looking at fridges...freezer on the bottom (1 Viewer)

[RonR]

Anyone have one of these and what are your feelings on them. When I was in europe last year I first noticed them and now they are popping up in the stores. A guy at work told me they suck electricity but when I compared them to the other types they were always the most efficient......and the design makes sense to me, Im in the fridge a hell of a lot more then the freezer.

 

[Glenn Overholt]

Some of it depends on your lifestyle. If you are into frozen foods then I think it would be better on top, so you won't have to bend down as often. Ok, unless you NEED the exercise!

The compromise would be to get a side-by, though

Glenn

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I like them a lot better than freezer on top. No more bending over all the time to see what's in the crisper, everything you use daily is right there. I don't see any reason why they should consume more power.

The freezer sections aren't as big as the old style, but if you are storing a lot of frozen goods, chances are you have a separate chest freezer anyway. Aside from coffee beans and the occasional ice cream, mine is empty.

The only downside is they tend to be more expensive than the same level of standard fridge, but the added convenience is worth it IMO.

As for side by side, unless you have room for a large one, I find them annoyingly limited in their storage capacity. The freezers are tiny, and there is little room in the fridge part for bulkier items.

 

[Carl Miller]

Ron we have one, and I'm not overjoyed with it. Ours just has a couple of shelves in the freezer, and it's a bit of hassle because it's deep and sometimes you have to get on your knees to find and take out what you want. Not a big deal, but my knees are kinda creaky so it's not great.

If you get one, I'd recommend one with a sliding basket, or one where the whole freezer opens straight out instead of swinging to the left.

I liked the freezer on top model we had before better.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I would agree with Carl on the sliding basket (which is what I have - okay, but not great) or the slide out drawer style. I could never find anything in my old top freezer model if it was packed either, so I don't see this as a disadvantage.

 

[Shawn C]

Yeah, they are more efficient than the freezer on the top models. I guess it depends on how much hassle you want with the freezer on the bottom. I'm 6'4" and was tired of always having to bend way down to see what was in the fridge. We had an Amana freezer on the bottom model at my old house.

When we moved into our new place, we switched to a side-by-side Kenmore Elite. I like the water and crushed ice in the door.

 

[Philip_G]

I prefer a side by side, I've got a pretty large freezer-on-the-top model now, and with just one shelf there's not a lot of storage in there.

My grandma had a freezer on the bottom maytag for years, in fact it was the first one I had ever seen, it was great, the top reefer doors were split down the middle so there was a left and right. She seemed to like it, though I hated trying to get ice out of the thing.

 

[Patrick_S]

My Sub-Zero has the freezer on the bottom and I like it so much more then on Top or Side by Side.

It really is just a matter of personal taste.

 

[andrew markworthy]

We used to have one. They're fine if you have limited space, but otherwise I'd avoid them as the capacity is small compared with separate fridges and freezers.

As you correctly observed, Ron, they're quite common in Europe, largely because we have much smaller houses than you guys. Having said that, what we call an 'American fridge' (the side-by-side arrangement) is becoming fashionable over here, though where folks find space to put them in most kitchens baffles me.

 

[Scott Tucker]

How much ice do you use? If you're into ice like people at my place, they are a hassle. I have a SxS and will never go back to anyting else. I also have a chest freezer that sits empty. SxS freezer is enough for my wife and me. Best part is the ice and water dispenser. How convienent.

 

[DaveF]

I'm looking at fridges too (moving into a new house in Nov) and I'm overwhelmed by the choices! The freezer-on-bottom style seems more sensible, but they are nearly twice as expensive as the traditional (freezer on top) style. Anyone know why?

The side-by-side fridges seem a lot more convenient in general, but they also seem to have a lot less space in the refridgerator section. But water in the door...very appealing.

And I've now seen freezer-on-bottom units with split upper doors, and a water dispenser inside the door. Of course, these are particularly expensive. I also envision they would have seal problems with the dual doors quicker than normal fridges.

Does Consumer Reports do a good job reviewing and recommending fridges? Are there are other sources of good buyers information for such home appliances?

 

[MarkHastings]

Depending on your kitchen, you may also need to consider the layout.

The one thing that made me go with the freezer on top was my kitchens layout.

I don't have a lot of space in my kitchen and my kitchen table is quite close to the fridge. I can only open the fridge door a few feet (because the table is in the way). On the other hand, my freezer door (since it is up higher) can open all the way.

I find that I need my freezer door opened wider than the fridge door. This was why I stuck to the freezer on top.

I was also looking to the side by side models, but I also had to consider the space issue since the table is in front of the fridge, so if I opened up the right hand door, I'd have to reach around to get anything out.

But if you don't have space issues, then the above is moot.

p.s. My new fridge came with a light in the freezer. My old one didn't have one and I like this feature...Sorry if it sounds like a no brainer, but that's a feature that some may overlook when looking at a new fridge.

 

[David McGough]

I saw a unit on the home show and your press a button and
either the top or bottom freezes. Your choice
$2,000

 

[CalvinCarr]

We got the Trio from Sears in Stainless. We love it. Lots of room in the fridge and freezer. It seems side by sides you loose a lot of space or maybe it just isn't efficent use of the space?

 

[Philip Hamm]

Two Words: Energy Star. The fridge is one of the biggest energy users in your house. An efficient fridge can literally pay for itself over it's life compared to an inefficient one. Frost King makes some ridiculously efficient refrigerators.

 

[Scott Strang]

I have a split door top frige with freezer on the bottom. For some reason I seem to drop the ice cubes more with this one than with a side by side.

Kinda petty but that's really my only complaint.

 

[DaveGTP]

We have one of those freezers in our house (we rent). Personally, I don't like the freezer on the bottom. I end up sitting crosslegged on the floor looking through the freezer. And since it is normally packed pretty full...

Maybe if you don't use the freezer much, it would be better.