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Among all the human-carrying drones and street surfer scooters occupying the show floor at CES 2016, one slightly less exciting but key innovation unveiled by Whirlpool is its sizable smart refrigerator, a pantry-style storage system that has 30% more space to store your food than the typical refrigerator.
The Whirlpool French Door Smart Refrigerator is a 32-cubic foot model, which would grant plenty of space in and of itself, but Whirlpool go one step further by utilizing every inch of its interior. With sliding infinity shelves and plenty of room for tall items (an essential for wine-drinkers), the refrigerator also boasts “flippers” to allow for the adjusting of shelves without having to clear them completely, a full-width “platter-pocket” shelf which can completely slide out in order to grant access to favorite foods, and bright LED undershelf lights that grant 40% more brightness in order to illuminate those harder to see corners.
The refrigerator also featurers Whirlpool’s StoreRight dual-cooling system, allowing both fresh and frozen foods to be cooled at perfect temperatures using its sensors technology, alongside dual ice makers for your cold beverages. This feature also makes use of its “Party Mode,” which fills its ice bucket up faster and also turns down its temperature in preparation for its doors being repeatedly opened by your guests.
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In terms of its smart capabilities, the refrigerator has Wi-Fi connectivity that allows it to sync up with your smartphone or tablet, in order to access Whirlpool’s app. From here you’ll be able to check if the power goes out or if its filter needs replacing, and also connects with the Nest Learning Thermostat in order to save you money by running at lower energy in off-peak hours.
Whirlpool has clearly designed the French Door Smart Refrigerator with families in mind, as its unique PerfectPlaces system sees it accommodating for each food type, giving your fruit, vegetables, beverages, jars and frozen food items ideal locations to ensure that, unlike most refrigerators, you needn’t pack your groceries away as though you were solving a puzzle, overflowing each compartment as you desperately try to make room for your food products.
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The Whirlpool French Door Smart Refrigerator will retail for $3,800, and will go to retail in the US starting this May. It’ll launch in black, white, and stainless steel.
