French Door Refrigerator With Ice Maker Review
French-door fridges combine functionality and form. They come with stylish double doors that reveal the large fridge on top and a freezer drawer beneath. These refrigerators stand out due to their special features, such as through-the-door dispensers and higher-end ice makers.
We consulted Ladina Schopf - an interior designer, architect and founder of LS Projects - for her tips on how to select the right home. We looked at the capacity of storage, layout, and energy efficiency among other aspects.
GE Profile Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
The name implies that the GE Profile series targets those who want to incorporate cutting-edge features in their kitchen. This fridge is loaded with them all from the Keurig K cup coffee maker on the door to a sophisticated dispenser of water. But these flourishes don't mask mediocre performance, especially in the refrigerator's freezer and an ineffective temperature-controlled drawer. Given that this fridge costs a premium, I expect better.
Aside from that blip, this fridge is a great option. It has a large freezer compartment which is uncommon for counter-depth French-door fridges. It also has a large capacity for frozen food compared to other models.
The fridge is equipped with 17 shelves and compartments. The fridge compartment is 18.5 cubic feet of space, which is about the same as a French door fridge that costs this much. It has a decent-sized refrigerator with an ice maker in the left door. But it's not the most spacious one I've seen.
You can alter the shelving in both compartments to create custom storage setup for the items you need to keep. The GE PYE22PYNFS's interior design is stylish, too. The LED lighting is a nice touch, and the in-door storage bins come with the third shelf, which folds up beneath itself to make it possible to store items that are tall. The drawers have temperature controls that allow you to set them to Meat, Beverage or Deli settings. They're easy to open and close, although I found their plastic textured coatings a bit difficult on the fingers.
The GE PGE29BYTFS Smart Refrigerator comes with all the features you would expect from a refrigerator in this price range. It has Wi-Fi as well as app support, and GE's SmartHQ Software. The app is available for iOS and Android devices and allows you to manage your refrigerator from anywhere across the globe. It also has many options for customization. It will also send notifications when the door is unlocked and when the fridge or freezer needs to be defrosted, and when the filter requires a change.
It is nice if the GE PYE22PYNFS came with Precise Fill, an option available in other GE fridges that allows you to choose how many cups of water you'd like to pour out at a time. The fridge shows a countdown to show you how much water remains however it's not as effective as Precise Fill.
Bosch Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
Designed to look as a seamless element of your kitchen Bosch's French door refrigerator is one of a kind. The fridge uses fingerprint-resistant stainless steel, which is a great feature for busy households. It also has a veggie compartment which keeps vegetables and fruits fresher for longer and two compressors to preserve food. The Ice maker we tested is one of the most efficient, and it produces the shape of a pyramid using only water. This refrigerator is a great option for a single family or kitchenettes that want an integrated look and top-of-the-line food preservation.
This fridge was rated as the top in our Refrigerators Test for several reasons. The temperature of the freezer remained stable at a level that was just above 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and never moving more than a fraction of one degree. This is crucial to preventing freezing burn. The fridge section of the refrigerator also did well. It reached the initial temperature within an hour, and remained at the temperature throughout our tests.
Bosch is a household name known for its high-end appliances. Therefore, it's no surprise that the Bosch counter depth refrigerator can be connected to your home Wi Fi and Bosch's Home Connect. This app lets you monitor and control your fridge remotely from your tablet or smartphone. The fridge is a bit expensive, but it comes with top-quality features and functions for the price.
While the fridge is an incredible piece of equipment however, it is important to understand the limitations. It is possible to be inventive with tall items since the fridge has a limited shelf space. Also, the shelves are not completely sprillproof, and can easily be damaged or stained by sharp objects. The trays are easily removed from the refrigerator. However, they must be cleaned frequently to stop the growth of mold.
If you're thinking of buying this refrigerator, be sure to check out our review of the French Door GE Appliances Refrigerator and the Bosch Bottom Freezer Refrigerator.
LG Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
The LG LRFLC2706S counter-depth refrigerator is a great option for those who require a lot of space in an extremely compact frame. It has a sleek, fingerprint-resistant stainless-steel finish and features thick handles that make them comfortable to grip. The fridge features an ordinary French door design, with two rows of spill-capture shelving and a set of crisper drawers. The top shelf on the right can be folded down to give taller items more space. You'll also find a full-width drawer for deli items and an internal water dispenser.
This refrigerator is equipped with an ice maker, making it easy to move the ice when needed. french door fridge freezers has clever design features, such as sliding drawers that can help you sort your things. It comes with a large bin for storing frozen food and a separate one for ice.
Another awesome feature of this refrigerator is its Smart InstaView panel. You can manage the temperature, lighting, and more of your fridge from your smartphone. It's a great way to monitor and manage your refrigerator, especially if you're away from home.
Although the Smart InstaView is a neat feature, it doesn't add to the overall performance of the refrigerator. The refrigerator took longer to chill food and defrost it than the other fridges we tested. This could be due to its bigger capacity.
Another issue with this refrigerator is its doors. The handles with a sunken design allow shorter people to open them from the bottom. However taller people have a difficult time closing them without slamming. It would have been more effective if they had handles mounted on the front.
The LG Counter-Depth MAX is a excellent option for those looking to combine the advantages of a French-door refrigerator's aesthetics with an efficient layout. It has a capacity that is higher than average for counter-depth models, and it cools evenly. It's also less expensive than the best counter-depth refrigerator with an ice maker, which helps make it an attractive option.
Frigidaire Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
This Frigidaire French door refrigerator is a good choice for those looking for a French-door refrigerator that doesn't cost a lot of budget. It's a basic refrigerator that might not be as attractive as some of its competitors however it has enough features to make it a good option. Its most important feature is the temperature adjustable drawer which helps keep food items such as meat and vegetables fresher for longer. It also comes with a huge ice maker and a water dispenser.
Another feature that is worth mentioning is the "Chill Drawer" that sits above the two crisper bins. This drawer lets you divert some of the refrigerator's cooling power directly to this area, which means you can store foods that need extra attention. This feature can be adjusted using a slider located outside the drawer. You can also use this to set a general cooling setting for the whole fridge, however, I've found that changing the general settings tends produce better results than specific ones.
During my tests, the temperature of the refrigerator were fairly consistent across all areas of the fridge. Temperatures in the top and bottom of the fridge didn't vary significantly from 38 degrees, and even the middle of the fridge was within a degree of 36. This is a great performance, but it doesn't quite make it into the top ten in our rankings.
This fridge has a few other neat features, including a temperature-monitoring display that alerts you to fluctuations and provides a forecast for the day ahead. This fridge can be connected with a smart thermostat in order to gain more precise information on the internal temperature of your fridge.
The Frigidaire FGHB2866PF's exterior is made of stainless steel with a grey body with a "smudge-proof" finish. It blocks streaks and fingerprints better than other stainless steel finishes I've seen.
Stephanie Cronk, executive editor of Reviewed's Commerce/Product Reviews Team, oversees the site’s buyer’s guides and product test reviews. She has over 15 years of experience in commerce and publishing mostly in retail and digital. Stephanie is passionate about finding the best products and recommending them to customers. She concentrates on home and technology.