Whirlpool ED5KVEXVB 25.3 Cu. Ft. Side-by-Side Refrigerator Review

Front

The Whirlpool ED5KVEXVB is a side-by-side refrigerator with a textured, glossy black finish. Its left side has a through-the-door water and ice dispenser.

Fingerprints really won't show on this black matte surface. Unlike most stainless steel surfaces, you won't have to constantly wipe away unsightly smudges.

At the top of the refrigerator section you'll find a couple of knobs that control the temperatures of the fridge and freezer. There's also an LED indicator to help remind you when it's time to change your water filter.

The Whirlpool ED5KVEXVB's handle is a curved, plastic affair with ridges on its underside. This grip is useful if you need a regulation fridge handle to practice competitive door opening, but is otherwise just a minor aesthetic flair.

The handle itself is a bit flexible, and seems to slot into these plastic holders. It seems sturdy.

The water and ice dispenser has two different levers to activate ice and water. The levers are curved and straight, and require a decent amount of force to push back. You shouldn't have any issues with glasses, but plastic cups will bow.

The dispenser's control panel features six buttons where three toggles would do.

This is a shot of the underside of the dispenser. The light is a bit yellowish, which might stand out if your kitchen is equipped with daylight bulbs.

Interior

Like most side-by-side refrigerators, the left side is a freezer and the right side is a refrigerator.

In the left half you'll find three shelves, two of which can be repositioned without a hassle. The shelves are mainly glass with a plastic bezel, and slot into grooves along the refrigerator's wall.

The right half has three drawers and two moveable shelves in the main space. The two drawers have good capacity and slide in and roll out without sticking.

The top of the refrigerator's door has a fairly sizable butter drawer. This is perfect for people who like to keep a dozen sticks of butter in one convenient location. Below the butter drawer you'll find slots for the door's four shelves. You can swap three of them around, but the bottom one

The bottom of the fridge has three more drawers you can shift around as needed. They're all a decent size and wide enough to hold a gallon jug of milk.

There's a small shelf above the ice maker that will let you stash a few bags of frozen peas. Just be aware that there's a bit of a gap towards the back: if you aren't careful, your frozen goods will plummet into the churning maw of the ice maker.

The first half of the freezer section proper has a few wire shelves that can be rearranged.

The bottom of the freezer is a plastic drawer. Sometimes the drawer doesn't slide 100% smoothly, but it isn't jerky enough to prove a chronic annoyance.

There are two shelves on the freezer door, just above the ice chute, but we're tempted to just call it one and a half. The second drawer is so narrow that the most you could fit in there is a bag of frozen peas.

The bottom of the freezer door has three shelves that can't be moved.

The ice maker is located at the top of the freezer, behind a thin door. You can store some stuff on top of it, but for the most part it's just a space sink. The ice maker dispenses through a hold in the door.

Back

The back of the fridge features a water hookup and not much else.

Sides

There aren't any interesting features on the side of the Whirlpool ED5KVEXVB.