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whirlwindgirl

Cross post, refrigerator help, please

I posted in the appliances forum, but thought I would try here too.


We are moving into a lovely new home with a brand new kitchen. Sadly, whoever did the ktichen design made the total rookie error of placing the refrigerator space at the end of a cabinet run, immediately next to the wall. So there are cabinets to the left, enclosed refrigerator space, then wall to the right. This creates problems with opening the refrigerator door all the way, of course.

The kitchen does not come with a refrigerator so I am now refrigerator shopping. All other appliances are kenmore and stainless steel. The cabinets are white. The opening for the refrigerator is 37.5 inches wide and 24.5 inches deep. I don't have the height handy, but we did measure it and every refrigerator I have looked at fits height wise so it's not a constraint.

Given the wall situation, I think the refrigerator must be a single door (meaning no French doors) and the hinge must be on the left so we can open the door completely. I prefer something that doesn't stick out terribly far, especially if the refrigerator is stainless and has those dreadful black sides. I prefer bottom freezer, but that's not a must. There are definitely budget constraints. I'd like to stay at $1000 or less, but could consider stretching to $1500. I'm not coming up with the perfect answer, unfortunately.

So far, I have found a top freezer LG

LTNS16121V

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/LTNS16121V.html

It is 30 1/4 inches wide and 27 3/4 inches deep without handle. It is faux stainless and ajmadison has it priced at $719.

A bottom freezer Fisher Paykel

RF170WDXX5

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/RF170WDXX5.html

It is 31 3/32 wide and 27 3/8 deep. Ajmadison has it priced at $1999. Ouch.

The bottom freezer GE artistry in white

ABE21DGKWS

http://www.sears.com/ge-appliances-abe21dgkws-20.9-cu-ft-single-door/p-04608752000P?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=41&blockNo=41&blockType=G41

It is 29.75 inches wide and 34.125 inches deep without handle. So really deep, but some of that may be the curved front? And it is white so it wouldn't have the dreadful black sides. I think it would look okay since it has stainless handles? Sears has it priced at $1199.

What am I missing? It seems like there ought to be more options that fit this space. Maybe my searches are messed up somehow?

All feedback and suggestions appreciated!

Comments (14)

  • 8 years ago

    What a good memory you have! Not yet, but soon. Sadly. Good news is a friend is buying the house so she will take good care of the blue Hoosier. (And the move is awesome in other ways, just not in the ktichen department)

  • 8 years ago

    I was thinking exactly the same thing. I love your kitchen..... blue hosier, kohler stages, two faucets.....

    I'm not in the US, so I don't know how helpful I can be re pricing, but since I really dislike fridge doors that open the "wrong" way, just wondering if a slightly narrower fridge - with a space for brooms or some such would work? I have had some Kitchenaid's and LG's in the 33" width that have been really great fridges.


    Nothing Left to Say thanked sherri1058
  • 8 years ago

    Thanks for the compliments!


    I think I would need to leave six or more inches to be able to open the door enough to get the crisper drawers and such out for cleaning? Then I'd still need to leave an inch or so on the other side for circulation. So I'd be down to 30 inches--not a problem, but I think the gap mostly on one side would look funny? And be hard to chase the dust bunnies out of?

  • Nothing Left to Say thanked cluelessincolorado
  • 8 years ago

    Have you looked at Maytag and Whirlpool? I think I would do the hinge on the right with a 30" fridge and diy a built in next to the wall like this

    http://lifehacker.com/5992389/build-a-space-saving-roll-out-pantry-that-fits-between-the-fridge-and-the-wall

    Nothing Left to Say thanked Iowacommute
  • 8 years ago

    I did not restrict my searches on Sears and ajmadison by brand. So I didn't particularly look for those brands, but they didn't show up in my searches with anything that fits the space. I assume the main problem is that I do not want the refrigerator to stick out a ton from the cabinets, especially if it has those awful black sides that most stainless refrigerators have. But is is entirely possible my searches were messed up somehow. If anyone turns up other models that haven't been identified in this thread that fit, that'd be awesome.


    That looks cool though I'm not much of a DIYer. Is there really enough space for that? 37.5 minus 6 for the pullout leaves 31.5. Don't I need at least one inch on each side for air circulation? That leaves 29.5. I guess some models would work. (Of course something like LGs 10 cubic foot model that is 24 X 24 would work, but I'd rather have a little more refrigerator space than that since this will be our only refrigerator.)


    Is six inches enough space to allow for the refrigerator door to open all the way?

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    The 30" Maytag listed below sells for 1250 at AJ Madison and has a cabinet depth of 28 1/8". The dimension manual also says it only needs 1/2" on each side and an inch for the back. The actual width of thr fridge is 29 5/8 so that would leave just over 6.5" for a pull out. At that width I think you would be able to buy something from a cabinet company.

    A GW thread discussing narrow pull outs can be found here: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2694863/what-do-you-do-with-6-inches

    30-Inch Wide Bottom Mount Refrigerator - 19 Cu. Ft. MBF1958FEZ

    MSRP: $1,499.00.

    ETA: The Maytag dimension guide for the fridge above says "If you are installing your refrigerator next to a fixed wall, leave 2 1/2" (6.3 cm) minimum on the hinge side (depending on your model) to allow for the door to swing open."

    I don't know if 2.5" is enough to pull bins out, but it may be. We had the refrigerator next to the wall in our last house, and I always had to pull it out just a couple of inches to pull out the bins.

    I think if it were me I would go to an appliance store and start opening the doors that are next to other fridges and then find on on the end and see what that needs to pull out the drawers.

    Nothing Left to Say thanked Iowacommute
  • 8 years ago

    I think it depends on the fridge, but my Kenmore (rebranded Kitchenaid) only requires 1/2" on each side. It also only needs about 3" of space next to a wall to fully access the crisper drawers.

    Nothing Left to Say thanked sherri1058
  • 8 years ago

    I guess this must vary by refrigerator?


    As best I can figure, my current Frigidaire would need about 19 inches for me to be able to get the drawers out.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    With most refrigerators, 3" of space at the wall is usually enough to access the crisper drawers. To completely remove them you would need more space, but you could take out the shelf above the drawers and also the shelves on the door if necessary.

    Nothing Left to Say thanked Jean Nist Design
  • 8 years ago

    I live chatted with GE and the artistry needs a total of 55 inches (including the refrigerator) to be able to open the door far enough to get the shelves and bins out for cleaning.

  • 8 years ago

    Now I could be lazy, but how often do you need to pull out the produce drawers to clean?

    My mom used to have a copper line on her fridge which eventually had a tear because she was always moving the fridge. I don't think other water lines would get a kink or tear unless you ran them over with the wheels.

    Nothing Left to Say thanked Iowacommute
  • 8 years ago

    I probably clean the produce bins three or four times a year. Mostly because I screw up and something gets left in there too long. Yuck. I don't think I can pull a refrigerator out by myself so I would have to wait for dh to be available to help. (Plus I admit to paranoia about damaging floors by pulling appliances out. I have seen that damage too often in houses we have looked at/purchased.). At that point I would rather have the door swing the "wrong" way.