The Samsung RF32CG5400SR is a 36-inch standard-depth French door refrigerator. It's one of Samsung's general consumer fridges, sitting below the higher-end models in Samsung's Bespoke lineup, like the Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL, with a single evaporator to the latter's two. That said, it shares the 'All-Around Cooling' system found in those aforementioned models, which consists of a set of small vents around the refrigerator cabinet to promote air circulation and improve temperature consistency. Beyond that, there's the unusually high number of ice makers. Not only does it have a pair of ice makers in the freezer, but there's also a separate ice maker in the fridge cabinet with a combination in-door water and ice dispenser.
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Our Verdict
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR is good for everyday use. This fridge has a substantial footprint and won't fit in smaller kitchens. The flip side of this, naturally, is an impressive internal capacity that'll accommodate larger items fairly easily. That said, vertical space is a little limited, so you might have to lay taller bottles on their side to fit them in the main cabinet. Temperatures inside the fridge cabinet are relatively uniform, except for the door bins, which are quite a bit warmer and aren't suitable for more temperature-sensitive items. Beyond that, produce preservation performance is nothing special, with delicate greens being liable to begin wilting within the span of a week or so.
Temperatures in freezer are remarkably consistent.
Refrigerator cabinet temperatures are fairly uniform.
Deep main freezer bins.
Main fridge cabinet is deep and wide.
Door bins are substantially warmer than the rest of the cabinet.
Limited storage space in upper freezer shelf.
Produce drawers retain comparatively little moisture.
Ice maker takes up a lot of room in fridge cabinet and in one door.
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR has okay produce preservation performance. The main fridge cabinet is somewhat dry, and as a result, there's some humidity loss within the crisper drawers. As a result, delicate greens like spinach, lettuce, and celery lose their own moisture, causing them to begin wilting within the span of a week or so.
Produce drawers retain comparatively little moisture.
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR's refrigerator capacity is excellent. The fridge cabinet is wide and deep, allowing you to easily fit even larger items like casserole dishes without too much effort. There are a few downsides, though: the in-fridge ice maker takes up a lot of space in one corner of the cabinet, and the in-door ice and water dispenser cuts down on storage to the point where you can only fit cans and smaller condiment bottles within the left door.
Main fridge cabinet is deep and wide.
Ice maker takes up a lot of room in fridge cabinet and in one door.
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR delivers good freezer capacity. It has relatively big bins for storing large boxed items, but the pull-out shelf on top is short, and you won't really be able to stack shorter items like meal prep containers in there. However, removing the twin ice trays can free up a bit of extra space.
Deep main freezer bins.
Limited storage space in upper freezer shelf.
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR provides great temperature uniformity. Temperatures in the main refrigerator cabinet are within a couple of degrees: a pint of sour cream won't develop ice on one shelf and go off prematurely if you place it on another. That said, the door bins are an entirely different story, being drastically warmer than the rest of the space. As a result, you should only use the door bins for less temperature-sensitive items like drinks or some condiments. On the upside, temperatures inside the freezer are remarkably consistent, so you won't need to worry about items being freezer-burned on one shelf and soft if left on another.
Temperatures in freezer are remarkably consistent.
Refrigerator cabinet temperatures are fairly uniform.
Door bins are substantially warmer than the rest of the cabinet.
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR is a fantastic option for producing ice for a crowd. This fridge has three separate ice makers inside: one in the fridge that produces crescent-shaped ice and two in the freezer, one producing normal-sized cubes and the other making nugget ice. Provided your guests don't mind mixed-and-matched ice types, you'll be able to supply enough ice for drinks at a large barbecue, family gathering, or even a cocktail party.
Trio of ice makers yield high production rate and capacity.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This fridge is available in two color variants, each with different model codes.
| Model Code | Color |
|---|---|
| RF32CG5400SR | Stainless Steel |
| RF32CG5400MT | Matte Black Steel |
We tested the Stainless Steel variant, and for those interested, here's the product label.
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 Samsung RF32CG5400SR is a mid-range 36-inch French door fridge. It's a solid performer overall, with a fairly substantial interior capacity exceeding that of high-end 36-inch counter depth models like the Bosch 800 Series B36CT80SNS, even with its bulky in-fridge ice maker. It also offers generally good temperature consistency, except for its refrigerator door bins. Unfortunately, it's bested in most ways by another Samsung offering, the Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL from the brand's higher-end Bespoke lineup. The latter fridge uses a dual evaporator design that noticeably extends the lifespan of delicate produce, and its door bin offset is less severe than it is on the RF32CG5400SR.
The Maytag MRFF4236RZ is a better-performing fridge than the Samsung RF32CG5400SR. The Maytag delivers superior temperature uniformity inside the fridge, although both units perform similarly in this regard within the freezer. Additionally, it does a significantly better job of keeping delicate produce crisp and fresh. That said, the Samsung has the edge in terms of overall capacity, with far more room in its freezer and fridge compartments than the Maytag.
Test Results
This fridge provides excellent capacity inside its refrigerator cabinet. That's to be expected: this is a tall, standard-depth 36-inch fridge that's liable to be too big for a lot of kitchens. The shelves are fairly deep and can accommodate larger casserole dishes. There's also a full-width deli drawer for sliced meats and cheese, though it's very short. Beyond that, the two crisper drawers extend pretty far back, though not quite to the very end of the cabinet like they do on the Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL. Thankfully, like that model, the filter for the water dispenser sits between the crisper drawers, keeping it well out of the way and minimizing its impact on fridge space.
That said, the fridge-mounted ice maker and bucket take up a fair amount of room along the top portion of the cabinet, which leaves you unable to fit taller items like champagne bottles upright on one side of the middle shelf, even if you drop the middle shelves down to their lower settings for a little more room. The chute for the ice dispenser also occupies most of the space along the left door, leaving you unable to fit items bigger than soda or beer cans in that door's bins.
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR's freezer storage capacity is good. The main freezer bins in the lower section of the cabinet are deep and extend pretty far back, making them suitable for squeezing in value-sized packs of frozen meals. That said, the upper freezer drawer is fairly short, though on the upside, the ice maker doesn't take up quite as much space as it does on the Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL. Freezer space increases to 4.72 cu ft (133.55 L) with the ice trays removed, a comparatively minor increase overall.
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR uses a fairly standard cooling system for a unit in this price range, with an inverter-controlled compressor and a single freezer-mounted evaporator.
The inverter-controlled compressor provides better on-paper temperature control and superior energy efficiency to a fixed-speed unit, since it can modulate its speed depending on the required load rather than having to cycle on and off to maintain a setpoint.
Unlike the Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL, this fridge uses a single evaporator. A dual evaporator design, however, would allow for more precise humidity regulation in each section of the fridge, with low moisture levels in the freezer to inhibit frost buildup and high humidity in the fridge to lengthen the lifespan of produce.
This fridge is equipped with a trio of ice makers. Like the Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL, there are two units in the freezer, one for making larger cubes and the other for producing 'Ice Bites' (effectively pebbled ice). These two ice makers use a twist-tray design. This design can be a failure point, as the plastic molds used in these sorts of units can be rendered brittle and crack with thermal cycling and mechanical stress.
Meanwhile, the ice maker inside the fridge uses an ejector-style design for making crescent-shaped ice. Ejector units have a more robust metal mold that isn't liable to break, but its placement inside the fridge isn't ideal. Fridge-mounted ice makers need to maintain a stable and cold microclimate independent of the warmer confines of the fridge compartment, requiring additional gaskets that can crack and compromise ice-making performance.
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR has a combination in-door ice and filtered water dispenser. The ice dispenser also has an ice crushing function, though it doesn't produce especially small pieces. You're better off using the nugget ice from the freezer if you want that for a specific drink.
On the upside, there is an LED light to help you judge the fill level of your glass if you're the type to get a drink in an unlit kitchen.
Temperature consistency inside this fridge is only okay. Temperatures within the main cabinet are pretty consistent: you won't need to be picky about placing things like eggs or cream within this space. However, the door bins are considerably warmer, especially the top one, to the point where you shouldn't place milk jugs or cartons in those areas.
Temperature uniformity inside the freezer cabinet is exceptional. No matter where you place an item in this space, it'll be cooled to a similar level.
Like other Samsung refrigerators we've tested, such as the Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL, the freezer's temperatures sit below the baseline, though not by a significant degree. This reduced temperature is meant to speed up ice making.
The produce preservation performance is acceptable. Compared to the dual-evaporator Samsung Bespoke RF30BB6200QL, humidity levels inside the main fridge cabinet are quite low. As a result, moisture escapes from the crisper drawers, and delicate greens like celery or lettuce begin to lose their crunch in a week or so.
As a combined whole, the Samsung RF32CG5400SR's ice production rate within a 24-hour span is exceptionally high. That's not too surprising given the fact that there's a grand total of three ice makers, each with their own ice production rate:
- Crescent Ice (In-Door): 1,269 g (2.80 lbs)
- Ice Cubes (Freezer): 1,159 g (2.56 lbs)
- Ice Bites (Freezer): 662 g (1.46 lbs)
The Samsung RF32CG5400SR's ice-making capacity is fantastic, provided you're not too fussy about mixing ice types. The max yield for each ice maker is listed below:
- Crescent Ice (In-Door): 1,902 g (4.19 lbs)
- Ice Cubes (Freezer): 1,807 g (3.98 lbs)
- Ice Bites (Freezer): 2,096 g (4.62 lbs)
Provided all three bins and trays are filled to capacity, you'll have enough ice for making drinks even at big parties.