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My Kenmore is 20 years old and shows no signs of slowing down whatsoever. It works as good as the day we bought it I love it but it no longer matches anything in the kitchen so I'm on the lookout for a new fridge. I always said I would never buy a refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom, they look like the food would always get lost on the bottom of the drawer. Well, I found a refrigerator I really like b/c it has enough room for a large family, only thing is, the freezer is on the bottom!! How do you like your French door refrigerator? Does your food get lost in never never land??

I a very satisfied with my GE Profile French door model, and after five years I can say that no food has ever been "lost."

I'm confused ~ French doors refrigerators imply (to me) the refrigerator on one side and freezer on the other which is the set-up I have. Had an almond GE French Door refrigerator at the old farmhouse and was delighted to find our sellers had put in a GE Profile French Door here which we bought with the house in 2004 but neither of them have a bottom freezer unit?

Having had refrigerators in the past with a bottom freezer unit, I have to say that I much prefer side by side units. With bottom freezer units, food did tend to get "lost" plus they were a pain. The French Door concept (as I understand it) is much better; never "lost" any food yet!

First, I will say I do not have one of those units. But only the other day, I was in a Lowe's and looked at several brands just for grins. I know for certain I would never be happy with the arrangement. I'm in my 60s now, and the food at the bottom of that freezer would be the same as sitting on the floor. It's that low. Because I now lose food in the bottom of a too-deep vegetable crisper drawer (which is 18" higher than the bottom of the freezer drawer would be), I can't imagine accessing anything even lower. My back could stand the bending now, but certainly wouldn't for the lifespan of the unit. And if a package of food were lost in there, it would mean having to get down on my knees to find it. Getting back on my feet would not be an insignificant challenge, even now, let alone in my 70s-80s.

Besides that, each of the brands I checked had a shape to the top front of the drawer that overhung the area where some of the food would be, hiding some of it from view. Hard to describe, but you might understand if you look at one.

If you're over 40, think carefully about how you'll have to dig around at floor level for that food.

I've looked at them, too, because I hate the narrow shelves of my side-by-side. I'm not as excited about the bottom freezer, but I might be willing to deal with that to get the wider shelves for the refrigerator. One thing I noticed when I was looking was that some brands have deep shelves on the door to hold a gallon of milk, but then the regular shelves are not very deep. That configuration would not work well for us. I mention it just so you are aware of it.

You are talking about a french door bottom freezer. Having a french door refrigerator with a bottom freezer is different from having a regular refrigerator with a bottom drawer freezer.

I've had a bottom freezer for about 40 years and I have a bad back. You have to decide if you want to stoop to get the stuff out of the frig or out of the freezer. I pick the freezer because I use it less often; I want the refrig stuff at more eye level where I won't waste food.

We have a top freezer here in AR and I use the crisper drawers on the bottom to hold medicine and baking supplies because I cannot get down there a couple times a day to get vegies out. This really cuts down on my storage space in the frig. At least we are close to a grocery here.

I have not looked at the new ones so I cannot speak to current construction.

P.S. Idaho, what you are referring to a commonly called side x side. Marketing is currently calling a French door one where the top refrigerator unit has 2 doors and the bottom freezer has one.

I love the freezer on the bottom. Food never falls out and hits you on the head!!!

I have the French door style and it works fine...BUT I also have a second frig in the basement! I would not have the French door type if it was my only frig. It does not accommodate large dishes, platters, etc. It is fine for a lot of small stuff.

IR, I call yours a side-by-side. Just a difference in wording, localities, perception...

I always had a top freezer (growing up and first home) until DH and I married 15 years ago. I gladly left my avocado green appliances in my house when I rented it and moved into DHs house with it's side-by-side. A turkey or large ham would not fit in the freezer. We left it in the house when we sold and moved...

When we moved back to my hometown in 2004, I purchased a bottom freezer and absolutely love it! Food does not get lost in it. There's a shelf for the icemaker bucket and small things with a pull-out basket below...just takes a bit of organization. I am in the refrigerator more than the freezer...to me this configuration just makes sense.

French doors have a bottom freezer. The entire top section is a two-door refrigerator. I hope mine lasts until... but appliances are not made like they were. I will keep the bottom freezer and will have to decide on a single door refrigerator or a French door setup...

BTW I read somewhere that unless you use a lot of milk, you do not want to store your milk in the door - it does not stay as cool as the main compartment because whatever is in the door is swinging out into the room temperature...something like that.

I always thought I wanted one of these fridges till I looked at one in Home Depot lately. the freezer looked so deep and wide and wide the other way too~ don't know if it really would suit but my friends and family who have the regular fridge with freezer bottom, love them.

Having been either in or around construction most of my adult life...french doors are side-by-side and come open at the center for both.
Top/bottom doors are DUTCH doors.

I have a fridge w/bottom freezer. I love it. We drink tea from gallong jugs 24/7/365 and having those lower in a fridge w/top freezer was always a pain. I don't loose anything in my freezer but that may be because I know what is in there...and I have 2 big freezers so it isn't where I store a week's worth of food either.
There is also another advantage...since cold goes to the bottom the freezer stays colder when it is on the bottom...less energy used also.

I've had side by side refrigerators for a while and detest them. Can't fit squat in there. No way I could fit a turkey over 10 pounds into the freezer. I'll be looking for a different configuration when the time comes. Don't know just what yet, of course.

...type "french door refrigerator" into a search engine then look at the photos...

This is the one I'm thinking of, nice and big.

http://www.kenmore.com/kenmore...eezer/p-04672063000P

quote:

Originally posted by Grapefruit:
I love the freezer on the bottom. Food never falls out and hits you on the head!!!

This really made me laugh - thank you!

I love the freezer on the bottom. When I moved into my new house, I wanted to take my old fridge with me. I bought a basic freezer on the top just to tide me over, and within a few years bought a new bottom freezer model. It doesn't have French doors, so I can't comment on that, but because I'm short, I can't see into the top freezer too well. The refrigerator portion is used more, so everything is close to eye level. With the bottom freezer, once everything is frozen, it can be tossed around, rummaged through, stacked sideways, and yes, things get "lost" occasionally, but it's easier for me to kneel down and push things around at floor level, than to try to find something almost over my head. I think the other thing is the bottom freezer basket slides out, making things more accessible.

I have had all three -- bottom freezer, top freezer and side by side.

Of the three, I prefer the bottom freezer and my latest bottom freezer (the first fridge we bought was also a bottom freezer) is WONDERFUL!!!

The freezer SLIDES out so you can see everything and yes, some things are WAY down there -- but if you had a fridge -- those crisper drawers are WAY down there as well. Let me tell you, I get in the crispers a lot more often than I get in the freezer!!!

Because of my kitchen arrangement I had to have two doors on top -- and I adore that as well.

It's a nice wide top to accommodate big things unlike the side by side which often was not big enough to put a pizza in and . . . with a side by side you had to crawl on your hands and knees to get in BOTH freezer and refrigerator.

But that is me -- I was in my 20s when I got my first bottom and I'm WAY older now. I liked it then and I like it now.

And actually, in my kitchen, if it didn't pull out I couldn't have it -- my kitchen won't accommodate a door that big opening out.

My vote is for a bottom freezer.

But, what I would do is go to a big box store like Lowes or HD and just look at the fridges. Open them like you're getting something out of the freezer and crisper and fridge and just see what works. PRETEND that something is way in the back at the bottom and see if you think it's easy to get out.

It's not a true test but I think a good test!

Martha

My daughter in law has a french door fridge with freezer below. She loves it. It is true the freezer is lower, but the fridge shelves are higher and easier to reach. She opens the fridge many more times a day than the freezer, so that occasional time she has to really dig deep in the freezer requiring a deep bend in the knees is very seldom.

quote:

Originally posted by KeepYouInStitches:
...type "french door refrigerator" into a search engine then look at the photos...

I did! Thank you. I don't like those. It's too much like a side by side & one door is always in the way! Mine is a "dutch door" w/bottom freezer & I love it. It's the second one I've had...had one years ago.

We're in our 60's too and as I said to my husband, this will probably be the last one we buy so I want all the bells and whistles. We got the largest capacity Samsung with French doors on top, freezer on bottom. For the first time in our lives we can see at a glance what's in the fridge as it is well lit and everything at eye level; also enjoy ability to rearrange shelves if having a party etc. What I really love is we got the automatic ice maker which sits just on the upper left over the freezer which just pulls out. Easy to get ice; easy to see what's in there; mine has compartments including a upper freezer shelf so don't find it to be a problem at all....and I too have a bad back. I just bend from the waist to take something out...the ice isn't a problem. I do however still have a small chest freezer in the basement for large items like turkeys, baking, things I've stocked up on. Just bring them up as needed.

When I bought my old Side x Side--I got a big one and still love it to this day. I do have an old refrigerator in the basement (1980-top freezer). My side X Side is wide enough for whatever I want to put in there and in the freezer I can slide a normal sized cookie sheet (for chilling some things I make) onto the shelf.

CONSUMERS REPORT says the French Door type is third worse for saving energy (lower you electric bill?) First is old type, second is side xside and third is French door.
I was looking at them at Lowes and would not swap my 14yr old Kenmore for any of them as I love seeing my frozen food and my fridge is very efficient for food storage!

But as my dad used to say, "Some like chocolate and some like Vanilla".

Our French door fridge came yesterday and already I love it! Our other SxS was 26 cubic feet and this one is 31 cf so it has a lot more room. My concern of the freezer being on the bottom is no longer a concern, it has a bin to hold extra ice,3 pull out shelves which vary in depth which makes it very easy AND convenient to separate items according to categories... all baking items on one shelf such as flour, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. Big bottom for meats (can hold a huge turkey) and other big bulk frozen items, and the upper shelf, the smallest of the 3 for 10oz packages of frozen vege's such as spinach, broccoli, OJ, etc. The upper part of the fresh food section is massive and while my 26 cubic was full when I went to transfer all the food, this one has plenty more space available. I would say to anyone with a big family or frequent house guests, or one who just likes to have a lot of cold supplies on hand, this refrigerator is perfect!

quote:

Originally posted by Florida Farm Girl:
I've had side by side refrigerators for a while and detest them. Can't fit squat in there. No way I could fit a turkey over 10 pounds into the freezer. I'll be looking for a different configuration when the time comes. Don't know just what yet, of course.

You must have a small refrigerator, because I can fit a 20# in my side by side.

My side by side has plenty of room for turkeys, etc. There are different sizes. The ice maker is in the door, which frees up a lot of room.

A friend of mine has the freezer drawer on the bottom, and finds it too heavy when it's well stocked.

This is funny because I actually did an experiment when reading this thread a few weeks ago. I have a GE Profile side by side that I really like and was moving our Thanksgiving turkey from the garage freezer inside to the refrigerator to thaw. It was 17 pounds plus and fit easily into the bottom meat compartment. And it was delicious ~ the left-overs are now in the freezer side of the side by side!

PS. Glad you are loving your new refrigerator, Spanish Revival ~ let us know how the bottom freezer works out.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Idaho Resident,