Shopping for a refrigerator...or a freezer

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pengyou

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
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409
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Beijing
I have decided to move into a bigger apartment this next summer - most likely an unfurnished one - so I am doing some shopping now to buy a refrigerator/freezer, or possibly just a chest type freezer first. I seldom eat/buy convenience foods so my kitchen, pantry and fridge/freezer looks more like a supermarket than a person's kitchen. Everything I eat is something that I make. Ice makers and water dispensers in the door, etc do not do much for me. Those things aside, what things should I consider when I do my shopping?
 
You're putting the cart before the horse. I would never shop for an appliance before I knew how much space I had for it.
 
I really like the French door-style fridge we bought several years ago; I think its a Maytag. It has side-by-side doors on top and the shelves span the width of the fridge, so you can put large items in it. We didn't get the water dispenser; the salesman said it's the part most likely to need service, and it takes up a lot of space in the door that we have for storage. I have *lots* of condiments :LOL:

I like having the freezer underneath, too. I try to keep it organized so it's pretty easy to find stuff: bottom left is store-bought frozen veggies and cornmeal; bottom right is homemade frozen foods and things like herb cubes, pesto, and portioned chipotles in adobe and tomato paste; top drawer next to the icemaker is breads, pastry, and cheese. Meats are in the freezer in the sun room.
 
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I'd never again have the freezer on the top and I think ice makers take up too much room, so we bought a separate ice maker we keep in the garage. It's no problem to fill up our ice container for the freezer.
I would have liked to have the French door refrigerator, but I got the single door with the freezer on the bottom for a fraction of the cost.
If you've ever had the freezer on the bottom, you'd be convinced you'd never have anything else.

For anyone interested this is where we got our portable ice maker..
http://www.heartlandamerica.com/browse/item.asp?product=portable-ice-maker&PIN=161509&BC=S&DL=SEH1
 
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I have a separate all fridge and all freezer. the only downside is that we don't get the cool water on the door and there is no ice maker.
 
I think doing the research now if a good idea and getting to several choices. I would wait until the move to make the actual purchase. Only you know what kind of refrigerator will work the best for your kitchen. If you are checking out things like how long will a refrigerator last, I can say that I have two 19 year old Maytags that just keep going. I like them both and use them differently. The side by side is the one that gets daily use. The freezer on top model, is for things not used often...flour, certain spices, mayo, etc.
 
I really like the French door-style fridge we bought several years ago; I think its a Maytag. It has side-by-side doors on top and the shelves span the width of the fridge, so you can put large items in it. We didn't get the water dispenser; the salesman said it's the part most likely to need service, and it takes up a lot of space in the door that we have for storage. I have *lots* of condiments :LOL:

I like having the freezer underneath, too. I try to keep it organized so it's pretty easy to find stuff: bottom left is store-bought frozen veggies and cornmeal; bottom right is homemade frozen foods and things like herb cubes, pesto, and portioned chipotles in adobe and tomato paste; top drawer next to the icemaker is breads, pastry, and cheese. Meats are in the freezer in the sun room.
I was rather taken with a fridge -freezer I saw on a Food Network where the fridge part was above and the freezer a drawer underneath which pulled out, (rather than a cupboard with drawers in it )and there was a light in it too. I thought this was a much better arrangement. You could see things so much more easily. Make sure that the fridge and freezer compartments have independent controls rather than a shared control (over here that usually means a more expensive appliance).
 
I really like the French door-style fridge we bought several years ago; I think its a Maytag. It has side-by-side doors on top and the shelves span the width of the fridge, so you can put large items in it. We didn't get the water dispenser; the salesman said it's the part most likely to need service, and it takes up a lot of space in the door that we have for storage. I have *lots* of condiments :LOL:

I like having the freezer underneath, too. I try to keep it organized so it's pretty easy to find stuff: bottom left is store-bought frozen veggies and cornmeal; bottom right is homemade frozen foods and things like herb cubes, pesto, and portioned chipotles in adobe and tomato paste; top drawer next to the icemaker is breads, pastry, and cheese. Meats are in the freezer in the sun room.


I can't believe we finally have something we agree on!!! LOL I love my french door refrigerator with the freezer drawer on the bottom. No water and ice in the door here, either.
 
I was rather taken with a fridge -freezer I saw on a Food Network where the fridge part was above and the freezer a drawer underneath which pulled out, (rather than a cupboard with drawers in it )and there was a light in it too. I thought this was a much better arrangement. You could see things so much more easily. Make sure that the fridge and freezer compartments have independent controls rather than a shared control (over here that usually means a more expensive appliance).

I think we're talking about the same thing. Not sure whether this is the exact model, but this is what mine is like (although mine is black): http://www.maytag.com/-[MFF2558VEM]-1101068/MFF2558VEM/
 
Thanks. I am especially interested to know if such things as crisper drawers do any good, etc. I buy a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. I have had fridges before that froze them solid, even at the warmest temperature and some that dehydrated everything in the fridge if left there for more than a few days.
 
I have never had any problem with my crisper drawers. There must have been something wrong with your temperature control. Some veggies did get mushy when they ended up in the back of the drawer and I forgot about them, but that was longer than a few days.
 

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