French-door refrigerators have become increasingly popular among consumers over the past few years. Originally introduced into the market in the late 1990s, they are characterized by two French adjacent French doors that open to reveal a single compartment, along with a pull-out freezer drawer on the bottom.
On average consumer’s spend 30% of their time in the freezer.
Pros:
- Storage capacity – French-door refrigerators typically include a larger refrigerator compartment than standard models. This means you’ll have more room to store oversized items like pies, snack trays, etc. While the exact storage capacity varies, French-door models usually boast more cubic feet of refrigeration compartment space than side-by-side refrigerators.
- Stylish – there’s no denying the fact that French-door refrigerators are stylish. The slightly oversized body paired with the pull-out bottom drawer adds a new dynamic to the kitchen (or wherever else you intend to use it).
- Nothing falls out of the freezer – don’t you hate opening the freezer only for a bag of frozen peas to land on your head? With a French-door refrigerator, this isn’t a problem. The freezer compartment is located on the bottom, so you can pack it full without fear of stray items falling out.
Cons:
- Cost – you can expect to pay more for a French-door refrigerator than a standard side-by-side model. It’s not uncommon for new models to sell for $1,500 to $2,500, sometimes even higher depending on the brand name and its respective features. If you’re looking for an inexpensive refrigerator, you should probably skip the French-door models for this reason.
- Freezer organization – because of its location on the bottom, many owners find it difficult to clean and organize the freezer compartment of a French-door refrigerator. In order to clean and/or organize the freezer, you have to bend over or sit on the floor, which is painful for many people already suffering from back pain.
- Space requirements – the increased storage capacity of French-door refrigerators doesn’t come without a cost – you’ll need a larger area in which to install it. Homeowners with small kitchens may lack the required space for such refrigerators. Before you invest in a French-door refrigerator, get some measures to ensure it will fit.
