French-door style fridge freezers have become a very popular option across the world thanks to their highly unique and very modern look. However, to the untrained eye, it can be a little tough to tell what exactly makes French-door style fridge freezers so special. That’s why we decided to put together this handy definitive guide.
Over the course of this guide, we’ll answer some of the biggest burning questions surrounding French-door style fridge freezers. Including what differentiates them from American-style fridge freezers, and even whether they’re worth buying!
There’s a lot to learn about these amazing appliances, so without further ado, let’s get right into it!
What Is A French Door Style Fridge Freezer?
First, to make sure we’re all on the same page moving forward, let’s brush up on what exactly a French-door fridge freezer actually is.
You’d recognise a French-door fridge freezer thanks to the unique way it opens. When you think of an ordinary fridge freezer, you’d likely picture the large singular doors that open to the left or right of the unit. A French-door fridge freezer does not have just one door, but instead two parting doors to hide its fridge compartment. To open the fridge, you need to pull both of the doors apart. One will swing to the left of the unit, while the other will swing to the right!
A French-door fridge freezer makes use of two doors that split from the centre. This is unlike standard fridge freezers, which feature just a single door that opens to either the left or right of the unit.
The parting doors of a French-door fridge freezer have made them a very popular option for many homeowners. Parting doors create a greater sense of space in the fridge, while also creating a very modern and symmetrical look.
Why Are They Called That?
One burning question many people have pertains to the name “French-door”. Why do they have that name? Where does the name originate from?
The name actually derives from the similarly-styled French-doors that you might find in the average home. French-doors are tall and situated side-by-side. This is similar to the main doors of a French-door fridge freezer!
French-doors themselves actually do have their origins in France. They were originally designed during the Renaissance period, as a way to introduce symmetry and harmony into the home. The centre parting creates a symmetrical look to French-doors that still endures to this day. The reason many people pick French-door fridge freezers is simply because they bring a modern and stylish look to a home!
What Is The Difference Between A French Door Style Fridge Freezer And An American Style Fridge Freezer?
French-door fridge freezers are commonly confused with the similarly-designed American-style fridge freezer. Both styles of fridge freezers feature parting doors, which makes it difficult to tell the difference between them. If you’re keen on grabbing a new French-door fridge freezer of your own, it pays to know the difference between these two similar styles!
Luckily, distinguishing between the two types of fridge freezers can be done with just a quick glance. The doors of an American-style fridge freezer are specifically designed to reach from the very bottom of the unit to the very top. This gives American-style fridge freezers a very tall look. The doors of a French-door fridge freezer, on the other hand, don’t cover the entire height of the unit. Instead, they only cover just over half. Below the parting doors is an individual door often used to seal off the freezer compartment.
The main difference between an American-style fridge freezer and a French-door fridge freezer is its design. American-style doors cover the entire height of the unit. French-doors instead only cover the fridge compartment.
The placement of the freezer compartment can also signify which type of fridge freezer you’re looking at. Within most American-style fridge freezers, the freezer compartment is placed directly beside the fridge compartment. This means that each of the two compartments is hidden by one of the two doors. A French-door fridge freezer instead dedicates the parting doors entirely to the fridge compartment. In order to access the freezer compartment, you would need to open the individual door below.
Are French Door Style Fridge Freezers Worth It?
Ultimately, at this point in the guide, you might start to wonder whether French-door fridge freezers are worth all the fuss. Aside from boasting a modern look, is there anything a French-door fridge freezer can really offer you?
For the most part, we’d say that French-door fridge freezers are totally worth the investment. They offer an immense amount of storage space and combine two useful appliances into one. Instead of having to find space for both a separate fridge and freezer, you can simply squeeze them into one handy appliance.
To better understand the value of French-door fridge freezers, and most importantly, to find out if they’re right for you, it would be worth looking at some of the biggest advantages and disadvantages of them.
What Advantages Do French Door Style Fridge Freezers Have?
Separate Space
We noted the differences between American-style and French-door fridge freezers a little earlier. One of the most important of these is where the two types situate the freezer compartment. Within a French-door fridge freezer, the freezer compartment is kept entirely separate from the fridge compartment, behind its own individual door.
You might initially think that this is a minor detail, but it can actually have a number of benefits. Opening both doors of an American-style fridge freezer is immensely satisfying. It offers a wide vista of your food empire, but it comes at a cost. Let’s say you wanted to look at all of the food in an American-style fridge freezer, you’d need to have both doors open. But, this would mean that the air from both units is being released, regardless of whether you grab anything from either compartment. This means that both sections have to work harder to maintain a temperature!
Having the two compartments separated allows your fridge freezer to use much less electricity. If you need food from only the fridge, you can leave the freezer compartment completely closed. No energy is put to waste!
Plenty Of Storage
French-door fridge freezers are designed to be incredibly spacious. They have a very wide profile, which makes them extra convenient for busy households with plenty of hungry mouths. Their width makes them convenient for some of those more unconventional foods that might otherwise refuse to fit into the average fridge freezer storage space.
The parting doors also have their own built-in storage options, with plenty of shelves and hidden
cabinets. This allows you to truly make use of every inch of the fridge’s capacity.
French-door fridge freezers are immensely spacious. They’re wide and have plenty of available storage space. This makes them great for unconventional foods, and especially for keeping a busy household fed!
The wider shape of a French-door fridge freezer is also beneficial for the freezer compartment. Most models feature sliding drawers with plenty of depth and width. So you can stock up on your favourite foods, so they’re ready whenever you want them.
Modern Design
French-door fridge freezers are a frequent favourite of new homeowners. They bring a sense of classiness and modernity that can elevate any kitchen into a sophisticated space. And the parting doors, with their wide view into your favourite foods, create a sense of luxury within the space.
French-door fridge freezers are designed with symmetry in mind. Making one the centrepiece of your kitchen can bring a sense of order and harmony to the kitchen space.
They’re also available in a range of colours and unique designs. So you can choose one that suits your tastes or the overall look of the space.
And finally, French-door fridge freezers can simply make your kitchen seem a lot larger. Especially when both of the main doors are spread wide open. It creates something of an optical illusion. With both doors wide open, you get a full and uninterrupted view of your food. This can really make you feel like you’re living in the lap of luxury.
What Disadvantages Do French Door Style Fridge Freezers Have?
The Separate Freezer Is Not Perfect For Everyone
Unfortunately, because the freezer compartment is separated from the fridge compartment, it does require you to crouch just to search through your food. If you have any back problems, this might be unfeasible.
It also means you might have to make multiple trips just to grab everything you need for a meal. You would need to grab every ingredient you need from the fridge, deposit it on the counter, and then return to make a trip to the freezer compartment.
French-door fridge freezers are best for those who only make occasional use of the freezer compartment. If you need to frequently and easily gain access to your frozen food, then a French-door fridge freezer may not be the best option.
You Need Extra Space
Unfortunately, this is a problem that affects any fridge freezer with a parting-door design. In order to open both doors of a French-door fridge freezer, you need to ensure there’s not only ample space in front of the unit but also on both sides. This ensures that, when both doors are swung open, they don’t whack directly against anything else!
French-door refrigerators require quite a lot of space to properly accommodate them. Not only are they wide, but you need to make sure there’s space for both doors to open to the left and right!
As such, you will have to dedicate a little more time to finding the right spot for one of these appliances. If your kitchen is too small, you may even find that you have no space at all for one!
Premium Price Tags
French-door fridge freezers truly offer a premium user experience. The only problem is, to gain access to this, you may need to pay a little extra.
Luckily, French-door fridge freezers are truly worth every single penny. They offer a modern look, and plenty of storage space, so you can stock up on ounces of food to keep the whole family satisfied. In turn, this also means that you can cut down on trips to the supermarket (saving you some peace of mind!).
Should You Go For An American Style Fridge Freezer Instead?
In some cases, you might be better served by an American-style fridge freezer than a French-door fridge freezer.
If you make very frequent use of frozen food, then the side-by-side design of an American-style fridge freezer would be beneficial. It prevents the need to crouch down just to grab frozen goods. It also means that you’ll be able to open both doors nice and wide to see both your frozen and refrigerated goods.
American-style fridge freezers are best for those who make frequent use of the freezer. You won’t have to bend over to grab your favourite foods, and you can cut down on trips between the unit and the kitchen counter!
American-style fridge freezers are also slightly narrower than French-door fridge freezers. This makes them convenient for those who might be a little more pressed for space. What they lack in width, they more than makeup for in height.
Should You Go For A Single Door Fridge Freezer Instead?
French-door fridge freezers offer a premium experience. But this means that they often come with a slightly more premium price. If you’re only looking for a basic fridge freezer with a smaller price tag, then a standard single-door model may be a better option for you.
Standard fridge freezers are also often much narrower, which makes them great for saving on floor space, and maximising your kitchen.
However, if you’re set on grabbing a French-door fridge freezer, and you’ve already weighed up your options, there’s no reason not to splurge! Single-door fridge freezers offer a great all-around experience, but if you have the extra space for a French-door model, then we’d strongly recommend going for it!
What Should You Look For In A French Door Style Fridge Freezer?
Now that we’ve compared the French-door variety to some of its closest counterparts, you’re likely a little clearer on whether they’re right for you.
Already started making plans to grab a French-door fridge freezer of your own? That’s great! Just make sure not to rush your decision. Rushing your decision could easily leave you with a model that’s totally unsuitable.
To find the perfect French-door fridge freezer of your own, there are some key things to consider. Keen to know what they are? Keep reading below!
Size
French-door fridge freezers are much wider than other similar appliances. It’s part of what’s helped to make them such a popular option. However, because of this often-inflated size, you’ll need to make sure you have the space for it.
To start, the best thing to do is consider where you want to keep your new fridge freezer. Found a good spot with plenty of space around it? Make sure to measure it accurately. This will help you to remain focused while searching through so many options. You’ll know what sizes are appropriate for your kitchen.
The size of a French-door fridge freezer is incredibly important to consider. The average model is already very wide, so you’ll want to make sure you pick a space that will suit the unit, and vice versa!
Make sure there’s a little bit of extra space between your new fridge freezer and any other objects in the kitchen. This is of vital importance for a French-door fridge freezer, as it ensures that both of the parting doors can be opened fully. It also ensures that the unit won’t vibrate against any other objects in the kitchen. If you want to create a relaxed and quiet kitchen space, this is essential.
Don’t just measure the vertical and horizontal space for your new fridge freezer though. You’ll also need to measure the depth of the space. You’ll want to be sure that the appliance doesn’t jut out from its spot. This prevents it from becoming a tripping hazard and keeps you from bumping into it. To maintain that modern and stylish sheen, this is highly useful. It also ensures there’s enough space for the doors to swing out.
Capacity
Most people opt for French-door fridge freezers as a direct result of their wide and spacious storage capacities. As such, if you often need to stock countless bounties of everyday foods for the family, then they’re a great option. But, you’ll still need to carefully consider the actual capacity of any model you look at.
This is because you want to make sure there’s just the right amount of space. This prevents overfilling or underfilling the appliance. Why are these both problems? Because they can directly impact the appliance’s performance!
When you overfill a fridge freezer, you make it much more difficult for the cold air to spread throughout the fridge and freezer compartments. Over time, this could result in some foods not being properly refrigerated and then spoiling!
Underfilling a fridge freezer is a significant waste of electricity. No matter how much food you place into a fridge freezer, it will still pump out the same amount of cold air. When you underfill your fridge freezer, you simply put that cold air to waste. As well as the electricity required to generate it!
You should be able to keep your fridge freezer stocked up to around 75% capacity at most times. This is best for efficiency. It allows for perfect performance by making it easier for cold air to move about, while also ensuring none of it goes to waste.
You’ll need to keep a close measure of the total size of the unit itself. When a model has greater capacity, it very often entails a larger total unit size. Make sure you strike a good balance between the two.
Energy Consumption
Your new French-door fridge freezer will always be plugged in and turned on to keep your food fresh. Make sure it’s not burning through too much electricity just to do this. Lowering the energy consumption of a fridge freezer in turn makes it much cheaper to operate, by significantly mitigating its impact on your energy bills.
Manufacturers are required to declare just how much electricity specific appliances consume over a set period. Make sure to take advantage of this. Look for the lowest level of consumption possible to reduce costs.
You can also make this task much easier by looking out for each model’s unique energy rating. Energy ratings are decided based on how efficient a given appliance is after it has passed a series of rigorous tests. This means that you can easily use them to get a quick glance at how efficient a specific French-door fridge freezer is. If you want a truly efficient model, you’ll need to aim for the highest rating.
Your French-door fridge freezer should be as efficient as possible. This will ensure it costs much less to keep it running constantly in your kitchen. Look for energy ratings around “D” to “E” to find the most efficient models!
Ratings are sorted from “A” to “G”, with “A” signifying maximum efficiency. Most French-door fridge freezers tend to have ratings of around “D” to “E”. Where possible, we’d recommend targeting these energy ratings.
Noise Level
A fridge freezer will always create some noise while in operation. This is a natural result of the refrigeration process, which occurs across the entire unit. Luckily, you won’t have to worry about your French-door fridge freezer being too loud. They usually tend to be around 30 to 40 dB in volume. This is much quieter than the average indoor conversation. This means it’s easy to tune out of the sound and ignore the unit.
If you want to create a truly silent kitchen space, you’ll need to consider the noise level of each model. Preferably, you want the decibel count to be as low as possible. This ensures that the unit can operate as quietly as possible.
You need to consider just how much noise your French-door fridge freezer emits. If you have a small home, or you want to turn your kitchen into a social space, then you’ll need to target a lower decibel count!
If you plan to keep the appliance in an isolated space, such as in a garage or another room, you may not need to worry too much about noise levels. Simply keep the door to that space closed, and you won’t hear a peep!
Ice Dispensers
Much like many American-style fridge freezers, many French-door models actually come with built-in ice dispensers. These can be found integrated within the design of the central parting doors, and offer up a far improved user experience. WIth the push of a button, you can access freshly frozen ice. It’s a perfect feature for big families, or for households that often host social gatherings.
They’re also great for improving efficiency. With an ice dispenser, you won’t have to keep dipping into the freezer every few hours to grab fresh ice. This means the freezer door can stay firmly shut, and the freezer doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain its temperature.
Want to take it even further? Try looking for models with cold water dispensers. Again, these are great for improving efficiency. They can also be total lifesavers during the Summer months. Instead of having to pull out a bottle of cold water from your fridge again and again, simply press a button to fill your glass with fresh chilled water!
These features will most often result in a higher price tag. As such, you should be sure that they’re right for you. No point in paying extra for them if you don’t actually touch them!
Adjustable Storage
French-door fridge freezers offer a massive amount of storage space. But, to make the most of it, you’ll need to make sure you can easily adjust that space to suit your needs. To this end, we recommend keeping your eyes peeled for adjustable shelves. These can be removed and repositioned as needed to open up the space and allow you to store some more unconventional items.
To make the most of a French-door fridge freezer, you’ll want to look for a model that has adjustable space. Look for removable shelves, so that you can accommodate some of those more awkward food items.
Many fridge freezers also come with additional storage options that you can add and remove from the unit as you need. It’s worth looking out for them!
Price
All of these considerations will lead you very naturally to the most important of them all. The price of your dream French-door fridge freezer should be fair and representative of its value. As such, you’ll want to make sure the perfect model has all of the features you require. Take the time to consider models that meet your needs, and then compare them based on price.
This will help you to settle on a price that is fair and balanced.
It’s also recommended to establish a budget before searching for a French-door fridge freezer. This way, you can stay focused on your hunt, and not find yourself caught off-guard by any prices.
Either way, just make sure you’re not spending too much or too little. You don’t want to spend too much on a model full of features useless to you. You also don’t want to spend too little. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a fridge freezer that’s insufficient to meet your needs!
Are French Door Style Fridge Freezers Worth Buying?
So, what’s our final verdict? We’d say French-door fridge freezers are totally worth the investment. In many ways, they can improve the flow and efficiency of your kitchen. For one, they have an unparalleled storage capacity. This makes them a very convenient option for busy households, or for those that need to stock up on plenty of food.
Despite their width, French-door fridge freezers are still incredibly convenient for fitting into a kitchen. They combine the best of fridges and freezers into a single unified appliance. This means you won’t have to dedicate extra floor space to both appliances. You’ll also save more on your energy bills too.
French-door fridge freezers are incredibly convenient and spacious. They’re great for really stocking up on food, thanks to their wide and generous storage spaces. If you have a busy and hungry household, they’re a great investment.
However, if you make frequent use of freezer space, or frozen food plays a major role in your life, then a French-door model may not be the best option. This is because the freezer compartment is hidden beneath the fridge compartment. To reach it, you may need to bend over slightly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A French Door Style Fridge Freezer?
A French-door fridge freezer employs two parting doors to hide the central fridge compartment. The doors meet in the middle but split off when opened. Spreading out to the left and right of the unit. This creates a wide and expansive insight into everything contained there. They also have plenty of storage capacity. This makes them great for busy homes.
Do You Have To Open Both Doors On A French Door Refrigerator?
You actually don’t have to open both doors on a French-door fridge freezer just to access your food. If you already know what side of the fridge a specific item is on, you can simply open the corresponding door and grab it! This makes them much easier to use, and also cuts down on energy use, because opening just one door allows less cold air to escape.
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