French Door Refrigerator With Ice Maker Review
French-door fridges combine functionality and form. They come with stylish double doors that show the large fridge on top and a freezer drawer below. These refrigerators stand out due to their unique features, such as through-the-door dispensers and higher-end ice makers.
We asked experts like Ladina Schopf, interior designer architect, founder, and co-founder of LS Projects, for tips on picking the right one. They looked at storage capacity, layout and energy efficiency among other features.
GE Profile Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
Like the name suggests, the GE Profile series is targeted at those who want to incorporate cutting-edge technologies in their kitchen. This refrigerator is packed with features, from an in-the-door Keurig K-cup coffee maker to a smart water dispenser. But these flourishes don't mask mediocre performance, especially in the refrigerator's freezer and an ineffective temperature-controlled drawer. Since this refrigerator is an extra amount, I'd like to see better.
This fridge is a great choice, despite the small blip. It has a huge freezer compartment which is uncommon for counter-depth French-door fridges. It also holds plenty of frozen food items compared to other models.
The fridge has 17 shelves and compartments. The fridge compartment offers 18.5 cubic feet of space, which is on what you would expect from a French door fridge that costs this much. french door fridge freezers has an adequate-sized icemaker that is tucked away in the left door, though it's not the biggest I've seen.
You can alter the shelving in both compartments to create custom storage setup for the items you need to store. The interior design of the GE PYE22PYNFS is attractive. The LED lighting is an attractive feature. The storage bins in the door include a third shelf that can be folded down to store large items. The drawers are equipped with temperature controls so you can set them for Beverage, Meat, or Deli settings. They're easy to open and close, but I found their plastic textured coatings to be a little hard on the fingers.
The GE PGE29BYTFS Smart Refrigerator has all the features you would expect from a refrigerator in this price range. This includes Wi-Fi as well as 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 across the globe. It also offers a lot of customization options. It also gives you notifications when doors are left open, when the fridge or freezer needs defrosting and when it's time to change the filter.
It is nice if the GE PYE22PYNFS included Precise fill, an option available in a handful of other GE fridges that allow you to preset how many cups of water you'd like to dispense at a time. The fridge displays a countdown timer to show you how much water remains however it's not as helpful as Precise Fill.
Bosch Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
It is designed to look like a seamless piece of your kitchen, Bosch's French-door refrigerator is a standout. The fridge uses fingerprint-resistant stainless steel, which is a great feature for busy households. It also has a vegetable compartment which keeps vegetables and fruits fresher for longer, and two compressors to preserve food items. The Ice maker is among the top we've tested and produces pyramid-shaped ice that is low in use of water. This fridge is perfect for a single family or kitchenette that needs a built-in appearance and top-of-the best food preservation.
This fridge was rated the best in our Refrigerators Test for several reasons. The temperature of the freezer remained constant at just above 0° Fahrenheit and never fluctuated more than a fraction - this is essential to avoid the risk of a freezer burn. The fridge's refrigerator section also performed well, reaching the desired initial set temperature within an hour and keeping the temperature constant over the course of our tests.
Bosch is a household name known for its top-quality appliances. It's therefore no surprise that the Bosch counter depth fridge can be connected to your home Wi Fi and Bosch's platform Home Connect. The app lets you monitor and control the refrigerator remotely using your tablet or smartphone. The refrigerator is expensive, however it has great features and capabilities for the price.
While the fridge is an amazing piece of equipment but it's important to be aware of the limitations. You might need to be creative with tall objects because the fridge has a limited shelf space. The shelves are also not spillproof and can easily be damaged or stained by sharp items. The trays can be easily removed from the fridge. However, they must be cleaned frequently to stop the growth of mold.
If you're thinking of buying this refrigerator, be sure to also read our reviews of the French Door GE Appliances Refrigerator and the Bosch Bottom Freezer Refrigerator.
LG Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
The LG LRFLC2706S counter-depth fridge is a great option for those who need plenty of space in the space of a compact frame. It has a sleek, fingerprint-resistant stainless-steel finish and features thick handles that make them comfortable to grip. The fridge is built with the standard French door layout, with two rows of spill-capture shelving and a set of crisper drawers. The top right shelf can be folded down to give tall items more room. There's also a full-width drawer to store deli items and an internal water dispenser.
The refrigerator comes with an ice maker, making it easy to move the ice when needed. The freezer also comes with innovative design features such as sliding drawers that help you organize your belongings. It has a large bin for storing frozen food and a separate container for ice.
Smart InstaView panel is another cool feature of the refrigerator. It lets you manage the refrigerator's temperature as well as lighting from your smartphone. It's a great method of monitoring and managing your refrigerator, especially when you're away from home.
But while the Smart InstaView is a neat feature, it doesn't necessarily improve the overall performance of the refrigerator. The refrigerator took longer to chill food and defrost it than the other fridges we tried. This could be due to the greater capacity.
The doors are a different issue with this refrigerator. They have handles that are sunken at the front, which allows smaller people to open them from the bottom, but they're not easy for taller people to guide closed without slamming the doors. It would have been better if they had handles mounted on the front.
The LG Counter-Depth MAX is a good option for those looking to combine the benefits of a fridge with a French door with an efficient layout. Its capacity is superior for a counter-depth model, and it cools evenly and has a great layout. It's also a bit less than the top counter-depth refrigerator that has an ice maker, which can make it a popular choice.
Frigidaire Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator
This Frigidaire French door refrigerator is a good choice for those looking for a French-door fridge that won't break the budget. It's a minimalist design that's not as striking visually like some of the competitors, but it has enough features to make it a solid option. Its most notable feature is the adjustable temperature drawer, helps to keep food like meat and vegetables fresher for longer. It also has a large ice maker as well as a water dispenser.
The "Chill Drawer", which is located above the two crisper bins, is a great feature. The drawer allows you to divert part of the refrigerator's cooling power directly into this area, which means you can keep food items that need extra attention. You can alter the feature using a slider that's located right on the outside of the drawer. You can also alter the general cooling settings for the entire fridge. I've found that the general settings work better than the specific ones.
During my tests, I discovered that the temperatures in the refrigerator were fairly consistent across various parts of the fridge. Temperatures in the top and bottom of the fridge didn't stray very far from 38 degrees, and the middle of the fridge was within one degree of 36. This is a great performance however it doesn't 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. This fridge can be connected with a smart thermostat to obtain more precise readings of the internal temperature of your fridge.
The exterior of the Frigidaire is made of grey-bodied stainless with a "smudge resistant" finish. It is capable of repelling fingerprints and streaks, even compared to glossier stainless steel finishes on other appliances I've tested.
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 experience in publishing and commerce, primarily digital and retail. Stephanie is enthusiastic about finding and recommending the best products for consumers, with particular focus on home items and tech.