Fridges-French door vs side by side? Fake Stainless?

[tny915]

We're in the market for a new fridge and generally like the look of the side by side and convenience of the water/ice dispenser. But I've recently been researching french door models and am wondering if anyone out there owns one of these. I don't know how I feel about bending down to get ice and rummaging through a big bin for my frozen food, but I do like that I get more storage space in my refrigerator.

Also am considering getting the satina finish so I can get the look of stainless steel but still use magnets. Anyone have this?

[asha]

Yup, We have it. Well, we kinda have it.

We have it at home, but has not been installed yet. So, we kinda have it. I have had a bottom freezer for the past 2 and half years. I love it.

We are not too much into freezer cooking. We are completely vegetarian and try to cook as much as possible from fresh produce. We do have some frozen veggies as backup (when I dont have time to cut veggies) This happens about once a month may be. Dont eat too much ice cream and I dont always have ice cream at home. My freezer usage is limited. So, you should take my love for bottom freezers for what it is worth.

I love the convenience of wide refrigerator and not have to bend to get my vegetables from the bottom of the fridge. Never had a side by side, so I can only comment about top freezer and bottom freezer ones.
All my food is right in front of me where I can see and reach easily. This means that I dont forget about something I left in the fridge a month ago, which is a good thing. I have been able to put all kinds of wide things in the fridge without any problem. Platters, pizza boxes, cakes etc etc.

When we were looking for a fridge, I surely wanted a bottom freezer. My kitchen is not that big, so the double door seems more attractive with its smaller doors. Lesser swing - more room for others to walk around in the kitchen.

I also was very keen on satina for the magnets. ALso, the finger prints are huge on stainless steel. I have had the new one in my living room for three weeks. DS is playing with it all the time and I dont see any finger prints so far. So, yeah I think I like it.

The satina looks slightly different from the stainless steel if you notice it. But, I will live with it. We have a water dispenser on teh door and ice maker in the freezer compartment. DOnt plan to use the ice maker.

Cant say anything more about it, since I have not started using it regularly. btw, we bought a Kenmore elite.

[bostonsmama]

We have a side by side Satina finish refrigerator and we love it! I had some very specific features in mind, though. I love the filtered water and ice through the door. You could not pay me enough to fill ice cube trays (did that for YEARS...and it causes more fights than it's worth)! My husband also has degenerative disc disease, so I know he couldn't handle bending down to get things out of the freezer...and you have so little freezer space with a bottom freezer model (with a drawer it's even worse b/c you have to take the top food out to get to the bottom).

My ILs have a bottom freezer and like it fine, but they also have a huge doored freezer out in the garage, so they only bring in a week's worth of ingredients at time. My ILs were going to get the armoire style you referenced when they bought their BF, but their appliance salesman confessed to them that their company had had a lot of returns and a recent Consumer Reports model talked about seal problems and how they lose air through that gap as the center bar really isn't an affective sealant.

We don't buy any processed "freezer meals" either, but we also only like to go grocery shopping twice a month, so we freeze a lot of our fresh meats, fresh breads, cheeses and other frozen veggies to last us two weeks. And we don't have to bend down to get veggies b/c the drawers can be positioned wherever we want them. There are two hanging strips on the back wall of our Kenmore Elite and you just plug in the drawers or shelves where you need them. We keep our veggies cut up and within eye-line so they're ready to grab/easy to reach. Our fridge space is very wide, but our deli also uses square trays now, so if we ever cater, we're all set.

But not all side by sides are created equal. Our model is 25.4 cu ft loaded with features, so we have a large freezer space than some tiny models, digital temp controls, gallon sized fridge bins, tilt-out freezer bins, acceler-ice maker in the door to free up internal space, a pizza shelf, and clear slide-out bins all throughout so I can see what I have and easily get to it without wasting energy. It's perfect for us. We're also in love with the Satina finish (no fingerprints!!) and magnets stick great all over. Trust me, I have real SS on my stove and over the range microwave...it sucks!

Our model is basically this:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=APPL&pid=04656683000&subcat=Side-by-Side+Refrigerators

Larissa
***Cheers! Here's to better luck in 2006!***

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
-James Baldwin

[Jeanne]

I echo Larissa. I have the same model fridge and LOVE everything about it!

[tny915]

What a coincidence, I was at Sears today looking at this exact same model! But the salesman wrote down the model # and price, and it looks like the in-store price is a few hundred less than what's listed on Sears.com. I'll have to check it out again in the store. Anyway, so glad to know you like it. I'm now leaning more towards the side by side now since we do buy as much prepared frozen foods as we do fresh food, so it's best that we have it all at eye level.

Thanks!

[jenmcadams]

We have the Kenmore French Doors with bottom freezer (counter depth model) in stainless (not satina) and I have mixed feelings about it. The fridge part is amazing -- love the wide shelves, the large tray/deli drawer and all of the space, but the freezer is pretty useless. My bottom freezer is even smalled b/c of the counter depth. Ours only has water in the door (ice is in the bottom freezer)...could be b/c of the counter depth model...I don't remember the options on the normal sized one. For us a smaller freezer was no big deal b/c we have an upright freezer in the garage for costco purchases. If this were my only freezer though I don't think I'd be happy with it

[DebbieJ]

I hate bottom freezers. Had one for 5 years. Like Larissa, said they are smaller and harder to keep organized.

We have a SBS with Satina finish--a Whirlpool (I *think Kenmores are made by Whirlpool). We love it. We can fit gallons of milk in the door, several of the shelves slide out. We have filtered water and ice in the door. Our ice maker is in the door so it doesn't take up freezer space. I love that it pops out very easy to just dump ice into an ice bucket for parties.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

http://www.bfar.org/members/fora/style_avatars/Ribbons/18months-bfar.jpg

[Aunt to sweet baby boy]

My aunt has the french door fridge that you are talking about. The things that they like is having a HUGE fridge space. We love to cook in my family and it is organized very well and there is a ton of space both on the shelves and on the door. My aunt and her family are also very tall so it is nice not to have to bend down to reach into the veggie drawer.

The freezer is very small however. They also have an outside freezer that they use to supplement. If someone took the time after every shopping trip to organize the freezer it would not get bad, but if you just throw stuff in and you do not have time i do not think a bottom freezer would be good. She does not use alot of food from the freezer, it is mostly for the ice!

HTH

Ilana

[bostonsmama]

If it helps, I actually paid less as well for an earlier version of that model (although we had a purchasing discount through the real estate company we used to buy our house). I think it was $1699 without tax, but even $1800 isn't bad for the features.

Quick anecdote: When it was first delivered, I couldn't stop staring at it. That night, while up in bed, I started to miss it and actually asked my DH if we could camp out on the floor downstairs next to the fridge!! I even took pictures in to work to show all my team teachers. It was like a new baby...did I tell you I'm still in love with it? I love the quiet swishing noise it makes when you shut the freezer or fridge door. It's actually *sucking* the warm air out of the fridge so the food doesn't go bad from temperature variations! I heart my fridge.

Larissa
***Cheers! Here's to better luck in 2006!***

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
-James Baldwin

[lmintzer]

We have a similar model from Sears. Although it looks nice, it scratches easily. My boys were putting magnets on it and playing gently, and it still scratched.

[psophia17]

When it was first delivered, I couldn't stop
>staring at it. That night, while up in bed, I started to miss
>it and actually asked my DH if we could camp out on the floor
>downstairs next to the fridge!!

You're making this up - I hope?

[amp]

I can't believe how freakin' timely this question is! I read it to DH last night, after we arrived home from looking at Satina fridges in various models! I am enjoying reading the answers! Thanks for asking!

[amp]

Whirlpool model w/ satina finish is what we're looking at, so it's nice to know you like yours.

Also good to know that people aren't loving the bottom freezer, as we were considering one of those. Seriously, we didn't think we wanted a SBS, but now, after looking last night, we're leaning heavily toward one.

[amp]

Do any of you have the infamous problem of fitting a pizza box, or anythign else in your frige/freezer? It seems that while this is touted as an issue, it seems more of an issue in the freezer than the fridge. The fridges in the SBS's we looked at seemed plenty big for a box, while the freezers didn't, but you can turn a frozen pizza on it's size too.

[bostonsmama]

Many models now include to the pizza cut-out in one of upper freezer shelves. So, yes, you stand the box up on end. Works perfectly every time. The TJs pizzas fit width wise in my freezer, but the Digiorno ones go diagonally or in the pizza spot. And, you won't go wrong with a Whirlpool (they make certain Kenmore appliances...and I'm very happy with ours).

Larissa
***Cheers! Here's to better luck in 2006!***

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
-James Baldwin

[bostonsmama]

I did ask him, but we didn't do it. I guess since my family comes from humble means, we're really grateful for the little things. Heck, the fridge was 1/6th my dad's annual salary growing up. I think we deserve the right to be excited about owning such a cool piece of technology. :)

Larissa
***Cheers! Here's to better luck in 2006!***

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
-James Baldwin

[psophia17]

That's some gratitude...the fridge probably wouldn't have known what hit it ;)

[jgriffin]

DH and I have been thinking about buying a new fridge for nearly a year now (we almost did it before DS was born, but then I chickened out). Actually...I should say *I* am thinking about getting one...DH doesn't see what's wrong with the noisy, >15yo, energy-wasting fridge we have now. :)

I thought I really wanted a bottom drawer fridge, and even did all my Consumer Reports research geared towards this. Then I went to Sears to check them out, and found that I *hated* them! So do make sure that you go and use the fridge in question!!

This is inspiring me to go back to my notes and bring up the new-fridge-subject again. Thanks!

Jen

[Andrea S]

I love the satina finish on our fridge. Our dishwasher is stainless and it drives me crazy there is not way I could handle a stainless frigde. They are not next to each other so I do not notice the difference.


Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02
& #2 EDD 3/28/06

[muskiesusan]

Love it!! All the conveniences of a SBS, but has big, upper shelves for pizza boxes, etc. Would say more, but I hear a kid crying....

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[tny915]

I was also considering the Kenmore Split2Fit model that has a little cutout to allow slightly more refrigerator space up top. Here's the line.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/search.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&verticalFullName=&keyword=split2fit&displayTarget=searchresults

It's $100 cheaper, and features-wise it was similar to the Kenmore Elite model Larissa has but it's not nearly as pretty. Plus it doesn't come in satina.

Larissa, does your model have blue lights in the ice/water dispenser?

By the way, the price the sales guy wrote down for me for the Kenmore Elite was $1,600 flat, but it's only effective till Saturday. It's so hard for me to turn that down, but I'm just not ready to buy yet. Sales guy told me it'll go on sale again, maybe in two weeks. I'm crossing my fingers.

This has all been so informative!

[bostonsmama]

Yes, just checked. The blue light can be set to come on when you use the dispenser, it can be constant on, or off. And the lockout feature is great, too. I periodically do short-term daycare and when I had a 2-1/2 year old boy over, the lockout feature was invaluable...he pushed it ad nauseum. When water didn't come out he even asked, "bwoken?" Yeah...sure...it's "broken." (Insert maniacle laugh) Then he went on to push the buttons on my dishwasher (which doesn't have a lockout). :(

That's a really good deal for $1600. Don't feel pressured into buying early though. Even though the Satina finish is worth its weight in gold, you don't want to hastily buy a major appliance. Good luck deciding!

Larissa
***Cheers! Here's to better luck in 2006!***

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
-James Baldwin

[tny915]

Thanks for checking. So the purpose of the blue light is just to look cool? Just curious, but what setting do you have your lights on?

That reminds me that I'll need a lockout for the dishwater, yet another appliance I'm in the midst of researching. Another post coming soon for that.

[teddy]

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=APPL&pid=04675196000

This is the Kenmore Elite version we have - it's the french door with the freezer on the bottom. In the fake stainless. The water dispenser is in the door and the ice maker is inside the freezer compartment. It's counterdepth also, which is nice.

The freezer is a tilt out drawer that also slides open. It's kind of a pain because everything ends up on top of each other. Sometimes I have to put frozen pizzas in there and they get smashed if they're not pushed down far enough. My waffle boxes are all misshapen. There is a wire basket inside next to the ice maker that holds my frozen veggies.

That being said, I absolutely love this refrigerator. The freezer doesn't bother me too much because I'm only in there once a day or so. We have the matching dishwasher, but it is stainless because they don't make a fake stainless one. Apparently the heat from the dishwasher would warp the fake stainless finish. I can wipe our fridge clean very easily. The black handles don't look weird against the stainless, either.

The OPs have touched on the pros and cons mainly. I just wanted to speak up that we've had no problems with this fridge yet and we bought it in July 2004. If I ever move, I'm taking it with me ;)

I think LG makes this appliance (while Kitchen Aid makes our dishwasher).

[bostonsmama]

I have my blue light set to off. Originally I set it to come on when you push the dispenser leevers, but it was so rare that we used it "in the dark". Almost all of the water/ice-in-door dispensers have a light so you can see inside your cup or pitcher, and I imagine if you didn't have well-appointed lighting that it would help, but we redid ours during the renovation so there's no need. Anyways, it's pretty cool otherwise, and it doesn't look nearly as blue as the picture in our kitchen (if that helps any).

Sorry to bring this thread back up, I would have PM'ed it to you if you had that feature enabled. :)

Good luck finding a dishwasher, too. I'm right there with you. Actually, consumer Reports' latest issue reviews some great dishwashers (with an excellent one for $330 and another excellent one for $550...both Kenmore & K. Elite). We're going to get a new one by this summer.

Larissa
***Cheers! Here's to better luck in 2006!***

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."
-James Baldwin

[tbriese]

if i'm not mistaken, the side by side style offers less freezer space than other s? i grew up with a great friend who had the french fridge and i loved it! i want one. as far as bending down...i know i spend more time in the fridge than in the freezer so bending down would not be an issue for me!

[bunnisa]

We have the same Kenmore Elite as Larissa, only we have the counter depth model.

LOVE the finish on it! It matches our SS dishwasher and range hood, but requires no maintenance except wiping down with a damp microfiber cloth.

However, being that it's a counter depth side by side, we also rely on a freezer out in the garage for keeping large items.

Bethany
mom to one and one on the way!
http://lilypie.com/days/060226/0/8/1/-6/.png
"And children are always a good thing, devoutly to be wished for and fiercely to be fought for."
-J. Torres