(I've written about my new fridge a lot.. sorry to repeat.. but since you asked...) It is important for me to mention what our last fridge was. A TINY apt sized Hotpoint that has a single fridge compartment and freezer on the top. The thing worked, never gave us any problems the 12 years we used it, but... it was very deep, things got lost in there, and the produce bins were on the bottom so I literally had to get down on my knees anytime I needed something from them. We didn't have a landing sopt next to the fridge, at all, so I would put food ON THE FLOOR as I took it out of the fridge. Major PITA. The freezer compartment was a box with no shelves, so stuff was literally just stacked up in there. Total nightmare. Anything had to be better! With that said...now we have a GE Cafe CD FD and we absolutely ***love it***. We are only 2 people, no kids. We find there is enough room in the fridge for all our stuff. No longer do I need to get on my knees for veggies, the fridge part being up so high is a major convenience I can't believe I ever lived without. (and we now have landing space on either side!) I can't really compare the CD version to a regular fridge cause we've never had a regular fridge... but I can imagine the CD maybe being a little too small for larger families. For us, it is perfect. I never ever get annoyed about having to open both doors. I'm happy to have the 2 doors to open!! The freezer is roomy enough for us. As someone else mentioned, how often do you even have to open the freezer, really? Maybe some people more than others, but I'm guessing there are some days I never open it once. The ice machine is in the freezer, but we don't use a lot of ice. People seem to complain a lot about GE appliances. I'm not a huge GE fan or anything, but it turns out that 3 of the appliances in our new kitchen are GE (Cafe Fridge, Monogram DW and Monogram Micro), and so far each of them has performed exceptionally well, and they all look great to boot. My sister has a Kitchenaid FD fridge (not CD) and not to be men, but the interior of the GE Cafe fridge is much nicer looking than the KA. So, in short, the CD FD fridge is working out wonderfully for me and my husband. We love it. Think about your family size and how you use your handing. If you are often carrying a baby, maybe a side by side is better.

Hi there - I could have written this request!! Thanks for posting it...I joined Consumer Reports for the month because of all the purchases we'll be making, and I also was looking at the KitchenAid fridge. After looking at the reviews, I'm shying away from that choice. Now, we're looking at Samsung...and I'm also thinking of Bosch, though it has ice/water in the door which I don't really want. Another possibility is the GE Profile 23 cf, though it won't be available until August.

I purchased a new KitchenAid counter depth side by side (72" tall, 36" wide) back in 2006 because at the time it was the largest capacity I could find in a counter depth (24.5 cu ft). In the 6 years that we've had it, it has work fine in regards to cooling and keeping proper temps. But we have had the mechanical ice maker replaced 3 times under extended warranty. The fridge area is 15 cu ft and fits everything in it just fine. Our issue is with the freezer compartment on the left. Even though its 9 cu ft, it is very narrow in width, which makes it difficult to get a lot of larger items in the freezer. It has 3 shelves on top and 3 baskets below it, so we keep frequently used items on the shelves since that is at arms length, and packaged meats/chicken in the lower baskets. We've been thinking if we ever replace it, to get a french door, but it would still have to be a counter depth, so it doesn't stick out as much as standard-depth units. So far, the only CD FD on the market that has the largest capacity is from LG. Even though it has good reviews, we hate the position of the water dispenser. A friend has a similar LG FD SD, and we've used the water dispenser and don't like it. We've seen the new GE PFE29 FD model at homedepot and prefer the ice and water dispenser on it. But that one is a SD, though they will have a CD model out later this year. I share your concerns about having the freezer on the bottom, but most of the time we are in and out of the fridge, which would be on top. The benefit of having the freezer on the bottom is what its full width and would be easier to fit larger items in it than with our current side by side.

I made an offer to the local Monogram dealer. They will call me back by Saturday. It has to be passed by management. I hope I get it; since they don't stock my refrigerator and it a win-win for them. Just a lot of bureaucracy. I don't need it right away. I will post what happens.