Which French door refrigerator is best?
Remember the top-freezer refrigerator? Though it’s a mainstay, it’s been joined by other designs, including the popular French door refrigerator. The French door fridge is styled just like French doors. Two side-by-side doors open up, with a separate freezer drawer on the bottom.
In addition to being pleasing to the eye, the benefits of the French door fridge include a spacious, organized layout and room on the doors to store gallon jugs. Our guide helps you choose the best French door refrigerator for your space, including our top pick, Samsung Food Showcase French Door Refrigerator, which is one of the most reliable, quiet, and feature-rich models on the market.
What to know before you buy a French door refrigerator
Size and capacity
A 30-inch wide French door refrigerator is great for small spaces. On average, you still have 16 cubic feet of overall space and a well-designed refrigerator layout that stores plenty of groceries. A medium-sized French door fridge ranges between 33 and 36 inches wide with a generous 20 to 25 cubic feet of overall space. This size accommodates a household of four. Extra-large French door refrigerators may be 36 inches wide, but they’re designed to deliver between 28 to 30 cubic feet of overall space.
Depth
French door refrigerators come in two depths: standard- and counter-depth. It’s this depth — from the front to the back of your fridge — that you want to pay attention to so it fits in your kitchen. Standard-depth models run between 30 and 36 inches deep, from front to back of fridge. A counter- or cabinet-depth fridge has a shallower profile of between 23 and 27 inches from front to back. The shallow profile means the edges of your refrigerator don’t stick out beyond the edges of the counter or cabinet, so it looks like a built-in appliance.
What to look for in a quality French door refrigerator
Adjustable shelves
The beauty of a French door style is the grand width and spacious layout of your refrigerator space when both doors are open. Most brands offer adjustable or flip-up shelves to let you customize your own efficient layout. Having adjustable or flip-up shelves allows you to place tall items in the fridge that you wouldn’t be otherwise able to fit.
Double freezer drawers
Some French door refrigerator models have an extra pullout drawer that is either part of the fridge or part of the freezer, depending on the brand. It’s different than the chill drawer, which is part of the refrigerator’s interior. Some brands let you customize the temperature of the extra drawer, allowing you to convert the drawer from freezer to fridge or vice versa. A second freezer drawer is convenient for energy-conscious homeowners — you can put frequently used frozen foods such as ice cream and popsicles in the space for easy access instead of rummaging around a fully opened freezer drawer. There are even models that have three freezer drawers.
How much you can expect to spend on a French door refrigerator
The larger and more feature-driven the refrigerator, the higher the price. You can find a handsome small-capacity French door refrigerator in the $1,200 to $2,000 range. Slightly larger models with some features range between $2,000 to $3,500. Luxury brands that offer large-capacity French door models loaded with features span a wide range of $3,000 up to $8,000.
French door refrigerator FAQ
How do I decide if I should buy a French door refrigerator or a side-by-side refrigerator?
A. If you use the freezer section of your fridge more than any other section, consider a side-by-side because of the large freezer capacity. If you eat more fresh foods or store large platters or sheet cakes more than you do frozen foods, you may appreciate the spacious and full width of the refrigerator space in a French door style.
Q. How do I organize a French door freezer?
A. French door freezers tend to be one giant drawer, possibly with a divider and separate pullout basket. There are plenty of solutions to organize the freezer. To neaten up the drawer, use clear or white plastic magazine or file holders nestled side by side to hold boxes and packages of frozen foods. Or, head to the home goods store to cull through all the refrigerator organizers that have flooded the market over the years.
What are the best French door refrigerators to buy?
Top French door refrigerator
Samsung CoolSelect Pantry French Door Refrigerator
Our take: A quiet, streamlined appliance that wows when you open the door to all its features.
What we like: The CoolSelect Pantry keeps food fresh for the longest time. Freezing or defrosting food has been easier than ever before. The sleek design fridge comes with sleek edge doors and stylish door handles.
What we dislike: Some shelving at the bottom and side is too narrow to fit any items.
Where to buy: Sold by Home Depot
Top French door refrigerator for the money
Haier Quad French Door Refrigerator
Our take: Compact, slim, and stylish, this quality appliance has a counter depth that makes it look like a built-in refrigerator, a plus for small kitchens.
What we like: The French door design on this refrigerator is different from bottom drawer models, but it lets you have the look even in a small kitchen. The bottom freezer doors open like the top doors to reveal six separate freezer bins, a good idea to keep it well organized.
What we dislike: It lacks an on-door water and ice dispenser.
Where to buy: Sold by Home Depot
Worth checking out
Bosch French Door Refrigerator
Our take: Bosch, known for its top-quality whisper-quiet appliances, doesn’t disappoint with its French door refrigerator.
What we like: The model is basic, but what it lacks in bells and whistles it makes up for in an efficient interior layout, including an ice maker that takes up little to no space.
What we dislike: For the cost, it’s surprising that it lacks an on-door water and ice dispenser.
Where to buy: Sold by Home Depot
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Marilyn Zelinsky-Syarto writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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