Kitchen Idea File #4: Refrigerators
Over the holidays I really put our fridge/freezer to the test. It is one size smaller than our old one and has the side-by-side door design which is known for the small amount of freezer space. I do a LOT of freezing and had to pile food in to the point where I couldn’t see the light anymore. I made a lot of our Christmas food ahead of time since it was the best way to prepare for a crowd. When we renovate the kitchen I want to upgrade to a new, bigger refrigerator. I’ve been loving the new French door designs and think it would be totally perfect for us. Let’s take a look:
(photo via Aimee of Simple Bites)
Aimee did a beautiful job with her new refrigerator from KitchenAid Canada. I am such a neat freak I could see myself organizing ours like this, too!
(photo via Aimee of Simple Bites)
I totally love this freezer. I could line up my frozen pesto, freshly churned ice cream, and bags of strawberries so they are easy to find whenever I need them.
(full size photo via GE)
I have always really wanted the full size fridge and full size freezer but I don’t know if our new kitchen will have enough room. It also is a little out of our budget. Instead I am going to move our current fridge/freezer to the basement or garage. That will be more than enough to hold overflow. It will also be perfect for food platters and extra drinks when we are entertaining.
The Aga fridge/freezer is so cool. I love how the cranberry color makes a statement. But am I gutsy enough to commit to a red appliance we’ll presumably have for several years?
(photo via Houzz)
I love the look of the clear glass doors but, let’s face it, do I really want our fridge contents on display all day long? I think I would get sick of it.
Tell me, what kind of fridge do you have? Do you like it? Is there anything I am not considering that I should be thinking about?
We’ve already covered: countertops, and ovens!
I have the french door frig with freezer on the bottom. I love it. No ice maker in the door because it hogs up space inside. A friend has the same frig with in-door ice depositor and it constantly runs out of ice so they get it out of the freezer/ice maker. I’d rather have the space inside. Top and bottom are lit up inside with led lights. Looks cool. Of course the ideal situation is a separate frig and separate freezer but too expensive for my budget (and no room in this house, either). I also love that the bottom bin of the frig extends across both french doors for large items (but I use mine for cheeses and salami-fills it up).
I agree with the other poster….do not get any of the “bells and whistles’ on the door because it really lessens the refrig space. Also, be sure it will be in a place where it is comfortable to have two doors open and to be standing in front of it. No more reaching into the fridge….I love the look of the French doors but it gets real old, real soon, to be opening two doors all the time.
Our refrigerator recently died. My husband did a lot of online pricing before we purchased. We went to a local store (not a big chain) and purchased one there. We kept the racks from our old refrigerator because the new one has plastic shelves. I inserted two of the old racks in the new refrigerator. Luckily, they fit. This gave us more usable space. The main issue I have is the one big top shelf. If I buy a ham, turkey, or any large cut of meat, it takes up a lot of room. This same shelf holds the milk jug, the water pitcher, the juice carton, and other tall items. I would have preferred a refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom; however, it was not in our budget. A freezer on the bottom is safer than having one with the freezer on top. We have had a few landslides of frozen items. I put items in plastic baskets to help keep things organized in the freezer and the refrigerator. I bought them at the dollar store. This is a good way to keep yogurts. We just slide the basket out and fill it up. No more lost yogurts that you find past their expiration date. I keep citrus fruits in a similar basket. I use one of the vegetable bins for cold cuts. Another basket holds various types of cheese. One thing you should do is pull on the freezer drawers to see how easily they slide open. These will be full and may be difficult to open. As for colors, skip it. It probably costs more and is a waste. I remember my mom having the coppery brown stove and refrigerator in the 1970’s. It gets old quick. Samsung just came out with an interesting refrigerator. You may want to take a look at it. http://www.samsung.com/us/appliances/refrigerators
I also have a French Door Fridge (Samsung) with the freezer at the bottom. I do have an ice maker in the door, so that is part of the problem, but the refrigerator has way less usable space than my old side-by-side (Kenmore) (that also had an ice maker in the door). The French Door model does look nice and might be nice for those that do not cook often/have a lot of stuff in the refrigerator at one time, but it is not convenient for those who cook for a family and especially guests. It is also quite annoying to open two doors when you know exactly where the item is that you need. I will not be getting a French Door refrigerator on my next “go-round” – I would love to have an over-sized side-by-side. Good luck!
This is all such great feedback- thank you!!!
Sent from my iPad
[…] – So far we’ve covered: Refrigerators, Pantries, Countertops, and […]