First Look: LG InstaView™ Door-in-Door™ American fridge freezer, “the fridge made for gazing”

As families evolve, so too do our needs within our homes. Larger, practical appliances that are cost-efficient, offer superb storage solutions, and are easy to clean are prioritised over what looks good or what’s trending. After moving into a new home in 2017, DH and I only had ourselves to think about when selecting appliances. Fast-forward seven years - after a pandemic and country move - we’re now a growing family with a dog and two toddlers that are eating us out of house and home. 

Understandably as our family has grown, so too has our outgoings, and with the cost of living crisis still looming over everyone’s heads, investing in appliances that are cost- and energy-efficient are equally as important as size and capacity in our home. As LG’s own Senior Product Specialist for Home Appliances David Palmer told me, LG “wants our products to work for you.

“We don’t just want you to buy a product and an appliance, and it’s there. We want you to be able to live with these appliances, and obviously work with them, and they work with you.” 

That’s why, when I had the chance to review one of LG’s newest InstaView™ range, I most certainly couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try “the fridge made for gazing”. Read on to find my complete review of the LG InstaView™ Door-in-Door™ GSXV91BSAE American Style Fridge Freezer, as well as information about the brand’s latest fridge-gazing campaign.

Knock twice to see inside with the expanded InstaView™ window

A word of warning about its size though: the packaging measures 770d x 968w x 1891h mm when boxed, and the fridge itself is 735d x 913w x 1790h mm in size. So, access to your home matters, and I’d advise having a hand truck on wheels available to help with manoeuvring. As it’s a non-plumbed model, you can place it anywhere in your kitchen. And if you fancy a change in layout, it’ll be easy enough to move to a new place should you like to. 

Unwrapping took around 20 minutes between DH and I. The fridge’s interior is smartly organised, and you can instantly tell it has been designed to ensure proper air flow throughout. There’s three shelves, a FRESHBalancer™ drawer, a Fresh Zone drawer (which keeps a consistent temperature of 5°C), a utility box, four door baskets, the water dispenser tank, a fridge organiser, and a wine rack. I’ll admit, I was slightly disappointed to find no dedicated fish/meat drawer like I had in my previous LG fridge - as the owner of a dog on a raw diet, it was nice to have a separate drawer to keep raw meats and uncooked fish stored out of the way. Then again, the utility box could be used exactly for this purpose, although I believe LG designed this feature to be used for snacks and/or deli items. 

UVNano™ technology cleans the water and ice dispenser 

In my efforts to empower my kids’ independence, I love the fact that the UVNano™-powered water dispenser lets them enjoy drinks with ease. Plus, having an organised fridge interior means their snacks can be within reach, while adult items remain safely out of their grasp. The freezer continues the trend of thoughtful organisation, allowing you to easily separate your desserts from your pizzas, turkey dinosaurs and curly fries healthy home cooked meals and your raw meats and uncooked fish.

While the physical features of the InstaView™ are most certainly impressive, it’s the refrigerator’s hidden technologies that make this refrigerator a worthy investment. The fridge adapts to each home’s usage to help reduce energy costs and enable personalised operation thanks to its special features. Linear Cooling™, Smart Fresh Air™, Economic Care+™, adaptable lighting and UVNano™ technology: all are incredible features that seamlessly integrate into - and enhance - your life. Read on for more information on these special features.

Final thoughts: As a growing family our needs have changed, and thanks to its large capacity and smart features, LG InstaView™ Door-in-Door™ GSXV91BSAE American Style Fridge Freezer is most certainly a great choice for families. While the initial upfront cost is higher, it’s definitely a worthwhile investment IMHO. With its energy saving features, as well as a confidence-inspiring 10-year warranty, LG’s InstaView™ fridge offer should be at the top of your list if you’re on the hunt for a new fridge freezer. 

How we tested

• Three weeks of using the InstaView™ Door-in-Door™ GSXV91BSAE in our home

• Accessible to both DH and I, as well as our eldest DC (preschooler)

• There are other InstaView™ models available to purchase from LG

As a mum of both a toddler and preschooler just 15 months apart, I know all too well how hard it can be to fill them as they grow in these early years. They’re never full, and my food shop has doubled in cost on a weekly basis. Of course, this is to be expected but with all this food, I needed a larger fridge that’s designed with families in mind. 

The stainless steel design blends fits perfectly with my grey kitchen

The InstaView™ has been placed in our kitchen, and blends seamlessly into our decor. We have grey cabinets anyway, so the stainless steel finish complements the room well. Although, it’s worth mentioning that due to the size, this fridge may not be suitable for families in smaller apartments or homes. 

To ensure I stay on top of cleaning it and organisation, I’ve even ordered extra fridge organisers to maximise storage and help keep it clean and tidy (famous last words, I know). 

Designed with families in mind, the latest offering from LG’s InstaView™ range offers a larger capacity thanks to both its size and the Total No Frost feature. The InstaView™ Door-in-Door™ is now the full panel, and is 23% wider compared to previous models, so you can see more inside. 

What’s in the fridge? 

Inside the fridge itself on the LG InstaView™ Door-in-Door GSXV91BSAE model, you’ll find: 

• Three glass shelves

• A FRESHBalancer drawer

• A Fresh Zone drawer

• A clear organiser (for eggs or other items)

• A wine rack

• Door-in-Door™ (suitable for cans and bottles)

• Four door baskets

• Utility box

• InstaView™ panel

• Water dispenser tank

Unlike previous models, the fridge’s touch controls are now inside the fridge and include: 

• Fridge temperature 

• Freezer temperature 

• Express freeze

• Express cool

• UVNano™

• Ice on/off

• WiFi

• Child lock

For several of these features, you need to hold the button for three seconds. The child lock is a welcomed feature, although it’s easy to forget if it’s on after the kids have gone to bed - and just as easy to forget that it’s off when the kids wake up first thing in the morning! 

According to LG, the clear organiser that has been included was designed with egg storage in mind. But unlike your conventional egg storage solutions in fridges, LG have instead provided a clear, versatile organiser that can also be used for yoghurts and other items. After all, do eggs belong in or out of the fridge?

Freezer on the left, fridge on the right

What’s in the freezer? 

As an American-style fridge freezer, the fridge door is on the right, whereas the freezer is on the left. In the freezer you’ll find: 

• Two drawers for fish and meat products

• Three shelves

• Ice maker (and dispenser in the door)

• Two door baskets

As mentioned, thanks to LG’s Total No Frost design, you can maximise usage of your freezer space without worrying about ice build up or condensation occurring. The freezer itself has a freezing capacity of 12kg per 24 hours. 

How easy is it to set-up?

Unboxing the fridge and removing the protective seals took around 20 minutes between DH and I. The cool down process only needs around four hours, but we left it overnight before we moved any food into the fridge and freezer. 

Lets ignore my messy kitchen behind me…

When delivered, it took two people to lift with the help of a hand trolley, as it was very heavy in its packaging. In our home we have double doors, which helped them to bring the fridge directly into our open living/dining/kitchen area with ease. If you live in an apartment or home with smaller doors, external or internal, this is something worth considering before purchasing this fridge.

Once in our kitchen it’s easy enough to manoeuvre around the room on our laminate flooring. I suspect this would be the same for kitchens with tiled floors, too. Plus, as there’s no plumbing required for the water and ice dispenser, you can freely move it around your kitchen if you wish to. 

Setting up the ThinQ app 

In order to take full advantage of the LG InstaView™’s technology, it’s recommended that you download the LG ThinQ app (available on App Store and Play Store). This clever app from LG is designed to help you manage your home appliances with ease. For the InstaView™ fridge freezer, the app allows you to access the device’s nighttime schedule, smart diagnosis, Economic Care+™ patterns, and the Smart Fresh Air™ feature. 

The LG ThinQ app means you can control your LG tech from one app

Connecting the fridge freezer to the app was relatively easy once I figured it out. You can either scan a QR code or manually select it to connect while the fridge has Wi-Fi enabled. 

All in all, it took approximately 5 minutes to get the app up and running, and as I’ve mentioned, 20 minutes to remove the packaging and protective wraps. So, you’re looking at no more than 30 minutes or so for the initial set up. Add around four hours on top of that to allow the fridge to cool before storing food. 

How long until the ice maker works? 

Once all of the above steps are complete, and you’ve filled up the water dispenser tank, the ice maker needs around 48 hours before it makes its first batch of ice. LG advises you to use bottled water in the tank, and also to dispose of the first batch of ice made and first tank of water to ensure the system is thoroughly flushed before consuming ice or water. 

The automatic ice maker detects when it’s full and empty

How does it look?

The fridge boasts a stainless steel exterior with an anti-fingerprint finish - a welcomed feature for families, I’m sure. This latest model of InstaView™ has a more modern design, minimalist, with flatter doors for a built-in aesthetic. The interior control panel has been put inside the fridge, helping to contribute to the fridge freezer’s exterior look. 

That’s not all - the InstaView™ door has expanded and now incorporates a full glass panel, not just a window, and has been expanded by 23% to provide an even wider view of the contents inside. 

The recognisable LG logo is subtle

What’s it like to use day-to-day?

In everyday use, the extended InstaView™ Door-in-Door™ proves extremely practical. Instead of opening the door to check on supplies, a simple knock reveals what’s inside. Plus, the Door-in-Door™ design offers swift access to frequently used items like milk, butter, and condiments, which helps to minimise cold air loss for better freshness and energy efficiency. 

The Door-in-Door™ access is great when you need something quick, like butter or milk

So far in our home, the water and ice dispenser has been a hit, with DH and I making use of the ice dispenser in our Friday night drinks, and our eldest DC grabbing his own drink of water independently - I’ve even added cups to the side of the fridge that are within easy reach for him. Concealing snacks from curious little ones that have already figured out how to knock twice to see inside is a bit trickier than before, but manageable and certainly not a negative. 

Keeping it organised has been easy, too, thanks to the larger capacity in both the fridge and freezer. I’ll admit I have bought more fridge organisers from Amazon and Temu to help arrange my food and keep things tidy and clean. 

What are the smart features? 

Many of the fridge freezer’s remarkable features may not be immediately apparent, but believe me when I say that the LG InstaView™ Door-in-Door™ GSXV91BSAE American Style Fridge Freezer is packed with plenty of unseen brilliance.

1. DoorCooling™ Vent: this innovative feature ensures even cooling, extending freshness to all corners of the fridge.

The DoorCooling™ Vent ensures even cooling throughout the entire fridge

2. InstaView™: the next generation of Door-in-Door™ allows you to find items inside the fridge by simply knocking twice, helping to reduce cold-air-loss. 

3. Linear Cooling™: with remarkable tolerance of just +/- 0.5 degrees, the InstaView™ maintains unwavering temperature consistency. Enjoy fewer fluctuations, reduced bacteria growth, and an energy-efficient compressor. It's reminiscent of the sophisticated warming technology found in LG’s KIMCHI fridges in Korea, which has been backwards engineered and adapted for everyday use of the fridge freezer. 

4. Wi-Fi enabled: seamlessly integrate the fridge into your smart home ThinQ setup with its Wi-Fi connectivity. Via the ThinQ app, you can set up different Smart Routines for your InstaView™ fridge and other smart LG appliances in your home, e.g. Back Home Mode, Away Mode, and Vacation Mode among others. 

5. Smart Fresh Air™: powered by machine learning, the fridge learns from your usage patterns over three weeks. It then establishes a precise daily calendar, pre-cooling the fridge before you access it (like on a morning before we get the kids’ milk bottles ready). This strategic cooling approach ensures consistent temperature and minimises energy expenditure, meaning your fridge remains optimally chilled at all times. 

6. Economic Care+™: adapting to your routine, this intelligent mode enters a low-power state during periods of inactivity, avoiding unnecessary compressor cycling. Energy conservation is automatic, even when you're away on holiday - so, gone are the days of worrying about putting your fridge freezer into holiday mode, the LG InstaView™ will do it automatically for you.

7. Adaptive lighting: tailor the fridge's lighting to your needs. Adjust brightness levels through the app, perfect for late-night fridge visits during those nighttime feeds. Set it to sync with dusk and dawn for added convenience. It’ll even sync to your time zone too! 

8. UVNano™ dispenser: combat bacteria effectively with the UVNano™ dispenser. It shines a UV light for 10 minutes every hour, purifying the water dispenser. The safety shield ensures protection, especially with children around, and the UV light halts operation during use.

How much food can the fridge hold? 

• 416 L 

• Larger capacity for families

• Ample storage and organisation options

The fridge boasts a spacious capacity of 416 L, offering a significant increase compared to earlier InstaView™ models, granting ample storage for your food needs.

According to David Palmer, LG’s Senior Product Specialist for Home Appliances, “English users tend to pack their fridges tightly and fill the shelves, sometimes obstructing airflow. 

“The temperature tends to be colder at the bottom and warmer at the top.”

To address this, LG’s DoorCooling™ feature includes an extra vent on both the fridge and freezer sides. This system circulates air down the door, ensuring a more uniform distribution of cool air throughout the fridge.

How much food can the freezer hold? 

• 219 L 

• Shelving and drawers for easy organisation

• Two door baskets for additional space

The freezer offers a capacity of 219 L, providing ample space for frozen goods.

It's worth noting that the freezer's design includes a direct airflow onto the ice maker, ensuring efficient ice production and maintenance.

Two equally huge drawers in the freezer for fish and meat

How easy is it to clean?

Cleaning is a breeze. With kids, I find that organisation is key in our home, and the extra fridge organiser included was a lovely surprise when unpackaging the fridge. As mentioned, I’ve also ordered extra fridge organisers to help keep the interior tidy and clean.

The exterior is equally simple to maintain - just a wipe down of the stainless steel and glass InstaView™ door removes any grubby marks from the kids’ hands. 

How does the water and ice dispenser work?

The water and ice dispenser in this LG InstaView™ fridge freezer offers remarkable flexibility. Even in a non-plumbed setup, you have the convenience of an ice dispenser. The 4-litre water tank inside the fridge, which connects to the freezer's ice maker. This ice maker then supplies the ice dispenser, granting you instant access to ice whenever you need it.

Because it's non-plumbed, you have the freedom to place the fridge anywhere in your kitchen. Plus, it operates with a self-sustained plumbing system, eliminating the need for water filter changes.

The water tank dispenser is located within the fridge and requires manual filling. Additionally, the ice and water dispenser is equipped with UVNano™™ technology, effectively eliminating 99.99% of bacteria. 

How loud is it?

• Noise emission class C

• Sound power 36 dB

• Open door alarm, which activates after one minute

This model operates silently, falling under noise emission class C with a sound power of 36 dB. Generally, it remains quiet. However, when pumping water into the ice maker and producing/dispensing ice, the sound briefly increases to approximately 55 dB, similar to a conversation's volume.

Additionally, there's an open-door alarm, which, while not as pronounced as in my previous LG model, is noticeable and serves as a reminder if the door is left open for too long.

How much does it cost to run it?

• Energy consumption grade E

• 348 kWh/year - approximately that would be a running cost of around £50 a year, although this really depends on your payment scheme, supplier and where you live in the UK

Running this fridge comes at an energy consumption grade E, consuming around 348 kWh/year. Actual costs depend on factors like your payment scheme, supplier, and location within the UK.

In terms of performance, it falls under climate class T, and its compressor type is an inverter linear compressor.

LG InstaView™: “the fridge made for gazing”

The InstaView™ range is LG’s next generation of their Door-in-Door™ technology. Revolutionising refrigeration, the InstaView™ invites you to experience a new way of interacting with your fridge. 

A simple double knock unveils a world of convenience, minimising cold air loss significantly , ensuring your food stays fresher for longer. With frequently used items at your fingertips, accessing favourites becomes effortless, requiring no full door opening and thereby conserving energy. 

Simply put: the InstaView™ is more than a fridge; it's a solution for those who prioritise optimal freshness and seek a seamless blend of innovation and sustainability.

About LG

Known for its innovative and smart products, LG Electronics has a wide range of home appliances to suit every household that deliver the latest technology, without compromising on style. From smart appliances to stylish inbuilt designs, people can enhance their kitchen and utility room with LG’s design-led fridge freezers and dishwashers or simplify their cleaning routine with LG’s washer-dryers and stylers.

LG’s latest line of InstaView™ fridge freezers allow for easy access and energy-efficient features; just knock twice to illuminate the inside and grab your favourite snacks, whilst keeping the cold air contained. The InstaView™ is LG’s next generation of Door-in-Door™, revolutionising fridge-gazing and has been designed to offer ultimate ease and convenience for eco-conscious homes.

LG’s Fridge Freezer buying guide can also help you determine which model is right for you.

About the author

Rebecca Roberts is a writer, editor, and content marketing expert hailing from Leeds. Here at Mumsnet, she commissions, writes, and edits to bring parents content designed to make life easier. As a mum of two children - a preschooler and toddler - she knows all too well the demands of a growing family. Constant snacks, picky eaters, meal planning, food storage and quick meals: these are just a few of the battles she faces on a daily basis trying to feed her family. So, she’s fully invested in finding the best fridge freezers for new and growing families that will meet their needs. 

Beyond her role as an editor here at Mumsnet, Rebecca can be found balancing life as a working mum of two toddlers and when she’s not at her desk, you’ll likely find her at a local playgroup, in a nearby coffee shop, or walking the dog.

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First Look pages are sponsored content. They provide a glimpse of new products on the market, showcasing releases from both exciting new start-ups and well-loved brands. We give all new products a thorough once-over, checking that the features are as good as they say and that the product functions as it's supposed to.