French Door vs. Side-by-Side Fridge: Which One Is Right for Your Kitchen?
Find your perfect match.
When shopping for a new fridge, you'll likely come across French door refrigerators and side-by-side refrigerators. These are both popular refrigerator models that each have their own unique benefits and features. In this guide, we compare French door vs. side-by-side fridges to help you weigh the best option for your kitchen.
In this guide:
What Is a French Door Refrigerator?
What Is a Side-by-Side Refrigerator?
French Door vs. Side-by-Side Fridge
What Is a French Door Refrigerator?
French door refrigerators have two half-doors that open in the center and a freezer at the bottom. Despite the double doors, this type of refrigerator is made of one continuous refrigerator compartment and a bottom-mounted pull-out freezer. This provides ample space inside the refrigerator and easy access to both the refrigerator and freezer. Learn more about these refrigerator models before comparing French door vs. side-by-side fridges by reviewing our What Is a French Door Refrigerator? guide.
Side-by-side refrigerators are split vertically with the refrigerator on one side and the freezer on the other. Because the refrigerator has vertical fridge and freezer compartments, the shelves are more narrow. However, this type of refrigerator has much more freezer space and often comes at a more affordable price point.
When deciding between a French door vs. side-by-side fridge, you need to consider your budget, food storage needs, and design requirements in order to choose the best one. Below, we compare both types of refrigerators in terms of design, capacity, affordability, and more.
Design Configuration
The key difference between a French door and a side-by-side fridge is the design. French door refrigerators have two doors that open in the center to reveal a spacious interior fridge compartment with wide shelves and door-mounted storage – all on top of a chest-style freezer. Side-by-side refrigerators also have two doors that open in the center, but they span the entire length of the fridge. One door opens to the refrigerator compartment, while the other opens to the freezer compartment. Each compartment has narrow storage shelves and drawers that span the length of the fridge, providing plenty of vertical storage space!
- Both models are available as freestanding or built-in models and can be counter- or standard-depth to fit your kitchen. Check out The Ultimate Refrigerator Buying Guide to learn more about these options.
Fridge Capacity
It's important to note that French door and side-by-side fridges have similar storage capacities. Both of these models typically have between 20 and 28 cu.ft. of storage space, but their design configurations mean that French door refrigerators have wide fridge compartments, making it possible to store larger fresh food items, cuts of meat, or leftovers with ease. In contrast, side-by-side refrigerators offer more space for both fridge and freezer storage. Even though side-by-side refrigerators have more narrow fridge and freezer compartments, their vertical design allows for more storage of fresh and frozen ingredients.
- Opt for a side-by-side refrigerator for equal fridge and freezer storage.
- Opt for a French door refrigerator for more fresh food storage and easier access to fresh food ingredients.
Tip!
Check out our guide on Refrigerator Dimensions: What is the Standard Size of a Refrigerator? to compare French door vs. side-by-side size options in more detail.
Affordability
Side-by-side refrigerators are typically more affordable compared to French door models because they have a more streamlined design. However, the price range ultimately comes down to the brand, features, and materials used for a particular model. Review How Much Does a Refrigerator Cost? to learn more about which factors influence the price of a refrigerator.
Energy Efficiency
Overall, French door refrigerators are more energy-efficient because you only have to open one of the fridge doors at a time to access ingredients on a particular side. This means less cold air escapes from the fridge, so your fridge doesn't have to work as hard to maintain a cool interior temperature. In contrast, a side-by-side refrigerator is designed to have the fridge compartment all on one side, so when you open the fridge door, the entire refrigerated compartment releases cool air and requires adjustments to stay at the right temperature internally. Overall, the energy efficiency of a refrigerator can impact the cost of your energy bills and the freshness of your food.
Functionality
French door refrigerators have wide fridge and freezer compartments that are perfect for storing long cuts of meat, serving platters with premade appetizers, or bulky fresh/frozen food items. However, the chest-style freezer design requires you to stack food inside and bend over to access frozen items. Side-by-side refrigerators have narrower fridge and freezer shelves, but their vertical layout makes it super easy to find/access the frozen food items you need because they're at eye-level. However, you still may need to bend down to reach fresh or frozen food stored in the lower storage compartments. It all comes down to your fridge layout preferences!
Features
When deciding on a French door refrigerator vs. a side-by-side model, French door models tend to have more modern features, such as a four-door design that has shallow slide-out drawers between the refrigerator compartment and the freezer for snacks or beverages. However, both side-by-side and French door refrigerators can have features like built-in water dispensers and ice makers.
