The refrigerator............?
side by side, freezer up or freezer down, which do prefer? i have side by side and to tell your the truth i have never cared for it. for those of you out there that have a freezer down, do you like it?
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23 Comments:
I only like a side-by-side if the freezer side is also full-size. I mean, dang it, it's gotta hold a pizza horizontally! I like the freezer on-top ... I lose things in the bottom of the freezer drawer if it's at the bottom. For the same reason I don't like chest freezers ... things just get lost on the bottom. So, there's a full-size upright freezer in the garage with a lock built into the door.
LunaPierCook at 9:15AM on 04/15/08
I have a side by side affair in my kitchen at the moment, in my previous flat I had a freezer up fridge down arrangement and I did prefer it, only due to the fact that the current set up takes up too much of a foot print in the kitchen.
I would prefer more cupboard space as my work top space it more than ample. I also have my washer/dryer in the kitchen too, so my cupboard space is at best limited.
TheManchesterKitchen at 9:15AM on 04/15/08
i adore my freezer-on-the-bottom fridge. the old side-by-side wasn't right for our needs. my theory behind wanting one was that i rarely open the freezer, but open the fridge several times a day, so it makes sense to have the fridge part on top, where i don't have to stoop to get things.
french tart at 9:28AM on 04/15/08
We have a freezer on top of our fridge. That's where ice cubes and frozen veggies live, along with some portions of frozen meat. We have a chest freezer in the garage for larger items, like whole birds or rabbits.
Amandarama at 10:18AM on 04/15/08
I have the freezer on the bottom, and I love it. It's nice and wide and has 3 drawers, which makes it easy to keep organized. I use the fridge a lot more than the freezer, so it makes sense for me. I also like that the fridge part is also nice and wide for holding platters, casseroles, etc.
bitchincamero at 10:22AM on 04/15/08
My old refrigerator was one of the few made with huge freezer on the bottom. I loved it (no stooping for the fridge) and the top was also extra large (had to remove the cabinet above the fridge) and roomy. Bought a side-by-side when I sold that house and hate, hate, hate it. Not enough room on either side. I have a chest freezer which is a God-send. I bought one of those big plastic tubs, filled it with water and that fills up most of the bottom with one honkin' block of ice. Has saved me when I lost power, too. If I had the room and the money, I'd love to have some separate freezer and fridge drawers in convenient places in my kitchen.
PerkyMac at 10:32AM on 04/15/08
I have a French door, freezer on the bottom fridge. I love it, and will never, ever consider anything else. I don't have to stoop to find anything in the fridge, and I can see things like leftovers- nothing hides in my fridge. The French doors are genius, and I never have to worry about having enough room to open the fridge door. The bottom freezer works really well for me, but not for long-term freezing. For that I have an upright freezer.
ErikaWaz at 10:52AM on 04/15/08
Count me among the I-love-my-bottom-freezer crowd, for the same key reason -- I'm in my fridge way, way more than my freezer. My freezer is mostly for the icemaker, frozen vegetables, various flours and chicken scraps (for stock). Since everything in there is bagged, the bin config found in bottom freezers works exceptionally well -- bags don't stack so well on freezer shelves, but they all stay contained in the bins.
I don't have a separate deep freeze, but I do have an extra fridge in the garage primarily for beverages, but also for overflow, like extra eggs, nuts, carrots, the giant stockpot, etc. Its freezer is full of bulkier less-frequently accessed stuff like meats, casseroles, extra bread, etc.
Had there been a French door model by a reliable mfg when we bought, that's DEFINITELY what I'd have. I was so bummed that I missed out!
LoCo at 11:37AM on 04/15/08
I have a side by side and I can not wait to remodel my kitchen. I am definitely purchasing the French door model. When we were shopping for a new dishwasher, I was really studying the fridge section!
izatryt at 11:51AM on 04/15/08
I hate my side by side. The damn freezer is too narrow. I lust after one of those french door fridges with the freezer on th bottom.
Library Lady at 1:04PM on 04/15/08
I have a freezer-on-top, and I love it, especially after the horror that a side-by-side was (never again!). When we shopped for a new fridge last summer, I realised that we had to go after quite a specific set of measurements, so the french door fridge I have on my mental wishlist was out of the question (sigh). Still, I am significantly happier now with my freezer-on-top because all of a sudden I have much more room both in the fridge and in the freezer.
brooke29 at 1:15PM on 04/15/08
Here's another vote for the bottom freezer. I like being able to get what I need from the fridge without bending waaaay down and digging all the time. It's easier to keep clean when the fridge is on top, too. Used to have a top freezer but I hated the way stuff slid out and banged my feet. Gosh, it was dangerous to open that thing. My kids used to bag snowballs and stash them in there til summer. Welcome to my world....
moibec at 1:38PM on 04/15/08
I would love a True commercial fridge with glass door. Of course, I'd need a separate freezer.
Having not won the lottery this week... I'd settle for one of these.
And in a perfect world, wouldn't one of these be great to come home to!
chiff0nade at 3:29PM on 04/15/08
I have a regular freezer with ice maker on top, fridge on the bottom with water dispenser INSIDE the fridge. I love it. Beats the ass off that side by side cant fit a friggin thing in it crap.
My aunt has the freezer on the bottom deal. I can say with all honesty, I want to execute someone when we are having a soiree because it holds NOTHING. Going out to the garage to the extra fridge is a real pain in the ass during parties or holidays.
ChelleyD01 at 3:56PM on 04/15/08
You (lucky) fridge-on-top owners... Answer a question for me please.
I recently cleaned out our fridge (OMG, horrors). I think that because we have to stoop to reach everything in the fridge, only the stuff at the very front of the shelves gets used with any frequency.
My question: Do you find the fridge-on-top version stays cleaner and as a bonus, do you "lose" less food in your freezer because you get to pull out a drawer?
chiff0nade at 5:17PM on 04/15/08
We're getting ready to remodel our kitchen, and will probably go wit ha fench door model. It has the refrigerator on top, but with doors similar to a side-by-side, and the freezer on the bottom. It looks like it would work well for a narrow kitchen.
beth1 at 9:31PM on 04/15/08
If God had wanted the freezer on the bottom he wouldn't have put the North Pole on the top!
srhcb at 10:12PM on 04/15/08
@srhcb - LOL! What about the South Pole though?:-)
brooke29 at 10:21PM on 04/15/08
@srhcb - God must have had a strong lower back.
Seriously - I would love to NOT have to do a deep knee bend every time I want something that got shoved to the back of the fridge.
chiff0nade at 1:10PM on 04/16/08
If I had my way, I'd own a fridge with a drawer freezer, and (at least) a separate full-sized freezer. Preferably two, so I could stock up on meat, poultry, and seasonal items as they became available and not be so beholden to availability or bland grocery store alternatives.
Alas, I live in a crummy apartment with a cheap fridge and tiny-tiny freezer. One day!
jenilowrance at 1:57PM on 04/16/08
When I bought my house and appliances 4 years ago I was lusting after one of those spiffy french-door designs. The capability of storing a huge-ass platter was so appealing. Not that I do a lot of serving on huge-ass platters, but knowing I could store one if I wanted would be fabulous. Long story short, neither my kitchen nor my budget were big enough for the sexy thing so it will be on the top of my list for the new house.
My parents have a side by side and I HATE IT. They also have a spare fridge w/freezer and a stand alone mini-chest freezer in the garage. They would have had those regardless, but you can't store anything in those stupid side-by-sides.
My former MIL has had a freezer on bottom model as long as I've known her and can cram a week's worth of food for 8+ people (family visiting from out of town) in there with no problem. I could never get it arranged properly but she knew exactly how to stack everything.
AuntJone at 12:17PM on 04/17/08
Oooh I like this question. Ours is side by side, freezer on the left, refrigerator on the right (that's pretty typical isnt it? - I wonder why that is). I do however enjoy the refrigerator top and freezer bottom kind that my grandparents have.
Hillary
Chew On That
Chew on That at 10:19AM on 04/18/08
My question: Do you find the fridge-on-top version stays cleaner and as a bonus, do you "lose" less food in your freezer because you get to pull out a drawer?
Yes to both! I actually clean my fridge about once a week now because I can clearly see any spills, dirt, mess, etc. at a glance. Mine also has all-glass shelves which also makes it easy to see mess. I feel so much better about serving guests out of my fridge, versus the old fridge-on-the-bottom that got cleaned maybe twice a year?
I do still find the occasional "oh my, what is that" in the freezer, but having the drawer to pull out every time does bring to mind the things that are way at the back.
I cannot recommend this design enough. Ours is an older Whirlpool, but I do have my eye on a few new ones for an eventual upgrade.
ErikaWaz at 9:48AM on 04/19/08