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.

How to Change a Refrigerator Water Filter!

Nate is here to show you how to change your refrigerator water filter and why it is important to change it regularly.



You should change your water filter every 6-12 months to keep the water tasting fresh and to keep your ice from not creating weird chunks and keeping the ice chunks clear.

In this demonstration, Nate shows you how to swap out a water filter in a Kitchen Aid French Door. Different brands and models might be slightly different or in a different area, but is roughly the same process.

Find the access button to the water filter, and push the access button. Twist the filter about a quarter turn and pull off the filter. When putting the new filter in just twist the opposite way and you should be good to go.

Once your replace the filter, you will want to run the water for about 2-3 gallons to get all the air bubbles out and to make sure you are getting the "new" water that is going through the filter. For your ice, you will want to run one tray of ice and toss it out so that you have nice and fresh ice with no sediments.

There you go! You should be all set.

If you have any questions about how to change your water filter, leave them in the comments or call one of the stores and they can help you out.

5 Things You Never Realized About Your Kitchen Appliances

 

 1. How far does your refrigerator stick out?

Most people don’t realize that their fridge sticks out 6 to 8 inches from their counter top.  This is standard, but if you notice that you are shuffling sideways to get between your island and fridge when the door is open you may consider a counter depth refrigerator. For more details, check out the full guide of buying a refrigerator. 

    2. New French Door Fridge vs. Old Side by Side Fridge

If you have never owned a French Door Refrigerator this is what you have to look forward to.  No more getting on your knees for fresh vegetables, actually being able to fit a pizza box in your fridge or freezer and not at an angle.  No more losing things in the back of your fridge for months until the stench is overwhelming.

    3. How loud is your dishwasher?

Does your dishwasher sound like a jet engine taking off?  Are you tired of running your dishwasher only at night?  With new technology in sound deafening material dishwasher have become so quiet you don’t even know if it is running.  A good rule of thumb is to look for dishwashers 50dBA or below.  Here is a full guide to buying a dishwasher.  

    4. Where to find the serial number on your appliance.

All appliances will have a sticker specifying the model and serial number of the unit.

Refrigerators - most commonly found in the refrigeration portion of the unit either on the upper left or right wall. 

Dishwasher – most commonly found on the outer edge of the door or interior where the door seals with the case.

Range – If you slide open your storage door it will be located on the interior door jam either on the left or right hand side. 

Microwave – Probably the easiest to find just open the door and it will be located on the inside casing.

    5. The cost of running 15 year old appliances.

   In the last 15 years appliances have improved drastically in energy consumption.  With new government regulations as well as new technology it literally pays to buy new appliances.  Take a 15 year old refrigerator for example.  The annual cost of running a side by side refrigerator from the year 2000 is about $190.00 a year!  A new Energy Star Certified model will cost you on average $81.00 a year.  We are talking about a 42% savings.  Over the course of 10 years you could save upwards of $1,100.00 on your electrical bill.  Your new refrigerator will almost pay for itself over its life span.  That is just for your refrigerator.  Imagine the savings on the rest of your household appliances.

French Door Refrigerators Vs. Side by Side Refrigerators

French door refrigerators have become increasingly popular over the years but the good ol'trusty side by side is still a staple in many homes. Both have their benefits and short comings depending on what kind of food you mainly buy.

Below is a video from Kevin Drako, our resident appliance guy who will cover the basic differences between the two types.

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.