GE caught a lot of eyes at the International Builders' Show in January with its hot-water-dispensing Café French-door refrigerator. Today, Samsung answers with the launch of the Samsung RF31FMESBSR four-door refrigerator, the industry's first-ever automatic sparkling-water dispenser, which could save storage space in the kitchen, reduce bottle waste, and maybe even save you money on carbonated-beverage purchases. The new refrigerator will be available in April for $3,900.
Samsung teamed up with SodaStream, manufacturer of the popular countertop soda makers, to incorporate sparkling water into its latest refrigerator. "This collaboration brings home carbonation to the next level, and we are excited to partner with Samsung to help bring our revolutionary technology to consumers," said Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream. "This product is a key milestone in a vision that represents the future for enjoying fresh carbonated beverages at home, easily made at the touch of a button, and without the clutter and waste that is produced by the old prepackaged beverage industry."
The sparkling-water dispenser uses the same SodaStream 60L CO2 cylinders used in countertop dispensers. The cylinder sits in a concealed compartment inside the left refrigerator door. You can select up to three levels of carbonation for sparkling water with the same control panel used to select water or ice. SodaStream says the cost of its sparkling water works out to about 25 cents per liter, which is less than you'll spend in most stores.
Check out other interesting features on Samsung's four-door refrigerators. And to find out how Samsung competes with GE and several other brands, see our Refrigerator ratings of nearly 250 models.
