LG GSXV90MCDE Review
A clever fridge freezer that makes perfect ice spheres
Verdict
It’s a large fridge freezer, but the LG GSXV90MCDE’s InstaView and Door-in-Door tech make it easy to find and retrieve items. Not only that, but this model has exceptional temperature control, and its Craft Ice spheres are great for cocktails. The only real downside is the running cost.
Pros
- Exceptional temperature control
- Clever Craft Ice
- Large door pockets
- InstaView is genuinely useful
Cons
- Expensive to run
Availability
- UKRRP: £2399.98
Key Features
- TypeThis is a side-by-side fridge freezer with a built-in water and ice dispenser.
- CapacityThis a very large fridge freezer with a 416-litre fridge and 219-litre freezer capacity.
Introduction
I’m used to LG InstaView fridge freezers providing versatile space and ease-of-access convenience, but the LG GSXV90MCDE builds on that with a clever ice cube dispenser that makes spheres of ice that are perfect for cocktails.
Acres of flexible space in both the fridge and freezer compartments, combined with excellent temperature control, make this a desirable fridge freezer, but it’s expensive to buy and run.
Design and features
- Ice dispenser and craft ice cubes
- Excellent, accessible door pockets
- Hugely flexible space
Externally, the LG GSXV90MCDE looks much like the other InstaView products in the line. A side-by-side fridge freezer, this is a large model, measuring 1790x913x735mm. As you can see from the measurements, it’s not too tall, which means that all the shelves are pretty much accessible to people of all heights.
This is a plumbed-in model, delivering filtered and chilled water from the dispenser on the front. Plus, there’s a large ice cube compartment, which holds up to 1.5kg of ice – enough for a party.
Via the selection on the front, ice can either be dispensed in entire cubes or crushed. I found that the dispenser worked with glasses with a wider top; when trying to use my tall, tapered glasses, I ended up with crushed ice everywhere.
The LG GSXV90MCDE also has a clever trick – its craft ice dispenser. Open up the freezer section, and there’s a pull-out drawer that holds perfect spheres of ice, like miniature Death Star models.
Slower-melting, these cubes are great for cocktails, plus they look really cool – the type of thing you’d get in a high-end bar. I found that my sample could fill the drawer with 24 of these spheres.
Otherwise, it’s largely business as usual in the 219-litre freezer, with three big shelves capable of taking large items, such as frozen pizzas. There are two deep drawers, too, plus two door pockets that are actually a useful size.
With a bright LED light at the top, the LG GSXV90MCDE’s freezer makes it easy to see items and retrieve them.
There’s a huge 416-litre fridge on this model. InstaView is the stand-out feature here. Tap twice on the glass to turn the light on and see what’s inside the top section of the fridge. It sounds like a gimmick, but it’s not: seeing what’s inside without opening the fridge and releasing cool air is good for energy efficiency.
There’s also Door-in-Door, where the top half of the fridge can be opened independently, providing access to the deep door pockets. For quick access to commonly used items, such as bottles of drink or condiments, this system works brilliantly and reduces the amount of cold air lost to the environment.
Open the full door, and there’s a huge amount of space. There are four extra-deep door pockets, which make a lot of sense: it’s easy to find items without having to scrabble around trying to get to the back of the shelves.
Then, there are four regular shelves for other items, a bottle rack, and a small drawer for foods such as fresh meat or fish.
At the bottom, there are two larger drawers, one of which has a humidity slider to choose between fruit and vegetables. Overall, the layout made it quicker and easier to find things than in a regular side-by-side fridge freezer.
Basic control of the fridge and freezer temperatures is available via the control panel on the inside, plus access to the Express Cool and Express Freezer options, which can be used when filling the fridge freezer up with fresh food.
But this is a smart fridge freezer that can be connected to Wi-Fi and controlled via the LG ThinQ app, which allows for greater control: in addition to duplicating the controls on the inside (also available via Alexa and Google Assistant), the app also offers extra features.
Smart Learner takes two weeks, but the LG GSXV90MCDE learns how and when you use the fridge, so it can turn on the compressor at the right time to maintain the perfect internal temperature.
I like the option to control the light brightness, dimming it when it’s dark at night, so opening a door doesn’t burn my eyes.
There’s also control over how many craft ice cubes are made daily, with a choice of three or six cubes.
Finally, ThinQ has a smart diagnostic mode, which will run checks on the fridge freezer and warn of any potential problems.
Performance
- Exceptional temperature control
- Quite expensive to run
I set the LG GSXV90MCDE up with a fridge temperature of 4°C and a freezer temperature of -18°C, and loaded it with freezer packs to mimic a load of food (fridge freezers are more efficient when there are items to keep cold). I then put temperature sensors throughout. With my automatic door opener opening and closing the fridge door five times per day, I measured the temperature variance inside.
I found that the fridge kept an average temperature of 4.03°C, which is just 0.03°C higher than the set temperature. Impressively, the standard deviation was just 0.33, which means that most temperatures vary just +/-0.33°C from the average. That’s incredible precision from a fridge freezer.
Temperature variance from top to bottom was slight, and the maximum temperature I recorded was 5.5°C, with a minimum of 2.7°C.
Moving to the freezer section, I recorded an average temperature of -17.89°C, which is just 0.11°C colder than the set temperature. Again, the temperature variance from top to bottom was slight, and I recorded the standard deviation at just 0.45. That means temperatures mostly varied +/-0.45°C from the recorded average – an impressive feat.
Due to the way the compressor cycles work, there was the occasional period where I measured a minimum of -19.7°C and a maximum of -14°C, but most temperatures fell within the range specified.
This is a frost-free model, and it built up no ice in either the fridge or freezer section during my testing.
As this is an E-rated appliance, it’s quite expensive to run. LG quotes 350kWh per year, which my tests verified is about right. That works out to £119 per year at 34p per kWh, or 0.19p per litre of space. Take a smaller A-rated 70/30 fridge freezer, such as the LG GBB92MCBAP, and you get down to running costs of just 11p per litre, or £37.40 per year.
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Should you buy it?
If you need a lot of fridge freezer space and want a model that makes it easy to find and retrieve items, they don’t come better than this.
If you want something a bit smaller or a cheaper-to-run fridge freezer, there are plenty of alternatives.
Final Thoughts
An expensive fridge freezer to buy and run, the LG GSXV90MCDE is a premium product designed for those who want the best. Its temperature control is exceptional from top to bottom of both the fridge and freezer compartments, and InstaView and Door-in-Door make it easier to find and retrieve items. Throw in the excellent Craft Ice maker and this is a great choice for demanding users. Fancy something smaller and cheaper to run? Check out my guide to the best fridge freezers.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every fridge freezer we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
We test for at least two weeks.
We use temperature sensors to monitor the internal temperature to help us accurately compare models from different manufacturers.
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FAQs
This feature creates large spheres of slow-melting ice that are perfect for cocktails.
InstaView lets you knock on a panel on the fridge door twice to turn on the light, so you can see what’s inside without having to open the door. Door-in-Door allows you to open a smaller door on the fridge to retrieve commonly used items.
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
