French Door Refrigerator With Ice Maker Review
French-door fridges combine functionality and form. They come with elegant double doors that open to reveal the large fridge on top and a freezer drawer beneath. These refrigerators stand out due to their distinctive features, like through-the-door dispensers and higher-end ice makers.
We asked Ladina Schopf - an interior designer, architect and founder of LS Projects - for her suggestions on how to pick the best one. They considered the storage capacity, layout, and energy efficiency among other features.
GE Profile Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
The name of the series suggests that GE’s Profile series is targeted at those who wish to incorporate cutting-edge technology into their kitchens. The refrigerator is brimming with these, from an inside-the-door Keurig K-cup coffee maker to a sophisticated water dispenser. But these flourishes don't mask mediocre performance, especially in the refrigerator's freezer and an ineffective temperature-controlled drawer. The refrigerator is expensive, so I expected better.
Apart from that minor flaw however, this refrigerator is a great option. It has a large freezer compartment, which is uncommon in counter-depth French door fridges, and it can hold a decent amount of frozen foods in comparison to similar models.
The fridge comes with 17 shelves and compartments. The fridge compartment is 18.5 cubic feet, which is the standard for a French-door fridge at this price. It also has an adequate-sized icemaker packed into the left door, but it isn't the largest I've seen.
You can alter the shelves in both compartments to create a customized storage arrangement for what you want to store. The GE PYE22PYNFS's design for the interior is attractive, too. Its LED lighting is a nice addition and the storage bins feature an additional shelf that folds up beneath itself so that you can store large items. The drawers have temperature controls so that you can set them for Meat, Beverage, or Deli settings. The drawers are easy to open and close however I found the textured plastic coatings a bit hard on my fingers.
The GE PGE29BYTFS Smart Refrigerator includes all the features you'd expect from a refrigerator within this price range. This includes Wi-Fi, app support and GE's SmartHQ Software. The app is compatible with iOS and Android devices and allows you to manage your refrigerator from anywhere around the world. It also comes with a lot of customization options. It will also send you notifications when the door is unlocked and when the freezer or fridge needs to be defrosted, and when the filter requires a change.
It would be great to have GE PYE22PYNFS had Precise Fill which is a feature that is available in a few GE refrigerators that allows users to select the number of cups they would like to dispense. The fridge displays a countdown timer to display how much water remains however it's not as useful as Precise Fill.
Bosch Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
Designed to look as a seamless element of your kitchen Bosch's French-door refrigerator looks seamless and is an eye-catching piece. The fridge uses fingerprint-resistant stainless steel, which is a great feature for busy households. It also has a vegetable compartment to keep vegetables and fruits fresher for longer and has dual compressors for maximum preservation of food. The ice maker we tested was one of the most efficient and makes an ice pyramid with only a little water. This refrigerator is the ideal option for a single family or kitchenettes looking for a built-in look and top-of-the-line food preservation.
This fridge was the top-rated refrigerator in our Refrigerators test, for several reasons. Its freezer temperatures held firm at just above 0 degrees Fahrenheit, never fluctuating by more than a fraction an inch. This is essential to avoiding freezing burn. french style fridge freezer of the fridge also did well. It reached the initial temperature set within a matter of hours, and maintained the temperature throughout our testing.
Bosch is a household name for its high-end appliances. Therefore, it's not a surprise that the Bosch counter depth refrigerator can be connected to your home Wi Fi and Bosch's Home Connect. This app allows you to monitor and control your refrigerator remotely on your smartphone or tablet. The refrigerator is pricey however, it offers excellent features and functions at a fair price.
While the fridge is an incredible appliance, it's important to know the limitations. You might need to be creative with tall objects because the fridge has a limited shelf space. Additionally, the shelves are not completely sprillproof, and can easily be stained or damaged by sharp objects. It's easy to remove the trays in the fridge however, you must clean them frequently to prevent the growth of mold.
If you are thinking about this refrigerator, be sure to look over our review of the GE Appliances French Door Refrigerator and the Bosch Bottom Freezer Refrigerator.
LG Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
The LG LRFLC2706S is a top counter-depth refrigerator that packs a lot of storage 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 a standard French door design, with two rows of spill-capture shelving and a set crisper drawers. The top shelf to the right can be folded to provide more space for tall items. You'll also find a full-width drawer for deli items and an internal water dispenser.
One of the best features of this refrigerator is that its ice maker is inside the freezer, which makes it easy to move frozen ice to the fridge to use as required. The freezer is designed with thoughtful elements, for instance, sliding drawers that can help you better organize the placement of items. It comes with a large bin for storing frozen food, and a separate container for ice.
Another cool feature of this refrigerator is its Smart InstaView panel. It lets you control the temperature of your fridge, lighting, and more from your smartphone. It's a great way to control and monitor your refrigerator, particularly if you're away from home.
The Smart InstaView feature is neat, but it doesn't necessarily improve the efficiency of the fridge. In fact it took a bit longer to defrost and chill foods in this refrigerator than other refrigerators we tested. This is likely due to its greater capacity.
The other issue we have with the door of this refrigerator. The handles that are sunken allow shorter people to open them from the bottom. However taller people struggle to close them without slamming them. It would have been better to have front-mounted handles.
The LG Counter-Depth MAX is a ideal option for those looking to combine the advantages of a French-door refrigerator's aesthetics with a more efficient layout. Its capacity is superior for a counter-depth model and it cools well and has a nice layout. It's also a little cheaper than the best counter-depth refrigerators that have an ice maker, which helps make it a desirable choice.
Frigidaire Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
If you're looking for an French door fridge that doesn't cost you a fortune this Frigidaire is a great choice. It has a simple design that isn't as visually striking as other models but it does have enough features to make it a solid pick. Its most notable feature is the adjustable temperature drawer helps to keep food items such as vegetables and meat fresher for longer. It also comes with a huge water dispenser and a decent ice maker that operates quickly.
Another nice feature is the "Chill Drawer" that sits over the two crisper bins. This drawer allows you to use some of the refrigerator's cooling power to this area, so that you can store foods that require extra attention. You can adjust this feature by using a slider that's located right on the outside of the drawer. You can also adjust the general cooling settings for the entire fridge. I have found that the generic settings are more effective than the specific ones.
During my experiments, I noticed that the temperatures of the refrigerator were fairly consistent across various parts of the refrigerator. Temperatures at the top and bottom of the fridge didn't stray significantly from 38 degrees, and even the middle of the fridge was within one degree of 36. This is a pretty good performance, but it doesn't quite be among the top in our ratings.
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. You can also combine this fridge with a smart thermometer for more precise measurements of your fridge's temperature.
The Frigidaire FGHB2866PF's outside is made of grey-bodied stainless steel which has a "smudge-proof" finish. It repels fingerprints and streaks 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 more than 15 years of publishing and commerce experience, mostly in retail and digital. Stephanie is enthusiastic about finding and recommending the top products for consumers, with a focus on home goods and tech.