Author Topic: Fridge recommendation?  (Read 2516 times)

asauer

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Fridge recommendation?
« on: February 10, 2018, 08:51:46 AM »
Our Samsung French door fridge is slowly but surely dying. We will probably need another within the next 4-5 months.  What fridges have performed well for you?  We want a fridge with a freezer- not married to French door style.  Thanks!
« Last Edit: February 10, 2018, 09:16:46 AM by asauer »

SwordGuy

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Re: Fridge recommendation?
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2018, 09:19:42 AM »
Have you cleaned off the coils on it?  That can make a real difference.   Maybe you need new door seals?
And possibly the refrigerant gas needs to be topped off.

I mention that just in case...

Lowes and Home Depot usually carry 1 inexpensive, no-frills fridge.  You have to actively look for them.  If memory serves, they are often 1/4 to 1/2 the price pf the other models.

Our new house came with a Sub-Zero fridge.  We would never have paid that much for a fridge outright, but I can say the food does last longer in it than with our old fridge.   Not a cost-effective difference at full price, but if you found one used at a good price, they are a good brand.

TheWifeHalf

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Re: Fridge recommendation?
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2018, 02:26:52 PM »
We had a Sub Zero, and 25 yrs later it died, so we bought a Kitchenaid. After 7 years,  it still works. It has an ice maker but it's not even hooked up, so if that is something that goes bad, we'd never know.

My Sub Zero story:
We were young newlyweds, not as bad off as some in the horrible 1981-2 year financial climate, but we had TheHusbandHalf's grandmother's refrigerator, probably from the 70's.
One day I was about 8 ft away and I actually SAW it get hit by lightening. I called the insurance company, can't remember which company (this was in the '80s) and the guy told me to have someone come out and look at it, if he decides it was hit by lightening, we got a new fridge, as long as it was the same size. ANY brand? Yes.
So, a guy came out to look at it, said "Honey, if you said you saw it hit by lightening, it was hit by lightening."
We got as Sub Zero.
(And whatever you do to a house so that can never happen again.)

HipGnosis

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Re: Fridge recommendation?
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2018, 11:30:44 AM »
Most refrigerators have walls on two sides and magnets holding notes, pictures, etc. on the other two sides.
If you are in or near a city, go somewhere that sells 'scratch n dents'.  Then buy a name-brand fridge with a good to really good energy rating.

Notes: 
Fridges got more efficient in late '14 as the DOE put new standards in effect.
Using an ice maker DOUBLES the energy use of an efficient fridge  (I just learned that when I googled the DOE standards for the date).
 

lbmustache

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Re: Fridge recommendation?
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2018, 04:27:06 PM »
I personally like side by sides - they'll be the cheaper than French door, and freezer on top will be cheaper still. If you don't need any fancy features (water/ice dispenser, etc.) then you can get some pretty cheap ones. I have had good luck with GE, thankfully.

narrative

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Re: Fridge recommendation?
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2018, 07:17:52 AM »
I second the rec for scratch and dent.

In our last house we had an odd shaped space to fill after an early 80's fridge died. It was a slightly short space that needed a counter depth fridge so you could get past it easily in a small kitchen (basement door was just to the right of the fridge).

We settled on this one, after much research:
https://www.fisherpaykel.com/us/kitchen/fridge-freezers/fridges/activesmart-fridge-176-cu-ft-counter-depth-bottom-freezer-white.RF170BRPW6.html

Pics:


It was really easy to clean and organize and I liked the bottom freezer. We spend most of our time getting in the fridge so it made sense to have that part at eye level. I wouldn't hesitate to get this one again, especially b/c it is counter depth. There is something about the monster fridges that stick wayyyy out that just bugs me.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2018, 07:27:56 AM by narrative »