in my case I think it's just a matter of personal preference not that there is something inherently wrong with FD fridges. Don't like bottom drawer either b/c don't like bending so low to look for stuff. In my perfect world freezer would be on top. HST, we have French door b/c it's what fits best in that spot. I can live with it.

I have never owned one but after spending a week at my parents who have a new french door, I HATED IT!!! Maybe it's not true of all makes but the doors have to close a specific way so if you need something on one side of the fridge but the other side door is the one that closes first then both doors have to be opened up to get it closed back right. Hard to explain...hopefully not an issue with all french door fridges or I don't know why anyone would want one.

I have a 33" and I like it. I love not having to bend over to get at the things I use most often. Mine (whirlpool gold) does have the issue dcward describes, but I have gotten used to it and it doesn't bother me. Not that its malfunctioning, it has to do with the way the seal between the doors works. Also, I usually have the things in the same spots, so I only have to open one door to get what I want.

Our refrigerator is on a major passageway that is only 48" wide. I wouldn't want a single door opening up to block that space.

Going to a showroom to try out various models should tell you what you need to know.

I like bottom freezers, but not french doors. There's the gasket thing mentioned above, and also I just don't like having to open 2 doors to access the entirety of the fridge. It's personal preference as said above. I ended up going with a french door anyway though, because there were no single door bottom mounts with the capacity I needed.

Like hvtech, I also like bottom freezers, because we access the refrigerator many more times a day than we do the freezer (and I detest side-by-side refrigerators, which are the "worst of both worlds" IMHO). I had a FD in my previous home and have a single door now and I do like the single door better. It's just more convenient to be able to open and close one door than two. You think with a FD you might remember which side the milk is on and only open that door, but in reality, that didn't work for us. Since the single door only blocks the entry while it's open, that just isn't an issue for me.

I went through exactly the same issue when we replaced our b-in fridge last year. We had a single door but the FD would have made more sense. So I went to look.

Turns out there is less door space on a FD. I found the doors clattery and I didn't like that the fridge was blocked if I only opened one. I still might have gone for it thinking I would be used to it over time. But turns out FD was more expensive than single doors by a lot. For me, there was less added value.

Having had a door with a gasket that failed I also couldn't see having even more gaskets with 2 doors, especially in the center.

In the end I went with the single door. It blocks the aisle even more than before. But the door holds all the half-gallon drink containers so I have more interior space.

Both are good options. It's really what you like best.

Unlike others, though, I love my bottom freezer and wouldn't change that. So easy to see everything and I have a drawer on top for smaller things.

I use the freezer as much or more than the fridge. Hence I hate that black hole of a freezer drawer where everything I need gets buried. My mother had the same gripe. She had to pull a stool over to sit on while rifling around to find those peas she needed.

We went from a single door that totally blocked the aisle to a French Door in the old house, then got a different one in the new house. I like them, but I would probably like a single door with a bottom freezer drawer just as well. Old house had a height limitation due to upper cabs and we switched to counter depth, so options were very limited. Pretty much the only one that fit was a Fisher Paykel. I do like it, and it does not have the limitation of having to open both doors or open one of them first.

We do keep things in the same place, because my DH can't see things if they are not where he expects them to be. Not even if they are extremely near by. Like a few inches. Yeah, I know. Refrigerator Blindness, I think it is called, and it lives on the Y chromosome. Anyway, the one in the new house is Liebherr. It is wider (36" instead of 30"). I like it too, but it does insist that you open the left side first. I'm sure I will get used to it when we live there, but going back and forth between the two, it does seem less convenient.

I grew up with bottom freezers, (somewhat uncommon for '50s-'60s) Much prefer them, and I've owned one ever since, but not a french door. I don't like them for the same reasons stated above. About the only thing ever in our freezer is ice cream, ice, and a few chilled beer mugs, so freezer drawers are perfect for our needs...

French doors are a big improvement over side-by-side of the same width. Side-by-side were invented for tight little kitchens where there wasn't enough room for a single door. Not enough room to walk around it, but not enough room to open it fully. Many big houses used to be built with small kitchens, but even moreso, the many apartments during the post WWII boom. French doors with drawer freezers solve the same problem but give you more capacity because there aren't the wasted corners, and, has been said, put the fresh food closer to eye level.

Now that there's market saturation and people aren't so stuck on side-by-sides as what they've just always had, there's nothing new or special about the French door. It's popular also with retailers because they don't have to worry that there's no room for the door on you big new fridge. Same kind of thinking as to why they carry so many sleeveless tops and dresses. It's not because they think you want to show off your arms (though the spaghetti strap fad of a couple of decades ago started with streetwear for showing off shoulder tattoos, when they were still edgy). Sleeveless just fits the same garment on way more bodies so costs a lot less to carry.

I see it more as an issue of why people liked French doors in the first place, rather than why they dislike them. :) Another reason some dislike them is that they need more clearance from the side wall than a single door opening away from the kitchen. Where the latter might not always be an optimal choice, at least it works in certain difficult situations where there just isn't a better place to put the fridge (or like my own choice to have my fridge open toward the eating area/entrance as it would get more traffic on that side, though it could have as easily opened toward the work path).

In my area the little flap that closes the space between the doors was broken on most floor models. So even though it seemed like a better use of space I couldn't trust everyone to learn how to baby the doors and so I have only one door, not french doors. Make sure you can open each door fully on each side and that you can fit the largest containers you want to in the door. I took an empty gallon container to the store to make sure that I could fit it there....

pillog, why would a FD door require more clearance than a single door?

French doors require clearance on both sides so that each door can open far enough to get a drawer out, not just one side....

I've had just about every type throughout my life and I prefer a FD. I think a lot also depends on your kitchen layout. If I were going to have the fridge on the end of a counter run, I probably would prefer a bottom freezer with a single door but since both my kitchen now, and my hopefully soon to be new kitchen will have my fridge not at the end of a counter run, I think the FD is more practical.

I agree with weedmeister: it is the bottom freezer in some models, that doesn't provide enough drawers to separate/organize items, that is a potential negative in FD fridges.

I really liked my 36" LG from 2004, including the large temp-controlled deli drawer that I used A LOT -- it was always full, benefitting items I wanted to keep colder. And I had no issue with gaskets/door not closing properly, or needing to open both doors at times. Visually, I think it is more attractive than a single door, or can be more attractive.

The one I've given some thought towards is the new Samsung that looks like a SxS but is actually a 4-door unit. The upper is FD, the freezer is two doors and 6 drawers. At least with 6 drawers one can organize things and find them easier. But these units cost a lot for their respective sizes.

Thanks, Practigal! SJhockeyfan, sorry I didn't explain. For the single door, you only need enough clearance for the edge of the door to swing free. I've seen it down to an inch -- though that feels awkward, if the door swings all the way open, it works fine. Edit: This is the situation where the opening of the single door is by the side wall because there isn't enough room for clearance if the hinge were on that side.

One thing about freezers with drawers is your stuff has to fit in the drawers. You're not going to be able to freeze a whole sheet cake, or hold a big frozen turkey for a couple of weeks before you thaw and cook it. If your freezing needs are more about standard containers, pints of ice cream and boxes with frozen entrees, it should be fine. If the dividers are removable, that allows you to take out a drawer for added height. If you're a big frozen pizza fan, measure carefully.

I like the commercial for the Samsung with Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell. :) I'm sure those doors are in response to the short ladies' complaints about the drawers. Back ever so long ago, the SubZero bottom freezer was a 36" wide door. Instead of an open shelf on the bottom, there was a basket that pivoted out the opposite direction from the door. In some ways it worked very well, but it also filled up the whole kitchen while letting all the chill out.

Weedmeister said:

The one I've given some thought towards is the new Samsung that looks like a SxS but is actually a 4-door unit. The upper is FD, the freezer is two doors and 6 drawers. At least with 6 drawers one can organize things and find them easier. But these units cost a lot for their respective sizes.

Those are fine if you're short, have no back problems and don't mind bending over every single time you need to get something out of the freezer. They are like the difference between cabinet doors with pullouts or cabinet drawers. The bottom drawer means practically getting down into a squat to open.

I don't have a French door fridge, and I'm not getting one when I get my new fridge, but I frequently stay in other people's homes for work and most now have French door fridges. I really dislike them! Two main reasons:

Many of them, when you close one door, it causes the other to pop open. Hopefully you'll notice it when this happens so that you can close it, but often I have not noticed it and that door has sat open until I've noticed, which can be hours later. Most of these fridges, in fact, have alarms to let you know if a door is open. But I don't want to deal with a door constantly being "poofed" open by closing the other and having to close two doors;

The point of going to a refrigerator is to put something in or take something out. By and large, therefore, you have at least one hand full of something, so to have to close two doors to me is not user friendly, and usually you end up opening both doors anyway.

Think they're a terrible design.

There are only 2 cases where a french door is technically superior to a bottom mount single door:

1. It's being installed in a narrow kitchen, and the door would protrude too much when opened if you got a single door model.

2. The fridge is wide enough that the door would be excessively heavy if there were only one. This is why all the 42" wide built-in bottom mounts are french door.

tibbrix -- I agree. I have yet to meet a FD frig I like.

I have a 33" bottom mount single door and a 36" bottom mount FD. I much prefer opening 1 door instead of 2, and yes, I find that I am almost always opening both. I can store more on the door of my 33" than on the 2 doors of my 36" FD. Add to that the number of times the FD didn't close properly and wasn't discovered until much later gives you my top 3 reasons for not liking my FD fridge,

I also just bought a 33" single door. I wanted to be able to open the whole fridge with one hand. Things also have a way of moving around so I like not having to remember which door things are in. Love the bottom drawer freezer. Easy to use and much more organized than a door. I have to say the FD fridges are prettier as it breaks up the huge expanse of stainless, but I would have done a lot of things differently if I was going just for pretty.

Love my FD fridge - would never go back to the SxS I previously had. You can see everything pretty well all at once. No big deal to open both doors, there are many worse things in life! I don't mind the bottom freezer, but I do have a another upright freezer in my basement (original freezer going on 33 years old, they certainly don't make them like they used to!)

Wow; I'm surpsied at all the animosity toward FD fridges. I grew up with freezer-on-bottom; always have had single door fridges and am now enjoying a FD fridge for several years. I still enjoy it daily, explicitly, like a really delicious chocolate. It works so well.

Sounds as if quality between fridges is a major factor. I do not have the difficulties described of needing to close doors in a certain order or doors popping open. Our Samsung has a sort of channel system that allows the astragal to go back into place regardless of which side opens or closes first. There most be some airlock or vent someplace that permits closure without bursting the other side open. So things working as they should helps.

As it happens the position of our fridge is very central so you're always facing the fridge head-on when going into it; a side-opening door would work less well in this location. And the extra swing space required by two doors rather than one is not a problem with this layout either.

I have no problem grabbing stuff from a single opened door, usually. And truthfully as I agree one is often going to the fridge with one hand full, it's way easier to open a single half-door than that giant single full one.

I also like, in this one-handed-filling-the-fridge scenario, that everything's so squared off inside. I often am able to balance what I need to fit in on the ledge at the bottom of the fridge while making space, which is not something you could do with a single-door fridge. Or at least I couldn't with my old one.

This Samsung is by far the best fridge I've owned in configuration and operation. But then it also cost a lot more than another. I think comparing one's experiences through the years as one acquires, sometimes, successively better fridges may be a bit of apples-oranges comparisons. It could be that if I spent this much on a single-door fridge I'd be happier with that particular single door fridge because it was better, more-or-less commensurate with cost rather than style.

So we individuals aren't necessarily performing accurate comparison tests over the years.

I wouldn't let anything come between me and my FD fridge.

(And BTW I'm surprised by this degree of happiness with it. I remember trying a cousin's and not liking it much and her not recommending it. I never expected to like it this much).

I have no special feelings about FD fridges in general although I don't see much point to them but stylishness, but I do hate them very much on a fridge that's 33 in wide or less. On those you are for sure going to have to open both doors every time, a big ol' nuisance, unless you are just putting away a jar of mustard or something very small like that.

I got a 30 inch FD prior to kitchen reno (very small condo kitchen). It leaked the first day do to store hookup error so had to redo my kitchen. Prior to FD I had single door top freezer. The store let me use it for 8 months until kitchen was redone and return it. I couldn't wait to get rid of it and get a single door bottom freezer. 30 width means smaller doors and it was horrible trying to organize everything in it. It was like a puzzle.

To much thought had to go into where everything was going. I really disliked using 2 doors due to small size. My fridge is very close to a wall and fridge door when opening can be in the way when walking into kitchen so I thought the FD would be better but I was so wrong.

When I brought groceries home and placed them on counter next to fridge I hated to work around that other opened door. I always felt it was such a chore trying to organize it, again I'm sure it's due to it being 30 inches The single door I have now is 33 inches and love it. So much easier to use one hand, open door and put things away with other hand. I also feel as though I had to open the FDoors all the way to get things in and out and with the single door I do not have to open all the way. I do think the FD is very pretty to look at but for me I am glad I was able to return it.

I HATE mine. I can only fit 2 gallon size containers in it. Because of the space between the shelves, I have to arrange things by height, not by what makes logical sense. We have a Samsung and the ice maker freezes up every 3 or 4 weeks. I wish I had my side by side back.

just bought a new frig (sxs) for our vacation hom. 75% of of the displays were FD. That is definitely what is in vogue right now.

I’m DEFINITELY with the group that DO NOT like FD style. Sorry to say this but - yes, I’m of the opinion the FD style is just another way to capture the market for people who have to have the latest en Vogue (anything) even if it doesn’t really make practical sense. I have stayed at two different family‘s homes over the past five years (they both love their FD frig designs) and I have used their FD frig(s) in multiple situations where there were large gatherings of people, with lots of food prep going on, as well as just daily food prep, putting groceries away, getting ice out of bottom freezer for drinks, to fill ice chest; opening the door to access the water and having to use both hands to press on the water dispenser while also holding the glass; putting away leftovers, etc., so I have plenty of experience with all aspects of their use - and I can say hands down that I would never purchase FD for my home. I have owned all other types of R/F configurations, and can say categorically this is not for me. I have just remodeled my home and purchased my newest S/S frig/freezer, and I LOVE it. This is my 3rd S/S (water/ice on outside of door) I’ve purchased in 25 years. (I still have the first one (largest) I purchased 25 years ago - sitting in my garage - and it works like a charm.)

Many reasons for my personal choice:

1. I love the the front mount, easy access, ice/water dispenser for beverages (for all family members including children. I am not the mom that doesn’t want my kids to touch stuff.). You can set the glass down on the ledge for easy dispensing; the newest frig even has simple press of the button feature to fill, or hold glass against the lever if you prefer. If you need large quantities of ice, it’s simple to empty the ice maker, (that fits securely in the door and is a closed compartment design); which brings me to another problem I have with the FD ice maker - if you want to remove the ice bin you have to bend down, pull the bin out and then it’s open and seems pretty unsanitary even though it’s in the back; when the ice bin is full, it’s heavy to lift up and out, requires a strong back (and lots of space) if you want to pull the ice bin out to fill an ice chest, etc.

2. I don’t like to have to open both doors to see things: think about it - if there are multiple people in your home - unless you’re a kitchen freak - its hard to make sure everybody is putting the milk away in the same door each time, let alone on the same shelf.

3. Ok - I’m a busy girl and while I could think of many more reasons why I think the FD frig is a mistake - I would rather just stand here admiring my new remodeled kitchen while I place my glass on the ledge and let my automatic water dispenser fill my glass…..without having to open the door……

I had a french door refrigerator for 13 years and was glad to get rid of it for a side-by-side when it finally died. I like the French door top, what I don't like it's the freezer. I use the freezer a lot and I'm over 6 ft tall. It's for me to get down to the bottom and organize things. I hate unstacking things to get to what's on the bottom then putting them back. Inevitably something will get crushed(like ice cream) when the door is closed or some bag will fall open and things will fall out on the bottom. While the French door top is nice it's not so nice enough to offset the disadvantage of the freezer. The French door is a small convenience but there's nothing wrong with the side-by-side refrigerator compartment. However that bottom freezer to me brings back 13 years of bad memories!