What kind of refrigerator do you have?

My fridge is getting really noisy and runs almost constantly.It's 13 yrs old so I'm looking at new ones.The one I have now is a top freezer model.I've had a side by side before and didn't like it.I'm leaning toward the bottom freezer one this time but can't decide if I want the one with a door that opens out or the drawer that pulls out.If anyone has either of these,I'd like to hear the pros and cons.

Ginny, Mama had the bottom drawer one time...I didn't like it...plus, you're not getting any younger and stooping down to locate dinner will get to be a hassle! LOL Jo

Ah,but Jo....that's just it.I'm not getting any younger, and you're in the fridge part much more than you're in the freezer.I'm very bad at letting things spoil in the vegetable bins because I can't see what's in them without practically getting on my knees.I think they are gaining in popularity as you see more of them in the stores than you used to.

A veeeerrrry old one! My fridge, I mean. I hated a side by side I bought years ago, but DD wants one. But I wouldn't like the drawer type freezer, because I can just see it getting too heavy to move easily. Had one in the 50s and it was a hassle, but maybe they are better now. I always come back to the freezer on top kind, but I am under five feet tall, so it's different for me. I don't use a freezer much at all, so it isn't a big issue. With stores so easy to reach, I see no need for me to store a lot of food when I hate frozen foods anyway. But if you need or like to buy in bulk, this would be something to think about. Maybe if you rearranged your shelves and drawers in the fridge, putting the more perishable things at a higher level, you would be more likely to use them in time. I love the way you can now arrange the interior of your fridge to suit your preferences. And isn't the door storage wonderful since they made it deeper?!?!?! Of course, a new fridge costs about the same as a new car, it seems. Well, per pound, anyway.

When we were first married - almost 34 years ago - we had refrigerator with freezer at the bottom. It was a door. They didn't have the drawers then I don't think. It was used but we LOVED it. I really think they are more efficient, energywise. The refrigerator we have now is the freezer at the top. It's our second new one. The other one was working fine but didn't feel it was worth moving it when we moved here. If money were not an issue, I would be a Sub-Zero brand. Good Luck!

We bought the new Amana bottom freezer refrigerator just last year. The sun shines right into the kitchen smack onto the refrigerator door (our entire back wall is east-facing windows, 15'H x 25'W). The Kenmore had started to make a lot of noise. Replacing the compressor is so expensive it isn't worth fixing them these days.

I wanted a bottom freezer because we open the frig at least six times more often than the freezer section (I also have a full-size upright freezer). I opted for the drawer because otherwise you get down on your knees to pull things off the shelves, and I wasn't too keen on that idea!

I agree Sub-Zeros are wonderful, but don't have $5K to spend on one appliance, unfortunately. So the choices were the Amana or the GE. I talked to several appliance retailers and wholesalers and they unanimously recommended the Amana as the better-built of the two. Amanas are more heavily insulated, which does mean that the doors are thicker and so you should carefully note the dimensions of the model you choose.

We purchased the Amana and our utility bills promptly dropped $20/mo., which justified our getting rid of the Kenmore even though it was still working at the time.

The downside to the freezer drawer is that things do fall to the bottom, through the rack, occasionally. Also, my husband would dearly love to have an ice-maker/water dispenser unit in the door, which isn't possible with this type of refrigerator. But I am extremely satisfied with it, and only wish we had been able to fit in the largest size unit.

Same here,I bought the bottom freezer Amana too.Mines about 5 years old now .No problems at all.I love it.They are better on electricity because cold naturally goes lower.I go in the fridge a whole lot more than in the freezer.can't recommend it enough

Okay.

I'll confess to having a SubZero refrigerator bought in 1998. It's built like a tank. It works. It's big enough to house a family of four, and their pets.

It was a total waste of money..., in the sense that many other products perform the exact same function we well or better for a fraction of the cost. Buying a Sub Zero is like buying Hummer, when a Honda would perform as well or better while getting better milage.

Adam.








This message was edited Friday, Jan 17th 11:36 PM

I have an Amana, bottom freezer. I love it. Its so much easier to have the refrigerator shelves on top, I find.

Adam, I like your analogy, the hummer versus the Honda.

Thank you all for your input.I've been to Sears three times just opening doors and pulling out drawers,LOL.I think Amy's comment about the drawer possibly being heavier to pull out once it's full,helped me decide on the door.That had been the one that caught my eye in the first place. I've decided on the Amana "Easy Reach".I'm not getting it from Sears though,as my brother-in-law is in the appliance business and can get for us at cost.
I found out that Amana makes Kenmore refrigerators and that Maytag bought out Amana.
One other thing about the door/drawer issue,is that I think it will be much easier to reach the back wall when cleaning it, with the door open, as it seems like the drawer would be in your way

Wow.. Intersting.. Thanks for those wonderful information about it.. We are planning to buy new one for new house.. I want freeze bottom. My sis have one.. I am sure which color I want Stainless or white. Still thinking....

I loved the bottom freezer model. The whole basket swiveled out easily. Also, they are about as efficient as the top and side freezer models now.
However, the best thing to do is to go look up refrigerators in Consumer's Reports. Check out the top 2 or 3 in the ratings and see which one is comfortable for you and is laid out usefully. I have never, ever, gone wrong using Consumer's Reports probably because they do not accept advertising so they can stay completely objective. Their reputation is immmaculate. If you don't get the magazine at home, the libraries keep a back stock and you can read about the convenience and reliability of all of them.
Now let me tell you about my 50-year-old Kelvinator chest freezer...........
Later..I just remembered that my spousal unit calls the crisper drawers, "rotters". I think that's because they are so low and dark, that we forget what we have in them and let stuff rot. So I have my veggies stuffed here and there in the upper part of the fridge, rolling around, getting crushed, etc. Another good reason for a bottom freezer. The crisper drawers would be higher and easier to see and get to.

This message was edited Sunday, Jan 19th 5:09 PM

This message was edited Sunday, Jan 19th 5:12 PM

"Rotters," too funny.

Our veggie drawers are full of germinating acorns in compost, bulbs for forcing later in the season, and 25 crocus bulbs in a ceramic bowl of sand and water (now sending up strong, pretty pale shoots ~~~ soon to be placed in the sun). We don't keep either apples or onions in the fridge.

Adam.

woodspirit1,the term "rotters" is certainly an avid description of the crisper drawers.I can't tell you how many times I've found a very squishy cucumber in mine.
Adam,as for apples,I bought a bushel of them in November,(golden delicious and granny smith)and since our basement is too warm to keep them,I put them in a large picnic cooler,put the lid on and opened the drain plug for air circulation then put them in our shed outside.I just checked them a few days ago and they are holding up beautifully.Not one of them is rotten or shriveled.Now if the temperature drops too low I may throw an old blanket over them also.