Shopping for a New Fridge

We have a kitchenaid w/ the freezer on the bottom and french doors on top. It's GREAT for large items in the fridge b/c it's so wide!!! The freezer seems small, but we don't store too much in there, so it's ok. I love it!

I have a french door fridge with the freezer on one half - it came with our house. I am finding the halves too narrow for a lot of things and wish I had a fridge with a freezer drawer in the bottom and french door fridge on top so the storage spaces are wider. I do love the ice/water dispenser that uses PUR filters - the water here is terrible.
My water dispenser thing is black - hate it - hard water spots and mnieral deposits build up and are nearly impossible to clean and they show really bad against the black. Ours is a Whirlpool Gold series - 3 years old so far with no maintenance issues.
You may consider subscribing to ConsumerReports.com to get a comprehensive comparison that is unbiased. I use it for everything we buy over $50.

Do you have a Sears outlet near you? We bought a brand new Whirlpool Gold
Side by side with Icemaker in the door for $800 with a scratch on the side (that our trashcan covers). The next week we saw the exact same one ON SALE at Lowe's for $1900. Whatever fridge you decide, look for a Sears Outlet to buy from!

Ours is a Kenmore elite. It is over 4 yrs old now and going great. We bought it when the french door/freezer on the bottom was just regaining popularity/availability, so ours only has water on the door. Ice is in the freezer. That isn't usually a problem, but ice can spill out the back and down behind the drawer, so you have to fish it out to get the freezer to close properly every once in a while. It's not a big deal. I loved the ice in the door on my old side-by-side though. But, that said, it was the thing that broke first on my old Amana. :(

I would prefer to have a bigger freezer, but really, what we have is pretty large with the bottom freezer. If you use freezer space alot, having a 2nd deep freeze option helps alot. I will say this about the side-by-sides... I NEVER had room for frozen pizza, and it was ALWAYS hard to find anything in the freezer. The fridge wasn't so bad, but if you had a casserole, it could be hard to squeeze it in there. Usually only one shelf for tall things like OJ containers, and milk. With my french door one, it is SO much easier to fit these items. And to SEE what is in there. Even to CLEAN. Because it's all waist height or above.

I think the bottom drawer freezer ones are usually more energy efficient as well. I've never had a problem with any Kenmore appliances. And this fridge is no different. One thing to be aware of though, that I wasn't, and that is that if you get one with a filter for the water dispenser... it has to be changed, (duh), but the cartridges aren't cheap. Mine goes thru a cartridge in about 6 months, and they cost about $50. So when you are doing your comparisons, price the filter replacements also. They may all be about the same, I don't know. 'Cause I didn't think to check... but they might not be either.

We moved into our house 2 years ago in July and I had major issues with my stove already and now my refrigerator. They are Jenn-Air products and I do not recommend them. As we speak, I have not had a refrig. for 2 weeks now. It is still under warranty, so they are sending a replacement, but of course they are taking their good old time, no hurry for them.. Luckily, we have a backup fridge in the garage, but every time I need something, I have to go to the garage an get it, and I have a 2 yo and a 9 yo..So, I would avoid Jenn-Air, espiecally because if something does go wrong, trust me, they take their time fixing it for you. Good Luck!!

LG makes a couple of French-Door Models. I really like this brand. We have the LG Steam Washer and Dryer and are saving up for the LG French Door refrigerator.

Also keep in mind that Lowes has a "lowest price guarantee".

Good Luck :)

Hi K.,
I have the Samsung french-door 29 cu ft model, and I love it! I did extensive research and found this to be the best on the market that I could find. You can also get them at Best Buy and Sears. Our local Sears Scratch and Dent has them on occassion also, which can save over 50% on it. I would look around some more. When I researched it, I only found positive reviews, but then, it was still pretty new at that time. I have no complaints about mine, and would buy it again in an instant!
Update: After I read the other post, I remembered that there are 2 different kinds of french door models. Mine is with the freezer on the bottom with the two french doors being for the refrigerator itself. Sorry!

We purchased a White-Westinghouse refrigerator a year ago & are pleased with it.

Personally I would not buy a Samsung. I was told when looking for a new fridge that you need to consider the makers and what they specialize in. Samsung makes one of the best televisions out there but they are low ranking when it comes to a refridgerator. Frigadaire is one of the best ones out there. I went with a new Frigadaire from Lowes just a few months ago. The reason I went with that brand is because my Dad in MI still has my old one that is now over 50 years old and still working great. Of course the newer ones are built cheaper and not made to last as long. Also, we choose not to have the water and ice on the outside. I know to many people that have this and are always having to call the repair man to fix issues with it. We opted for a ice maker in the freezer instead. I was told by a mechanical engineer that is a better route to go. Hope this helped.

I have a side by side with a water/ice dispenser. I hate it :( I thought I would like it. There isn't enough room for anything. However, if I were to get a new fridge I'd get the side by side fridge with the bottom freezer. Luckily we have a deep freezer for back up if needed. The ice maker won't release ice so I have to open the door. Grant it the fridge/freezer is going on 12 years old but it stopped working about 3/5 years ago. The water works so it helps with the kids open the fridge door. When they were little they pushed the buttons all the time.

I will never buy another frig that doesn't have French doors. I love not bending over every time I want a glass of milk. I use the freezer much less and absolutely love the frig on top.

As for brands I think every person likes and dislikes different things so it really comes down to what features you want.