Samsung Family Hub Review: Is This 809L Smart Fridge Worth It?
Samsung Family Hub Smart Fridge Review

In today's connected Australian homes, the humble refrigerator is undergoing a remarkable transformation. No longer just a cold box for food storage, the latest smart fridges are becoming the command centre of modern kitchens. Samsung's Bespoke AI Family Hub represents the cutting edge of this evolution, promising to revolutionise how we interact with our kitchens.

Cooling Performance That Impresses

The Samsung Bespoke AI Family Hub boasts an impressive 809-litre capacity, making it one of the largest domestic refrigerators available. Despite its substantial volume, the fridge maintains consistent temperatures using an advanced metal cooling system. This technology ensures your food stays fresher for longer, even with frequent door openings that typically challenge conventional fridges.

Temperature control happens through the fridge manager app on the large touch screen display or via the Samsung Smart Things app. The left door features a clever hidden beverage centre with chilled filtered water dispenser and auto-fill water jug. This innovative design maintains the fridge's sleek appearance while providing convenient access to drinks without opening the main door.

Many users find themselves storing frequently used items like condiments, mixers, and citrus wedges in the shelves above the water dispenser for easy access during meal preparation and entertaining.

Smart Features That Transform Kitchen Life

Calling the Bespoke AI Family Hub a 'fridge with a screen' dramatically undersells its capabilities. The massive touch display serves as a genuine smart home hub, packed with pre-loaded apps and customisable widgets that bring essential information to your fingertips.

During busy morning routines, having weather forecasts, calendar events, clocks and memos readily accessible proves incredibly useful. The My Home widget integrates all smart devices into one convenient location, allowing control of lights, smart plugs and vacuum cleaners directly from the kitchen.

The bottom right section features the innovative Cool Select+ zone, which functions as a second freezer by default but can transform to meet changing needs. With five modes including Freeze, Soft Freeze, Meat/Fish, Beverage and Fruit/Vegetables, this flexible space adapts to your lifestyle. During entertaining seasons, you can switch between keeping food frozen, fresh, or beverages chilled as required.

For families with school-aged children, this zone becomes a personal 'kid fridge' where prepped lunches and snacks can be stored, giving children independence while keeping organisation simple.

AI Technology That Actually Understands Your Kitchen

Samsung has integrated genuinely intelligent AI features that set this appliance apart. The centrepiece is the 'AI Vision Inside' camera that automatically logs items placed in and removed from the fridge. Using artificial intelligence, the system makes educated guesses about what you've stored and adds them to a digital inventory with expiry dates.

While occasional misidentifications occur (perhaps labelling milk as cream or zucchini as cucumber), you can easily correct these in the system. The technology extends to the Smart Things Food app, which recommends recipes based on your available ingredients. The extensive recipe library continues to grow, providing endless meal inspiration.

From your food inventory, you can add items directly to a shopping list. However, the shopping list integration currently requires refinement, as it's somewhat buried in the Smart Things app's service section. This friction point may discourage regular use until future updates improve accessibility.

Another intelligent feature is the power saving mode that dynamically adjusts energy consumption, with visible tracking of savings either on the fridge display or through the companion app.

Size Considerations for Australian Homes

Potential buyers should note the substantial dimensions of this appliance. Measuring 1853mm tall, 912mm wide and 869mm deep, the Bespoke AI Family Hub requires careful consideration of space and access points in your home.

This considerable size translates to massive internal capacity that can accommodate a full grocery trolley with room to spare. Taller users will appreciate the generous vertical space, though shorter individuals might need a step stool to access items at the back of the top shelves.

The Final Verdict

When evaluating any premium appliance, the decision ultimately comes down to weighing benefits against limitations. For the Samsung Bespoke AI Family Hub, the shortcomings are primarily minor software issues that don't fundamentally compromise the experience.

The list of advantages is nearly as extensive as the fridge itself. There's currently no comparable product on the market that matches the Family Hub's integration of smart home technology and kitchen functionality. Samsung has positioned this appliance as the crown jewel of their home offerings, and for good reason.

While the shopping list functionality could use refinement and the substantial dimensions may challenge some kitchen layouts, the overall package represents the bleeding edge of connected home technology. For Australian families seeking to create a truly smart kitchen ecosystem, the Bespoke AI Family Hub delivers an impressive glimpse into the future of home appliances.