what's your fridge preference?

[middlehead]

Storage space is a function of which model you buy. There's no way a 27 cubic foot side by side has less storage space than a 19 cubic foot top freezer, and vice versa.

The 27 obviously has more total capacity, but the layout of the side-by-side can make it difficult to store single large items.

I prefer freezer-on-top, or side-by-side as long as the shelves are adjustable. If I'm going to be digging for something it's probably going to be in the freezer, so that on the bottom is not going to happen.

 

[shortylickens]

I like this:
http://www.markhamappliances.ca/product_detail.php?cat_id=134&id=761&brand_id=&size_id=
But its too damn expensive.

Overall I like sidebyside or french. Mostly for convenience but also because those seem to have the larger spaces.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Side by Side with crushed ice feature is my preference.

 

[moshquerade]

top freezer, side-by-side, bottom freezer, or bottom freezer + french doors?

I'm going to be in the market for a new fridge soon (once I move :thumbsup. I really love the idea of a refrigerator with glass doors, but it seems like all the ones I've seen are either mini-fridges or commercial-grade selling for +$10K.

I like a little of the side by side.

Also, your fedora is absolutely gorgeous.

 

[0roo0roo]

supposed to be more efficient with bottom
side to side is fashionable, but the cold air all rushes out and is cramped.

 

[zerocool84]

Side by side sucks. Can't fit large items in the freezer or fridge. I prefer top or bottom freezer.

 

[WA261]

side by side is where it's at

 

[herm0016]

for the same outside dimensions of a side by side and a top or bottom, the side by side will use more space for the divider than the top or bottom freezer. i like the bottom freezers that are a pull out drawer. these are more efficient because the cold air stays in the "tub" that is the freezer, just like the freezer case at the store, it does not all spill out when you open it.

 

[shortylickens]

Side by side sucks. Can't fit large items in the freezer or fridge. I prefer top or bottom freezer.

The only things that never fit are huge cakes or 30 pound turkey's. So which do you have so many of that you never want a side-by-side fridge?

 

[Genx87]

Hate the side by side. When mine conked out I got a French Door.

 

[DrPizza]

I have a side by side and the only reason I don't have room in the freezer is quantity, not size. (hence the 2nd freezer that I use half the year.) I can't think of a thing that wouldn't fit in there, including very large turkeys.

 

[nageov3t]

Hate the side by side. When mine conked out I got a French Door.

why'd you chose the french door over just a run of the mill bottom-freezer?

 

[marvdmartian]

I just recently bought an LG french door/bottom freezer model, and I've got to say that it's pretty nice, and didn't take long at all to get used to it. Once you get your door shelves worked out, you really only find yourself opening up one side or the other anyways, except for (I've found, so far) pizza boxes. :hmm:

The bottom freezer on the LG is nice, too, since it's a removable bin on the bottom (for easier cleaning), with a drawer on top of the bin (where the ice maker is located). I haven't gotten around to running a new water line for the ice maker yet, so I can't comment on how well it works.

I've always been a top freezer person, but I think I'll enjoy my new refrigerator just as much. :thumbsup:

 

[grrl]

The next one I get will probably be a bottom freezer. I have a top freezer now, but it's more useful to have the fridge higher up since you use that about 10x more often.

 

[dullard]

Not sure why people are claiming less space in the side-by-sides. The amount of space you have is pretty much determined by which model you choose.

They say it because it is true. For a given volume of appliance, the-side by-side has the least useable volume for food. This is because the wall between the compartments (and the necessary insulation) is far bigger for the side-by-side than for the top/bottom models.

To compound the problem, you don't get any wide areas for either, so your cramped fridge or cramped freezer feels even more cramped when you need to put in something big.

That said, I vote side-by-side. Don't keep so much crap in your fridge or freezer and the volume issue isn't a problem. And you get all the advantages of eye-height foods and easy access to ice and water.

 

[herm0016]

the french doors are nice when you have problems with the door coming into contact with an island or other part of the kitchen and can not open it fully. my parents fridge only opens up to about 70 degrees before it hits the island.

 

[Dubb]

I dislike side by sides just because they feel awkward to move stuff in and out of...the doors never really get out of your way.

were I buying, I'd go bottom freezer.

 

[sjwaste]

I was skeptical, but we got a french door model recently, based on others' recommendations. Ended up with this:

http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SpecPage&Sku=PFSS6PKXSS

It's great. It's nice to have the full width of the unit in both the fridge and freezer. It looks like the freezer would just be a blind mess to find things in, but it's not bad at all. The door space is deceptively large, too. The shelves are a little deeper than our old side by side had.

This one is actually made by Samsung, but we ended up with the GE Profile variant for a few bucks more because my wife wanted the handles, screen lighting, and color/grain of the stainless to match. The Samsung is a little darker than most SS fridges.

 

[fatpat268]

We have a second full size upright freezer in the garage for the things that don't fit in the small one with the refridgerator.

same here

 

[mugs]

I grew up with a regular old freezer on top, but I have a side-by-side. I prefer the side-by-side. The refrigerator side is large enough to hold a pizza box, and the freezer side is big enough for a frozen pizza box - good enough for me.

I don't see any advantages in a french door. The drawer takes up space in the freezer, and you have to pile stuff on top of other stuff and dig for it. Also, for some reason they seem to be way more expensive.

We have a side by side now. We thought it would make organizing the freezer easier, but it doesn't. Everything is cramped, and not much room. We will probably try a bottom freezer model next time.

I wish the appliance companies would swap the compartments. The refrigerated section should be the smaller half, and the freezer the larger half.

Obviously your needs aren't the same as most other people's needs. Fortunately there is a solution for people like you - chest freezers.

 

[Blayze]

I always had a top freezer until 3 years ago when I moved into my new house and got a side by side. The side by side doesn't fit in the kitchen as well (less room to open the doors, etc...). Because of that the next one I buy will be a top freezer again.

 

[dullard]

supposed to be more efficient with bottom
side to side is fashionable, but the cold air all rushes out and is cramped.

You need to be careful with that efficiency statement. Remember that virtually all fridges pump out the heat through the vent on the bottom (heat from the compressor working and heat extracted by the compressor). Putting the coldest part (the freezer) right next to the flowing hot air is a very inefficient thing. That is why freezers were on the top for years. Most bottom freezer models were very, very inefficient with electricity.

Only in the last year or two have they fixed that problem. So, right now, the electricity efficiency depends strongly on the model. No blanket statement like you made is generally true. Either version may be more efficient.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Bottom freezer with side by side top doors. Same space as top freezer arrangement, less bending because you use the fridge way more. Sentence fragme.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I honestly don't care. We have a side by side and it works fine for us...not planning on replacing it anytime within the next 10 years.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

No real preference. I have a side-by-side Kenmore Elite in the kitchen and a Gladiator top fridge/bottom freezer in the garage. The side-by-side is better overall for fridge storage and compartmentalisation. However, the Gladiator will hold a half of a side of beef in freezer, has a rack that holds a case of beer in the upper fridge, and has a diamondplate finish.