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Credit: Reviewed
Appliances Refrigerators

Hotpoint HPS15BTHRWW Refrigerator Review

This old-school fridge is a little gem

Cindy Bailen
Kyle Hamilton
Written by Cindy Bailen, veteran writer on major appliance and home design for 15+ years.
Tested by Kyle Hamilton

Updated March 1, 2019

If you’ve ever lived in a tiny apartment, you’ve probably seen a refrigerator like the Hotpoint HPS15BTHRWW in the kitchen. When this model arrived in our labs, we were curious. Could this old-school little fridge possibly do well in our tests? Well, we put it through the paces, and after a week of rigorous testing, its performance turned out to be strong. We find that this Hotpoint could be the right refrigerator for your small kitchen or vacation home, and a good second fridge for your basement or garage.

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  • Related content

  • Design and Features

  • Performance

  • Warranty

  • What users say

  • The Bottom Line

  • Related content
  • Design and Features
  • Performance
  • Warranty
  • What users say
  • The Bottom Line

Pros

  • Can maintain consistent temperatures

  • Energy-efficient

  • Crisper can maintain humidity

Cons

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Design and Features

We saw plenty of advantages in the basic design of this refrigerator and only a few negatives.

Gallons of milk and juice fit in the door bins, conserving space in the refrigerator section
Credit: Reviewed / Kyle Hamilton

Gallons of milk and juice fit in the door bins, conserving space in the refrigerator section.

Pros

  • Modest dimensions: 28 inches wide x 61 inches high x 29.5 inches deep to fit small spaces
  • Color choices: Plain white, black, or bisque (matches older kitchens)
  • Moveable shelves: They're wire, but accommodating
  • Gallon bins: The fridge doors hold milk and juice containers
  • Two crisper drawers: Store vegetables and fruits separately

  • Dairy bin: Keeps butter and cheese from absorbing refrigerator odors

    The Hotpoint HPS15BTHMRWW has a covered dairy bin to keep butter and cheese from absorbing odors
    Credit: Reviewed / Kyle Hamilton

    The Hotpoint HPS15BTHMRWW has a covered dairy bin to keep butter and cheese from absorbing odors from other foods in the fridge section.

Cons

  • No lighting or temperature controls in the freezer

  • No built-in icemaker: You can add one later, though

    The freezer has a single wire shelf with no separate temperature control
    Credit: Reviewed / Kyle Hamilton

    The freezer of the Hotpoint refrigerator is bare bones with one wire shelf, no lighting, and no icemaker included by default.

Performance

Our testing revealed that this Hotpoint offers good performance at a reasonable price.

Pros

  • Consistent temperature in the fridge: The 36.6° refrigerator temperature is nearly perfect
  • Very efficient: Estimated operating cost only $22.30 a year
  • Fast cooling: Takes only 34 minutes to reach 32°

  • Crispers retain humidity well: Keeps produce fresh

    The crisper drawers do a good job holding in moisture
    Credit: Reviewed / Kyle Hamilton

    The crisper drawers do a good job holding in moisture, so they keep produce stored there fresh.

Cons

  • Potential freezer burn: Freezer temperatures are inconsistent

Warranty

This model comes with a one-year warranty.

What users say

Most buyers are happy with the Hotpoint fridge, giving it an average of 4.3 stars out of 5. Owners were surprised by how well it uses space, considering its size. That’s a function of the plain design. A few reviewers called it noisy but didn't consider it a deal breaker.

The Bottom Line

This no-frills top freezer model is a good value—its affordable retail price and strong refrigerator performance underscore that. It fits in small spaces where few other fridges could go. And if you’re looking for a backup fridge to hold extra food and beverages in the garage or at the lake house, the Hotpoint is a very good choice. Another budget fridge that might work for you is the Insignia NS-RTM18SS7. It's Best Buy's house brand, costs about the same as the Hotpoint, and we rated it a little higher when we tested it.

This Hotpoint refrigerator comes in three finishes—black, white, and bisque
Credit: Hotpoint

This Hotpoint refrigerator comes in three finishes—black, white, and bisque. The 14.6 cu.-ft. of space is used well, due to the simple design.

Meet the testers

Cindy Bailen

Cindy Bailen

Editor

@orangesandlemon

Cindy Bailen loves writing about major appliances and home design and has spent over 15 years immersed in that. In her spare time, Cindy hosts pledge programs for WGBH-TV in Boston and other public television stations.

See all of Cindy Bailen's reviews
Kyle Hamilton

Kyle Hamilton

Product Tester

Kyle Hamilton is a product tester at Reviewed, specializing in home appliances and technology.

See all of Kyle Hamilton's reviews

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