Top or bottom freezer????

[abunaitoo]

I now have a side by side.
Because of where a counter is, the door cannot open all the way.
Kind of a pain to put big stuff in.
Looking to change to a top or bottom freezer so the door can open all the way.
Any comments on which is better????

[Winger Ed.]

I go in & out of the freeze a lot, and prefer it to be on top if I can't go with a side by side.

As a kid, we had a refrigerator with the drawer type freezer on the bottom, and I never liked it.

[Handloader109]

I very well doubt you will find a top freezer, bottom drawer works, but I like side by side myself

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[MaLar]

Had a top door, now have a bottom drawer and love it.

[TimD]

We always had a top door and it worked fine. No problem finding things or getting them out. When it was replaced the new one came with a bottom freezer with a pull out drawer. Just one big drawer with a basket. The wife hated constantly having to hunt around to find things on the bottom, and it was not easy to get things out. Our current one has a swing out door, that needs to open almost all the way, with three solid drawers that are much easier and better to rummage through. Never had a side-by-side, but I would go with the top door freezer, not that I get a choice :)

[CastingFool]

We've had all three, top, bottom and side by side. Bottom freezer has worked the best for us. Side by side was the least convenient.

[JimB..]

Dislike the side by side, just not enough room and stuff is always a mess. Top freezer was better and I’d like to try a bottom freezer one day. Best was a full fridge in the kitchen and a full upright freezer in the garage.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I have also had all three. I seem to go in the freezer often. My favorite is a top freezer with no ice maker. That is what I have now.

[45DUDE]

Ice in the top and beer on the bottom in the garage. 26cu side buy side in kitchen with crushed ice for margaritas.

[abunaitoo]

I looked at a few.
I was leaning towards the bottom freezer because the frig is used more.
The top freezer would be good, but the bottom draws of the frig are kind of low.
Getting old and back not as good as it used to be.
I need an ice maker.
Drink only ice water these days.
Again getting old, so everything else has gone.
Everything has to be ordered, which I don't like.
I want to see and touch, before I buy.
I've heard that a top freezer is better, because cold air goes down.
With the bottom freezer, it has to work harder to keep the cold air up.
Make sense to me.
I'll keep on looking for something I like.

[Ringo10x]

We recently got the bottom drawer freezer type. I hate it.
It's the most irritating $2500 i ever spent

[GhostHawk]

Bottom, cold settles. It is just more efficient. We had a side by side with constant problems. Burning out defrost heaters.

The new bottom freezer is totally trouble free for years. Plus everything in the fridge is at convenient height to find and grab.

[John Guedry]

We have had one side by side. It's not a good fridge or freezer. Currently have atop fridge btm freezer, like it.

[Bmi48219]

Had top freezers, bottom freezers, S x S; none are perfect. We now have a unit with a
S x S fridge on top and two stacked freezer drawers on bottom. I guess I like it more than the S x S it replaced. It is a cabinet depth model so it doesn’t stick out as far. Interior volume seems same as full depth models.

[georgerkahn]

I now have a side by side.
Because of where a counter is, the door cannot open all the way.
Kind of a pain to put big stuff in.
Looking to change to a top or bottom freezer so the door can open all the way.
Any comments on which is better????

"Which is better?" is similar (imho :)) to inquiring which is the better brand of beer; the better pizza; and so on. In MY/family use, mostly stuff is put in refrigerator freezer compartment for relatively short-term storage. E.g., the meat bought at supermarket with plans to be cooked next week... And, of course, needed frozen ice cream, Cool Whip, and the like. HOWEVER, even as such, items miraculously both disappear behind other items and are too often forgotten that they're there -- BUT -- with the top-freezer are most easily found. Our younger son has a 'fridge with side by side refrigerator top compartment -- complete with in door ice and cold water dispensers -- and, a pull out freezer compartment at bottom. I view it as a nightmare in spades with stuff piled upon other stuff with the need to take quite a bit out -- put on floor or the seat of a chair -- to retrieve an item below it.
Albeit, again, like the "best beer?" -- I'd replace the present freezer on top unit we now have with no other arrangement! Also, on subject of fridges, albeit ours has an auto icemaker I never hooked it up. To my way of (dysfunctional at times?) thinking, I can readily use a couple of ice-cube trays on door to make what we may require, and a close friend who is an insurance seller often voices as the water supply hose to the fridge for the auto ice maker as perhaps his most often (and costly!) insurance claim. He always tells folks to toss thst which comes with the fridge in trash, and instead buy quality plastic or soft copper tubing.
Good luck!
geo

[kungfustyle]

You will loose a great deal of cubic space with a bottom freezer. The space is taken up by the drawer and all the plastic shelving/racks. Not a fan only due to the reduced space.

[Rich/WIS]

Have had all three and now have a bottom drawer freezer. Like it as I don't go in the freezer very often the upper refrigerator is much more convenient. Do have a chest freezer in the garage for bulkier items so inside freezer space is not an issue.

[memtb]

Wife says (and never argue with wife about these things)…..bottom freezer and never again “French Doors” on the fridge! memtb

[gwpercle]

Years ago we had a side by side and it has a few advantages but when we replaced it we got a unit with double door refg. on top and a slide out freezer on the bottom .
I like this set up much better . The freezer slides out and has a top sliding shelf/basket and a lower large compartment . it holds a lot and not too hard to find stuff ,,,the upper shelf/basket also holds a lot of flatter frozen foods ... I like the freezer set up .
The refg. is just a short wide 2 door refg ...the doors swing out , dont take up a lot of room and you can open one door and go into that side without opening the other door ... I like it ... our unit is 34" wide , so each door is 17" wide ...and our kitchen is small ...2 doors works for us .
We did not get any ice or water dispensers on the door ... these are the weak points and usually take up a lot of room and break down . If you don't have children getting water and automic dispensed ice all day long ... don't get these poorly designed contraptions . There is a ice maker in the lower freezer ... it dumps ice into a plastic container ...it was designed by a idiot ... auto shut off doesn't shut off when full ... ice spills all into freezer . Getting the bucket of ice out to dump it is impossible without spilling half the ice all over freezer and floor ... my cat could have designed a better ice maker .
If I had a seperate kitchen ice maker ... I would have the freezer ice maker eliminated because it just sucks rocks ... and takes up valuable freezer space
But we don't have any other way to make ice .
When looking at units , measure your kitchen spaces , make a sketch and see what will work and what wont work . Doors have to open and people must be able to pass .

We also have a small stand up freezer in our adjacent laundry room ...if you have room , a small freezer is worth it's weight in gold ... buy things on sale or in season , hunters give you game or fish ... just the best thing to have .

Single door refg/frzrs are designed so the door can be installed with either right or left hand opening ... be aware which way you want it to swing and have them set the door the way you need it to open .
Gary

[Mk42gunner]

Had most, worked on a lot of them forty years ago. My favorite combination is a top freezer/ bottom refrigerator with customizable shelving, and a chest type deep freeze.

Not really a fan of automatic ice makers or dispensers, bad water around here meant lots of work on them in the old days. Plus about the only thing I drink with ice in it anymore is iced tea.

Robert

[pworley1]

We have had all three and like the freezer on top best.

[M-Tecs]

Years ago we had a side by side and it has a few advantages but when we replaced it we got a unit with double door refg. on top and a slide out freezer on the bottom .
I like this set up much better . The freezer slides out and has a top sliding shelf/basket and a lower large compartment . it holds a lot and not too hard to find stuff ,,,the upper shelf/basket also holds a lot of flatter frozen foods ... I like the freezer set up .y

Same here. I have had them all and this styles is by far my and my wife's favorite.

[firefly1957]

We had a very nice side by side with water and ice in the door my wife wanted a bottom freezer I HATE the new refrigerator it is no where near as good and I no longer have easy access to cold water and ice!

[1006]

Hold out until July 4 sales begin.

The basic bottom drawer freezer with NO external water or ice dispenser has been my favorite—no ice clogs, and an extra large pizza or a big turkey easily fits inside the fridge.

[gwpercle]

Hold out until July 4 sales begin.

The basic bottom drawer freezer with NO external water or ice dispenser has been my favorite—no ice clogs, and an extra large pizza or a big turkey easily fits inside the fridge.

:goodpost:
Without the water and ice dispensor in the door you have a lot more space inside .
I slide open the freezer to get ice or open the refg. door for cold water ... simple !
Without these extra's the units are cheaper and nothing in door to get screwed up .
Glad we left those options off ... we didn't really Need them .
Gary

[GL49]

If the freezer is going to be packed full most of the time, get the top freezer where you'll be looking straight in at it. With the bottom freezer in our new fridge, you've just gotta hunt and dig. I don't like it, my wife doesn't like it. First ,and last, bottom freezer we'll own.

[gc45]

My Wife loves our double door refer including the huge bottom drawer freezer. Biggest one we could find, quiet and energy efficient as well. Colt water feature and double ice makers, Much easier she says looking down into the drawer than looking up into the top trying to find frozen stuff! The drawer also has a drawer in a drawer feature she finds useful..

[Winger Ed.]

Once you decide on the type, now it's time for picking a brand.

The main components are probably all made by a couple of companies and are in all the different brands.
You'd think the longevity would be the same for all makes.
We have a relative that's worked for Lowe's about 15 years and has repeatedly said Sam Sung leads the parade for returns.

Ours and a couple of friend's personal experience with them confirms this.

[abunaitoo]

Good to know about sam sung.

[Winger Ed.]

Good to know about sam sung.

I had a side by side that died in less than four years.
A neighbor buddy had the biggest, fanciest one they make.
In less than three years, service techs had worked on it three times.
A few months later, when it went out the next time, he took it to the curb.

[ulav8r]

I now have a side by side.
Because of where a counter is, the door cannot open all the way.
Kind of a pain to put big stuff in.
Looking to change to a top or bottom freezer so the door can open all the way.
Any comments on which is better????

You might gain some info here to help inform you, but you really should ask your wife what she wants. If you don't get what she wants, you will be blamed for every issue that occurs with it.

[abunaitoo]

The two door freezer on the bottom looks good.
I would still have the problem of one of the doors not being able to open all the way.
I'm also wondering how long the center seal will last.
I do go into the freezer a lot to get ice, so probably a top freezer would be the best.
Don't normally have much in the freezer, and I also have a small frig with top freezer outside.
I don't think anything is made in the USA anymore.
Some are assembled here, but parts all made in china.
I'm guessing it's a way to get around the tariff.
Sad.

[danmat]

We have the Samsung side by side, middle drawer and bottom freezer with drawer inside.
Water and ice in door, it’s been good so far about 7 years.
Bought a used Samsung side by side fridge freezer from my niece for laundry room, it was 3 or 4 yrs old had it about 7 yrs also.
I have heard some Samsung stories also but none here.
I know any of the newer ones with all the electronic controls are sensitive to power surges, I run a whole house surge protector and I’m convinced it has saved me some trouble all my appliances are the newer ones with the digital controls.
I also clean coils every couple years.
Reminds me need to clean my coils in upright garage freezer, never ends.
My experience anyway.

[firefly1957]

Somewhere up above I stated how I did not care much for the bottom freezer My wife replaced our side by side with . My big beef is the loss of cold water and ice in the door . Just this weekend so said the hates this bottom freezer refrigerator! BUT IT IS STAYING!

[ascast]

My next will be bottom freezer. I hate bending over every time I go in the frig. All the rest is not important

[Rapier]

I would like one that works more than 3 years, today.

[gwpercle]

The two door freezer on the bottom looks good.
I would still have the problem of one of the doors not being able to open all the way.
I'm also wondering how long the center seal will last.
I do go into the freezer a lot to get ice, so probably a top freezer would be the best.
Don't normally have much in the freezer, and I also have a small frig with top freezer outside.
I don't think anything is made in the USA anymore.
Some are assembled here, but parts all made in china.
I'm guessing it's a way to get around the tariff.
Sad.

The best money I ever spent was for a upright freezer . The freezer allows so much space in it , it isn't funny .
If I were limited on kitchen space ( I am limited actually ) we have always had a small freezer in the laundry room , or in a large hall or in the garage . Low maintenance , they seemingly run for years and years .
Just so handy to have and your not trying to get all your frozen food into your refg/freezr in the kitchen . Used to be a simple freezer wasn't that expensive either .
Gary

[abunaitoo]

I have a small frig outside.
Top freezer.
Friend is going to be getting rid of a stand up freezer.
I might get it for outside.
My side by side is still doing great.
That might move outside, if I get a new one for inside.

[jsizemore]

I hate working on bottom freezers. Your laying on your side or back trying to keep your head elevated. Once you realize you need one more tool from the truck, first move is to crawl out the darn thing and get up from the floor. By the time I'm done I feel like I played a football game both ways or been in a fight with a Samoan.

[fatnhappy]

"Which is better?" is similar (imho :)) to inquiring which is the better brand of beer;

Julius Echter Hefeweizen.
Convince me I'm wrong. Bottom drawer feeders suck. I absolutely despise mine.

301898

[edler7]

As I get older, my back appreciates the bottom freezer.

I'm in the fridge part a lot more than the freezer, so not as much bending over to look for stuff or get it. Everything in the fridge part is waist high or higher.

[jimlj]

I too have had all three. I didn't care for the side by side.
We currently have a top fridge bottom freezer and like it.
I think it all boils down to if you use the freezer or fridge more. What you use the most (I think) should be on top.

[abunaitoo]

Went looking again last week.
Nothing in stock all over the place.
I guess I'll just have to wait until President Trump gets back.