Samsung Smart RB38C675CS9/EF combi refrigerator: complete guide

The Samsung Smart RB38C675CS9/EF combi refrigerator belongs to the league of tall, quiet models designed to make the most of every centimeter without sacrificing a sober finish. With 390 liters of total capacity, 203 cm in height and energy class C, it combines useful space, WiFi connectivity, and an internal layout aimed at making daily life easier with less effort and less energy waste.

Its offering is not limited to cooling food. This model integrates SpaceMax, No Frost, All-Around Cooling, humidity drawers, fast cooling and freezing functions, as well as SmartThings compatibility. In a modern kitchen, that translates into more order, less frost, better preservation, and finer management of consumption, with a noise level of 35 dBA that places it among especially discreet combi fridges.

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Real capacity for a household that shops frequently

The first figure that defines this combi is its volume. Samsung states 390 net liters, split into 276 liters for refrigeration and 114 liters for freezing. This is not a cosmetic measurement: it changes the way weekly shopping is organized, because it allows fresh food, prepared meals, drinks, and frozen items to be separated more clearly without turning the interior into a puzzle of containers.

The advantage of a 60 cm-wide format with a 2-meter height lies precisely in that sense of vertical spaciousness. The user does not need to take up more kitchen space to gain storage. Samsung has thinned the walls with SpaceMax to free up internal volume, so the inside feels deeper and more usable than in other combi fridges with a similar external size.

In real use, that approach benefits both families and households that cook often and shop with some planning. The 4 tempered-glass shelves, the 4 door balconies, and the 2 fruit and vegetable drawers make a fairly tidy organization possible: dairy at the top, leftovers and trays in the middle, vegetables at the bottom, and drinks in the door. Everyday life changes, because each food item finds its place without piling up.

How the cold works inside and why it matters

One of the strongest points of this model is air distribution. All-Around Cooling technology spreads cold evenly across all shelves and corners, with outlets positioned so that temperature does not depend so much on where a product is placed. In practice, this helps a tray of strawberries at the back avoid being at a disadvantage compared with a bottle in the door.

Added to that uniformity is No Frost, essential in a combi fridge of this range. It prevents frost buildup, reduces the need for manual maintenance, and improves thermal stability. For the user, the difference is clear: less ice on walls and drawers, less loss of usable space, and fewer inconvenient fluctuations when the freezer starts to get too full.

Samsung adds Power Cool and Power Freeze, two functions designed for specific moments. The first speeds up the cooling of drinks or newly stored food; the second lowers freezer temperature quickly, which is useful when a large shop is added or when you want to make ice without long waits. These are details that seem minor, but they make the appliance more flexible, almost as if it were reacting to the rhythm of the household.

Humidity, freshness, and preservation with less waste

The Humidity Fresh+ drawer is one of the most practical features of the RB38C675CS9/EF. It allows manual humidity adjustment to better preserve fruits and vegetables, something especially important for delicate products like lettuce, herbs, strawberries, or peppers. In this kind of food, excess dryness takes its toll before the cold itself does, and specific control can extend appearance and texture by several days.

It also includes an Optimal Fresh+ drawer, designed to keep different foods in more stable conditions. Samsung positions it for products such as meat, fish, or dairy, which benefit from a more controlled environment than the rest of the refrigerator. This does not turn the combi into a professional chamber, but it does raise preservation quality compared with a basic model with standard distribution.

The most visible consequence is less waste. When fresh food retains moisture better and the cold is not concentrated in specific spots, food lasts until the end of the week instead of deteriorating halfway through. It is a subtle, almost domestic detail, but one you notice in your shopping basket and in the vegetable drawer, where the difference between fresh and spoiled is usually measured in days.

Consumption, efficiency, and noise in daily use

This model declares 169 kWh per year, a figure that fits its energy class C under the current European scale. It is not competing with old marketing claims based on letters that no longer exist, but with current regulations, where you must compare real consumption and offered capacity. In a 390-liter combi, that combination of volume and consumption is reasonable for someone who prioritizes space and advanced functions.

The other important figure is sound. At 35 dBA, the refrigerator sits in a low, almost whisper-quiet range. In open-plan kitchens or small apartments, that detail matters more than it may seem, because the appliance does not intrude on home life with constant humming. The Digital Inverter compressor adjusts its speed according to cooling demand, which helps both with noise and long-term wear.

Samsung pairs this motor with a commercial warranty of 10 years on the compressor, an argument that should not be read as a total promise, but rather as a sign of confidence in the most sensitive component of the system. In an appliance expected to be used for many years, mechanical stability matters almost as much as the energy label or exterior design.

SmartThings and connected functions that actually make sense

WiFi connectivity is not there as a decorative extra. The refrigerator can integrate with SmartThings Energy, SmartThings Home Care, and SmartThings Cooking, three layers of control aimed at specific uses. The first monitors consumption and offers saving recommendations; the second checks the appliance’s status and alerts you to incidents; the third helps organize what is inside and keep expiration dates and usage suggestions close at hand.

This approach is useful because the modern kitchen no longer works like a closed, static pantry. Groceries come in, go out, get rearranged, and sometimes get forgotten in a corner. With the app, the refrigerator becomes a kind of home control panel: it does not cook for you, but it does reduce friction between what you buy, what you store, and what you end up eating before it spoils.

These functions should be read with realistic expectations. They do not replace the user’s judgment or turn the appliance into an infallible assistant. Still, in a home with shifting schedules, frequent shopping, and some food discipline, the value of having alerts, history, and suggestions is very tangible. In this case, technology does not try to dazzle; it tries to organize.

Exterior design, finishes, and kitchen integration

Visually, the RB38C675CS9/EF seeks a balance between sobriety and presence. The Refined Inox finish offers a clean surface, with an integrated handle and straight lines that fit well in contemporary kitchens. It does not try to imitate furniture or stand out through gimmicks. Its goal is to align with the cabinetry and convey a single-block, almost architectural feel.

Samsung describes a premium design with a standard 600 mm depth to integrate better with cabinets. It also includes a metal back panel that is easier to clean and better protects against knocks and dirt buildup. These are unobtrusive details in a sales sheet, but very sensible when thinking about real life, where dust, scuffs, and corners matter more than studio photos.

The reversible doors add flexibility to adapt the opening direction to the kitchen layout. That may sound technical, but in a specific installation it avoids collisions with walls, furniture, or narrow walkways. In homes where every centimeter matters, the ability to reverse the opening direction can turn a seemingly correct purchase into a truly convenient one.

Dimensions, installation, and what to check before buying

The official dimensions are 595 mm wide, 2030 mm high, and 658 mm deep including the handle. The net weight is 76 kg and the packaged weight reaches 79 kg. It is neither a light nor compact appliance, so installation deserves careful measurement of doors, hallways, elevators, and the final opening in the kitchen before deciding to buy or have it delivered.

Samsung also states that the package measures 637 mm wide, 2108 mm high, and 740 mm deep. That difference compared with the bare product matters because the appliance does not arrive alone: it comes with packaging, protection, and sometimes a complicated route through entrances or landings. The figure you see in the catalog does not always match the real journey to its final place.

During installation, besides physical fit, ventilation matters. Refrigerators need space to breathe at the back and around them, so you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid overworking the compressor or increasing consumption. In an appliance with these features, poor installation can cost more than any smart function can make up for.

Who it suits best and how it stands against other combi fridges

The Samsung RB38C675CS9/EF is especially well suited to households looking for large capacity without moving up to an American-style fridge, useful connectivity, and versatile internal organization. Its main strength is combining generous volume with a relatively compact footprint. It does not need a huge kitchen to feel big inside.

Compared with simpler combi fridges, it wins on humidity control, cold distribution, and digital management. Compared with cheaper models, it offers more careful construction, a lower noise level, and a less basic user experience. Compared with higher-end refrigerators with almost professional ambitions, it keeps a domestic, easy-to-understand logic, without turning every function into an engineering manual.

The user profile that benefits most from it usually cooks at home, shops fairly often, values silence, and wants to reduce maintenance. In that context, connectivity is not a decorative novelty, but an extension of household organization. And that is perhaps its greatest strength: it does not try to reinvent the refrigerator, but to make it more attentive, more stable, and easier to live with.

What this model reveals about the evolution of combi refrigerators

This combi sums up quite well where the category is heading: more capacity in the same space, less ice, better air control, and a software layer that helps without getting in the way. The refrigerator of the past only kept things cold. The one of today, as with many current appliances, also organizes, warns, records, and helps use less energy without forcing the user to completely change their habits.

The key is that this modernization is not only noticeable in the app or the technical sheet. It is noticeable when you open the door and see a clearer layout; when you put away groceries and everything fits without being forced in; when you take out a salad several days later and it is still fresh; when you pass by the kitchen at night and do not hear an annoying noise. These are small, almost domestic signs of an appliance designed to last and to stay unnoticed while working well.

In a market saturated with similar models, the Samsung Smart RB38C675CS9/EF stands out for a combination that is not flashy but convincing: useful volume, well-applied technology, and a clear way of use. It does not aim to be spectacular; it aims to be solid. And in a refrigerator, that is usually the quality that stays with the user the longest.