Refrigerators - Side-by-Side vs. French Door

[bfeller]

One advantage of the french door is that I am in the refrigerator the most and I do not have to bend over to find anything. I have bad knees.

I am not in the freezer as much. Once every two days maybe, and that bending over is alot less than when I had my side by side.

 

[tvguy]

Really glad to hear that. Why did you like the side-by-side better than the french door?
Because the things I use most often in either the fridge or the freeze I can put at eye level, so I don't have to bend over

I'm trying to figure out if the reasons people don't like their side-by-sides would be reasons I wouldn't like it. It seems like most are negative about them because they can't fit large items in them. That won't be an issue for me.

One advantage of the french door is that I am in the refrigerator the most and I do not have to bend over to find anything. I have bad knees.
This is exactly why we hated the french doors, like I posted above, we put stuff in both the fridge and freezer based on how often we need them....everything we need most frequently in both we keep at eye level. Never had an issue with frozen pizzas, not that we buy them more than once every couple years, our side by sides always had a slot next to the ice maker for a frozen pizza to slide into
I am not in the freezer as much. Once every two days maybe, and that bending over is alot less than when I had my side by side.

.

 

[mdsoccermom]

Add me to the side by side hate. There is absolutely no room for anything. I can't wait until the day I can get a French door fridge. Though, first, I need to get a new dishwasher and vacuum.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I like my side by side fridge. I've found everything I need to have fits fine.

I can't stock the freezer up with tons of stuff which actually works well for me because I don't have items that get freezer burn then or have things tucked way in the back and forgotten like I used to have with my old freezer on top fridge.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

When the French door fridges came out I knew I had to get one when it was time to replace our old top freezer refrigerator. However, we just ended up ordering a side-by-side because I thought the freezer in the French door one would be hard to deal with. I have bad knees so squatting down, digging through a big deep drawer seemed like a bad idea to me. I'm wondering if I made the right decision. Several family members have side-by-sides and told me I would regret getting it because the fridge is so narrow.

Tell me what you think of your French Door or Side-by-Side.

I have a French door in the basement and a side by side upstairs. Works for us.

We also have a stand up freezer in the basement but it is not used at the moment.

In fact we just recently plugged in the French Door before this Thankgiving because I was elected to make food for a gathering at my sister's. We are going on living in this house for 3yrs in Sept.

I would rather have SubZero but that is just not going to happen anytime soon.

Since you bought the side by side due to the freezer I would say you made the right choice. I prefer the freezer storage of the side by side over the French door freezer.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

We had a side-by-side(high end) and *hated* it. Miserable. When we moved to our new house we got a french door and it is pure divinity. I can't believe how awesome it is and how long we put up with the other one.
I have a bad back and I am very pregnant and the low freezer is no problem. I have a small low stool that I keep nearby in case I need to do any major rearranging when I am putting away groceries. It is unbelievable how much the freezer holds and how you can still tell what you have in there.
Even my mother complained about our side-by-side. I wouldn't even take a free one.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

I'm trying to figure out if the reasons people don't like their side-by-sides would be reasons I wouldn't like it. It seems like most are negative about them because they can't fit large items in them. That won't be an issue for me.

We didn't dislike it at all because of the large item fit. It's the layout of the complete up and down storage. You are constantly bending to grab what you need out of the fridge *and* freezer, and because both sides have to be narrow to be side-by-side, you end up having to place more things back farther into the fridge and freezer. You loose things constantly, even when the frig is clean and uncluttered. Also, because of the narrowness, the drawers and wire shelves in the freezer/fridge are deep and you will not be able to see what you have in there without constantly moving everything around.
If you are worried about a bottom freezer because of knee problems, etc. The side-by-side has bottom freezer and fridge that you'll need to get to. It's just a royal pain.

 

[Disney Doll]

You will regret the side by side with every fiber of your being.
The fridge is narrow. The freezer is narrow.
You can't fit anything into it on either side.
I pray for the day mine stops working. The ice maker just broke, so it is on its way out.

 

[wdwmom2]

You will regret the side by side with every fiber of your being.
The fridge is narrow. The freezer is narrow.
You can't fit anything into it on either side.
I pray for the day mine stops working. The ice maker just broke, so it is on its way out.

Ha Ha. Our water supply is leaking. Seems to be when ice is being replenished. Is this enough reason to replace it?!?!?!?

I want a French door sooooo badly!!!

I have to agree with the posters that say side by side is so narrow that you loose things. Once things go to the back, you never see them again!! It's like a blackhole in the refrigerator!

 

[beaucoup]

Niether.
French doors require 2 hands and I've usually got something in one hand already.
Side by sides are just horrible in my opinion. Both sides 2 narrow. Nothing ever fits and you're always moving something to get something else out.

I vote: Freezer drawer on bottom. One fridge door on top.
I have a bad back and love this set-up.

My dad replaced their fridge with a side-by-side without consulting my mother. I hate that thing and she does too. I have a super skinny linen closet I hate for the same reason. Can't get to anything.

 

[dejr_8]

You will regret the side by side with every fiber of your being.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

French doors require 2 hands and I've usually got something in one hand already.

No you don't. Why would you need two hands? There is no reason to open both doors at once. Open one...if you need to see something or a bigger opening to put something in...open the other with the same hand. LOL

 

[Zandy595]

You guys are hilarious. I've never seen so much hate for an appliance. I really do hope I'm an oddball and like mine. I'll let you know what I think when it finally arrives on the 21st.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

You guys are hilarious. I've never seen so much hate for an appliance. I really do hope I'm an oddball and like mine. I'll let you know what I think when it finally arrives on the 21st.

Well, you asked!

 

[ZachnElli]

My mom has had her French door fridge for about a year and she hates it. Now my dad stands in front of the fridge with 2 doors open and just stares!Drives her crazy! Also, she has a drawer in the fridge that she has to open both doors to open that drawer and she doesn't like the freezer, it's hard to organize. I've never had a problem fitting pizza boxes or turkeys in my side by side, I guess mine is really big? if I could have any fridge it would be a subzero, we had one once but it was one that the outside matched cabinets so it had to stay when we sold the house.

 

[mickeygirl14]

Another vote for the French door. We bought our current house almost 3 years ago and I said from the day we put an offer on the house that the side-by-side fridge would have to go. Unfortunately, finances kept preventing it. Every time we had company stay or I had to cook a "normal" size meal, I screamed and cursed that thing. Every time I came home from the grocery store, I screamed and cursed that thing. About 3 months ago, DH bought me a French-door, similar to what I had in our old house. LOVE it! Whoever invented a side-by-side refrigerator should be drawn and quartered! I hope you have a different experience, but might be worth looking for an inexpensive fridge to keep in your garage or basement so you don't have to scream and curse.

 

[Zandy595]

Another vote for the French door. We bought our current house almost 3 years ago and I said from the day we put an offer on the house that the side-by-side fridge would have to go. Unfortunately, finances kept preventing it. Every time we had company stay or I had to cook a "normal" size meal, I screamed and cursed that thing. Every time I came home from the grocery store, I screamed and cursed that thing. About 3 months ago, DH bought me a French-door, similar to what I had in our old house. LOVE it! Whoever invented a side-by-side refrigerator should be drawn and quartered! I hope you have a different experience, but might be worth looking for an inexpensive fridge to keep in your garage or basement so you don't have to scream and curse.

My mom asked me if I was going to keep my old fridge to put in the garage. We like to have both cars in the garage and there's no room for the fridge. I've never felt the need to have an extra one. Besides it would have to work so hard, it probably would break down after a while. It gets REALLY hot in our garage with the door closed because we have a metal door and the sun beats on it all day. We are only a family of 3 and I grocery shop at least twice a week. We don't have a basement.

 

[zurgswife]

Absoluetly love my French Door with freezer on the bottom. I can get just about anything in my fridge. My mom had a side by side and as I remember there were very few items that would fit.

The freezer has nice glides and isn't really difficult to access. I have a really bad hip and I don't find it difficult to reach in a retreive my items.

 

[zurgswife]

Niether.
French doors require 2 hands and I've usually got something in one hand already.

Just saw this post and don't understand. I have a french door and you don't have to one more then one door at a time. And they are very easy to open.

 

[Tinkh]

Hate, hate, hated the side by side. Our house had one in it when we got it and we quickly replaced it. We had the whole extra frig in the garage too. Neither is a side by side! Hate them that much lol. We have the one door on top and freezer on bottom. It is wonderfully designed!