Bottom freezer, never a side by side again. When you think about a side by side you are buying a 16 inch (whatever one side measures) refrigerator. You are always bending for fridge and freezer. I don't use the freezer near as much as the fridge so freezer on the bottom. I also buy off white or cream colored. I like soft colors. I have looked at so many new homes recently and the black or stainless steel appliances look so cold and stark.

>>>there are so many different kinds of refrigerators in the market and it is really hard to decide which one to choose. Ain't that the truth! I see you just joined today. Welcome to gardenweb.

...Can you guys give me some ideas about how you guys choose the right refrigerators for your home, i.e. what the main concern when you buy a refrige? Every appliance represents a mix of design choices, engineering compromises, and tradeoffs. Asking "how you guys" do things" is . . . well, its impossible to sum up briefly in any meaningful way other than saying it winds up being about setting your own priorities.

There have been loads of threads on choosing refrigerators and figuring out this subject. If you are having trouble with the Gardenweb in-house search engine, try using google, bing, etc. and including the word "gardenweb" in your search string.

If you have been hit with so much information that you are having trouble figuring out what questions to ask --- and believe you me, we've all been there --- I've got a couple of suggestions for you.

First, do you have access to Consumer Reports, either on-line or in a library? If so, you might want to look at their refrigerator "buying guide." It does not tell you which fridge to buy. Rather, it gives suggestions for questions to ask yourself which will help you narrow down your choices. Seeing their appraoch may help you ask the questions that get your choices narrowed down.

Second, there are numbers of threads here where the discussions work through what to choose and how to choose. I've linked to one below which has been running for a couple of years and discusses a lot of aspects of what to think and ask about and incidentally sheds some light on the process of figuring your preferences. Again, this may help you narrow down what you want to look at.

>>> I am wondering why this large capacity ones are so popular in the States? The tone of your question implies that you don't care about large capacity as a factor. That can be freeing. It also might help you narrow down your choices. Literally as well as figuratively.

To hazard an oversimplied answer --- there are lots of reasons. Some of us buy in bulk and/or become the victims of summertime drive-by zuchhining and such, so we need/want the larger storage capcity. Some want through-the-door ice and water dispensers or large capacity ice makers, which are much easier to live with in a big fridge than a small one. Some folks, particularly in southern tier states, may use the fridge for storing items that elsewhere will be kept in a panty. (Things like flour which they want to protect from very high humidty and bugs that might attack or infest pantry storage if flour were stored there in the summertime.) Of course, some folks just think bigger is better. Some have opinions (sometimes just fears, sometimes not) that real estate values in their neighborhoods demand larger fridges to support property resale values. The list could go on endlessly.

But, if you don't care about larger capacities, then don't worry about it.

Again, the important considerations are your own priorities. I happen to share EmmaR's views, but not everybody does. There are several threads here by people who have a distinct preference for side-by-side fridges over all others and that is because their priorities are different than Emma's and mine. A third set of priorites might wind up favoring basic top-freezer models of fridge -- they are least expensive to buy, the least expensive to operate, tend to be the most reliable, make the most efficient use of space (at least according to some), and do not come in capacities much over 22 cu. ft. and can be had in smaller sizes. For me, in my kitchen, with how I cook and what I store --- I may (and do) have additional and different priorities. You see this discussed in the liked thread below if you follow through all the way.

When you've been through those exercises --- oh great, more research :>) -- you may get more focused questions to ask, and that is where this site can really be help.

Here is a link that might be useful: What refrigerator?

This post was edited by JWVideo on Tue, Jun 17, 14 at 19:46

Thanks, EmmaR and JWVideo. After reading your suggestion, I am having a general idea about my choice.

Another question, after some searching and recommendations from my friends, I am thinking about buying a Haier refrigerator. Do you know anything about this brand?

Nope. I've never seen an actual Haier branded fridge and know next to nothing about Haier refrigerators in the US. About all I know is that: (a) Haier is a China-based multi-national corporation (or possibly a Chinese corporation becoming a multi-national; (b) they recently acquired a controlling stake in Fisher & Paykel and make a lot of the less-expensive chest-freezers sold under brands such as GE, and Crosley; (c) the complaints on www.consumeraffairs.com indicate that the company has a lot to learn about warranty service and customer support; (d) Consumer Reports does not yet seem to have tested one; and (e) somebody told me that the HH Gregg stores carry them. Sorry I can't be of more help.

apologies, I posted the right answer in the wrong thread. We just ordered the Jenn-Air counter depth for our new house.

This post was edited by Kjente on Thu, Jun 19, 14 at 1:15

Saying "Bottom freezer, never a side by side again" is your own opinion, not something to tell someone whose preferences and requirements you don't even know. There's a reason they make both types of fridges. Some people prefer SxS, some people don't (BTW I'm in the group that doesn't). There's only one thing I hate more than side by sides though... french doors! I really don't get that fad. I do, on the other hand, like having the freezer on the bottom. Therefore my fridge of choice would be bottom mount, single door.

MrSeanGao: Here are some things to consider. First and foremost, how big is your kitchen? Obviously you can't go with a super high capacity unit if you can't fit it! Or, even if you could fit it, it might look out of place if in a super small space. Then... how many people will be using it? That will be the main factor in determining how much capacity you need. Just a couple is not going to need the same fridge as a family of five. Then, do you a lot of cooking with fresh ingredients or do you mainly have frozen meals? That could determine whether you want a bottom mount or top mount. If you use both the fridge and freezer a lot and bending is an issue for you or another user, maybe a side by side could be the right choice. And then, do you want ice and water through the door? There are a few exceptions but for the most part if yes, your choices will be limited to french door and side by side.

Thank you so much, guys.