What are the Better French Door Refrigerators?

[SplashMo]

What are the Better French Door Refrigerators? I am looking for a French door frig. Freezer on the bottom and side by side on the top. What are the good brands or models to look for?

 

[Swimalie]

My parents just re-designed their kitchen and, although my dad is a GE retiree, they got the LG french door. They liked that the ice in the door was so much smaller than the GE. The only thing I don't like it about it is the water dispenser. It's awkward for my water bottle. Other than that, I really like it as well.

 

[Gracie09]

At my previoud house I had a kenmore that I really liked.

 

[cruisers5]

I love my Samsung French Door regrigerator. Has ice and water in the door.

 

[FEmpire]

With a bit of research, we went with LG. Samsung also has good fridges, but you definitely pay for the name and LG are near identical.

 

[ImDMous]

We also have a Samsung that we love. It was the floor model so it was a good deal as well. It's about 5 years old and no problems so far.

 

[disneymomto5]

Having just had a refrigerator repair problem this summer I thought I would add my thoughts. I have a Kenmore (which is an LG). I do like it but after 2 years the compressor broke and it's been a heck of a time getting the part, getting fixed, etc. Now, the good news is that the compressor on the Kenmore has a 10 year warranty so it was fixed for free. The bad news (according to the repairman), is that the compressor (which never used to break) has been breaking alot in refrigerators in the last few years. I asked him what he would buy given what he sees in the field and he recommended a Whirlpool. So, my next one may be a Whirlpool or make sure the compressor has a decent warranty.

 

[AJKMOM]

We got a Kenmore Elite, and liked it a lot until about a year ago when it started to collect ice like a glacier on the bottom of the freezer. Every week, it pushes ice onto the kitchen floor, and I have to chip out about 1/2 inch.

 

[DVC96]

I have an LG French door refrigerator that has been nothing but trouble. I've had 10 service calls from mid March to July. They replaced a temperature sensor 4 times, the motherboard and the main vent between the freezer and refrigerator. They were just about to declare it irreparable but insisted on replacing the sensor again and it's been working now for about 3 weeks. LGs can be difficult to get service on - other than the major national repair company, there was no one in my area that would service them (and I live in a major city). That was something I didn't think about when I bought it - I just assumed every company would service them. Something to consider when you decide which brand to buy. We also have an LG dishwasher that has also been trouble, also only 4 years old. I have to admit, I do like the styling of both of them, though!

 

[wekhogan]

Another vote for Samsung.

 

[Ladcassidy]

Samsung models are on sale this weekend -- planning to order one from Home Depot.

 

[luvthatduke]

We will never buy another LG or equivalent again.
We wanted a freezer on the bottom,
and thought the French door on top was the way to go.

Motherboard and compressor broke shortly after
we had the new fridge about a year.
When the service guy came he said that 18 months
was considered OLD for refrigerators!
He told us not to expect it to last long.
We're thankful we purchased the 5 year warranty,
because now, 18 months later , it's making
the same loud grinding noise when the compressor kicks on.
So, they will likely be replacing the same part,
which requires major labor to take the back and bottom apart.

Also, the top latches broke on each door within a few months of each other.
Note, these were not hinges - they are latches that keep
both French doors from popping open.
When we called for the previous service
we were told that if the service person determined
they were not covered we would have to pay for the service call!
I described the latches to the rep and demanded to know
just why they didn't have prepared list of uncovered parts,
because we would not be giving them any money.
She put me on hold, came back on and said that the parts
would be covered, as I had described them.
However, the service person who fixed the other problem
told us that the latches would put us over some pre-determined
cap on the amount the warranty we purchased would cover!?
We were instructed to wait 30 days and then call the rep again.
Service person said, "Don't say latches, just tell them your
doors aren't operating properly."

Sorry for long post, but I wanted to share our experience thus far.
Like I said, never again will we put money out for an LG.

FYI - we bought the shorter version to fit our cutout in the kitchen.
We were told that it's the same as larger versions, just shorter.
I don't know... I have my doubts.

 

[dminnie]

I love my Samsung French Door regrigerator. Has ice and water in the door.

Key word there: IN the door. It is so nice to have a nice smooth finish OUTSIDE the fridge. No mineral buildup on the fridge from drips of water. No ice falling from the automatic dispenser onto the floor, making the floor slippery. The water is inside the fridge part on the side and the ice is on the top shelf in the freezer compartment. So many of them have the ice/water outside the fridge. It was hard to find models without that, but that still had filtered water. Samsung fit the bill and we liked how it was configured for other things as well.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Samsung as first choice, LG as second choice. Between my parents and I we have 3 LG's and one Samsung refrigerator ranging from 8 years old to 1.5 years old. All work wonderfully.

 

[mrsstats]

My Samsung does not keep soda cold enough for our taste but it meets their guidelines.

 

[kymom99]

I live in the house I grew up in. I am 48 years old. The fridge we have is the same one my parents bought when I was a child. It is probably inefficient, but we have not had any problems with it in years. I often think about getting a new fridge, but reading the accounts of people like you all here tells me to hang on to what I have.

And a repair man saying 18 months is old for a refrigerator is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. We had a side by side in the basement of our old house. It is at least 25 years old. Years ago, it broke and a repair man came and got it running. He told us though that it wouldn't run much longer because something was majorly wrong with it. It is still working fine.

 

[jrw118]

I have a kitchen aid counter depth French door with water inside and ice maker in the freezer I have had it for a year and have been very happy.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

I've had an LG now for about 5 years. It freezes items towards the back of the frig. We've had it serviced several times,but the problem is never solved. Last week my husband was emptying out the ice and noticed a crack in the ice bin.

One repairman said that the model we have was one of LGs first refrigerators and that the first models weren't very good. Still, I would never buy another LG frig again and almost look forward to this one permanently tearing up so that we can get another brand.

 

[luvthatduke]

snip: And a repair man saying 18 months is old for a refrigerator is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

I'm the one who posted this originally, and I totally agree!
My DH and I were astonished when he said it,
but he was being sincere - I guess trying to warn us
about the lemon we bought.

 

[Kasper1014]

I have a GE French door fridge with water and ice maker on the door. It's about 5 years old now and I've never had any problems with it.