Fridge Buying Guide: NEW French Door and Side-By-Side

We are proud to introduce three cool new members of the Kenmore refrigeration lineup, each one packed with premium features that our customers have told us they want the most!

These two new French door fridges and their side-by-side cousin join our team of top-freezer refrigerators to offer you a choice of innovative food-storage options to suit your family’s needs.

The specific feature sets of our newest fridges share quite a few commonalities. We’ll take a closeup look at these common features in just a bit, but first… let’s start by examining the main differences that distinguish each new model.

Basic Design & Function

The most important difference you will find among our new models is their basic form-factor: two of them have a French door design with a slide-out freezer drawer at the bottom, while the other has the fresh-food compartment and a tall, vertical freezer standing in a side-by-side arrangement.

French door models place all of your fresh-food favorites closer to eye level, for easy access and enhanced visibility. Extra-wide adjustable shelves, a full-width gourmet pantry drawer, and gallon-size door storage give you plenty of “elbow room” for your most frequently used foods and beverages.

The side-by-side design provides a more flexible vertical alignment of food-storage shelves and drawers, with generous space and easier access for your frozen items. They also offer maximum door storage area, and their narrower doors are easier to open in tight spaces… perfect for smaller kitchen spaces.

Large (and Larger) Capacity

Our two new French door refrigerators come in two widths: 36 inches, offering a full 20.3 cu. ft. of storage, and a 30-inch model providing 17.5 cu. ft. of space. Both feature a sleek counter-depth design that looks great and helps save floor space.

Like the larger French door fridge, our new Kenmore side-by-side model is 36 inches wide with a counter-depth design. Its storage capacity is similar is well, but slightly smaller at 20.0 cu. ft.

All three offer ample room for family-size food storage, designed with a wealth of flexible storage options to help you find the right place for everything!

Filtered Water & Ice Dispenser

A nice little bonus offered by our new side-by-side refrigerator is a dispenser built into the freezer door, giving you effortless access to filtered water and ice whenever you want it. The easy, intuitive touch-pad controls let you choose water, crushed ice or cubed ice with one-touch simplicity. You can also turn off and lock the dispenser with just a touch, to keep it safe from accidental operation (and curious little hands).

Humidity-Control Crisper Drawers

While all three models come with spacious crisper drawers for your fresh fruits and vegetables, our new 36-inch French door model (#75515) adds the extra bonus of humidity control. You can easily adjust the moisture level of the air inside the crisper bin to best suit the produce you are storing, so everything stays fresher for longer. And of course, fresher is better!

Features in Common

As we mentioned before, many of the most important features and functions of our new models are shared by all three. But just because they have the same features in common… that doesn’t make those features “common” at all! Read on…

Fingerprint-Resistant Stainless-Steel Finish

Our stainless steel finish includes a special coating that stands up to a busy household, so the beauty and durability of stainless steel remains looking great while smudges, fingerprints and minor oopsies wipe away easily with just a damp cloth.

Counter-Depth Design

These new refrigerators feature a sleek counter-depth design, for a nearly built-in look that installs flush to the fronts of your cabinets and counter. It gives your kitchen a clean, modern look while saving valuable floor space in your kitchen… a real win-win!

Quiet, Efficient Inverter Compressor

Instead of periodically cycling on full-blast and off again, over and over, our newest Kenmore refrigerators use advanced inverter technology to run in a constant, silent way. That helps to ensure far greater energy efficiency as well as quieter, less distracting operation in your kitchen space. Hey, it’s another win-win!

Multi-Flow Air System

Multi-Flow Air System uses strategically placed vents to balance cool air throughout the entire refrigerator, for consistently even cooling and long-lasting freshness on every shelf – from back to front, and even the door bins.

Accela Chill® System

You know when you bring home food and drinks from the store and you really want to get them chilled as quickly as possible? We hear you. Our Accela Chill® function lets you cool everything down rapidly, whenever you need it.

Full-Size Door Bins

Roomy, clear door bins accommodate gallon-size containers and large bottles, freeing up shelf space for more flexible storage.

Easy-to-Adjust Glass Shelves

Customize your food storage space quickly and easily with these adjustable shelves made from tempered glass for enhanced visibility.

Built-In Ice Maker

Keep your drinks cold and refreshing with fresh, clean ice anytime you want it. Enjoy up to 3 lbs. of ice per day with our new side-by-side refrigerator, and up to 4 lbs. per day with our French door models.

Bright LED Lighting

Energy-efficient, long-lasting LED lighting casts a warm, natural light on the refrigerator’s interior, making it easy to find what you want and ensuring nothing is lost in the back corners.

ENERGY STAR® Certified

All three new refrigerator models are certified to meet and exceed the EPA’s standards for energy efficiency. That means you can save money on your utility bills while helping to preserve our precious natural resources, every day.

Explore Our Full Lineup

These three new Kenmore models enhance our overall refrigeration lineup, which already includes a selection of top-freezer refrigerators in your choice of finishes. To find the one that best suits your needs, take a few moments to check them out at Lowe’s, Walmart or Amazon.

FAQs

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about side-by-side and French door refrigerators.

What are the pros & cons of buying a side-by-side vs. a French door refrigerator?

Neither type of fridge is “better” or “worse” than the other… it simply depends on your needs and priorities. Side-by-side models offer larger, more accessible fridge storage space that’s easier to organize for your frozen items, plus their narrower doors make them an attractive option for tighter spaces. French door models offer more generous, wide-open fresh-food storage and a roomy full-width pantry drawer for deli items. But while their pull-out freezer drawer is nice and roomy, it is also situated far below eye level.

What type of refrigerator is quietest and most efficient?

Generally speaking, the energy efficiency and quiet operation of a refrigerator depends on a variety of factors. However, the newest Kenmore side-by-side and French door refrigerators feature innovative inverter compressor technology, which not only ensures quieter operation but also greater energy efficiency. All three models are ENERGY STAR® Certified.

Which type of refrigerator will look best in my kitchen?

Deciding on a refrigerator that will complement your kitchen’s décor is always a matter of personal taste and preference. But models that feature a counter-depth design offer a smoother, cleaner, more seamless look that elevates and modernizes virtually any kitchen’s appearance.