The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS is an upper mid-range 36-inch counter-depth side-by-side refrigerator. It has an inverter-controlled compressor and separate evaporators in the fridge and freezer compartments for more precise humidity regulation and limiting odor transference across the cabinets. In terms of storage solutions, there's a removable wine rack for chilling your favorite varietals and an in-freezer ice maker with a in-door ice and filtered water dispenser.
Our Verdict
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS is a good option for everyday use. While its internal capacity is a little limited for big families, it provides very good produce preservation performance, keeping delicate greens like celery and lettuce from wilting quickly. Temperature consistency is another strong point. As a result, you won't need to be too precise about the placement of more temperature-sensitive items like sour cream or milk on its shelves, though the lower door bins are a smidge warmer than the rest of the cabinet.
Crisper drawers can easily maintain a high ambient humidity level.
Temperatures throughout fridge cabinet are consistent.
Very uniform freezer temperatures.
In-door ice maker frees up space in freezer cabinet.
Main refrigerator cabinet is shallow and narrow.
Lower door bin is a little warmer than main fridge cabinet.
Narrow freezer cabinet can make it difficult to access some items.
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS's produce preservation performance is impressive. The refrigerator's separate evaporator for the fridge cabinet helps maintain a relatively high humidity level inside the cabinet, and the crisper drawers don't lose much moisture. As a result, delicate greens will remain crisp for quite some time, especially if you keep them within the latter space.
Crisper drawers can easily maintain a high ambient humidity level.
Relatively high humidity inside main fridge cabinet.
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS's refrigerator capacity is only passable. The fridge cabinet is cramped, particularly for a 36-inch fridge. If you frequently cook during the holidays, or simply have a big family, the refrigerator cabinet's narrow, shallow shelves will be a limitation when trying to fit items like a whole turkey or a casserole dish.
Main refrigerator cabinet is shallow and narrow.
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS is a very good choice for storing large amounts of frozen food. The freezer cabinet and the lower drawers are a little shallow and narrow, a natural consequence of the freezer's counter-depth side-by-side design. That said, the in-door ice maker frees up quite a bit of space at the top of the cabinet compared to other side-by-side models with an in-freezer ice maker, and allows you to fit taller boxed items inside with only a little bit of effort.
In-door ice maker frees up space in freezer cabinet.
Narrow freezer cabinet can make it difficult to access some items.
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS's temperature uniformity is impressive. You won't notice much of a difference in temperature from the top to the bottom shelf, so there's no need to do any temperature-related arithmetic while unpacking your groceries. The one counterpoint to that is the fridge's lower door bins, which are a few degrees warmer than the main cabinet, and are best used for storing cans of juice, soda, or a pitcher of water. This unit's inverter-controlled compressor also helps to keep temperatures inside the freezer impressively steady, so items aren't left soft on one shelf and solid if left on another.
Temperatures throughout fridge cabinet are consistent.
Very uniform freezer temperatures.
Lower door bin is a little warmer than main fridge cabinet.
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS provides very good overall ice-making performance. It can put out enough ice on demand for a smaller family dinner, but you'll want to start filling the bucket in advance if you expect to serve a lot of iced drinks. In terms of maximum capacity, it's a similar story: You should be able to serve iced drinks for a smaller crowd, but cocktail parties or barbecues will require a bag of ice or a container being filled in advance.
Ice production speed is sufficient for a moderate crowd.
Ice bucket's capacity might not be enough for larger events.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This fridge is available in two color variants, each with a different model name.
| Model Number | Color |
|---|---|
| KRSC703HPS | Stainless Steel |
| KRSC703HBS | Black Stainless Steel |
We tested the KRSC703HPS in the Stainless Steel finish, and here's the product label for those interested.
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 KitchenAid KRSC703HPS is one of the better-performing side-by-side models we've tested, with great produce preservation performance and generally uniform temperatures throughout each of its compartments, easily beating out other side-by-sides like the Frigidaire FRSS2623AS and the Samsung RS27T5200SR in both regards. As a sister brand to Whirlpool, it should come as no surprise that the KRSC703HPS shares a lot of components with the Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ, including the low-profile in-door ice maker and combined water and ice dispenser. However, it differs from that cheaper model with the inclusion of a second evaporator in the fridge, allowing for more precise humidity regulation in both cabinets and noticeably improving produce preservation. The KRSC703HPS's Achilles heel is capacity, as its counter-depth design and narrow side-by-side cabinets severely cut down on interior space and make it hard to recommend for bigger families.
Test Results
This unit's storage capacity inside its refrigerator cabinet is only okay. This is a counter-depth fridge, which naturally impacts overall capacity. Its shelves and bins are a few inches shallower than even compact 30-inch units like the Frigidaire FFTR1835VW. Combined with the somewhat narrow width of the cabinet, you don't have much room to fit bigger dishes or to squeeze large amounts of produce into its crisper drawers. The door bins aren't much better in this regard, being somewhat shallow and short. Generally speaking, they should be just fine for soda cans or narrower cartons.
The KRSC703HPS also comes with a wireframe wine rack that holds three standard-size 750 ml bottles. It doesn't take up that much space when installed under a shelf, but if you frequently find yourself putting taller items on the shelves, you'll be glad to know that it's completely removable.
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS's freezer storage capacity is very good. Like the Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ, it has an ice maker built into its freezer door. While this thickens the upper half of the door, cutting down on door bin space and resulting in shallower shelves than some other alternatives, it does free up the necessary space to fit taller boxed items inside. Unfortunately, the lower pull-out drawers are shallow and narrow, and they're best used for storing less rigid items like bags of frozen fruit and veggies.
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS has an inverter-controlled compressor and a pair of evaporators, one for the freezer compartment and the other for the fridge cabinet. This sort of cooling system design is found in comparably priced side-by-side models like the Samsung RF32CG5400SR, and comes with a range of on-paper benefits.
Inverter-controlled compressors are more complex than fixed-speed units, with control boards that can fail over time. That said, by allowing the compressor to operate consistently at a speed that matches the required cooling demands of the fridge itself, they also reduce the refrigerator's energy consumption and can help maintain more consistent temperatures inside the cabinets.
Meanwhile, a dual-evaporator design allows a fridge to maintain differing levels of ambient humidity in each section of the unit. It keeps humidity low in the freezer to inhibit frost buildup and helps maintain high humidity in the fridge cabinet to prevent produce from drying out and wilting prematurely.
Like some other side-by-side units that we've tested, such as the mechanically similar Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ, the ice maker in this unit is built into the freezer door, instead of the freezer cabinet. While this shortens the shelving along the top half of the cabinet, it also allows you to fit taller items up top.
As with that aforementioned Whirlpool model, the ice maker in this KitchenAid is of a twist-tray design. While these designs are mechanically simple and not overly difficult to replace, they do generally have a shorter expected lifespan than ejector-style units. As the name implies, these ice makers release ice into a bucket via a motor twisting the flexible plastic mold. The plastic mold can weaken and eventually crack from the constant thermal cycling from cool water being frozen into ice and the mechanical stress of being twisted.
As with any in-door ice maker, it'd be a good idea to dump out the ice bucket if you lose power, shut off the fridge, or expect the unit to be powered off for a while, as ice can melt and leak out of the dispenser.
Given the fact that KitchenAid is wholly owned by Whirlpool, it should come as no surprise that this unit uses the same ice and water dispenser found on comparable Whirlpool fridges, such as the Whirlpool WRS588FIHZ. Like that model, there's a built-in LED light to make it easier to gauge how full your glass is in a dark room, as well as a Measured Fill function that allows you to set a precise quantity of water you want to dispense, whether that be in ounces, cups, or liters.
Its ice-crushing function is similarly ineffective too, being far less adept at turning ice into chips than a blender or even a food processor.
Temperature uniformity within the refrigerator compartment is great. There's no significant difference in temperature from the top to the bottom shelf, so there's no need to be picky about where you place certain items. While the door bins are a couple of degrees warmer than the rest of the cabinet, it isn't by a huge margin. All the same, if you want to throw temperature-sensitive foodstuffs like a carton of cream or a gallon jug of milk in the door, it's best to use the top one, as it's colder than the rest.
Temperatures inside the KitchenAid KRSC703HPS' freezer are impressively consistent. This unit's inverter-controlled compressor helps to keep temperatures very stable, and items should generally be frozen to a similar level no matter where you place them within the cabinet.
The KitchenAid KRSC703HPS's produce preservation performance is great. Its twin-evaporator design allows it to maintain a significantly higher humidity level inside the refrigerator cabinet compared to single-evaporator units like the Frigidaire FRSS2623AS, which helps if you plan on storing produce outside the crisper drawers. As a result, there's less moisture loss from the crisper drawers, and consequently, the delicate produce you'd store inside. Delicate greens like celery, lettuce, or spinach aren't liable to begin wilting until after a week or so.