I have the french door and love it.( Maytag ) I like the fact it doesn't have the bar ( or what ever you call it) between the doors. Use to have a side by side and the freezer in the bottom of new one has as much or more room.

I couldn't believe it when I saw your layout. It's almost identical to mine! If you haven't seen my photos yet, feel free to take a look!

I used my Kenmore Elite (water inside refrig/ice maker inside freezer) 33" bottom refrig with a single door. It was only a few years old, so I used the money elsewhere in the kitchen. I LOVE my refrig, but when and if I replace it, I will get a 36" wide (which I made the opening for) with a french door. My one large refrig door is OK, but I think the french door would fit my spot better.

What materials are you planning for in your kitchen? My kitchen has been finished since the end of July and the true test of functionality was Thanksgiving. Had 14 for dinner and the layout was great!

Good luck! I'm looking forward to seeing your progress

Barb

Here is a link that might be useful: Barb's Kitchen

I had a Maytag 36" wide, French door, bottom freezer. Loved it. I think that a single door would
be HUGE and block entry to the kitchen when open. Have gone w the same style (Kitchenaid) for the new house (to be delivered in Feb)

One thing to consider is the location of your landing zone for the groceries. Think about where you would put all those bags when you enter the kitchen.

If you are planning to use the counter to the right of the fridge as the grocery landing zone, then a single door with a left side hinge would probably work better. Otherwise, the open right door could block your access to the counter.

If you are planning to use the peninsula as the landing zone, then a French door would probably work better. For the times you want to set something on the counter to the right, the smaller door won't be much of an obstacle.

Best of luck.

There are VERY few 36" wide fridges with single doors. The weight of such a large door can be problematic over time to the hinges. It can sag. It's also one freaking HUGE door that swings into your aisle space and will need accounting for in your design far more than the two doors. You can actually have someone pass behind you with the fridge doors open on a French door fridge. There's also the ice/water issue. THere are several French door fridges that have developed the ice and water through the door technology. I've not seen that on the single door fridges.

Whatever you chose, make sure you get the freezer drawer rather than a doored freezer at the bottom. It's the difference between sitting on the floor pulling everything out to search for that frozen chicken and just bending over and pulling out the drawer and the chicken comes to you. It's similar to having a base cabinet with doors or drawers. THe drawers are gonna win every time for usability.

Patches...I definitely know I don't want a side-by-side. Never had one, but I dont think I would like the narrowness of the sides.

bbtondo...How funny is that! Our layouts are very similar. I am glad to hear the layout worked well for you. We kept the layout very similar to our old layout, so I knew I liked the work triangle we had. However, we decided to get rid of the kitchen desk we never used. Then we changed the island to a peninsula bc there never was much room in the "aisles" to walk around the island (You couldn't walk past on the pantry side if the doors were open). Cabinets are not installed yet (in boxes, in the garage), but just last night I was having doubts about how much space we left to walk into the room. Hearing your layout worked for you makes me feel better. How wide is the entry at the end of your peninsula?

Here is my layout before (Everything is inherited from the previous owners except the dishwasher and stove):
{{gwi:1575101}}

{{gwi:1575102}}

And here is the kitchen in its current state. (Oh, if only I were joking...)
{{gwi:1575103}}

Barb, stay tuned and you'll be able to see "your" kitchen with very different finshes (cherry cabinets, tile floor, black counters, and stainless steel appliances).

OK, now back to the topic at hand...
Chloe's mom...I was thinking the single might be kinda big too. I think I just need to get over the fact that I have only ever had a single door frig. Opening 2 doors seems odd to me, but I think I can get used to it.

One response on the Appliance forum mentioned that if you put things back in the same place you usually only open one door at a time anyway (i.e...milk always goes on the door on the right).

Thanks everyone...Any other comments?

Mooring girl and Live wire oak....Missed your posts while I was messing around with photobucket...

I do think we will use the peninsula as a landing zone for groceries. I will also probably do most of my food prep at the peninsula. I dont think we want water and ice on the door so that won't be an issue. I admit I haven't paid attention to the dimensions on the single door frigs we have casually looked at in the stores. I assumed they were 36-inches, but perhaps they were 33.

More and more it is sounded like a french door (with a freezer DRAWER, absolutely) is the way to go.

I just love the input on this website. I only wish I took the time to learn how to post my layout before we bought our cabinets...Now I just keep my fingers crossed that we didn't make any huge mistakes.

Thanks all!

I second the drawer part!

both for my last fridge and for my new one, I chose internal water dispensers as I found that the external ones took up the inside of an entire half door (those with water and ice).

I love the French door technology - either side can be opened first or shut first (they are independent of each other). And we had the door alarm as the darn things don't always shut well when shut by a 4 year old.

Prior to the bottom freezer, I had a side by side. Neither side was big enough, in my estimation.

I have a GE Profile french door refrig and honestly...I think I would have prefered a single door. The refrig is at the end of the run of cabinets and has a landing area on the right side only. I think it may have beem nore convenient to have a door hinged on the left. But too late now....I do love the refrig and am happy with it like it is.

I have the french door and am very happy with it. I did not get the ice dispenser on the door because as Chloe said, the darn thing takes up almost the whole inside of the door. I wanted water outside, though because I know the flow is slow and didn't want to have to stand with the door open for long periods filling glasses and/or pitchers of water. The single door did not come with the water option outside so we opted for the double.

DH does not like the 2-doors and would have preferred the single door. He does not like having to hold both doors open while retrieving certain items. For example, the meat (or deli) drawer is a long drawer across the bottom and it requires both doors to be ajar in order to open the drawer.

Do get the alarm option though. Also, like Chloe,the door gaskets hit each other and do not completely close. This happens when its kids and adults. We have been "saved by the bell" many times!

Merimom: Can't wait to see "my" kitchen with different materials. DH wanted cherry, I really like cherry, but my heart belonged to creamy white cabinets! I know your kitchen will be amazing with those finishes.

I'm not at home now, but I think the space between the corner of my small pantry and the corner of my peninsula is 39-41"? My opening is more offset than yours. I know I was really concerned that the opening was wide enough. My KD and GC told me it would not be a problem. Now that my kitchen is done, the opening is plenty big. All that fretting over nothing. (I'm sure you know that feeling!).

Keep those pics coming, and good luck!

Barb

I have a Maytag 33" single door, bottom freezer and LOVE it! My old one was a side by side, which I can't stand. The main reason I went with a single door is that I didn't want to have to open two doors - extra work - plus if I had something in my hands, it didn't seem convenient. But to add... I would probably never just open one side of it if that's what people do, I like to open the door and see EVERYTHING - but I'm also the girl my mom and dad would yell "stop standing there with the fridge door open"!!

I also love that I can see all the stuff on my door at once, instead of divided into two. The door is HUGE, but I like HUGE. Ours is also in the aisle way, however, my aisle is pretty narrow and whether I was standing there with one half of a door open, or one whole, people would still have to wait for me to finish - but it hasn't been an issue yet being that I'm only in the fridge for a matter of seconds anyway.

Hmm...You guys are not making this decision easy, are you? ;-)

I can see the pros and cons of each of them. I like that the french doors won't take up as much space when they are open, but I also like the idea of opening just one door.

Please keep your opinions coming...I don't think DH has considered any of this in our decision making. I'd love to give him lots of pros and cons to think about. Thanks.

Don't know about the 36" wide, but . . .

In a house we rented for over a year, we had a 30" wide single door with bottom freezer with drawers inside with left hinge and opening to the right where the counter was. Loved it!

We now have a 33" wide French door fridge in our lower level kitchen with counter opposite it and also to the right. The food always goes to the counter across from it. I really don't like the French doors very much, although they serve the purpose of not blocking off the entrance to the galley kitchen. I found the single door fridge more convenient to get things in and out of.

Anne

My Sub Zero is 36" single door with a drawer freezer (2 drawers) I love it. I don't think it is too big or bulky

We have a french door (standard depth though) Amana and really like it. In our case though we have a long/narrow kitchen so it was important not to block the walkway with a big single door. Even in your kitchen though I would think about the fridge + open fridge door + person standing in front of the door and see how you do for clearance. I know I tend to stand back to better scrutinize what's inside. ;)

mdmc...Thanks for the picture. It helps to visualize. Having the cabinetry panels on it does help it blend in. Beautiful kitchen.

Last week we moved everything out of our side hinged frig into our new KA french door frig. I liked the hinged freezer door better than the freezer drawer. I found it easier to get things out of. For me the drawer is awkward, you have to stand in front of it and bend over to get stuff out. With FD refrigerators I don't think you have a choice. The refrigerators with a side hinge come with both kinds of freezer doors, so you can choose the one you prefer.

I've used both, and I prefer 1 door with a freezer drawer. I really don't like having to open two doors of the FD frig. I'm always opening the wrong side to get what I want. However, I can see not wanting a huge swinging door. But, how long is the frig door open anyway? Just long enough to get something out.

I have a 42" clearance between frig and island in my kitchen layout (to be built) and I think we will go with a single door 36" frig. DH much prefers them.

This was also my concern. Plus I want a counterdepth refrigerator. There aren't many single door ones available, but I am waiting for the new KA V series single door counter depth, freezer door on the bottom to be out. Should be soon. I have talked to KA several times about it. Anyway the V series is replacing their T series and I saw the same model in the French door type and liked the freezer drawer layout and studiness better.

I have a friend who hated her french door LG and had door gasket problems that reocurred so much that the the store took it back and she now has the single door freezer on the bottom. She likes that arrangement much better for the same reasons already mentioned--only open 1 door when putting something away. I just imagine going to it with a large pan that I can barely hold in one hand and then needing 2 arms to prop open the 2 french doors. I do prefer their look, but I'm in and out of the fridge too often to give up the convenience of 1 door.
Anyone have the V series French Door by Kitchenaid?

I love, love, love my french door refrigerator! My husband likes it and my two sons, 18 and 20, have even commented on it. Prior to this I had a side by side and I hated the way the space was laid out.

My 87 yr old aunt often opens the doors just to look in, or stands by my side when I am opening them and says, "Isn't this a NICE refrigerator? That's really nice!"

I opted out of the ice through the door which I'd had previously and took up way too much door space for my liking. I do have water through the door.

I actually do like the freezer drawer and wasn't sure I would. Mine tilts down also and makes it convenient to reach into.

My kitchen is a galley (11 x 21) and I am happy having a unit that doesn't swing widely into the room. The doors are much lighter than a single door.

Good point re. the deli drawer requiring both doors open...

My last fridge was in front of an island, so food items went in front of it (not to the side).

At the new house, the counter will be to the left (if you don't count the sink in the front - not a great storage place). Now I'm wondering if I'll still love the French doors!! Deep breath. The fridge has already been ordered.

cindy - I've ordered a Kitchen Aid, French door, bottom drawer but not the counterdepth (counterdepths that I saw weren't energy star for some reason).

(mdmc - awesome looking kitchen!)

OK...I admit I haven't read all the responses, but I thought I'd link a thread from last year that has a lot of discussion on this topic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread: Do you love your french door fridge?

Good point about the landing space. Mine is the peninsula that's across the aisle from the fridge. I do have space beside the fridge also, but I find I don't use it.

The deli drawer is the only thing I think that needs both doors open. I have to say it doesn't bother me too much, but perhaps it depends on how many times a day you would open it. The veggie bins I can open with just one door and we seem to use those more often.