The Difference Between French Door vs Side-By-Side Refrigerator

Kevin Drako is here to show you a few things to consider when deciding if a French door or side-by-side refrigerator is best for you and your family.

The great thing about both units is that French doors and side-by-side refrigerators both have options of having a water and ice dispenser in the front with control panels. Both have options to not have this in the front. The other great thing is that both units come in different finish options. You can match your other appliances with different colors such as white, black, stainless steel, slate, black stainless steel, and more. 

The big question that you should ask yourself is "does my family eat more frozen foods or fresh foods"? This question can determine if you need a unit with more freezer space or refrigerator space.

If your family makes a lot of big dishes with over-sized baking trays, you will need that extra room in your refrigerator and a French door option might be best. If you eat tons of sandwiches and pack on a bunch of meat, cheese, and veggies the deli pantry and refrigerator doors in a French door might be very useful for you. If you eat tons of fruits and veggies (like your suppose to) and more natural foods, a French door is going to be a great choice.

On the other side, if your family makes a lot of frozen foods such as frozen pizza, lasagna, or other frozen meals, a side-by-side might be a better option. With a French door, you have to stack your frozen foods on top of each other, making it hard to reach things or even see some of the foods that you have in your freezer. You may also get into situations where you have to bend over or get on your knees to maneuver through the things in your freezer.

If you have children, there are a few things to consider. If you want them to learn how to be independent and grab their own snacks and help out with dinner, think about how tall they are and that it might be a little harder for them to get things that are in a French door fridge. A side-by- side is nice in that you can see and grab things from both the freezer and refrigerator side equally and more easily than a French door. You can also see and grab all of the frozen foods a little more easily.

Can you fit a frozen turkey in a side-by-side? Maybe a small one, but probably not a big one. You may want to consider having a chest freezer in the garage or basement. If you have a side-by-side and make a big casserole, you might not have enough room to put it in your fridge and may consider getting a second fridge and keep it in the garage or basement. If you choose a French door, you might need more freezer space and need to get a chest freezer or second fridge.

The options are endless. After watching this video which option is best for you and why? If you have more questions, stop by one of our locations and we can answer any additional questions or concerns you may have. It's always best to see these options in person.

Freezer Needs for Storing Your Home Garden Harvest

So, it’s that time of year again….you home garden needs to be harvested, you’re planning your fall hunting trip, you need to stock up at the grocery store….and you need a new freezer! 

  There are a few things to consider when purchasing your new freezer.  Here are a few questions to answer to help you decide what your freezer needs are:

1. What types of foods are we putting in this freezer?
2. How long will the food be in the freezer?
3. Where will the freezer be located in the home?
4. Should we get an upright, or a chest freezer?
5. Frost-free, or manual-defrost?
6. What size should we get?

    If you are looking for a freezer to use for your regular day-to-day grocery needs, then a frost-free upright unit might be good for you.  These units do not build-up with ice and are best served for the foods that your family will go through on a regular basis. If you are looking for more long-term storage, then a manual-defrost chest type freezer would be best.  These units keep your food deep-frozen, while the unit may build up with ice, your food will not get freezer burned.  When you open a chest freezer, the cold air stays down in the freezer.  When you open an upright freezer, the cold air tends to escape.  Chest freezers can hold a lot of food; however, some may find that keeping an upright freezer makes it easier to organize your groceries.

    If you are going to put your freezer in the garage, make sure that where you put it doesn’t reach below -5 degrees F or above 110 degrees F.  Put it along a joining wall with your home.

A freezer will hold approx 35 lbs of food per cu. Ft., so a 15 cu. ft. chest freezer should store approximately 525 lbs of food.

Chest freezers come in a variety of sizes from 5 cu. ft. all the way up to 25 cu. ft., and range anywhere from $145-$799.

Upright Freezers are usually in the 14-21 cu. ft. size and range between $399 & $899.

Come see your home-town appliance team today so that we can help you pick out the right freezer for your family.  We have standard sizes available, but can special order any size freezer that suits your needs.

Let us know if you have any questions about freezers and storing your food. Leave it in the comments section.

5 Tips to Keep Your Refrigerator Running Smoothly

Dustin is here to show you how to take care and maintain your refrigerator properly, so it will last longer.



Here are the tips that they cover in this video, but make sure to watch the full video to get all of the great tips:
1. Clean the coils 1-2 times per year.
2. Check the seal lining for pinching or folds.
3. Deodorize your fridge with either Armand Hammer Baking Soda or with a steam cleaner.
4. Change out your filter every 6 months.
5. Pack your fridge for good air flow.

Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more great tips and promotions.

Which Refrigerator is Right for You?

Is your refrigerator running? If not, it might be time to think about which new model best suits your needs. Refrigerators are one of those appliances we really don’t think too much about as long as they’re in working order, but they are among the most important appliances in our homes. In terms of storage capacity, style and functionality, no two refrigerators are created equal. Use the guide below to find out what kind of fridge model is right for you.

Top-freezer- This is the standard model one thinks of when asked to picture a refrigerator, with its large main refrigerator compartment on the bottom and the freezer stacked on top. With reversible doors that swing right or left depending on how you attach them, this model is ideal for small, tight spaces in apartments and condos.

Bottom-freezer- Similar in every way to a top-freezer model except, unsurprisingly, given its name, this model has the freezer portion on the bottom while the main refrigerator portion remains at eye level. In terms of space and capacity, it is on par with the top-freezer fridges, but may prove more convenient for shorter people, or for those who have difficulty reaching up.

Side-by-Side- In this model, the equally-sized freezer and refrigerator compartments run vertically alongside one another from the top to the bottom of the unit. In a galley-style kitchen or another type of kitchen with limited space, the side-by-side is a good choice, as it takes up the least amount of space when its doors are open. However, the storage capacity may sometimes not be as great as a top or bottom-freezer model.

French door with bottom freezer- French doors open up to reveal a large top compartment for the fridge, while the freezer is accessed with a drawer at the bottom. This style of fridge is nice for accessing all of the fresh-food compartments more easily than the traditional crisper drawers on the bottom of a more basic unit.

4-door French door- Similar in style to the basic French door model, a very nice feature in this style of refrigerator is the additional fridge space provided in a second pull-out drawer between the fridge doors and the freezer drawer at the bottom.  Good for large families who require extra fridge space.

Door-in-Door- Another French door-style refrigerator, this model has another set of doors beneath the outer doors, which saves energy by only requiring the user to open one panel to access the most frequently used items, keeping the rest of the fridge consistently cold and not letting in any outside air.

Counter-depth- This refrigerator model sits flush with the countertops and cabinets, creating a streamlined look and maximizing space. Counter-depth refrigerator models give the appearance of being built-in.

Compact- This is the little mini fridge you had in your dorm room. Perfect for basements, built-in wet bar areas and garages, a compact fridge is a nice way to keep a few drinks cold for guests in a room of the house that gets a lot of party traffic.