french door refrigerator with ice maker (explanation) Review

Combining form and functionality, French-door refrigerators have elegant double doors that open up to an enormous fridge on top and freezer drawer below. These refrigerators stand out due to their special features, such as through-the-door dispensers and higher-end ice makers.

We consulted Ladina Schopf - interior designer, architect, and the founder of LS Projects - for her advice on how to choose the right one. They looked at the capacity of storage, layout, and energy efficiency among other aspects.

GE Profile Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator

The name implies that the GE Profile series targets the consumer who wants to incorporate cutting-edge technologies into their kitchen. This fridge is loaded with them all, from the Keurig K cup coffee maker inside the door to a sophisticated dispenser of water. But these flourishes don't mask mediocre performance, especially in the refrigerator's freezer and an ineffective temperature-controlled drawer. This refrigerator is costly, so I expected better.

Other than that however, this refrigerator is a great option. It has a huge freezer compartment which is uncommon for counter-depth French-door fridges. It also holds a lot of frozen food, which is a big difference from other models.

Inside the fridge, you'll find 17 shelves and compartments. The fridge compartment offers 18.5 cubic feet of space, which is about par for the size of a french door fridge ice dispenser door fridge costing this much. It comes with a decent size refrigerator with an ice maker in the left door. However it's not the most spacious one I've seen.

You can alter the shelves in both compartments for the perfect storage solution. The interior design of the GE PYE22PYNFS is attractive. The LED lighting is an appealing accent. The in-door storage bins have a third shelf which can be folded down to store large items. The drawers include temperature controls that let you set them to Meat, Beverage or Deli settings. They're easy to open and close, although I found their plastic textured coatings to be a little difficult on the fingers.

The GE PGE29BYTFS Smart Refrigerator is equipped with a complete set of features you'd expect from a fridge at this price, including Wi-Fi and app support via GE's SmartHQ software. The app, available for iOS and Android devices can let you control your fridge from anywhere in world, and has numerous options for customization. It will also send you notifications when the door is unlocked and when the fridge or freezer requires defrosting, and when the filter requires a change.

It would be great it GE PYE22PYNFS could offer Precise Fill the option that is available in a handful of GE refrigerators that allow users to choose how many cups they want to dispense. The fridge shows a countdown to show you how much water is left, but it's not as helpful as Precise fill.

Bosch Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator

It is designed to look like a seamless piece of your kitchen Bosch's French-door refrigerator looks seamless and is an eye-catching piece. The fridge uses fingerprint-resistant stainless steel, which is a great feature for busy households. It also comes with a veggie compartment that keeps vegetables and fruits fresher longer, and two compressors to ensure maximum food preservation. The ice maker we tested is one of the most efficient, and it produces the shape of a pyramid using only water. This fridge is the perfect option for households with a single member or kitchenettes that want an integrated look and top-of-the-line food preservation.

This refrigerator was the highest-rated refrigerator in our Refrigerators test for various reasons. The freezer temperatures remained steady at a level that was just above 0 degrees Fahrenheit and never moving more than a fraction of an inch. This is essential in preventing freezing burn. The refrigerator section of the refrigerator also did well. It reached the temperature it was set within a matter of hours, and remained at that temperature throughout our testing.

Bosch is a household name for its top-quality appliances. It's therefore no surprise that Bosch counter depth refrigerator is one of them. Bosch counter depth refrigerator can be connected to your home Wi Fi and Bosch's Home Connect. This app allows you to monitor and control your refrigerator remotely on your tablet or smartphone. The fridge is expensive, but offers great features and capabilities at a reasonable cost.

While the fridge is a fantastic appliance however, it is important to understand the limitations. It is possible to be creative with tall objects because the fridge what is the quietest french door refrigerator limited in shelf space. Additionally, the shelves are not completely sprillproof, and can easily be damaged or stained by sharp objects. The trays can be easily removed from the fridge. However, they must be cleaned frequently to stop the growth of mold.

If you are thinking about this refrigerator, be sure to read our review of the GE Appliances French Door Refrigerator and the Bosch Bottom Freezer Refrigerator.

LG Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator

The LG LRFLC2706S counter-depth refrigerator is a great choice for those who require a lot of space in an extremely compact frame. It has a sleek, fingerprint-resistant stainless-steel finish and features thick handles that make them comfortable to grip. Inside, the refrigerator has the standard french door fridge freezer-door layout, with gallon-sized door bins on each door and two rows of shelves for spill-capture and a set of crisper drawers. The upper right shelf can be folded down to give taller items more headroom. You'll also find a full-width drawer for deli and an inside water dispenser.

One of the best aspects of this refrigerator is that the ice maker is in the freezer, making it easy to transfer frozen ice to the fridge for use when required. The freezer also features clever design features, like sliding drawers that can help you organize your items. It also comes with a large bin that can hold plenty of frozen food items and a separate storage bin for ice.

Smart InstaView panel is a cool feature of the refrigerator. It allows you to control the temperature of your fridge as well as lighting from your smartphone. It's a nice way to monitor and manage your refrigerator, especially if you're away from home.

The Smart InstaView feature is neat, but it doesn't necessarily enhance the efficiency of the fridge. In fact it took a bit longer to defrost and chill food in this fridge as compared to other fridges we test. This could be due to the bigger capacity.

The doors pose a problem with this refrigerator. The sunken handles let shorter people open them from the bottom. However, taller people still struggle to close them without slamming them. It would have been much better if they had a front-mounted handle.

The LG Counter-Depth MAX fridge is a great choice for those who want to combine the look and feel of a French-door refrigerator with an efficient design. Its capacity is superior to counter-depth models, and it cools evenly. It's also a bit less than the top counter-depth refrigerator with an ice maker, which helps make it an attractive option.

Frigidaire Counter Depth french door refrigerator with ice maker in bottom freezer Door Refrigerator

If you're looking for a French door fridge that doesn't cost you a fortune, this Frigidaire is a good choice. It's a basic fridge that might not be as appealing as some of its competitors, but it still has enough features to make a suitable option. Its main characteristic is the adjustable temperature drawer that helps keep food items like meat and vegetables fresher for longer. It also comes with a huge water dispenser as well as a good Ice machine that is fast.

Another feature that is worth mentioning is the "Chill Drawer" that sits over the two crisper bins. The drawer lets you redirect some of your fridge's cooling power to this area, so it can be used to store food items which need extra attention. You can adjust this feature by using the slider located on the in the middle of the drawer. It is also possible to use this to set a general cooling level for the whole fridge, but I've noticed that adjusting the generic settings tends to produce better results than specific ones.

During my tests, the refrigerator's temperatures stayed fairly consistent across different areas of the fridge. The temperatures in the middle, top and bottom of the refrigerator did not differ much from 38 degrees. This is a pretty good performance, but it doesn't quite rank among the best in our rankings.

This fridge has a few other neat features, including a temperature-monitoring display that alerts you to fluctuations and provides a forecast for the day ahead. You can also connect this fridge to a smart thermometer to get more precise measurements of your fridge's temperature.

The exterior of the Frigidaire is made of grey-bodied stainless that has a "smudge proof" finish. It is capable of repelling fingerprints and streaks even when compared to the glossy stainless steel finishes on other appliances I've tested.

Stephanie Cronk, executive editor of Reviewed's Commerce/Product Reviews Team, oversees the site’s buyer’s guides and product test reviews. She has more than 15 years of commerce and publishing experience, with a focus on digital and retail. Stephanie is passionate about finding the best products and recommending them to consumers. She focuses on home goods and technology.