Frigidaire Stainless Steel Water Cooler Dispenser In-depth Review
Overall Verdict
The Frigidaire Stainless Steel EFWC519 is one of our top-performing water machines. It’s one of the best water coolers for an office since it performs particularly well with cold water and the temperature can be adjusted within 3℃. However, it’s not the best capacity machine for hot water during peak hours like mornings or lunchtimes. Although the design is a little dated, the build quality is good and the stainless steel body looks elegant. The machine body stays relatively cool even when pushed to perform, and it’s comparatively lightweight.
Things We Like
- Cold water efficiency
- Stainless steel body
- Light weight
- Cool to run
- Easy to clean
Things We Don’t Like
- Cramped dispensing space
- Awkward hot water lever
- Old design
Frigidaire makes a number of water cooler dispensers and this EFWC519 is one of their older designs. As a well-established manufacturer of large household appliances, Frigidaire has a good track record for design.
9.3 Performance
The Frigidaire EFWC519 is a particularly well-performing water cooler dispenser. It’s one of the best machines for cold water capacity, but the hot water performance and capacity is comparatively not as good. The flow rate is a little slower than other top-ranking machines —especially those with buttons—but it still pours comfortably enough.
8.2 Hot Water Test
For its smaller tank size, this Frigidaire took slightly longer to heat compared to other similar machines. The single draw or back-to-back capacity was likewise not that much, but the recorded temperature was consistently good.
Heating Time Longer Than Average (6 / 35%)
Our tests revealed that the Frigidaire EFWC519 takes on average 5 min 37 sec to reheat between cycles. This works out to 3.22 min for a standard 8.5 fl.oz. (250ml) cup. We found this to be significantly longer than other competitive machines. Essentially, you wait a little longer to get comparatively less hot water than most other machines.
Temperature Competitively High (10 / 45%)
We tested the hot water temperature after each recalibration in a series of five tests. This Frigidaire maintained a constant average temperature of a standard 198℉ (92.2℃) within a 3℃ variation. A similar and competitive top loading machine, the Avalon A1, is calibrated to a lower temperature of 192℉ (88.8 ℃), which may be preferred as a safer hot water temperature.
Reasonable serving capacities
The output within the maximum temperature range is around 14.5 fl.oz. (430 ml). The single draw serving capacity until the reheating indicator switches on is around 17 fl.oz. (500 ml). That’s not a huge amount—only about two small disposable cups (220 ml). On average, the machine can output around 5 L of hot water per hour based on back-to-back usage.
Flow Rate Good Enough For The Design (8 / 20%)
We scored and measured flow rates against a benchmark of 1.15 fl.oz. / sec (34 ml). This rate is a good compromise—not enough to cause mishaps but not so slow as to become frustrating. Generally, machines with buttons like the Avalon A4 are better at maintaining this standard.
The hot water flow rate from this Frigidaire is around 1.01 fl.oz. / sec (30 ml). This is still quite acceptable and also understandable considering the older type of faucet lever design. The modern paddle lever design of the Avalon A1 is 1.08 fl.oz. (32 ml) while the similar Avalon A8 is a second slower.
10 Cold Water Test
If you’re looking for a cold water workhorse, Frigidaire is a good choice, if not one of the best. You can also adjust the cold water temperature by 3℃ at the back of the machine.
We were impressed with the Frigidaire’s consistent low temperature of 54℉ (12℃) even when pressed to provide 300 ml of perfectly chilled water every 3 minutes. Not many machines we tested can maintain this level of output.
This means that the Frigidaire can consistently produce 202 fl. oz. ( 6 L) of perfectly chilled water every hour. Only the Avalon A4 and the Avalon A5 have met this high standard in our testing program.
Another noticeable feature was the fact that, unlike other machines, the Frigidaire remains relatively cool to the touch even with a lot of throughput.
8.4 Design
The Frigidaire EFWC519 is a well-designed machine, its materials are high-quality, and the performance meets high standards. The overall look is somewhat dated, but if the price suits you, that’s a minor consideration.
In the Box
- Water cooler dispenser
- Detachable drip tray
- User manual
Dimensions
9.0 Build Quality
The most stand-out feature of this Frigedaire is its more rounded design rather than the standard square shape. The sides are bare stainless steel, which is uncommon. Considering how little plastic is involved, the machine is surprisingly lightweight.
The hard plastic front panel and dispensing booth do not gather fingerprints at all. One oversight is the sharp edges of the rear metal grate, but an ad hoc plastic cover helps protect careless fingers.
8.5 Panel & Indicators
The working panel of the Frigedaire has a refreshing design. The indicators are placed one above the other in the center of the panel. The color-coded faucets are easy to understand, so there are no additional icons. During our testing, the indicators worked perfectly—to one degree of a temperature change.
8.0 Water Inlet Controls
One noticeable feature is how easy it is to remove the water guard and the water needle. However, you only ever need to remove the water guard when you clean and descale the machine.
When doing so, note that the water separator or baffle fits tightly and securely. It can take some effort to remove at first, but replacing it is relatively easy. With lower-quality machines this can be cumbersome.
Water Dispensers
This older design has two spigot-style taps, each of which operates with a lever. They are color-coded blue and red for cold and hot water respectively. Although the design is a bit old, we like how they can detach for better sanitation during descaling. We detail more about their functionality and use in our ease-of-use evaluation.
6.5 Drip Tray
Perhaps one disappointment is the drip tray and dispensing booth area. It’s really only made for in-hand dispensing, so the tray is quite narrow. Plus, the dispensing area is a little cramped overall and more suited for small cups.
The drip tray is secure and would be difficult for a child to pull out. It doesn’t lift up to remove. You need to apply pressure at the base while pulling; otherwise it will jerk out and spill the water.
Rear Switches
The switches are color coded with clear written instructions. There is also a dial that lets you adjust the cold thermostat by up to 3℃. In our tests we kept this on the lowest setting, but we can also confirm the adjustment function worked fine.
Door and Cabinet
Cord and Plug
In a departure from most, the Frigidaire’s power cord is at the bottom, 4 inches from the ground, and a little shorter than most other machines. The drainage plug is 18 inches directly above, but not a hindrance during descaling.
7.5 Ease of Use
We found dispensing cold water to be easy enough for the spigot design. The hot water safety mechanism, however, was less than ideal. On the other hand, changing the bottle was standard for a top loading dispenser, while cleaning and descaling is relatively straightforward.
8.0 Dispensing Water
With its narrow drip tray, the Frigidaire EFWC519 is designed for cup-in-hand dispensing. The cold water lever is quite flexible and it operates just as easily by pushing up as pushing down. It is possible, however, to accidentally dispense water if the lever is brushed or knocked. The flow rate is comfortable, but not as fast as many button-type machines.
6.0 Hot Water Safety
The hot water safety mechanism is less than ideal. You have to push back and then down. There’s no option to dispense by lifting the lever up. It tends to flip closed easily if you change the pressure on the lever. The dispensing height is fine since the drip tray is not really designed to hold a cup.
7.0 Bottle / Filter Changing
Changing the water bottle on the Frigidaire EFWC519 is much the same as any top-loading water cooler dispenser. The machine height is 41.5 inches to the top of the water guard. The water needle is firm yet slender enough to fit most bottle types.
Although the machine is at least a kilogram lighter than most others, it’s steady while loading and operating. The heating and cooling mechanisms will automatically stop operating if water levels drop too low.
7.9 Cleaning
Keeping the dispensing booth clean is fairly easy since the plastic is not prone to gathering fingerprints. The stainless steel sides can get smudgy, but are easy enough to clean.
In a public or office area with high-volume traffic, it’s best to wipe around the taps with a disinfectant wet wipe at least a couple of times a day. Complete disinfecting of the levers can only be done during descaling.
When the tanks are drained for a full descaling or cleaning, both tap levers can detach and you can disinfect them in a bleach solution.
Removing the top water guard is effortless, and we also found that the baffle or water separator is particularly easy to work with. All you do is align the eye on the separator with the outlet hole for cold water.