Not quite what you are asking but perhaps a helpful comment about side by sides. We recently replaced our over 20 year old GE full depth SxS b/c it stopped working. I wanted counter depth so I looked at french door but found it too small in the 36" size. Then I looked at 36" single door, bottom freezer drawer and liked what I saw. I ended up with a 30" (not a typo) floor model sz that has more and better usable space than that SxS had! I've been using it for 4 months and I still can't believe what it holds and how fresh it keeps food. Really, just be open to the possibilities in your price range, whatever it is. I'm happy I made the switch to something I didn't expect to get at the beginning of my search.

Three or four summers ago our fridge died on the day we were leaving for vacation. We had a friend coming to house-sit, so we had to find an immediate replacement. No time to think. Bought a cab-depth 36" french door Jenn-Air.

We're happy with it for the most part. There's a deli-drawer at the bottom with a removable "door" that is so removable it is constantly falling off. Otherwise, it's a pretty ideal way to scan and access what you have. The fact that there is never more than 18" of door swinging out into the room is a big plus, as the fridge opens into a 48" wide passageway to our laudry room.

As for the freezer, I find that I am often struggling to fit everything in, then sort of jamming the drawer closed and hoping for the best. I've ended up with a lot of smooshed Ben & Jerry's containers with flipped lids. (A blessing in disguise?)

I should mention that I was replacing a single door, freezer-on-top model, 30" deep X 30" wide. I have never owned a side-by-side.

FWIW, the main reason we picked a cab-depth french door fridge was that we knew we'd be remodeling in the future, and this was the only style of fridge that could fit into EVERY possible configuration we might dream up, as it was completely symmetrical and cab-depth.

in a side-by-side you pay for a long separator wall and you get a narrow shaped freezer, not optimal for packing.

with a bottom freezer your separator wall acts as a shelf, and the freezer and fridge are both more cube shape which is better for holding many objects.

Thank you all for your responses. As I posted, our current 20 year old refrigerator is a side by side. I really do like it and other than the fact that it's old, the wrong color, and making a terrible noise, it's fine! :) I fully intended to purchase another side by side to replace this one, but I have discovered that most of the current side by sides are slightly narrower in the refrigerator portion than my current model. As a result, this did lead me to check out the French door models. Mostly I'm curious if anyone out there switched from a side by side model to a French door and if you are happy or unhappy and why. I hate to make this expensive purchase and discover I made the wrong decision. Thanks again for your responses!

I had a a GE side by side for 25 years. I never had enough room. I also have an 18 cf top freezer refrigerator and the storage was much better. Last month we bought a 28.8 cf Samsung french door that is the same exterior size as a 26 cf. So far, we love it. The doors can hold 2 gallons of milk. The freezer has plenty of good space for us. There are 2 vegetable drawers and a deli tray. The drawback is the deli tray should have been 2 door so you wouldn't have to open both french doors to access. As for refrigerator storage, it is better than what we had, but never enough for us so we kept the 18 cf for beer and soft drinks and the once in awhile large roasting pan.

Side by side refrigerators were invented for small kitchens, especially in apartments, where there wasn't room for a full sized door to swing. People ended up liking them because they liked having fridge contents at eye level, among other things. Most fridges until quite recently had top freezers, though bottom freezers have also been made for many decades.

The great thing about french door fridges is that they combine the usefulness of a bottom freezer fridge with the tight space abilities of a side by side. Most of the fridge contents are at eye level, none are at knee level, and the freezer compartment, which is least rumaged in, is out of the way. The wider spaces are more useful for storage. You can fit platters, full sized frozen pizzas, etc. And the freezer drawer(s) opens into aisle space, while the split upper doors have the short swing of a side by side. It's a very good design.

Buy the FD and don't look back! I had a FD which I left in my former home after my divorce. I rented a TH for a year to decide if I wanted 2 move to AZ next year. This place has a S/S. I was here 1 week and bought a FD and had the S/S moved into the garage. I could not stand the S/S and never could. In 1 home I had a S/S Sub-Zero and had 2 fridges in the basement. The SZ would never hold enough to entertain.

I have never read on this forum that the FD is not a new idea. I grew up with 1. I had 2 B 13 or 14 when my parents bought it and I will B 56. It was made by Fridgidare. I think it was the Gallery Series? I know only 1 other person who had 1. Her's died and replaced it with a S/S. She hated it from day 1 and she was over 1 day and took a look at my Trio and went the next day to Sears and bought 1. The S/S is in the garage for beer and soda and was 6 months old at the time.

Good luck!

I've had both! IMO S/S clearly wins on looks and sleekness; FD more practical as stated above.

SxS are too narrow to get many things in. French door fridges don't seal tightly compared to my subzero, but the space is used more wisely. I love my 36" subzero SxS, and would REALLY love to get a 42" if I could just make my space a little wider...but a 30" SxS is just too narrow.

I'm also pondering this decision. I've always had a 36" regular-depth side-by-side fridge and generally like them. However, 36" make for a very narrow freezer compartment. A 42" built-in is a possibility, but they cost nearly twice as much. I'm thinking that a counter-depth freestanding plus the undercounter drawers might be a better choice and still cheaper than a built-in.

Seems like the FDs are all the rage now. Is this just a case of I don't know what I'm missing?

Not sure I would like a bottom freezer (drawer) -- seems like there would be a lot of digging for things. Is it like that?

Is it a pain to sometimes need 2 hands just to open the fridge?

You may not have noticed, but french doors, and freezer drawers, do not provide consistently tight seals, and therefor, do not qualify for energy star ratings. I've had two S/S refrigerators in the past 20 years, and the best (and only) reason I stick with them is the ice and water door dispenser, which nips energy costs by reducing the need to open a door, or a drawer. French doors practically demand you open them both, letting all the cold air out, and quickly.

Party trays? Consider collecting an assortment of chic serving dishes, than struggle with the weight, and width, of a big, fully loaded tray. Remember, those restaurant pans you admire probably won't fit in your dishwasher, much less your sink.

I'm pondering the same question: SxS vs FD. Despite the narrow issue, the following keeps pulling me towards the SxS. First: the FD reminds me of the chest freezer we used to have. Stuff just kind of finds it's way to the bottom, no matter how hard you try, and it gets lost. True, they have them with 2 drawers now, but the bottom one is still deep enough for this to occur. Second: my SIL bought my MIL a bottom freezer. Then she injured her back and couldn't get ANYTHING out of the freezer -- my husband has a back issue and I need him to get his own waffles for as long as possible.

I've measured the widest items in our freezer and frig, and take a measuring tape with me when I look at appliances. So far the sxs seem to fit what I typically have. TYPICALLY. Brining the thanksgiving 14 lb bird could be an issue, though.

I think we'll end up with a s by s with a little upright chest freezer in the garage. The thanksgiving bird may end up in the cooler with ice packs.

I chose a SxS because of my back "issues" too. The day I was appliance browsing happened to be one of my bad days -- and I couldn't reach into the bottom freezers! That sealed it for me. We freeze packages of ground meat, waffles, ice cream, and Lean Cuisines. No turkeys or large frozen pizzas. :)

I have a side by side for the first time and HATE it. Everything gets lost in the back and it's barely wide enough for a lasagna pan or cookie sheet. I can never find anything in the freezer either.
Personally I prefer the top single door with bottom freezer.
Good luck deciding.

I concur with the negative reviews of a standard 30" SXS fridge - too narrow and stuff gets lost in the back. Go with a cabinet depth 36" or 42" SXS. I used to have a freezer on the bottom fridge as well, and yes, it is a real pain to get to the food in the back. I am young and small with no back problems and had difficuly. As I said above, the French door fridges do not seal tightly. My mother has one and I do not like it, especially the tip out feature of the freezer door. It tips out and throws the stuff all around whether you want it to or not.