during standard operation, but it can be a smidge distracting if your kitchen is near your living room, office, or bedroom.