Who has a bottom mount refrigerator?

[MrsMud]

Meaning, the freezer on the bottom? Our frig. is getting ready to give up the ghost, and so I am refrigerator shopping. I saw a beautiful Amana bottom mount with icemaker and water dispenser, but when it came time to order it, my husband decided it was too expensive So, now in order to fit in the price range that HE thinks is acceptable, I either have to give up the ice and water, or go back to a top mount. My first instinct is to forget about the freezer on the bottom, and just get the ice and water. But I really want the bottom mount, too. What do you think? For those of you who have bottom mounts, does it make that much of a difference? My husband is also concerned (somewhat justifiably) about my 5 year old standing in the freezer drawer to reach something in the frig, and breaking it. Oh, I don't know what to do!

 

[snuggles]

I grew up with the freezer on the bottom. I hated it so bad that when I got my own fridge I didn't even consider it. Everything you wanted seemed to be in the back corner of the freezer which meant you had to get on your knees and almost crawl in. The ice was a problem for me too. (especially since I was the one who got the ice every meal)

 

[SplshMtn99]

The only experience I've had with one was my-inlaws. It was an old one at their summer camp.

The bottom was a drawer. I had never seen one before. I thought it was convenient to have the frig portion at eye level. I can see how having the lower freezer portion as a door ---and not as a drawer --- a pain in the neck. But if the bottom was a drawer... I think everything would be easily accessible.

I've considered one for myself when the times comes. I don't like bending over to see what's in the frig.

 

[MrsMud]

Thanks for the quick reply, Snuggles. I can see how tha would be a problem. Fortunately the new bottom mounts have either a drawer that pulls out with two adjustable wire bins, or a door and then pullout bins so you don't have to get down on the floor to see what's at the back of the freezer. It's all very accessible. What I see as the benefits of a bottom mount are 1) it's much more energy efficient, and 2) I am only 5'2" and often have a hard time seeing what's at the back of my freezer.

 

[Mskanga]

Have you considered the side by side? they come with water and ice dispensers too. I don't know what your price range is but the home depot sells them for about $700-800 .

 

[JohnTBap]

We had one and I LOVED it! I am in the fridge much more than the freezer. I wanted to get one this time around, but it was more than we could afford to spend at the time. If I was able to, I would have gotten one again.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I didn't know about these until just after I had bought a top mount earlier this year. I would LOVE to have one! I want my main section at eye level. I'm not in the freezer much, so having it on the bottom would be perfect. What I hate most are side by sides. When I was a kid my parents always had a top mount. When I got an apartment and had a side by side, I felt lost! LOL! It seemed like so much less room.

 

[SuiteDisney]

We have a bottom mount and I'll never go back! I love it. Everything is so convenient in the refridgerator and you use the frige a lot more than the freezer. We didn't get the icemaker because our well water is too hard. I just talked my parents into a bottom mount for their new house.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

We have a side by side but I saw one of these in the appliance store and I would LOVE to have one! The side by side refrigerator is too narrow, everything is always lost in the back. The drawer concept really seems to make it work.

 

[DonnaS]

I love my bottom mount freezer. It is so much more convenient. We don't have the icemaker and water dispenser as I've always heard those are the first things to go out on refrigerators anyways.

Definite thumbs up on the bottom freezer!

 

[CathyCanada]

I love my bottom mount! I would never buy a top again. Like Sandy said, I am in the top so much more, so I am not bending down to get things, everything is at a convenient level.

We don't have the ice or water, so I really can't speak to that.

CC

 

[KathyTX]

For those who like the idea of a side by side, but find the freezer too narrow, have you seen this one?

I bought this one about a year ago, and I love it! See the little zig-zag in the door? The freezer is narrow at the top, wider at the bottom. So part of your refrigerator is wider, and part of your freezer is wider. Also, most of the shelves and baskets pull forward so it's easy to get to the stuff in the back.

I love my Wide-by-Side! (And I love having ice and filtered water in the door!)

 

[Loubon]

Bought the Amana (without the ice and water) and love it.

I read somewhere the average person goes to the fridge 10 times to every one time to the freezer.

That was enough for me. And in Stainless steel it looks sharp. A little $$$ but how often do you replace a frdige? Last one was over 10 years old and we just got sick of it!

 

[Kermit]

I keep hoping that our fridge will die so that I can get a wide-by-side. It's less than 4 years old though, so I don't see that happening. I may have to use a bat.

I like being able to put stuff I use less often on the bottom, both in the fridge and the freezer. In our regular side-by-side, the bottom of the fridge is the meat and produce drawers, so I don't have to get in them very often anyway. Plus, since they're drawers, you never have to really crawl on the floor to get to the back of the bottom. The bottom of the freezer is also a drawer. That really makes things much more convenient.

 

[Towncrier]

I keep hoping that our fridge will die...

Be careful what you wish for. Our fridge died in 1997 while we were away on a 2 week vacation. You cannot imagine the horrible smell in our house when we returned.

But I know what you mean. I could not wait for that darn Kenmore fridge to die. It had to be repaired twice in its 12 year of life. It was less than a year old when the compressor died (the first time). And the darn thing was so noisy.

So we replaced it with a bottom mount (Kitchen Aid) just like the one that my sister owns. We love it. Since we are in the fridge part more often than the freezer, having the freezer on the bottom isn't a big problem for us. Besides, we have a huge freezer in our basement, so more often than not, we are running downstairs for frozen items anyway.

I will never go back to a top mounted freezer.

 

[tigercat]

I have looked at them but I don't think I would ever buy one. I am 4'8" tall and the top part of the fridge would be useless to me. Since I don't get into the freezer as much it doesn't matter and when I do I use a small stool that is kept in my kitchen.
tigercat

 

[robinb]

I have a bottom freezer model and I love it. However, the OP's DH has a point. My 3 year old DD will climb into the refigerator to get something on the top shelf .

 

[Mamu]

My DD just purchased one and she loves it. I have a side by side and hate it. Can't wait to replace it with a freezer on the botton. The new bottom mount ones are awesome.