We have ~42" between island and fridge and had a 30" single door for a long time. When it was open, there wasn't room to pass behind the person standing at the fridge, so if that's your goal, you'd definitely want more room. We have a french door now so each door is only 18", but honestly haven't changed any patterns in that regard even though there is technically more room behind the person standing there. We still walk around if someone's standing there getting things out. A lot will depend on how you use that aisle and how often that space conflict is in play.

It will also depend if you have a counter depth fridge (25" deep), or one of those behemoths that stick way out.

My design book says simply that there should be 48" between either side of a galley kitchen and 48" between one side of a kitchen and an island.

Yes, should have added—our 30” single door was standard depth and the French door is counter depth.

If you are using a conventional fridge, or even a "counterdepth" fridge that is not "true counterdepth", you may want to consider the depth from the front of the "box" of the refrigerator when determining your depth. Some refrigerators are 36" deep (including the doors and handles, I am assuming), compared to countertops, which are 25.5" deep. If it already sticks out a foot, you have a lot less room for door swing.

I have 45.5" between door and island. The 36" column fridge is 26 5/8" deep, including the door. I didn't panel/integrate bc holy cow is that expensive. It's on one short end of the island, and you can't pass b/t the door and the island when the door is open, but that's ok b/c there really would be no reason to.

Ideally, the fridge is in a locale where it is handily accessible to food prep, and simultaneously, equally handy to all others in search of a quick whatever that may be.

You may want to show your kitchen plan? The layout with all the appliance placement, all the feet and inches.

All kitchens live within the context of who is using, how many are cooking, the inches available for function. The only kitchen that will matter in the end is your kitchen, and how you and others use it. One person's door clearance as Just fine? Is another's daily pain.

No way to know beyond the fact that no matter WHAT fridge? You should not be less than 42 inches handle to counter and more is nicer.

Post your plan: ) in a comment box.

Another thing: check how wide the door swings open in your set-up. Some fridge doors swing open nearly 180 degrees; others one is lucky to get 90 degrees. That makes a difference if one person is loading the fridge from the market and no one else can pass by.

A Sub Zero has a 90* pin stop and a 105* pin stop.

How often would one need more open than that?

You aren't really supposed to stand in front of the fridge on a daily basis for twenty minutes ...."deciding" what to have for lunch. I say that for those of you with teens in the house : )

I think so much depends on the kitchen and how it is used. I runa catering biz from my home so we have 32" all fridge all freezer columns with a buit in kit and have 54" from front of fridgr to counter since that is a very busy side of my kitchen. I will say SZ is IMO an overpriced item and my fridges cost less than 3K 16 yrs ago and not one service call So they owe me nothing and now they are 5K and would last as long again but that is my opinion. So I think in a normal use kitchen you still wnat to be able to open the door fully and still be able to stand in front if fo no other reason than to clean it properly So think about how you use the space .Since you are asking why not post your plan here too and get any other help you might need. Post here ina comment , to scale on graph paper . Post in jpeg format DO NOT start another post.

A Liebherr opens wider.

This is in my previous house, so can't go get extra measurements for you, but we had 44-1/4" per the plans. The final was probably a bit less, because I don't think it included the pulls we installed.

SZ 36" fridge (door and drawers) on the right and SZ 24" freezer on the left. (note that I had them both hinged on the left which worked best for this kitchen).

Never felt that we didn't have enough room to work around the kitchen, but if you have the space 48" should be good.

If you are worried, buy a french door refrigerator.