These are the models I have liked so far in order of price (cheapest to most expensive)

Frigidaire FFHS2322MW $899. @ AJ madision $899

Frigidaire Gallery FGHS2332LP @ AJ Madison $1034

LG LSC23924SW @ home depot $1169

the gallery and LG are both Smooth white, LG has the best warranty with 1 year parts and labor and 7 year sealed system. I like the LG best so far but its the most expensive of models I like so far. I loved the Kenmore elite but no way I'm paying over $1600 for that.

are there any others I should look at and how are LG and Frigidaire for quality? The one I have now is a Frigidaire and is 29 years old.

Doesn't Samsung make a French door model in this size?

yes Samsung does make a french door in that size, but it only has an ice maker, no chilled and filtered water dispenser. It is also priced MSRP higher than my budget. There is no Samsung S x S in that size. I would love to have a Samsung since I have a Samsung steam clothes washer that I love.

Just found this Kenmore online I did not see in the store.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04651312000P?cw=true#specs

think It is likely made by LG

I think I am going with the Frigidaire Gallery FGHS2332LP. I have not seen as many bad reviews as good ones on this model, the shelves look sturdy to me and I don't see complaints about the Refrigeration going out with in a year or less like the LG. What I do see across all brands is complaints about the ice makers. I never had one before so I know little about them.

I have talked to others and they seemed to say Frigidaire was fine for refrigerators and stoves but not as good as other brands for dishwashers.

A 33" side by side is almost useless as storage for either the fridge or freezer. You'd be much better off with a french door or top freezer model with just a ice maker and use a filter pitcher for your cold water. At least you'd have the whole width of the cavity for storage.

What is a reasonable min width before considering side by side?

most side by side are nearly 36 wide.I don't have space for that due to cabinetry. I don't think a 33" is going to be a issue for storage. there is only 2 people. the kitchen is not real big and I do have a small chest freezer at bottom of the basement steps. the issue I have with the top freezer one I now have is the door is so wide it can not be opened wide enough to fully open the right crisper even half way with it banged in to the radiator cover. Plus its neer 30 YEARS OLD too. the narrower door may be better for me and I want the convenience of a water and ice dispenser

You'd better view it in person before placing an order. The shelves are like shoe boxes--narrow, short, and deep. It's virtually impossible to fit anything of any size into it. Want to cook a ham or turkey? Better have an auxiliary fridge to fit it into. Bought a birthday cake? It'll have to stay unrefrigerated. Make a pot of stock and want to chill it to remove the fat? Plan on using a lot of ice cubes. You can't fit a stockpot and your gallon of milk into it at the same time.

A 33" side by side doesn't hold as much as a 30" top freezer model. Yes, it has more cubic feet, but that's not what's really important in the real world. Shelf space is what's really important. And side by sides fail on all counts in the volume to shelf space ratio.

If you have clearance issues with a single door, then your most functional choice in a 33" width will be a French door.

OK so what about ice makers and water in door? most don't have it and those that do well its inside the top of the fridge. I am very set on having water and ice service in the unit. what models do you think are good in french doors

LG's LFX25978ST is what I would recommend if ice and water in the door is non negotiable and you are on a budget. Second choice is MFI2269VEM. (I don't like Whirlpool products or service. Yes, even less than LG) Samsung makes a couple as well that I would pick over these two, but they are well out of your budget range.

Something will have to give here.

Either you up your budget, compromise on storage, or lose the ice and water in the door.

I would personally NEVER compromise on storage. That's the whole point of having a refrigerator. To be able to store cold items. That means choosing a single door or French door over a side by side.

Budget, well if it didn't hurt too bad, I'd manage to put a more expensive selection on a credit card or store charge and pay it off. That way, you get everything that you want as well as the storage you need.

If you don't want to do that, then I'd personally lose the ice and water in the door as that is the weak point of any refrigerator and the most often service call, regardless of brand. It's also a want and not a need in a refrigerator.

As I previously suggested, a filter pitcher works great, and is a heck of a lot cheaper. Get two if you drink a lot of water. A regular 33" French door will fit 2 filter pitchers in one of the door bins and still have room for a couple of gallons of milk in the cavity as well as the half sheet birthday cake and a ham. You'll just want to get a stainless steel ice scoop to scoop up ice out of the lower bin. It's not a big deal compromise, and you get everything you need and a lot of what you want as well.

You need to visit some appliance stores in person so you can actually physically see what I'm describing here.

I've had a couple clients in older homes doing spiff ups use the Samsung RF4267HARS and they have been very pleased with it's organizational abilities as well as it's capacity. It's much cheaper than undertaking a full kitchen reno in order to get that 3" of space in order to be able to fit a standard sized refrigerator. Although if your cabinets are as old as your fridge and you are thinking of moving soon it may be time for that full kitchen reno so that you can enjoy it while you are there. There's nothing worse than undertaking a reno to be competitive in the real estate market and realizing that you should have done it all along so you could enjoy it while you lived there.

Live wire Thanks for your input. I do see that the depressors are the most often reasons for service calls on any brand. I get that totally still it is a want and a want that I wish to satisfy. I do see what you are saying about a filter pitcher or two but then that means I have to buy filters for those and that's going to cost nearly as much a fridge filter cartridge plus I'd have to fill them as well. I love the wide space in the french doors I have looked at both in store with my partner and we both think that we will be ok with the SxS. We both cook a lot but not often large hams and turkeys. We don't have big dinner parties and never have much more than 2 dinner guests. as for cakes well one of us is diabetic so there is never a 1/2 sheet cake around here. I only thing I see is going to be a problem is bigger frozen items in the smallish freezer side but I have a 7 cuft chest freezer to handle that.

We did do Christmas dinner with my mom and sister, things were tight with the 17 cuft old Frigidaire top freezer we have now. I didn't and don't usually keep all the left overs... I send them home with food. I think the fridge section is going to be wide enough for the things I buy normally and even to thaw a small turkey on the bottom shelf with the side by side.

I hate the one shelf in the top freezer models things get buried in the back and bottom then forgotten or not seen and able to be easily located.

I would love a french but the lowest LG with what I want is like $2500, over budget I do plan on using a store card and a no interest deal to pay most of it. I would spend a bit more for a french door but not twice or 3x the price. I also want a new gas range, over range microwave and want to add a dishwasher as well so I don't feel ok blowing that much on the fridge.

Check scratch and dent stores. The LG LFX25978ST recommended above is available from the Sears Outlet Store from $1350. Local retailers could have similar deals, but you'll have to check them in person.

Even a 36" side by side has horrible storage compared to a 33" French door. Ask anyone who has switched to a French door from a SxS. I guarantee there is not a single person who would ever switch back!

mike,
I bought a Frigidaire professional sxs 33" fridge just over a year ago. On the first day, the first door bin cracked and fell off as soon as I put a carton of milk on it. The next day the second one broke as well. Had to order new bins straight away. The deli drawer freezes whatever is in there. We keep deli meats, and some cheeses, if they are too close to the left of the drawer, it freezes. The actual fridge itself was wonky/ crooked and could not be adjusted to stand straight up. We had to adjust the floor by adding a tile under one of the feet to make up for the discrepancy. Finally, the ice
dispenser is a pain in the a**. it either does not dispense any ice or it
comes flying out at breakneck speed and lands all over the floor before it closes up. We may have ended up with a dud, just lucky I guess. unfortunately, we are living in the Caribbean and there is no warranty. none of these are majorly serious problems, it still is a good fridge and does the job it is supposed to,mostly, with the exception of those issues mentioned. I would say the real problem is that the freezer is too narrow and does not fit things like a pizza box, which can be annoying. Just my two cents about my own experience with the product.

beach mom I have seen complaints like yours about the base models not gallery or professional. the galley I looked at on the floor was black and things seemed ok, not as good as they used to make years ago though. I guess you might have got a dud.Still scares me some.

@ green
i still am interested in the french thing if it can fit closer to budget. I see it has some merit. I looked online and found at sears outlet an lg LFX25978 in white for $1250.00.... that is pickup and the item is 180 miles from home! I could trailer it with a utility trailer and my jeep but that's a long ride and maybe potential for damage. it looks like its sols unboxed too. its a 25 cuft in a 33 inch space that is huge. but how does the dispenser work? is the water in the door on that and ice in the freezer or both in the dispenser?

If if were closer or ok to haul it like that and that distance I would be likely to buy something like that.

do you also know if sears outlet offers promotional financing like the stores do?

Most Outlet stores can arrange transport to the nearest Sears to you for local delivery at additional cost. The only way to know what that cost is would be to ask as it varies with distance. You'll get better responses from people (and better deals) if you are there in person rather than on a phone. I've had clients make the 200 mile trek to an Outlet and haggle with a sales person and they've gotten the cost reduced by the amount of shipping. But, they were going to make the trip to that city for combined reasons, not just appliance shopping.

Yes, an Outlet store will accept a Sears Card and will have similar financing deals. That actually has to do with Citibank who owns the credit card company and zero to do with Sears the retailer.

I was talking to a person at the outlet that has the LG french door. The offered to ship it for $245 from the outlet to my door and set it up. I could inspect it before it is installed and if I did not accept it I could return it to the nearest sears outlet for the purchase price, and I'm guessing be out the Shipping $$. they said a dent in the side is all that is wrong with it but weren't offering a picture of the dent. so I am going to keep looking for one at an outlet closer to home to come up in a few weeks to month and if not pick out a new one in what ever door configuration I can afford. I just don't have time to drive 4 hours each way to look at a fridge right now.

The other thing that I am not sure about in the french door in the hidden slim ice system. from what it looks like in pictures it cant hold much ice. Also could be more expensive to fix then standard ice makers, something to think about since the ice maker is one of the things most service calls are for.

well I got a french door tonight. BF wanted me to go to the sprint store and look at HH Gregg that's next door. I didn't want to go and want to go work out instead but gave in and went. We found a stainless steel Kitchen aid KBFS22EWMS floor model on close out. it had broken door shelf and crisper slide but they were ordering those parts to fix it. out side it was perfect. has ice maker and inside water dispenser. it was $2099 New I got it for $1199. Both parts will be in with in 10 business days and then I get it delivered.

So I got all I wanted but a door dispenser but still got the ice and water I wanted plus got stainless with in my budget.

here is a pic of the one I am getting on the sales floor

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eUONW05477M/TyValqTrD-I/AAAAAAAAAmo/-SPsOKbwOI4/s512/my%2520kitchen%2520aid.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful:

You'll be MUCH happier with what you've selected (and the great price!) than you would have with a side by side. Give us the two weeks of use report after you've lived with it some so that other posters reading this in the future can benefit from the outcome of your decision.

Thanks live_wire you were the one here that was pushing me in the direction of the french door or at least giving them a second look. I think I will be happy with the decision. really the only thing I gave up here is that door dispenser and to be honest this way the water and ice are inside and things will stay cleaner. For the price I paid loosing the external dispenser was a very good compromise. The unit was at the top of the range I was looking to spend even with the floor model close out price but look at it its beautiful and sleek. well worth it and a lucky find!

the freezer drawer with the bins is the thing I think I am going to need to get used to its a totally different way to organize your stuff and I am used to shelves. I do think I will adapt to it. I never had such a nice fridge before, never an ice maker or any of that so I am looking forward to it. they have delivery set tentatively for Feb 10th it could be sooner or later depending on the parts coming in but I will post back.

I do like this and the laundry room forums as well as a few others.

getting delivery on the 8th this Wednesday. I have the power company (Met-Ed) also coming to take the old 1983 Frigidaire for recycling and I get a $50 check for that and another $50 rebate for buying an energy star replacement.

Can't wait

Well I had the french door for almost a week now and love it so far. I was not sure how I was going to like the bottom freezer with baskets but I figured out how to set it up and fit things in so they can be found. It is better than the old top freezer I had much bigger and the wide shelves are great. I'm not sure I'd be less happy with a side by side but I am finding this one very easy to live with.

Good to know that you are happy with it. You did great bargain hunting!

Thanks I do feel it was a good deal and hard to believe no one beat me to it but there were other complications. during delivery one of the crisper drawers was broken. the guys put their cordless drill in it and carried the unit in with out doors in getting up 2 steps in to the house they tipped it just a bit off totally vertical and the drawer went crashing into the concrete walk. So now I have to wait for a new crisper from HHGregg. It has all been slightly inconvenient but the fridge is very nice I'm chalking all this up to the cost of such a good deal.

Well I have had the fridge nearly a month now and we are still liking it. HH Gregg tried hard to find me a crisper to replace the broken one. They pulled one from another stores last floor model but at first gave me one from a bigger model and it didn't fit but they were able to get me the correct one from a different store next day.

I am glad I didn't get a side by side... I just think in the narrower size I needed the compartments would have been too narrow and the freezer too small. Having the freezer on the bottom is different and took a little to get used to but once we did it works out fine. I love having the refrigerated items at eye level and easy to see and reach. That more than makes up for the freezer on the bottom and having to bend a little for it. The freezer baskets are nice sized and easy to fit items in. I did have an issue with the signal arm of the ice maker sticking yesterday and not allowing it to make more ice. I fixed it before I was out of ice and all is fine. I would think that's not a big deal with ice makers even though I never had one before. sure is nice to hardly think about making ice and always have it.

I am very happy with the purchase and glad I came here and was steered to the French door. I would say anyone looking for a 33" opening should give then a look.

Glad you like it, I just bought an awesome range at a steep discount I found while fridge shopping, but still no fridge! I hope you report back after a few more months of use, as I'm in a similar boat of needing a french door or bottom mount fridge.