French door and side by side refrigerators both offer enough of fresh nutrient storage innovations along with sleek, modern exteriors. Learn more near side by side vs French door pros and cons including price, size, layout and features with this guide.

Black stainless steel side by side refrigerator next to a French door refrigerator

WHAT'S THE Difference Between Adjacent AND FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATORS?

Side by side refrigerators, like these refrigerators from KitchenAid, are a classic style with elevation-to-lesser freezer and refrigerator compartments next to each other. French door refrigerators have one continuous refrigerator space on top accessed by ii doors, with a freezer drawer below. This newer configuration offers a pantry-mode layout, including KitchenAid® French door refrigerators.

Other differences include the corporeality of refrigerator and freezer space offered past each configuration, as well as the shape of each compartment. Adjacent fridges requite you ii tall simply narrow compartments while French door fridges provide shorter simply wider spaces. Both models tend to come up with a wide range of features such as outside ice and water dispensers, adaptable shelves and door bins, along with higher-end end options.

French door refrigerator in kitchen with one door open

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATORS?

This contemporary refrigerator design is popular for its spacious, pantry-mode layout that provides easy access to fresh ingredients. The wide refrigerator compartment on peak helps go on fresh items at heart level, with frozen food stored below in a pull-out drawer. French door models tend to offer some of the largest refrigerator capacities in the industry, allowing you to go on more than fresh ingredients on paw for your next masterpiece.

If you're non sure if a side by side vs French door is amend for the way you make, consider these French door refrigerator pros and cons:

French door refrigerator open on top with food inside

FRENCH DOOR Fridge PROS

  • Wide shelves and compartments: Hands store items like big paella dishes and long platters with broad fridge and freezer compartments.

  • Larger refrigerator capacity: French door vs side by side refrigerators dedicate more storage space to the refrigerator instead of the freezer and so you can store more than fresh foods.

  • Piece of cake access to fresh ingredients: Continue fresh items at middle level and then y'all can quickly find what you need whenever inspiration strikes.

  • Customizable interiors: This style frequently offers adaptable shelves and compartments to conform the items you store most. Select KitchenAid® models feature slide-abroad shelves to conform taller items or pull-out trays for large platters.

  • Exterior water ice and h2o dispensers: You'll often observe this feature on both French door and adjacent styles. Select models may even feature a second icemaker in the freezer.

  • Narrower refrigerator doors: If you lot take an isle in your kitchen, the narrow doors on a French door refrigerator gives you lot more than space to motion effectually the island when the fridge door is open up.

French door refrigerator drawer open with food inside

FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR CONS

  • Smaller freezers: If you store a high volume of frozen items, you might want to opt for a adjacent fridge that will give you larger freezer capacity.

  • Less freezer organization: Most freezer drawers lack shelves which can arrive more than difficult to organize items vs a side by side freezer. Select KitchenAid® models characteristic freezer arrangement solutions such as iii- or 2-tier freezer drawers with storage dividers that allow you to organize frozen items on multiple levels.

  • Price signal: More than advanced features can come up with a higher cost tag, though more streamlined options are available to accommodate a range of budgets.

Find FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATORS FROM KITCHENAID Brand

Experience an intuitive layout, premium touchpoints and innovative features with French door refrigerators from KitchenAid. Select models feature the ExtendFresh™ Temperature Management Organisation that separately monitors the temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer. Browse select models featuring FreshChill™ Temperature-Controlled Full-Width Pantry that lets you manually ready the temperature for any you lot're storing. Or experience an manufacture-first 5-door refrigerator designed to evangelize optimized storage with two additional soft-shut fridge drawers you lot can access without opening the primary fridge compartment.

Woman grating cheese in front of a side by side refrigerator

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF SIDE Past SIDE REFRIGERATORS?

This archetype refrigerator manner offers vertical storage with plenty of shelves for both fridge and freezer compartments. Freezers also tend to exist larger in a side past side vs French door layout. This configuration provides flexibility to organize the most of import fresh and frozen items at centre level, while keeping less often accessed items on the lower shelves. You'll often find in-door or external water ice and h2o dispensers, equally well as other desirable features such as adaptable shelves and door bins to help you keep everything organized.

Here are some next fridge pros and cons to go on in mind:

Side by side refrigerator open with food inside

Adjacent REFRIGERATOR PROS

  • Larger freezer capacity: If you lot store lots of frozen items, y'all'll find more infinite in a side by side vs a French door fridge.

  • Vertical storage: Go along both fresh and frozen items at eye level with flexible storage options.

  • Adjustable interiors: Just like French door models, you'll commonly notice adjustable shelves, door bins and more for customizable storage.

  • Outside ice and water dispensers: This is a common feature on both types of refrigerators. Select KitchenAid® models feature the In-Door-Water ice® Organization that adds interior room in the refrigerator with an ice bin that mounts on the within left door to allow for extra space on the shelves.

  • Reduced door swing clearance: As with French door styles, side by side refrigerators also characteristic narrow double doors that are a expert fit for tight spaces.

  • Lower-entry level price points: Yous may be able to find similar features and capacity for less vs a French door design.

Side by side refrigerator open showing in-door ice storage

Side by side REFRIGERATOR CONS

  • Bending down for fresh items: Since some fresh items will exist stored on lower shelves, yous may need to practise more angle than with a French door model.

  • Narrower shelves: Though yous'll proceeds vertical storage, you'll lose a bit in width, making information technology more than difficult to store wide or oversized items.

EXPLORE SIDE BY SIDE REFRIGERATORS FROM KITCHENAID

KitchenAid offers a full lineup of adjacent refrigerators with features designed to keep your food organized and fresh. Select models characteristic the Preserva® Nutrient Care Organisation. Its ii contained cooling systems help keep nutrient fresh while the FreshFlow™ Air Filter minimizes odors, and the Produce Preserver delays over-ripening based on unremarkably purchased produce.

Woman looking inside a side by side or French door refrigerator

WHICH STYLE IS Best FOR MY KITCHEN—FRENCH DOOR OR SIDE BY SIDE Fridge?

A French door refrigerator may exist best if y'all like to go along lots of fresh ingredients on hand, or if y'all often store wide or oversized dishes. A side by side refrigerator features more than freezer capacity and lets you store both fresh and frozen items at centre level.

Both types of refrigerators are bachelor in standard- or counter-depths, as well equally freestanding or congenital-in installation styles. They both tend to offer the near overall capacity vs other configurations forth with  premium features and finishes. Whether a adjacent or French door refrigerator is better for you mostly comes downwards to which layout best enables your making process.

CHOOSE A FRENCH DOOR Fridge VS A SIDE BY SIDE IF You lot:

  • Store more fresh ingredients than frozen

  • Shop big or wide items

  • Desire a contemporary look

Cull A SIDE By SIDE VS A FRENCH DOOR IF Y'all:

  • Shop virtually as much frozen food as fresh

  • Want to store both fresh and frozen items at eye level

  • Prefer a streamlined exterior with only 2 doors

Your refrigerator options are nearly countless. Explore all fridge configurations and styles with this Refrigerator Buying Guide. Take a closer look at the latest features available on refrigerators in 2021 to help observe one that matches both your kitchen and your making style.

SHOP ALL KITCHENAID® REFRIGERATORS

KitchenAid offers a full lineup of refrigerators in all configurations with a range of innovative features to help keep your favorite ingredients fresh. Store French door refrigerators with spacious interiors or shop congenital-in models with panel-prepare options. Fit what you need inside and proceed information technology looking beautiful with adaptable spill resistant glass shelves or shop models with the Preserva® Food Care Organization. Its ii independent cooling systems help keep nutrient fresh while the FreshFlow™ Air Filter minimizes odors, and the Produce Preserver delays over-ripening.

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