How to Find the Best French Fridge Freezer
Whether you want to add panache to your kitchen or have an affinity for fresh food, the French door refrigerator can kick your culinary skills up a notch. To determine the best one, take a look at your space and decide on your preferences and priorities.
Standout features include a door-mounted dispenser that delivers filtered water and ice at the push of a button, TwinChill evaporators that create customized climate zones, and a temperature-controlled drawer that doubles as additional fridge space.
Energy STAR (r)
Selecting a fridge that is Energy Star certified will help you save on your the cost of energy and also reduces the environmental impact. This is a great indicator of a fridge that has ENERGY STAR qualified insulation. This helps prevent cold air loss, which lets the fridge keep food fresher longer.
The best French refrigerator freezers also have adjustable shelves and temperature-controlled drawers that let you customize the storage space. These options let you store items that require different temperatures, like vegetables and meats. You can also find refrigerators that offer built-in water dispensers as well as a drawer for storing deli meats and cheeses.
Refrigerators with doors-indoor design let you easily access the items you use frequently without opening the entire fridge. This reduces loss of cold air and keeps your food at a consistent temperature and lets you make use of less energy. Another handy feature is the ability to adjust the temperature inside with a pressing of a button which allows you to quickly get snacks or drinks out of the freezer.
Good Housekeeping experts evaluated 12 of the most popular models of refrigerators, including French-door models. They analyzed the capacity, layout, energy efficiency, features, and design of each refrigerator to ensure that they were worth the cost.
If you're looking for a new refrigerator, look for the one that will fit your kitchen and your lifestyle. Jessica Petrino Ball who runs the educational program at appliance retailer AJ Madison says it's important to measure the space you have before purchasing. This will ensure that the refrigerator fits within your space and also through your doors and hallways.
The GE Cafe French Door Bottom-Freezer Fridge will elevate your kitchen with its sleek design. This counter-depth refrigerator comes with stunning stainless steel finishes and customizable bar handles that complement the cabinets. The dual cooling system enables it to be more flexible and regulate temperature better than most freestanding refrigerators. The fridge uses two cooling elements to circulate cold air between the freezer and fridge which prevents the transfer of odors and also ensures that your food and drinks stay at a perfect temperature.
Sleek Design
A French-door refrigerator is sleeker than other refrigerators. They are also often integrated into kitchen cabinets to create an attractive appearance. Some models have a stainless-steel exterior that is easy to clean and minimizes fingerprints. Certain models come with a door-indoor option for water or ice, which decreases the loss of cold air and helps control temperature.
These refrigerators are typically more expensive, but are worth the price for their convenience and sleek appearance. The GE PVD28BYNFS has an expansive interior, with an open deli compartment that is perfect to store cured food items and a PureAir Ultra II air filter that eliminates odors. This is especially beneficial for those with sensitized allergies. The refrigerator has a digital display for precise temperature control, as well as doors in doors to reduce energy consumption. This can help you save money.
The Bosch counter-depth French-door refrigerator is another option that has the best of both. It's designed to be flush with your countertops for a sleek, built-in appearance and is available in multiple finish options including matte black that doesn't show smudges or fingerprints as easily. The fridge has a large capacity to hold everything you need to keep, with enough room for tall bottles of drinks in the freezer section. The model isn't equipped with a through the door dispenser. However, it has an internal filtered-water dispenser for easy access, as well as TwinChill evaporators that can be customized to create climate zones.
If you're looking to buy a luxury refrigerator that's also an attractive addition to your home, look into the Cafe models by GE Appliances. They come with a range of handle finishes that can be adapted to your kitchen's style or personal preferences. They also do well in our lab tests and have the storage features you require to keep your pantry clean and organized.
This LG model isn't as expensive as the other more expensive options however it does provide plenty of storage space. It also has a stunning exterior. The interior is large with adjustable shelves and bins that allow for flexible configurations. french door refrigerator freezer comes with a full width drawer that can be used for short-term storage of groceries and plenty of room in the door shelves to hold tall items such as wine bottles.
Convenient Organization
A refrigerator that is organized and well-organized can allow for better storage and retrieval of food and drinks, which can save you money, decrease waste, and improve the functionality of your kitchen. By constantly reviewing and tweaking your refrigerator's organization strategy you can maximize the space and create an efficient and user-friendly space.
With their convenient door-in-door design and temperature-controlled drawers, French door fridge freezers are ideal for storing a variety of foods and ingredients. To maximize the use of your fridge, label items into zones to keep them easy to access and to prevent food from being hidden or lost. For instance, keep the upper shelves for drinks and ready-to-eat food items like milk, deli meats, and leftovers. Lower shelves are ideal for raw ingredients that will be cooked, such as poultry or meats. These should be stored in the coldest area to avoid cross contamination. Crisper drawers are perfect for storing fruits and vegetables with adjustable humidity levels to accommodate different types of produce.
Door bins and shelves that can be adjusted are also useful to store food items or beverage containers. Use dividers to store multiple types of ingredients in the same space and label each container or bin with a name for quick identification. This makes it easier to locate a particular recipe or your favorite drink when you're low on ingredients, reducing the need to go to the store.
A well-organized fridge not just looks fantastic but can enhance the functionality of your kitchen. It can also increase the life expectancy of your food. Regularly assessing and adjusting your refrigerator's organizational strategy can help you maintain the best temperature settings, avoid over-freezing or defrosting food items and prevent contamination from other items that could be stored in the freezer. To make your life easier and more efficient, refrigerator experience, think about getting one with an integrated water dispenser and ice maker that removes the need for an external ice machine. This will eliminate a messy jug filled with filtered water lying on the counter as well as the necessity to refill it when it's empty. These features can also help reduce energy consumption by allowing you to use less ice and water when filling up your glass.
Flexibility
French-door refrigerators are designed with modern, sleek style that enhances the look of kitchens and improves their resale values. They're also packed with features that save food and are a cutting-edge technology that makes them suitable for households of all sizes. These top-rated refrigerators scored well in the Good Housekeeping Institute’s latest refrigerator test for temperature control and uniformity, freshness of food and ease of operation.
If you prefer the classic French style the Viking model is a great choice. It has plenty of storage and an elegant profile that will fit perfectly in tight spaces. The door-indoor feature allows you to grab drinks and snacks at a single push and the shelves that are adjustable are ideal for accommodating various kinds of food. This fridge has a humidity control system in the drawers that are crisper to keep food fresher over longer.
The GE Cafe line of refrigerators is unique due to its elegant design and a variety of customizable options. You can pick the matte white or black exterior and then alter the color of handles to match the cabinet hardware. The doors are quieter to operate with a soft-close mechanism. You can change the handles with brushed bronze or copper, black, or stainless steel, to complement your kitchen's design. This counter-depth refrigerator is Wi-Fi-connected and allows you to control a variety of functions via your smartphone app.
Another GE option, the four-door Cafe CVE28DP4NW2 has an innovative temperature-controlled drawer in between the fridge and freezer for items that need to be kept at a specific temperature (like kids' snacks and wine). Its EvenTemp cooling system reduces freezer burn by continuously circulating cool air, and its PureAir Ultra II odor filter removes unpleasant smells.
Aside from its sleek, modern design the refrigerator from LG is extremely adaptable and has tons of smart features. The LED lighting is strategically placed throughout the interior, and shelves can be moved around to accommodate different types of foods. The shelf edges are spill-proof to contain drips and minimize mess. The refrigerator is ENERGY STAR certified which means you'll be able to save money on electricity, and is more sustainable for the environment.