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GE Cafe fridge question

6 years ago

I’m looking to purchase a French door refrigerator. I like the GE Cafe line and am interested in a model that has this water and ice dispenser in the door. Would the lack of a dispenser and drip tray prevent you from buying it? It is such a strange design and I feel like it will drive me crazy. I can foresee big messes on the floor from water and ice just resting on that tray. The next model up is about $600 more which is significant. TIA


Comments (9)

  • 6 years ago

    If you purchase a fridge with an ice maker/dispenser in the refrigerated section of the unit, you are asking for trouble at some point in the future. So yes it will deter me personally from buying a unit such as this. I have has a side by side for years with the dispenser over the freezer door and it has never had an issue. If water and ice is a must, get a unit with the ice in the freezer where it belongs and water in on the inside of the fridge. You are likely to have far less issues this way. Manufacturer is not important. It is a flaw in design IMO. Some manufacturers do it a little better than others, but at the end of the day ice belongs in the freezer.

  • 6 years ago

    My experience is the same as kevindales. I loved my door dispenser when I had a side by side fridge. Real cold water. The dispenser was on the freezer side. But I wasn't crazy about it when I bought my French door. The water was not as cold and the ice always clumped together stopping it from dispensing. They are hard to keep spotless when you have hard water. My current house has a bottom freezer fridge with ice in the freezer. No water. When I need to replace it I will probably get another French door but with just an ice maker in the freezer. No door dispenser.

  • 6 years ago

    Thanks. Every salesperson has told me that also. I do like the convenience though. Also, the only GE Cafe without it is counter depth and I have the space for standard. Seems silly to pay more for less space.

    My question was more about the design of the lack of drip tray in that dispenser. Most have a grate and a basin to catch water and Ice. Thanks.

  • 6 years ago

    The fact it’s a GE Cafe is what would prevent me from buying it.


    The lack of a drip tray would also deter me. I am stuck with a GE Cafe French door with the dispenser in the door for now.


    We have given up on repairing the more mundane issues with the fridge. As of right now it’s just water intermittently leaking down the front, ice maker freezing up regularly and sounding like a motorcycle taking off at different times of day and night.


    We are saving for a Sub Zero and hope we save enough before this thing needs a third new motor.






  • 6 years ago

    Yikes, how old is it? We are also considering kitchen aid. Seems like they all have their problems.

  • 6 years ago

    Check another thing on the GE Cafe line of French doors - can you open the doors wide enough so you can pull the drawer bins out for cleaning?


    GE put a different hinge stop on the Cafe line that restricts the door opening angle (likely due to the depth of the handles) (body of fridge is same as Profile, but Profile will open further). At least the last version of the standard depth Cafe fridge you can't get the drawers out without an ugly solution - forcing them (and GE Technician support confirmed it).

  • 6 years ago

    Ejoe326. I totally was set on having an in door dispenser until moving to this house that didn't have one. I really don't miss it at all. The convenience just doesn't make up for the cost and cleanup to me anymore. Before I moved I would never have considered one without. Thought it was crazy when I heard someone asking for one without in a big box store. Thought they were just being cheap. Now I'm that person. I had a door dispenser from 1995-2018. Ice maker in the freezer since then. Sometimes modern conveniences are just that.

  • 6 years ago

    We have a drip try on our GE Profile French door (water only) and the finish is peeling off. Granted, we have softened water, but it goes through an RO filter before it comes out the door, so I think the finish is just a cheap film to match the SS finish of the fridge. Our son and DIL have no spill tray, so they do get an occasional drip or cube on the floor, but I consider that far superior to the degrading finish on our spill tray.