I had a side-by-side years ago. I hated it for the same reasons you do. Bottom freezer is the only way to go, IMO. It's great having everything at eye-level in the fridge compartment, shelves wide enough to hold the occasional platter, etc. etc. Mine is a Sub-Zero, so also counter-depth. I like being able to see everything I have without rummaging to get to the back. Don't know anything about Electrolux, but you will love the bottom-freezer, counter-depth configuration!

thank you, wa8b! Really appreciate your input. I do think I will like the refrig portion. There is more space in there that meets the eye. It's the freezer I am most concerned with. I will be going from 8 cu sq ft to about 6. I am concerned about the disorganization that seems invitable with the freezer on the bottom. I do think that just having a wider freezer, despite that it is less space will prove to outweigh the cubic space issue.

How do you feel about the organization aspect in the freezer? Also, I do not like ice/water dispensers, so I am going with the icemaker only which is housed in the freezer (taking up more freezer space). Do you feel like you need a second fridge/freezer to back up your subzero?

Freezer has never been a problem, but then I don't really buy frozen food beyond ice cream. Mine is mostly filled with leftover soups, stews and sauces that I freeze in meal-size portions. I've never liked through-the-door dispensers, but I do like the ice maker in my SZ, although it does hog a good bit of space. The SZ freezer has a shallow upper basket (with ice maker) and a deeper lower basket. Both are on full length extendable glides allowing complete access. For my needs, I have adequate freezer space, so I don't find a need for additional freezer space elsewhere.

I love my bottom freezer on my LG French Door. My reasons are that I no longer have anything go bad in the freezer since I can reach everything and see everything being that I am not quite 5 feet tall. I love how I can line up all my TV dinners on one side and meat, fish and frozen vegetables on the other side. I keep the ice-cream in the pull-out wire bin on top, along with leftovers that I froze. I wish I had a counter depth refrigerator since I have problems reaching way in the back and would prefer a less deep refrigerator. But I still love how I can keep milk cartons on the door and they stay cold, place for my soda and water bottles, place for my fresh vegetables and cheese, etc.

Some threads that may help...they contain discussions about SxS vs non-SxS, bottom vs top freezer, FD vs 1-door, etc.

Thread: Do you love your french door fridge?

Thread: Pros and cons of Single Door vs. French Door Frig?

Thread: Bottom Freezers...Do You Have a 2nd Fridge or Freezer?

Thread: Hiding the Refrigerator Carcass

Thank you, very much...all of you! And thanks buehl for sending me these threads. I am going to get my coffee and start reading. I must be doing something wrong, because I did a search before I posted my question, and nothing related came up. Wrong search info I am sure. This is great. Thank you again!

kpowers, I have had my GE Profile bottom freezer frij for 2+ years, purchased from a local independent. I also had produce freezing in the drawers. their repair guy came out and found that the air wasn't circulating properly between frij and freezer section because insulation was missing from the long vertical strip at the back of the frij section. they replaced whatever the thingamabob is called and problem was resolved.
having ALWAYS had top freezers, I was not sure I'd like the bottom freezer, but I love it. it's not just a deep pit; there is a sliding tray, so you CAN get to stuff at the bottom. I didn't want an icemaker so there are 2 trays of cubes and you pop those into a drawer beneath the cube freezing area. it works for me. if you're big on ice it probably wouldn't satisfy.
my frij has one big door, rather than 2 and I like that.
all in all I wouldn't go back to a top freezer. good luck with your choices!

"If the freezer on the bottom is such a "Better" configuration (like my appliance salesman claims) why have refrigerators had freezers on the top for the past 50 yrs?"

In old icebox's, it was much easier to add ice onto food inside the box than to lift out all the food, set the ice in, then put your food back in. This created a colder area at the top of the box. Therefore, refrigerators borrowed this design despite the impractability of bending your knees every time you needed something from the bottom of the unit.

Few people get into their freezer as often as the refrigerator. Hence, the modified design with creezers on the bottom.

I'm another hater of the bottom freezer (and stupid french doors). Why would I want to bend over or have to sit on a low stool next to a freezer drawer to ferret out a hiding box or bag? And going back to bending ice cube trays and having the cubes fly all over! No thanks.

My grandmother bought a bottom freezer fridge back in 1959. It was a novelty, but I never did like trying to find things in it. And it hardly held any food, very small.

I'm a practical kind of gal, so you'll find that many of my pros/cons focus on practical reasons.

I'm a bottom freezer fan, having top and side-by-side before. Currently working on appliances for a new house and going with another bottom freezer. All just my opinion...

I spend much more time in the fridge than freezer, so it's smart design to put the fridge on the top for easier access. Either configuration requires you to bend, but bending for freezer items = bending less frequently than bending for fridge items. I'm about 5'11 and DH is 6'4 so we'd do a lot of bending if the area we accessed most was lower. :)

Maybe this is just hooey, but bottom freezers also seem intuitive based on simple thermodynamics. Heat rises, cold sinks. So it seems natural that the part you want the coldest stays on the bottom, and the part you want warmer stays on the top. I don't know if there's actually an energy efficiency factor here, but it sounds good!

Side-by-side, let me count the ways I detest thee. Even with our very large model, I had to angle a frozen pizza to get it to fit. That wasted SO much space. I also don't like vertical freezer arrangements. "Cold sinks" thing again... you open a bottom freezer, the cold kinda stays put - contained. You open a vertical freezer, the cold instantly pours out. You can see this happen if you watch the condensation trails when you open the freezer.

I find it much easier to organize the pullout/mobile bottom freezer bins than to organize the stationary/prescribed arrangement of the top freezer I had. We won't even talk about the SxS.

There are two categories of things I freeze: flora and fauna. :) Coincidentally, there are two primary bins in the bottom freezer. Perfect for me. And a tray on top, for anything large, flat, or needing a home.

Our first bottom freezer was a single door model. Our next will be cafe doors. There's something terribly handy about cafe doors to me. I don't have to duck & sway out of the way to open the fridge, the doors are shallow enough that I can stand still. I only have to open half the fridge, keeping that much more (even if it's just a tiny bit) of cold in the fridge where it belongs. I find it easier to organize - I know what's on what side, whereas with my single door I open it and do the "stand and stare" trying to find my item.

I guess it was on another thread, where a poster had put a picture of their FD, bottom freezer fridge. It did not take a "Mental Giant" to see that they would have to open both doors to get at those compartments in the middle, Chrisper, or whatever it was. Somehow I think more cold is gonna escape when you open 2 doors, versus one? I get into my freezer enough, and I'm probably older than most here, so there is NO WAY, I wanna do all that squatting /stooping, cussing, etc etc to find something in that freaking bottom freezer.
We have a 48 S/S and we love it!!!!Period.
Frozen pizzas it in without fanfare.
I like having things, that I use often, at a convenient height in both the fridge and Freezer.
I could live with a top freezer again, but after having this large S/S, it's by far the most convenient fridge we have had in our 60+ years here.
Unfortunately one does hafta have the budget as well as the space for this width, if you don't, were it me, I would buy the Top Freezer Model.
These with the FD's and the freezer on the bottom will ultimately end up only satisfying your Chiropractor(Spelling -cant spell it cause dont need him) and your Lectric company---they love all that cold air that escapes when both doors are opened!!

Gary

I had a french side by side, hated it for the same reason as yours. Then thought bottom-freezer was way to go, now I hate it just about the same as the side by side. Stuff has to be stacked inside the compartment be it top-mount or bottom-mount. But for bottom mount, you'll have to bend over to access the stuff. I guess it depends on your needs. For me, I find myself needing more to access the freezer than what would have been the lower compartments of the fridge in a top-mount. My next one will definitely be a top-mount, although aesthetically I find a bottom-mount more appealing. My 2 cents. :)

Thank you everyone for your input, truly. This site has saved me from going over the edge (completely) :) So incredibly helpful. I failed to mention, that I currently have a 36" sxs that unit is going to go to some other lucky person when I am done with it. I would not say that all sxs's are evil. Only the 36" versions, or smaller. A wider version of sxs's such as a 48, like yours Gary, or larger, eliminates many of the issues we have with the more narrow sxs. That said, I have also been considering the Electrolux twins (all freezer/ all fridge) combos - each are 32" wide and really appeal to my sense of order. However, my new kitchen I am designing only has 40" aisle where these big boys would be placed. The fridge side would open up into the aisle and at some point, block traffic. But I'd still have room to open the door wide, take out what I need, and put it on the peninsula directly across from it. A great landing area. Wondering...does anyone have a single door fridge or freezer that opens into a traffic area/aisle? (I know, I am probably breaking a basic design rule here in even considering the combos, but, sometimes we need to go through the thought process and gather feedback from others until a final decision is made.)

If I were to do it again, and I won't, with 2 of us we just don't need the fridge/freezer space, I would follow your last train of thought. Get a separate fride and freezer, sometimes called Twins. To me, at least, this would be , "The Best of Both Worlds"
Good luck on your "Continuing Decision"
Hope I didn't come off "Too Negative", but "per Your Post"
I just wanted to help you see the story from a "Different Perspective"!(The "Con Side") (LOL)

Gary

Hi Gary - you didn't sound AT ALL negative! I so appreciate your input, and everyone else who has responded. It's really helping me to arrive at my final decision. I want to hear all comments, positive or negative. That is the only way to weigh everything and arrive at an informed decision....and in the end, I may still regret my choice...who knows! ;)

"Maybe this is just hooey, but bottom freezers also seem intuitive based on simple thermodynamics. Heat rises, cold sinks."

Yes, this is exactly the hooey my salesman gave me. However, in a refrigerator, if you allow the "heat to rise", you get a temperature gradient in the fridge compartment like I described in my previous post. Traditional refrigerator design with the freezer up top lets the compressor power the freezer, while gravity chills the refrigerator and keeps those temps relatively constant.

As I said, it was an successful design for over 50 yrs. If it weren't, it wouldn't have lasted so long. Bottom freezer fridges may be more convenient for those who don't use the freezer part much, but don't kid yourself that it is a more efficient configuration. Like many consumer products, it's mostly about marketing, and selling more stuff to those of us who like to be on the vanguard of fashion, even if our older appliances still work.

It comes down to personal preference and what you need more of, really. You're bound to squeeze a few extra cu. ft. of freezer space out of a side-by-side, but it'll be a tad harder to fit bigger, bulkier items in both the refrigerator and freezer cavities (assuming both fit a similar/same width). Some people enjoy the convenience of the double doors, though, as opposed to accessing the freezer on the bottom of a bottom-freezer. When working with cabinet depth/built-in refrigerators, you're limiting yourself even more as to how much you can fit in a side-by-side refrigerator (you'd have the standard shelf-width with bottom freezers).

I'm personally partial to French door refrigerators; they're like the best of both worlds (but not quite).

I have a disability which makes it difficult for me to stoop. I have used "regular" bottom freezers and found them very difficult. I have ordered the Lebh....(however you spell it) with the 2 bottom drawers thinking that it would help with the stooping issues. It is being delivered next week.

Kenmore elite trio. Lots of light in the freezer. Have not had to through out anything because it got lost or has freezer burn. Now I can see and find everything easily. Put smaller items in the top basket drawer and the larger in the bottom. Because I can see everything very little time is spend with the freezer open.

corky1_2008: Is the Liebherr you ordered a built-in or freestanding model?

Avesmor...you described exactly my thoughts/feelings/experiences! We're also a tall family...ranging from 5'10" to 6'6" and still growing. None of us have an issue w/bending down to access the freezer drawer.

Our bottom freezer drawer (1-drawer model) has 4 compartments... Deep bottom drawer the entire width of the refrigerator,
Middle shallow drawer the entire width of the refrigerator,
Ice maker + ice cube bin on top, and
Deep drawer on top (next to the ice maker).

The bulkier items fit in the top or bottom bins/drawers and the shorter items (like meats, rolls, "keep cold" things for coolers) fit in the middle drawer.

As to crisper drawers...no, you only need to open one door to open them (at least in my GE Profile refrigerator)...one one each side...smart design! The only time I need to open both doors is to access the meat/deli drawer...it's the entire width of the refrigerator...which is OK b/c I don't access it nearly as much as the crisper drawers or the rest of the refrigerator.

You do eventually get to know where you store things in your refrigerator...we rarely open both doors b/c we all know the milk, OJ, & Jam are in the door on the left; butter, condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish, etc.), BBQ sauce, maple syrup, etc. are in the right door; fruits are in the left crisper drawer; veggies are in the right crisper drawer; eggs, other juices, etc. are on a shelf on the right side; etc.

"you get a temperature gradient in the fridge compartment like I described in my previous post"
...Previous post:
"where dairy products on the top shelf sour before their BB dates"

First...the "temperature gradient" you describe applies to any refrigerator/freezer combination & configuration!

Second...the location/configuration of the compressor(s) (2 in many cases today) is(are) different in bottom freezers than top freezers, at least CD refrigerators, so your reasoning does not apply.

Third...my dairy products last at least 7 to 10 days past the sell-by date whether in one of the doors, top shelf, or bottom shelf...so I have no idea why you're having so many problems. What temperature do you keep your refrigerator at? That may be the real issue.

As to top vs bottom... In a top freezer, you can't "bring the items to you" since they aren't drawers...you have to reach all the way inside and dig around.
With bottom freezer drawers, you don't have to "stoop" to access anything...that's b/c they're bottom drawers and pull out. You would only have to "stoop" if they weren't drawers (like stooping to access a base cabinet that has stationary shelves instead of drawers or roll out tray shelves.) But, they're freezer drawers...so no stooping! You pull out the drawer or bin you need, get what you need, push it in, and you're done!

Why has the top freezer configuration been around so long...well...

Factories are setup to manufacture them in the top freezer configuration......so it costs more to make something different like a bottom freezer configuration......which means it costs more to make a bottom freezer......which means bottom freezers cost more......which means fewer people will buy them (most people, especially in the past, look at price first and convenience & efficiency as very distant seconds & thirds)......which means there's a higher demand for top freezer (cost)......which means there's less incentive to re-tool for bottom freezer which means......(start at the beginning!)

Just b/c "it's always been done this way", doesn't necessarily make it the "best"...it just makes it habit, familiar, etc. Obviously, just b/c something is "different" or new it isn't necessarily "best" either...but since people have varying degrees of comfort w/change (and most people don't like change at all...especially as they get older), people generally stick to "what they know" rather than trying something new.

In the end, it really comes down to your preference and how you feel about what you currently have (and, to some extent, how comfortable you are w/change)...

If I had it to do over and I had the room, I would probably go w/an all-refrigerator/all-freezer pair (24" freezer & 30" or 36" refrigerator). But, I don't have the room for 54" of refrigerator/freezer space (or even 48"), so it wasn't really an option for me. I have a 36" wide, cabinet-depth (CD), french-door, bottom freezer refrigerator.

Here's how my freezer generally looks (I actually have a lot more in the drawers now...they're packed):

All three drawers:

Bottom bin/drawer:

Note: ice cream fits in all three drawers.

Middle drawer:

Top drawer:

Yes, we eat a lot of broccoli! LOL!