Which New Refrigerator?

[DigAPony]

A friend of mine is looking for a new refrigerator. I suggested an older used GE side by side, but the husband wants stainless.

I can't stand the industrial look of stainless steel appliances and many of the new SS fridges I've come across in customer homes look and feel junky to one degree or another.

Are there any decent SS refrigerators that I can recommend?

 

[rp2813]

If they're going to buy brand new . . .

GE has a new "stainless look" finish that doesn't show fingerprints, etc.  I don't know if GE fridges are the most reliable ones out there, though. 

 

[SQueenJJ]

I like KitchenAid

I have a new KitchenAid Side by Side Stainless that I bought in Nov 2012 and I love it. It was only $100 more than its Whirlpool counterpart and has a few nicer features (LED Theatre lighting) and a better warranty. Its very easy to keep clean with Weissman Stainless Steel Cleaner too. I was told by an appliance repairman that GE did not build very good refrigerators now, but I have nothing to base that on. I do know if you don't spend a little money, the refrigerators look really cheap-- . I had a French Door Refrigerator and hated it. That freezer on the bottom is a pain in the butt. And also remember if you get a French Door model with the Ice maker in the refrigerator compartment it doesn't make enough ice for squat. About 5-6 glasses a day.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

If you have to

Buy a new SS fridge and are not going with a commercial machine.  I would say KA is the way to go. 

WK78

 

[washer111]

In this case:

I would've recommended what you did, or a basic fridge/freezer model that is manual defrost, as modern auto-defrost is accomplished via a computer, rather than the traditional timer (I don't know why). 

 

In this case however, I would recommend a good brand, that uses a good quality compressor. Nothing Chinese, like Zel (despite 2nd fridge and freezer ones being 4yrs old and running fine). Matsushita/Panasonic, Embraco or Danfoss compressors, so no Samsung or LG garbage either. 

Also, no gimmicky features, like through the door milk/juice access, chilling features or computers wherever possible. As much mechanical as you can with a modern side-by-side. This may also rule out Ice/Water features, but not necessarily manual-retrieve ice (rather than dispensed ice) found in Upside Down models. 

 

[mrb627]

Ge - SLATE

GE has a new SLATE color that I find better looking that Stainless...

Malcolm

 

[DigAPony]

Thanks for the suggestions.

One of our customers has a french door Kitchen Aid SS fridge. The metal trim around water dispenser is already delaminating from water deposits at 5-6 years old. The pull-out bottom freezer is clutzy as well.

Appears to be a common design rebranded as Kitchen Aid

 

[laundromat]

There are numerous models and styles of the French door refrigerators. Mine is a Maytag (made by Whirlpool/Amana) The reason I chose this one was even though it has filterd cold water and ice cubes,there is no loss of storage on the doors because the water faucet is on the interior left wall of the refrigerator and the ice maker is on the upper shelf of the lower freezer.It's very energy efficient and extremely quiet. Lots of useable space,less wasted space then most of the other models especially side by side models. There is a great stainless steel pollish, called Zepp. Home Depot sells it and it not only polishes but resists finger print build up on stainless steel appliances.

 

 

[whirlcool]

GE has a new "stainless look" finish that doesn't show fingerprints, etc.

I've seen those. It's really a SS paint that very closely matches the look of SS.
When we bought our new GE SxS in Jan 2012 we would have opted for it, but it wasn't available in the model we chose.

As many of you know we had a lemon of a Whirlpool refrigerator before. In the ten years we had it we probably paid for it twice in all the repairs it had to have done.

This new GE has been totally trouble free. It's model GSHS9NGYBCSS. It is so quiet we never can tell when it is running or not. It also has more space in it than we know what to do with.

I would never own a Whirlpool or KitchenAid refrigerator again. Period.

 

[funnut]

I like my KitchenAid SxS

I've had my KA fridge for about 3 years now with absolutely no problems whatsoever. My previous GE had to have the icemaker replaced annually.

I literally HATE the french door design, the dumbest idea ever from appliance designers. My friend hates hers, too. She is always forgetting to close the doors completely and of course her food doesn't stay cold. You cannot find anything in her freezer and it holds very little. Side x side regular depth is the way to go. We built a recess for our fridge to give it more of a built-in look.

 

[mrb627]

French Door

Love mine.  Would never go back to the narrow SxS design.  My only complaint is the ice maker is at dog face level.  So you have to be quick when getting ice.  

 

Malcolm

 

[frigilux]

I lived (very briefly) with a standard side-by-side back in the late 1980's. The narrow shelves were a continuous source of frustration. If you never use anything wider than a cake pan, no problem. It's the only appliance I literally wanted to push off the roof. Go with a French door model if you like the double-door style.

I still have two old-school top freezer models---a 2002 stainless steel behemoth in the kitchen and a white MOL 2008 model at the bottom of the kitchen stairs---both Frigidaire.

 

[yogitunes]

Well the thing with SxS, as with anything else, SIZE MATTERS....I have always bought the biggest, never a issue with fitting things inside anywhere....

I have a 30 cu ft StainlessSteel SxS Whirlpool....Full featured, with everything!....2 years old, with out an issue!

as for cleaning and maintaining stainless....forget all the special expensive hard to apply and buff cleaners and polishes.....step one: clean with soap and water, and towel dry....step two: BABY OIL, apply with a soft cloth, and a quick light buff with a soft cloth.....bright and shiny for days....and your done in minutes!.....this is what is used in hospitals on all their stainless cabinets, elevators, and railings...its foolproof!

 

[estesguy]

No French door or front load washers for me...

To me, I think the French door is just a fad. If not, why not just get a SINGLE door top fridge/bottom freezer? Those have been around since my parents had a 1963 Norge. Those offer much easier access, but aren't the "trendy" thing of the moment. I did look at the French door models, but I couldn't figure out why, when I only opened one door 90*, that I only had 7-8" of clearance width to reach into the shelves. Then it dawned on me, the French doors are 50/50 width, while the SXS is 60/40. If I have to open both doors to easily get something large out, I'm not interested. My cake pan is 9.5 X 14.5, and my SXS shelf is 17.5" wide, so it fits sideways with room to spare. I don't want to have to roll ALL of my frozen foods out to get one 8oz frozen dinner out. And my ice maker bin holds a huge amount of ice for those hot summer days. 2010 GE Profile PSHS6PGZ [this post was last edited: 3/30/2013-23:22]

 

[SQueenJJ]

Hated My French Door

I had a French Door KitchenAid that I kept 2 years-- hated that thing. That freezer on the bottom is a pain in the butt. I was smart enough to get one that had the ice maker in the bottom freezer.

I have a KitchenAid S x S (I think the counterpart to Yogitunes Whirlpool pictured above). At the time, my dealer was offerning the KA for $100 more than the Whirlpool counterpart. The KA had a better warranty and LED Lights inside the Unit. I really like mine.

 

[frigilux]

I found these stainless steel wipes and fell in love. No product to deal with---it's right in the towelette. I lay the wipe open in the palm of my hand and go over the appliance once. A quick buff with a soft cloth and you're done.

Back to refrigerators: I use those big rectangular chafers you see on buffet lines on my home buffet (set up full time with skirting), and those pans are a good 21 or 22 inches by probably 15". I also use big rimmed baking sheets to hold appetizers or finger-foods before going into the oven or getting frayed for the buffet. That's why I like the old-school single door models. If you have clearance for the wide door, they're great. I like the look of French door models, but I would probably get tired of having to open and close both doors all the time. Martin, your side-by-side looks substantially wider than the one I had!

Time to get ready for Easter meal guests. The neighborhood cats, rabbits, and squirrels are investigating (and in some cases absconding with) the Easter treats I've set out in the back yard for the kids. It's pretty hilarious.

 

[rp2813]

Space issues -- in the kitchen, not inside the fridge -- can often dictate the style that's best for the application in question.  When we re-did our kitchen at the other house, it made sense to go with a SxS fridge due to limited space.  If we had gone with a top or bottom freezer model, with the door open at 90 degrees you'd be trapped on either side.  Also the door of the refrigerator or a bottom freezer door/drawer would have hit the dishwasher door when it was down.

 

A French door design may be the best option if door clearance is limited and the preference is for a bottom freezer.  I don't like the French door system for the reasons mentioned above:  You have to be sure you've used enough force or the flap will keep the refrigerator doors from closing completely. 

 

I would never own a top freezer model for my main refrigerator.  I don't like having to stoop to locate and extract things.  If I were to own a bottom freezer model, the freezer would have to be a drawer type.  I also don't like crouching down to reach freezer contents, regardless of how much less often I access the freezer than the fridge.  A drawer offers a bird's eye view of everything.

 

The thing that really irritates me most of all is the cheaper BOL top freezer models that don't provide enough clearance between the bottom edge of the fridge door and the floor.  I'm always hitting my shoe with the door when opening one of those.

 

[appnut]

When I had to get a new fridge in 2007, all I'd had for 27 years was the std. top freezer model. I wanted something different. None of us lioked the SxS Gibson our family purchased in 1968. I have a load-bearing wall that butts up against the fridge so a SxS wasn't pracical. So bottom mount if I didn't get again what I had. I don't like French doors because the two fridge doors can be trouble prone in the longrun plus one may not remember what side something is on and end up opening both doors. I'm glad I ahve one great big door with nice shelf space on the door as well as inside. I also know a memberr who has two bottom mount freezer fridges and didn't go with the French door design for the same reasons I did. And they are very glad they did. Besides aside from the pull out drawer freezer, it reminds me of the fridge friends of ours in dallas had in very latge 1959 or very early 1960s and they had a family of 8.

 

[volsboy1]

I got the L.G. that big one with the french doors and pull out freezer.I like it and so far so good it has that linear compressor in it 

and the ice machine is in the door which I do like cause it saves space.We have a HUGE Subzero at the farm it is about 14 years

old and we have had one problem out of it,which I hear is rare for them.The one thing I HATE IS THE FINGER PRINTS on steel..Yea that steel looks great

on T.V. but touch it once and it's over...The Sub-zero looks better because we have the inserts in that match the cabinet's or maybe it's

me because there is no one there much save for me and my nephew's who destroy everything they touch never go up there to mess

the place up.

One time the L.G. was running and it sounded like metal in a disposer or a engine knocking really loud for about 5 mins then

it shut down and has been running fine ever sense then..One thing I do like about it and the dishwasher is it can tell L.G. what is

wrong with it. When I build my house I don't think i will be going with steel.I am very picky about my kitchen and the finger

prints really get to me.