French Door Refrigerators. Why such a big deal?

7/14/17

So we know that the bold, industrial look of the French Door refrigerator is all the rage these days.  New homeowners and renovators 9 out of 10 times will buy a French Door refrigerator rather than a top mount freezer or side by side. 

Why?  Because they provide convenience, energy savings and design appeal. 

Courtesy of Electrolux

The modern day models hit the marketplace back in the late 1990s but the original versions with refrigerator on top and freezer on bottom were actually around a long time before that.  Jeff Lynch Appliance and TV Center store owner and President Mark Lynch sold the early models of French Door refrigerators when he was 15 years old, working with his dad Jeff Lynch.  Obviously they were appealing and that is why appliance manufacturers brought them back to the market.

Vintage 1956 Amana Stor-More courtesy - Retro Renovation

Courtesy of Pinterest

   

GE-Americana french door refrigerator 1964-1965 - Retro Renovation

Today they are stylish, sleek and modern.  They work well in traditional kitchens as well as farmhouse, contemporary and industrial homes. 

Today’s models are spacious, creating more room for refrigerated items.  With two doors they are wider than a side by side or top freezer model.  Plus the shelves are wider and provide many options for removing or adjusting shelves to make room for odd sized items such as tall containers, large pizzas or food trays.  The wide doors are perfectly designed for condiments and beverages…. the items we reach for the most often.  Children running in and out of the house on warm summer days can quickly grab a cool beverage without the risk of warming up all of the contents due to repeated opening and searching through all of the shelves. 

Here is a short video from Kitchen Aid demonstrating several nice features common in many models today.

We recommend putting the items you need most often in the same place every time.  That way you can avoid opening both doors and just open the side that contains the item you need.

Less bending is a big plus, too, because the entire refrigerator section is at waist or chest level.   Since the refrigerator is used more often than the freezer, this set up with the freezer on the bottom makes a lot of sense.  Because a freezer is used less often, it is also slightly smaller than your typical side by side refrigerator. 

These elegant pieces are also very energy efficient.  Obviously they are Energy Star rated and will use less electricity than your older refrigerator. 

Look in any design magazine and you will see French Door refrigerators in almost every kitchen.