Refrigerator Recommendations?

[robrecht]

OK, all you smart consumers out there, what's the Honda Pilot of refrigerators?

According to my wife, who apparently has a previously undisclosed degree in refrigeration engineering and heat transfer dynamics, our 17-year-old model is probably not worth repairing.

I'm assuming I want to get the biggest, most energy efficient model that we can afford. Our opening is 69.25" x 37.24". My own homemaking expertise leads me to believe that side by side dual door units seem to waste internal space as do ice and water dispensers in the door, although I do like the idea of crushed ice. How should we measure energy efficiency?

Oh yeah, white's the best color, right? Also, did I mention chrome bumper garnish?

Any recommendations? Thanks in advance!

[colorider]

IMHO - Amana

Good luck!!



(but don't forget to check for transmission recalls before you buy)

[David Ming]

Well robrecht,
There are many different styles and sizes of refrigerators available. Since I was once in the appliance sales business while in college I do have a little knowledge to share. For most people a name brand really matters, and for me it only holds about a 35% consideration factor, however, the Whirlpool Corporation makes some of the most innovative products on the market and are also seen to be the most durable/ reliable. I personally don't think that buying a Whirlpool will necessarily be any more reliable than buying another brand, but I do know that Whirlpool does stand behind its products.
We just purchased a whole kitchen of Whirlpool appliances for our new home and when we were shopping for the refrigerator, my wife wanted a side X side and just as you, I thought they were a giant waste of space especially the Ice maker in the freezer. Well now Whirlpool has models with the ice maker in the door and it really does save space.
I suggest you go to your local Lowe's or Home Depot and take a look at the different styles and their costs. You can get the bottom of the line side X side for about $650 or you can go all out and spend several thousand but when you asked for the Honda Pilot of refrigerators, I would assume you would be talking about the Whirlpool Gold series around the $1,200 range.
So take a look at your local Lowe's ( this is not a paid advertisement ) and see which model suits your needs.

[BCinTX]

I like the looks of the Maytag "Wide by Side". I've seen them at Lowes. They aren't cheap--around $1300. More flexibility on space as you have room for wide things like pizza, but the convenience of side by side, so it has "Pilot-like" use of space. I don't know how it compares reliability and efficiency wise. And the icemaker really does suck up a lot of space.

But when I went shopping last spring to get one for a house I only plan to live in for about 4 more years, I didn't want to spend that much. So I got a top-freezer Frigidaire with ice maker that I'm perfectly happy with. I think it was in the $600-700 range.

I'd agree with your wife, at 17 years don't put money in the old fridge. Most Lowe's stores have a great selection for the masses.

[BCinTX]

btw I never liked white because it shows fingerprints more than almond or bisque (the new almond). But you gotta be kidding...your wife will certainly insist on a color, and you will respond "Yes, dear". Unless possible if she wants to spend another $100 on stainless steel, in which case you will argue and lose anyway.

[mattcav]

The in-laws have a maytag wide by side, but after seeing it in action, did really like it.

If you are going to lowes, work on finding a 10% off coupon. I have one and PM me and I can tell you how to get one.

[borg]

Check out this thread for fridges recommended by CR, hope this helps.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by BCinTX
But you gotta be kidding...your wife will certainly insist on a color, and you will respond "Yes, dear". Unless possible if she wants to spend another $100 on stainless steel, in which case you will argue and lose anyway.

Yes, I gotta be kidding. But I will hold out for chrome bumper garnish, that's nonnegotiable.

Thanks, everyone! This is really helpful.

[sfhondapilot]

We love our subzero 642. Side by side, cabinet depth, 42-inch wide cabinet. Separate compressors for the freezer vs the refrig section. Digital temperature settings. No chrome garnish, but full stainless steel finish.

But the Honda Pilot?

GE Profile.

[robrecht]

Wife definitely doesn't want side-by-side design because of large platters for entertaining and frozen pizzas. But it does seem like these are becoming fairly efficient in their use of space with top of the line ice and water in the door features. Doesn't look like I'm gonna get my crushed ice dispenser.

Whirlpool and KitchenAid don't seem to make larger freezer on top models. Maytag makes a big one (25.5 cu. ft.), but haven't seen it in the area. Energywise, it's rated at 517 kWh/yr.

The biggest GE Profile freezer on top model is a little smaller (24.6 cu. ft.) and is rated at 475 kWh/yr. Biggest advantage is that it can be delivered by Wednesday.

Before Jay comes around with this:

[BCinTX]

My quote button isn't letting me paste anything today.

Anyway, reagarding platters and pizzas, that's exactly what the "wide-by-side" addresses. However, I've been reading epionions.com and a lot of people aren't too happy with them...mostly due to problems. I hope they or somebody can get that right before my 18 year old Kenmore conks out.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by BCinTX
My quote button isn't letting me paste anything today.

Anyway, reagarding platters and pizzas, that's exactly what the "wide-by-side" addresses. However, I've been reading epionions.com and a lot of people aren't too happy with them...mostly due to problems. I hope they or somebody can get that right before my 18 year old Kenmore conks out.

Here's the inside of the 26.7 cu. ft. capacity model that you posted above (730 Kilowatt Hrs. per Year):

[devin1955]

I would stay away from Maytag, though it pains me a little to say that.

About 10 years ago we purchased our first _new_ washer and drier. I was getting tired of dragging the old used ones we bought after we got married out to the garage to fix them, and I'd just gotten a decent Christmas bonus at work. I researched all the manufacturers and really liked they way Maytag built their machines, so we bought a set and later, when we started needing to update the appliances in our home, we decided to pretty much stick with Maytag.

Bought a stove, then a dishwasher. Like'em both. Then it came time to buy a new refrigerator as our 20 year old Kenmore died. We visited our local Home Depot, where we'd bought our stove and dishwasher from, and the salesman we'd come to know recommended the GE unit. It was cheaper, but we decided we really liked the Maytag quality we'd become accustomed to, and bought a 24 ci side-by-side.

When it arrived and was setup, I noticed it didn't seem as big as our old 17 ci freezer over refrigerator! The skinny shelves are a pain! More space, but harder to utilize. Then I noticed that it wasn't regulating the temperature properly. I couldn't get either the frig or freezer down to the proper temperature, so back to Home Depot. I arrange for a replacement first, as ours was obviously defective, then I sprung the idea on them that I'd like to trade up to the 27 ci model. The agreed (I paid the difference in price of course).

Since then, the temperature still doesn't seem to work as I would like. It gets into the normal range, but only when turned almost to the coldest end of the scale. We still don't really like the side-by-side arrangement, though the ice and water in the door is nice. I've also had several service calls on it, in only 2 years of ownership. 2 icemakers have died, a moulded in shelf bracket broke off, and the refrigeration unit was making a weird popping noise that the repairman had a kit to solve.

On the plus side, the unit is MUCH more energy efficient than the old one was. In California the last couple years due to our energy problems, Edison was offering a 10% discount on your bill if you used 20% less electricity than the year before. I qualified every month of the promotion except one (where I only saves 18%) without doing much of anything different. The refrigerator was THAT MUCH more efficient.

My units model number is MSD2756GEW

I've come to respect the appliance salesman I've come to know at Home Depot, and he recommends the GE refrigerators. He's made recommendations to me that were less expensive than what I was considering, so I think he's giving me honest advice.

[elduderino]

i recently picked up an amana freezer on the bottom model. we've been extremely happy with it. the best part is that the bottom freezer contains 2 drawers so it provides both easy access and the ability to really store a lot of stuff in there.

[seadog]

No more side by sides here - little fits well and we've got a large capacity model. Just seems we are constantly shuffling things around to get everything in. I do like the water and ice in (thru) the door feature but not at the determent of adequate and accessible storage.

We research before making a major appliance purchase. For refrigerators we have always either bought Whirlpool or a Kenmore (when the model was made by Whirlpool, not GE). Have had zero repair calls and no failures even at the 18-22 year marks when it was just time for a change...... color! My wife tired of the harvest gold one. lol

The previous post on the bottom freezer reminded me that my parents had one of those in the early 60s. I don't recall the brand but the shelves in the frig compartment were hinged on one side toward the front and they would pivot all the way out for easy access. If I were in the market today I would include these bottom freezer models especially now that gravity seems to be having more of an adverse effect on my body then it did 4 decades earlier.

Lots of choices out there - good luck.