French door refrigerators are becoming quite popular, mainly because they combine the advantages of two other styles of refrigerator. A French door design, which is also known as double door or bottom freezer design, has the freezer on the bottom with dual doors on the refrigerator section above.
This gives you the additional space that most freezer-on-the-bottom refrigerators offer, along with the advantages of side-by-side models, such as ice dispensers and water filters in the door.
Many of the major brands are now making French door models, such as Amana, Maytag, Electrolux, and Samsung. When these fridges were first introduced, the prices were generally all over $3,000 but they have been dropping as more models are being made. You can find models for around $1,500 these days, such as the Amana AFD2535DEW. Others, such as the GE GFSS6KKXSS are in the middle of the range, at roughly $2,400.
One of the reasons these models have become so popular is because many home & garden and cooking TV shows use them. This is often because they tend to be more eye-catching than a standard refrigerator (particularly with a stainless steel finish), but as a result more and more people have been looking for them.
The main refrigerator compartment on French door models actually tends to be a little bit smaller than a comparable freezer-on-top or freezer-on-bottom model, but the freezer compartment is generally larger.
This is partly due to the fact that the freezer pulls out like a drawer, rather than having a swing-open door, so there is less space needed for the door hardware.
And there are various sizes available, of course, so you can get larger ones if you have the space or you’re planning a kitchen remodel and can plan around whatever size fridge you decide on.
As far as reliability and performance, there’s really not much of a difference between a French door refrigerator and any other style. It’s going to depend on the brand and model you choose, as well as how well you maintain and take care of it.
If you choose a model that has extra features, such as an ice maker or water filter, there are obviously more components that could require service at some point in the future, but you won’t have any more or less trouble with a French door style fridge than you would with any other. The best way to ensure you get a reliable model is to check refrigerator reviews and consumer ratings on the brands and specific models that you’re considering, and see how other people’s experience has been.