skip to main content

Need help choosing a refrigerator

13 years ago

I have been looking for several weeks at various stores in my area for a refrigerator. I looked at Consumer Reports and have read the reviews I could find on the models I liked. I am trying to buy one with the french doors and the freezer on the bottom. We are building and the cabinet guy is ready for my appliance measurements and I only have one thing bought! Do you have a frig. you love? One that makes enough ice for 6 cups at a time? I have 4 kids and one of the complaints I keep reading is not enough ice being made in thoes freezer on the bottom models. If you have any recommendations I'd love to hear! Thanks.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

maks_2000
13 years ago
We purchased the Kitchen Aid French Door, Counter Depth, Bottom Freezer last fall & are very happy with it (KFCS22EVMS2SS). It is 72 inches tall so a little taller than the other CDs on the market & gives a little more interior space. We do not use lots of ice daily, but feel the ice maker seems to make ice regularly & faster than our Maytag Performer. It seems to stays full (includes a scoop)and I'm sure when the tray is full we can definitely fill 6 cups from it with plenty left over. What I can't tell you is how many cycles it will take to make enough for you & how long those cycles are. Good luck with your decisions.
chac_mool
13 years ago
You might look at the Samsung #238 model, available at Lowes (not sure if its exclusively there now, or not). It is a counter depth french door bottom freezer fridge with two ice makers (one through the door; the other's in the freezer). [An otherwise similar model, the #237 (available elsewhere) has just a single ice maker and might not make enough for you.]

Mine looks nice, but its still in my garage waiting patiently to be installed "real soon now" -- so I can't comment on reliability and stuff like that, yet.
Related Discussions
Help Me Choose A Refrigerator
Q
Comments (9)
I would go with a Fisher Paykle. I absolutely love their fridges. They are resonably priced and look so good. After a year of headaches, a friend of mine ripped out her LG and replaced with with a FP. She raves about how much nicer it is. They have a french door bottom freezer model with ice and water. Mine is single door, bottom freezer with ice/water.
...See More
Help choose an under counter integrated drawer refrigerator
Q
Comments (5)
I have Marvel 24". I chose it because it seemed to hold more than any of the others. I use it for produce, but also wine, juice and milk. It works very well. And it's true that you can put tall bottles upright in the lower drawer. As far as I can tell it holds temperature fine, but I haven't measured. The produce stays fresh as well as in my Miele fridge. Cons: It's true that it is noisy, especially when it's first cooling down. It doesn't cycle on that often, and in a busy kitchen it's not bad, but in a family room or similar it might be too loud. Also, the gasket on the lower drawer is kind of puffy and it doesn't line up quite right. I'm sure I could get someone out to try to fix it, but I've had too much else to do. Or I might be stuck with it. It's no big deal. Just a minor irritation. In a more prominent location it would be another story. I agree with Lascatx on the Perlick reputation for quality.
...See More
Need help choosing refrigerator for new build
Q
Comments (5)
I have vouched for Liebherr before for a couple reasons, design and build quality are fantastic and energy efficiency is one of the best on the market. These are also all true counter depth refrigerators. If you're looking at going green and wanting a high end fridge go with Liebherr. For sizeing and space inside you can also look at a side by side unit, if you have the space for 48" or 60". Looking at a built-in or fully integrated refrigerator will never give the space a freestanding unit can give in equivalent sizes. You can also mix and match your side by sides to max out your options, ice maker/ full fridge/ fridge freezer, allowing you to decide how much or how little refrigerator or freezer you want in your kitchen. Warranty wise subzero and Liebherr have the best on the market, up to 12 year sealed system warranty. Do a little research into failure rate, i know Liebherr has a less than 2%, not sure what Subzero is. But if your budget allows for it, definitely go for one of those two.
...See More
Nee help choosing counter depth french door refrigerator!
Q
Comments (21)
I've had the 72-inch high, 22 cu ft Architect II KitchenAid counter-depth fridge for about 2 1/2 years now. It has its quirks but you get used to what you have and learn how to work around the little things. For instance, you need to be careful about putting things in the back of the top shelf because it's a little colder back there and I've had yogurt that was sitting against the vent freeze. But once you know that you just adjust your storage habits. This model is just a little taller than most others we looked at, but I think those extra few inches make it look like a much more high-end piece in the kitchen. The internal water dispenser is a big plus too, it leaves a lot more precious interior space than the thru-the-door models, and to my eye it gives the fridge a cleaner, more classic look. Overall I'm happy with it. There's no rust and it's not magnetic. Stainless Steel takes some effort to keep clean but I'm sure the same could be said for black. It matches the rest of our SS appliances and is no more difficult to maintain than any of the others. I'm not sure what changes may have been made to the model since we bought ours, though. I know there have been some updates to the electronics and possibly the lighting. I see it's also sold in black and white. My specific model is the KFCS22EVMS0.
...See More
lascatx
13 years ago
I have an LG bottom freezer in my utility room and one of the things I was so excited about was having the ice maker in it (last fridge had an icemaker that died long before it went into the utility room, so we never put in a connection). We have 2 teen boys and they are both in marching band. In addition to regular ice for drinks for the 4 of us plus when we have family get togethers (6,10 to 16 people most often), the boys fill gallon jugs with ice and then water for their marching practices and performances 5-6 dyas a week. Our main fridge kept up with one, but with our younger son moving up to high school this year, I wondered if we would ever have ice. The LG has a super ice setting and after we first hooked it up, I was amazed at how quickly it started making ice.

Ours is not FD. The utility room is so narrow that the door shelves would be right in your face and even the smaller door would be something to have to get around. I'm sure the ice maker they use is the same though.

LG did have a problem with one FD model a while back -- the interior lights not turning off. It seems they have that addressed and have switched to LED lights that are more energy efficient and will stay cooler if they ever should fail to turn off when the doors are closed. I read one comment from someone who didn't like the blueish light, but it wouldn't bother me, especially once you have food in it.
totsuka
13 years ago
My friends all bought LG and Samsung and really complained about them. I bought Whirlpool and have not any regrets. You could look at both models and see which appeals to you. I think the LG one had a very nice feature for ice making.
lennym
13 years ago
Lowes also has a Samsung 298 full depth model that has two ice makers. We generally use only the in door one for a family of 4 and we use it a lot and love it. But at party time the bottom one gets turned on too.

Related Stories

DECLUTTERING Downsizing Help: Choosing What Furniture to Leave Behind

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

What to take, what to buy, how to make your favorite furniture fit ... get some answers from a homeowner who scaled way down

KITCHEN DESIGN Stay Cool About Picking the Right Refrigerator

By KitchenLab Interiors

If all the options for refrigeration leave you hot under the collar, this guide to choosing a fridge and freezer will help you chill out

KITCHEN DESIGN How to Choose the Right Hood Fan for Your Kitchen

By The Sky is the Limit Design

Keep your kitchen clean and your home's air fresh by understanding all the options for ventilating via a hood fan

HOUSEKEEPING Choose Your Own Spring Cleaning Plan

By Laura Gaskill

Instead of trying to do it all, pick one of these six cleaning approaches that’s right for you now

KITCHEN DESIGN 3 Steps to Choosing Kitchen Finishes Wisely

By Vanessa Brunner

Lost your way in the field of options for countertop and cabinet finishes? This advice will put your kitchen renovation back on track

KITCHEN DESIGN How to Choose a Kitchen Sink Size

By Jennifer Ott Design

Bigger isn’t necessarily better. Here’s how to pick the right size sink for your kitchen, needs and budget

KITCHEN DESIGN How to Choose and Use Ecofriendly Kitchen Appliances

By Ivon Street Studio

Inefficient kitchen appliances waste energy and money. Here's how to pick and use appliances wisely

KITCHEN CABINETS Your Guide to Choosing Kitchen Cabinets

By Vanessa Brunner

Updating your kitchen? See designers' top choices for kitchen cabinet styles, hardware choices, colors, finishes and more

KITCHEN DESIGN Ecofriendly Kitchen: How to Choose Flooring

By Ivon Street Studio

Conserve natural resources and your long-term finances by choosing kitchen flooring materials with durability and beauty

KITCHEN CABINETS Choosing New Cabinets? Here’s What to Know Before You Shop

By Ventana Construction LLC

Get the scoop on kitchen and bathroom cabinet materials and construction methods to understand your options

Sponsored

The Creative Kitchen Company

47 Reviews

Franklin County's Kitchen Remodeling and Refacing Professional

More Discussions

36” Induction Range — Wolf, Thermador, Bosch, or ???

2

Conventional or Convection Oven?

13

2 bathroom exhaust fans vented together, mold problem

14

Good quality countertop microwave ovens?

4

French door wall oven

0