i have one of their mini fridges and am trying to sell it on craigslist..

i would never buy a bottom frig..when you open it you lose all your stored cold air..and it has to re cool all the air every time you open it..

they don't get very good energy ratings.

side by sides are the best..although they aren't as wide..in the frig part..i can see the allure of the french door frig..but if you can afford and have the room, get a sidekick..that is a matched frig and freezer that set side by side..both are full size

ronbre, do you mind sharing where you found your info about refrigerator efficiency ratings? I've been researching this a lot, too, and everything I've seen recommends either a bottom- or top-freezer rather than a side-by-side for energy efficiency. I want to make sure that the information I have is correct.

http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/appliances/refrigerators.html

"Refrigerators with the freezer on either the bottom or top are the most efficient. Bottom freezer models use approximately 16 percent less energy than side-by-side models and top freezer models use about 13 percent less than side-by-side."

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/buying-guides/bottom-freezer-refrigerator.html

"The good news is far more efficient, eco-friendly refrigerators are emerging. And this revolution includes the bottom freezer refrigerator, which uses around 16 percent less energy than side-by-side refrigerator models , according to the Consumer Energy Center."

I will be looking forward to feedback on this subject, also, as we will be in the market for a new fridge in the next year or two.

the reason that they say that they use less energy is because cold air drops and hot air rises..however..they don't mention the fact that everytime you open a bottom freezer there is no insulation around it anymore..and all the air flows out into the room, it is visible when you open a cold frig in a moist warm room, you can see it flow out.

it will some in any other freezer as well..but the bottom frig all the contents are pulled out rather than just the item you are removing..all is pulled out into the warm air of the room, if you seldom open your frig and know what you want and where it is and don't have to dig for it..it might be ok..and if you don't have children standing there with it open thinking about what they want to get out.

every time i look at a bottom freezer i creeps me out to see the loss of air and need to recool it all every time it is opened and closed

i have read consumers reports my entire life..but i have also found them to be in error on a very many items..they don't take everything into account..that they should..

it is always a personal choice..but also there is the age factor for me, having to bend over and paw through things in a bottom type or even a chest type freezer has never been something i liked..i like to have things on shelves or at eye level so that i know where they are..no deep bins of piles of stuff..i guess also being an organizational freak it makes a difference too, i want to know where everything is not have something at the bottom 7 years old going uk..

How long does it take to replenish the cold air lost in a bottm freezer? A minute, perhaps two, especially, if the design has the open grates. It's not like you're refreezing everything. The freezer compartment is small and the fan replaces the cold air very quickly. It's just not an issue to worry about. A top freezer will lose nearly as much cold air.

I bought a bottom freezer/refrigerator because I don't need to go into the freezer very often, but the refrigerator section gets used quite a bit. With the refrigerator on top I use the maximum capacity because I don't need to bend down for every little thing. I don't mind placing items in the back because they are easy to see and get to.

I was at Home Depot yesterday and was looking at the bottom freezer fridges. A couple walked up and recommended that I walk away from LG brands. They said when theirs went out, they couldn't find anyone who would work on them. I left and went to Sears and bought a Kenmore. We still see. Seems nowadays, quality isn't what it used to be.

Be careful of the LG bottom freezer units...or any LG for that matter. The ones that I have seen...up close and in person...are made of cheap materials. None of the doors were well made, and the seals did not work well at all.

I like the side by side. The freezer has more shelves (althought narrow) and provide easier access too everything without 'digging' it out.

bottom freezers are not good if you have weak knees or bad backs!

I am opposite. I hate my side /side. IMHO- It is difficult to find things/difficult to store some things & things get pushed to the back--to me the visual access is not good. I have had it since 1999 & it still works great though--it is Kenmore. I very much want a bottom freezer unit & that will be my next purchase-Just a nice sized frig on top /freez on bottom. My DH is in the refrigeration business & he feels okay about it & believe me he ponders everything!

I had a side by side Kenmore in my last house and it was fine. Bought a Kenmore bottom freezer for this new house, it's fine too but you have to dig out your ice, the side by side was more convenient in that way.

A word of caution about LG. There have been posts on this forum that say their customer service department is terrible, in effect they are unresponsive to the needs of their customers.

After MUCH research , I bought a Kenmore French Door w/ice & water in the door. I previously had 3 different side by sides. My last SBS was two years old and ruined by Hurricane Ike. I also had a separate freezer in the garage that wasn't replaced. I discovered that I didn't need a separate freezer due to the extra freezer space gained with the French Door model. The French Door style accommodates larger items that will not fit in the narrow side by side freezer. I love the french door style. The ice and water feature on the outside causes the loss of some fridge space, but I was willing to make that sacrifice.
My first SBS was one of the very first made by Sears, a Coldspot. It lasted 26 years or so. I hope this Kenmore will last as long. (I know I won't last that long)

Side by side must use more energy as Consumer Reports suggested. The one I had blasted hot air all year long. We got a bottom /top combo and the kitchen was much more comfortable to be in as well as quieter with the frig running less. Side by side seemed to never shut off. Freezer was inconvenient as mentioned above with stuff not fitting. I'll never have a side by side again.

We've had the GE Profile french door fridge for 2 yrs & love it. Best fridge we ever bought. Mine is good size & the freezer has 3 slide out shelves, ice maker & bin.
It's never needed adjusting from the day it was installed, runs so quiet, I would check to see if it was on.
Has adjustable shelves & same for door storage.It holds 2 doz eggs on a slide out shelf & there's room for 2 gals on door storage.We'll never have anothe SBS.....hated that.