Need fridge help

[TwoBees]

DH and I have been slowly saving to buy a new fridge. I had my heart set on having an in-door water and ice dispenser. Well, it turns out that there are very few fridges with in-door dispensers that will fit in the space of our current fridge (width). However, it seems that French-door fridges (side-by-side on the top, bottom freezer) actually offer more cubic feet of space in the same width, but don't have in door dispensers (at least not in our price range). Would you choose a slighly larger French door fridge with no in-door dispenser, or a slightly smaller side-by-side fridge with an in-door dispenser.

Note that both would have ice makers, just not in-door water and cubed/crushed ice dispensers. We also currently have a water cooler and bottled spring water, which we would be getting rid of if we had an in-door dispenser. The cost of the bottled water is not the issue, I was hoping to make more space in the kitchen.

[mikala]

We went from an in-door dispenser to an old fashioned fridge in our last move and it hasn't really been an issue. The in-door dispensers aren't as energy efficient and can attract unwanted attention from visiting children. They also take up a lot of door space. In your situation I think I'd go for the larger fridge and look for other options for water filtration. Maybe consider installing a reverse osmosis system or some other filtration at the sink?

http://www.ehow.com/how_7180697_hook-up-reverse-osmosis-systems.html

[liz]

I didn't get the in-door water dispenser because I felt it took up too much storage space on the door that I really needed. I have a french door/bottom freezer with built in ice maker. We use a Brita pitcher for our water, which works well for us.

[TwoBees]

I didn't get the in-door water dispenser because I felt it took up too much storage space on the door that I really needed. I have a french door/bottom freezer with built in ice maker. We use a Brita pitcher for our water, which works well for us.

Where is the ice maker located in a bottom-freezer fridge? Is it easy to access?

[ray7694]

We had a GE profile that was top freezer with ice maker and an internal water dispenser. I now have a double sided with external water/ice maker and miss my old one terribly.

http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SpecPage&Sku=PTS25SHSSS

[TwoBees]

We had a GE profile that was top freezer with ice maker and an internal water dispenser. I now have a double sided with external water/ice maker and miss my old one terribly.

http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SpecPage&Sku=PTS25SHSSS

I had no idea there were internal water dispensers. I'll have to go back and look for that. I'm looking at the picture though and I can't figure out where the water dispenser is. Is it near the ice maker?

[vludmilla]

I would choose a french door refrigerator over a side by side.

[emily]

I would choose a french door only for resale value. That said, I have a french door fridge and I hate the freezer in the bottom. Things just get lost in there and the kids are always opening it up to get ice.

[AnnieW625]

I don't want water I the door because I don't want DDs making a mess. I will most likely go with a bottom freezer because I don't want a sbs and they don't seem to make large top freezer units anymore.

[emily]

I don't want water I the door because I don't want DDs making a mess. I will most likely go with a bottom freezer because I don't want a sbs and they don't seem to make large top freezer units anymore.


Oh yeah, this too. We rarely use our water dispenser but the other morning, I did and DS was watching. I dont think he had ever seen water come out of the fridge before. I could just see the wheels in his head turning.

[HIU8]

Yes, my father has a french door counter depth with the water dispenser inside on the far left. No ice dispenser though--you still have to open the freezer and pull out the ice tray to get ice. The only thing I find odd about my father's set up is that the water flow is slow which means you have to have the door to the fridge open longer--I feel it wastes energy that way.

I have a side by side with water and ice in the door. It was a middle of the road fridge. The water line has frozen 2x in 7 years. There is a lock on it so my kids can't use it unless I unlock it. Next fridge i get will be french door but still with water and ice in the door. I really like that feature.

[kara97210]

I don't want water I the door because I don't want DDs making a mess. I will most likely go with a bottom freezer because I don't want a sbs and they don't seem to make large top freezer units anymore.

:yeahthat:

In our last place we put in a french door fridge with internal water dispenser for just this reason and we really loved it. We moved earlier this year and now have a side by side. I can't stand this configuration, it's impossible to put anything large in either side. It's almost impossible to get a pie plate in the freezer. It feels like the worse use of space. I can't wait to replace it.

[PunkyBoo]

I love our french door fridge. It has a water dispenser in the door and an ice maker in the freezer. DH and I don't use ice that often (the water comes out cold enough and we don't drink soda), so when we do, it's no big deal to open the freezer and grab some out (or pull out the whole drawer-full of ice for a cooler or party). Our water dispenser has a lock on it (I believe most do) so the kids won't make a mess with it. Punkin and Boo both figured out very quickly that gettting squirted in the face with very cold water isn't much fun, so we only lock it occasionally.

[liz]

Where is the ice maker located in a bottom-freezer fridge? Is it easy to access?

You just pull out a top drawer in the freezer - very easy. I love icy drinks and I love the amount of ice it makes. FTR we have the Samsung (roughly 1600$, but we paid less)that is top rated in Consumer Reports. I am pretty happy with it.

Oh, and the best part....it is stainless-like, so no fingerprints and it is magnetic!

[crl]

I deliberately avoid in door dispensers because they are the thing most likely to break.

Catherine

[tiapam]

I have never seen this mentioned before but I think the water and ice dispensers are a bad idea due to germs. And I am not a germaphobe! But I cringe when people refill a cup they already drank out of - either using the cup to push the lever and if not then their hands. And then the next cup gets pushed up against it, etc. I may be scientifically off but it still bothers me. So I don't like dispensers. I would get the French door fridge.

[karstmama]

we keep a cup in the dispenser area just to dispense into. besides the potential germ thing, tall cups don't fit & glasses have broken in there, so we use a big squat plastic cup.