French Door Refrigerators vs Side-By-Side Refrigerators
Who knew that refrigerators would be such a hot topic on this site?! Not me.
Much like toilets (here, here and here)... you learn as you go. And I'm simply sharing what I've learned here on this site -- so maybe others can benefit from this information.
One thing's for sure (if you haven't already figured this out)... any time I spend a good deal of time researching something that's house-related, I almost always share that info here on this website. I figure, if it took a lot of my time to research & gather the info, then perhaps it will save someone else from having to put forth so much time researching the same thing. That, or maybe there will be one or two nuggets of info that will generally apply to everyone.
Anyhoo... here's what I've learned about side-by-side vs french door refrigerators.
Side-By-Side vs French Door Refrigerators
One thing that I've recently had a change of heart about is my desire to have a refrigerator with french doors, rather than a side-by-side unit like we have now. I had practically convinced myself (and my husband) that we needed a bottom-freezer unit with the french doors on top.You see my biggest "complaints" about our side-by-side refrigerator are:
- I can't store enough food in the freezer.
- Those 1 or 2 times a year that I want to store large platters or trays in the fridge, I can't because the shelves aren't wide enough.
See for yourself how much stuff people are storing in refrigerators of all shapes & sizes!
Why I Prefer Side-By-Side
After playing with all the different refrigerators in the stores the other day, I think I prefer a side-by-side unit for the following reasons:#1 The door closes automatically (or easier, more naturally) on a side-by-side unit. With french doors, one door usually gets "hung-up" on the other and it simply pauses & won't close all the way -- not without an extra push. (Some french door units have an extra revolving door guard which helps the doors close and keeps out the air better. If I were to get a refrigerator with french doors, it would have to have this feature.)
#2 The long, thin plastic bins used for storing vegetables, etc.in the french door units seem flimsy -- especially those which have an "auto-opening lid" (when you pull out the drawer, the lid automatically opens at the same time). Too much free-moving plastic just says "That'll break!" to me.
#3 In the french door units, those pull-out drawers tend to be wider... yet they don't have any better "glides" to help the longer & wider drawer pull out easier. I know in our current side-by-side unit, those plastic drawer bins tend to "catch" a bit when you're pulling them out -- rather than gliding perfectly. (It's just the nature of sliding plastic on plastic.) So, trying to slide an even wider drawer would seem even more awkward (read: more likely to break, especially if you tug too hard in one direction when attempting to open or close the plastic drawer). Call me stereotypical... but just about every man and child that I know tends to be rough on things, and taking the time to pull out those drawers slowly and carefully (or sliding them back in without force)... is NOT likely to happen in this house!
#4 The freezer capacities on french door units are even less than the capacity in side-by-side units! Bummer. And just how often do I need to store long or wide items in the refrigerator?... Not often. So I think a side-by-side refrigerator meets our needs best after all.
Well, I DID buy a french door bottom freezer unit to replace my 23 year old side by side. I wasn't unhappy with my side by side other than it wasn't keeping things cold any longer but I LOVED the look of the French Door. I thought there would be a ton more room in the refrigerator area and I knew the freezer would be smaller but didn't need that much freezer space. Here is what I have learned from using experience on the french door.
1. Not anymore room in the french door than a side by side in the fridge.
2. Yes, doors get hung up and don't close and if you leave quickly you won't hear the alarm going off. YES, we did and the refrigerator sat open for who knows how long.
3. The freezer is impossible to organize. It's just a big open space and unless you have everything in a box shape to fit. Well, just say, I don't like the freezer space.
4. I did not get the ice in the door because I thought it took up too much space in the refrigerator (not to mention costs and energy efficiency was bad on that model) Well, we hate not having the convenience of the ice in the door.
5. My model had shelves that pull out. Thought this feature was so amazing but because I have a family of 5 and I tend to pack a refrigerator it hasn't turned out so well. Everytime I pull the shelf out something falls off from behind.
6. Maybe because I'm used to having the side by side and with smaller spaces to organize. I feel like the french door is too easy for items to get lost. Keep in mind that I have a ton of stuff in my fridge. I lost door space even though I didn't have the ice maker. I have another 30 to 60 days to get used to it but I'm 95% sure we'll return it and get a side by side. My sister bought the french door model with the ice maker in the door and she loves it. No complaints at all but.... She never liked her side by side and she does want to be able to do the big platters (twice a year) and she likes the look. So, I guess it's just preference but you don't really know until you use it. So, since I did actually use it I hope my info helps someone in the future.
I was thinking of buying a bottom-freezer French-door unit to replace my current side-by-side refrigerator/freezer, as soon as it gives me a good excuse to. Even after reading your appraisal, I still may. But I'll certainly be watching out for the issues you mention and factoring them in. Thanks.