42' vs 48' refrigerator

14 years ago

I posted this on appliances but I think it might be just as appropriate to ask here. There's only so much room on the wall where the fridge will be. I need to squeeze in a pantry there (there will be another pantry but not as close to the cooking area) and a countertop where the kids will get a bowl of cereal or make toast in the morning. (cabinet above for bowls and such) (drawer below for cereal). I do want a big fridge - we are a family of 5 with a big extended family and we cook a lot. But where will I get the most value - from 6" more of pantry, countertop or fridge?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Fori
14 years ago
Is your current fridge big enough? Do you currently need more pantry? More counter? It's just very personal and everyone has different needs. You can only compare it with what your current kitchen has and what it lacks and guess from there.

I have a 4-person family and we do fine with a 32" fridge. It gets tight at the holidays. My inlaws have fourteen children and have a 36" fridge in the kitchen and a spare in the garage. They seem happy with it. (They always have someone available to send out to the garage of course!)

I'd go with the 42", myself, with more counter and less pantry.
poohpup
14 years ago
Easy decision for me. I'd go for the larger refrigerator. I'm going from a 36" to a 48". My 36" is usually jammed. If had had a good spot for it, I'd have gone with 72". But I also have a separate walk in pantry.

How big is your current fridge and how well does it function for you? If you go with a smaller fridge to get the pantry space, can you have extra fridge space else where such as a fridge drawer? How does your current space compare to the new space you have planned and what do you feel you need more?

I did a lot of "pretend" cooking in my kitchen with different layouts in mind and it really was helpful. Looked silly, but was helpful. lol
Related Professionals
Concord Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Pocatello Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Leamington Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Crestview Kitchen Remodelers · Peoria Kitchen Remodelers · South Bend Kitchen Remodelers · Flint Kitchen Remodelers · Kearney Kitchen Remodelers · Bend Kitchen Remodelers · Great Bend Custom Countertops · Southaven Custom Countertops · Tulsa Custom Countertops · Fort Worth Custom Countertops · Charleston Custom Countertops · Albany Custom Countertops
athomesewing
14 years ago
We're planning on going 48". We considered 42" however when reviewing specs most have no more space, and some have even less space, than our current 36" counter depth GE Profile era 1993, which holds 23.6 cubic feet. We don't really want the new frig to hang way out beyond the counter, so we are going wide. We keep mostly fresh foods.

The AJMadison website lists all the specs on refrigerators, and you can sort by size and type.

Here is a link that might be useful: AJ Madison
chris11895
14 years ago
One thing to consider is the longevity of that size. Our first fridge choice was a 42" Liebherr. Then I started looking at the other brands in 42" and noticed there weren't many to choose from and now it appears Liebherr has even discontinued theirs. With that in mind, I became concerned that if we want to replace our fridge in ten years, we may not be able to get that size. So we're doing 36" and having fridge drawers in our island (for produce) and a beverage center elsewhere. Just something to keep in mind...
pps7
14 years ago
If you will have another overflow fridge somewhere else (garage, basement, mudroom) then 42" is adequate. Other wise, I would do the 48".