cafe fridge

15 years ago

I was convinced this was the way we were going to go. We were at my brothers for Christmas and they just got one and ummm, I don't think I like it. They bought a 20 cubic foot LG and it's pretty but I'm not sure it's that practical having to open two doors most of the time. My SIL says it seems to hold a lot less than her old fridge which was the same size. Do the larger cafe fridges feel less claustrophobic?

Please tell me the pluses and drawbacks. I don't think we need one for clearance reasons.

I have a friend who has a whirlpool elite huge side by side fridge/freezer and I love hers but it is massive and not really the same thing.

We do a lot of bulk grocery shopping as we live in a small town with 2 tiny limited grocery stores (and no place to buy milk after 8pm). We hit costco every 3 or 4 weeks. We do have a second fridge and mid-size chest freezer downstairs

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Comments (4)

melaska
15 years ago
Hi mikomum,

I, too, live in a small town. We're 300 miles from Anchorage. We only have one small grocery.

When you say 'cafe fridge' do you mean a French-door fridge? If so, I have one by Samsung and I LOVE it. I did a lot of research...I think with any appliance, there are good, not so good & mediocre even within brands. Living so far from service, I like to try to get the least likely to need repairs. I research Consumer Reports & online reviews. The delivery man said he's never had to take one of the Samsungs back.

It's 29 cubic feet...it has some kind of new insulation which makes it the same outside size as a smaller cu ft fridge. I usually only open one side or the other...I store things in the same area so I usually know which door to open. Here are the measurements:

Samsung French door fridge:
Depth, Including Handles (Inches) 35-5/8
Depth, Excluding Handles (Inches) 33
Depth, Less Door (Inches) 29-1/8
Height to Top of Case (Inches) 68-5/8
Height to Top of Door Hinge (Inches) 69-3/4

I wish I had waited just a little bit more so I could've gotten their 'deli drawer' in the form of a separate drawer instead of having to open up the 2 French doors in order to access it. But, I don't mind.

I got it mainly for my back problems. The difference in use is amazing to me. I love having everything at waist level & higher. I even like the bottom freezer...it has a top shelf that pulls out. I have 2 upright freezers that take the bulk of my freezer action.

Here's the one I have:

Here's the one I would've liked, too...the middle drawer takes the place of the deli drawer at the bottom of the fridge part. Great place to store huge platters, pizzas...I also use it for fruit...hubby's packed lunch items, etc.:

Good luck in whatever you decide!
mikomum
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh that is nice! Maybe I just have to see a larger one like yours. I'm still in the planning stages so I'm still trying to figure out what I like. Thanks for the info, I jotted it all down.
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limom_2bts
15 years ago
I just bought a Whirlpool Gold french door fridge...LOVE it! Mine is small, due to space issues (22 cu ft) but it really holds a lot of food. And any concerns I had about the freezer were for naught. It has plenty of space, easy to access, open and close. I rarely open both doors at the same time. Since we're all right-handed the daily often-used items (milk, butter, juice, etc) is on the right side. I only need to open both doors if getting to the large single drawer that goes the whole width, which I use for meats.
Did I say that I LOVE it??
francoise47
15 years ago
I thought I would jump on the French door bandwagon when we bought a new fridge two years ago. I stood for hours in appliance stores opening and shutting french-door fridges and just couldn't get with it in practice, even though it seems like a cool concept. In the end we got a sxs Bosch. I like to open one door and see everything in the fridge. I'm very happy with it.

I remember looking at the 20 cu. ft. LG and thinking, like you, that it felt tight and cramped. I also looked at the larger Whirlpool Gold and Samsung mentioned above in this post. They felt very spacious. If you like the French-door style, it sounds like you'll want to pick one with more than 20 cu. ft.

Best wishes with your decision!