We like the french door look, but I hate the "chest style" bottom drawers on most of them. I like the look of the Samsung 4-Door model, but reviews aren't that great on it for a number of reasons. LG has a similar style, but it is priced MUCH higher.

So far I'm leaning towards this LG model with this one following closely behind due to price.

I'm pretty much exclusively looked online thus far, but we'll be going to look at some in person in the coming days. We're south of Houston in the Pearland area. Other than Costco, Home Depot, Lowes, etc., are there any other good places to look? Any recommendations on brands or features?

dlance said:

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Samsung's ice makers suck badly. So bad there are rumors of class actions trying to get going. I hate mine.

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Yep. Their ice makers are very bad. I know from first hand experience.

Old RV Ag said:

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dlance said:

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Samsung's ice makers suck badly. So bad there are rumors of class actions trying to get going. I hate mine.

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Yep. Their ice makers are very bad. I know from first hand experience.

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The ice maker is far and away the worst thing about our Samsung fridge. At least 2x a month it jams and I have to use some combination of scraping and a hairdryer to get it un-frozen.

Yep, my sister and BIL have had to replace theirs 4 times already...they were just complaining about it the other day when I was visiting.

Imo, it's mostly going to be driven by personal preference.

We didn't care so much about the gimmicks of an exterior/interior double door. We just wanted a water dispenser hidden inside for a clean door...all solid. We ended up with a Maytag.

Check out Ajmadison for the sake of searching/filtering. It may help point you in a direction.

I've had an LG for 4 years now and had to replace the compressor last week. LG is knowingly putting in compressors that can't stand long in southern states. Everything else about the fridge has been great and hopefully this new addition keeps it running a lot longer, since I had a bigger compressor put in.

DeBoss said:

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I've had an LG for 4 years now and had to replace the compressor last week. LG is knowingly putting in compressors that can't stand long in southern states. Everything else about the fridge has been great and hopefully this new addition keeps it running a lot longer, since I had a bigger compressor put in.

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Huh, is your house not air conditioned? A home heated to 70 or cooled to 70 is the same environment for the compressor.

I may be wrong, but in my researching for a new fridge recently, I've deduced that energy star models suck. Most of the bad reviews are tied to slow ice makers and lack of cooling which makes sense if they're trying to minimize energy consumption.
I've settled on a GE French door for us. We are limited to counter top depth models because of our kitchen layout but before I came to that realization, I had picked out a GE standard depth side by side, non-energy star version.

And before you go looking at them in person, just brace yourself for disappointment - everything's plastic, most are light enough they roll forward when you try to open them, and the doors are all uneven. But I guess that's what is to be expected in the <$3k class.

RustyBoltz said:

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I may be wrong, but in my researching for a new fridge recently, I've deduced that energy star models suck. Most of the bad reviews are tied to slow ice makers and lack of cooling which makes sense if they're trying to minimize energy consumption.
I've settled on a GE French door for us. We are limited to counter top depth models because of our kitchen layout but before I came to that realization, I had picked out a GE standard depth side by side, non-energy star version.

And before you go looking at them in person, just brace yourself for disappointment - everything's plastic, most are light enough they roll forward when you try to open them, and the doors are all uneven. But I guess that's what is to be expected in the <$3k class.

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Talk about plastic - the Samsung icemaker on my Samsung had plastic where you wouldn't expect it. Set the ice dispenser on "crushed" and several broken plastic pieces came out with the ice. How do you use plastic in a machine component to grind ice?

Hi Nobody Knows My Name (that's an odd thing to type)-

We're in the Houston area and we'd be happy to help! Our Factory Builder Store location at 4242 Richmond would likely be closest to you, but we can help and quote over the phone and via email as well. Most of our business is working with builders and custom homes, but we are open to the public and in most cases can meet or beat the big box store pricing. We usually get our best pricing in the American brands like Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, and GE (though GE is now owned by Haier). So that's where I usually start with recommendations, but I'd also put forth something like Bosch as a good value option too.

When it comes to French doors, Samsung makes some nice looking models with great features, but I personally am not a fan of the 4-door style - this makes the bottom freezer doors a bit more awkward to get in and out of in my opinion. So I think you're headed the right direction with the double drawer, at least from an accessibility standpoint. Both the models you listed are going to be standard depth units - just to make sure, do you have an island or anything directly across where it would be installed? If not it shouldn't be an issue, but the general rule is to leave about four feet between the fridge and anything directly across from it, just for flow through the space. Standard depth options are typically better priced, but there are counter depth options available if space would be an issue.

I'd be happy to take a look at those two LG models and get you a quote from us, as well as provide some similarly styled options if you're interested. You can reach me direct at rchristiansen@factorybuilderstores.com or send me a message on TexAgs, whatever works!

~Rodney Christiansen, Factory Builder Stores

We bought top of the line Samsung 2-door, 2-drawer w/ice maker 5 years ago.
The ice maker just conked out for the third time.
Replacement is simple but costs $100 on ebay or amazon.
Next time we will buy thermador or sub zero.
Kenmore Elite is top rated on consumer reports along with several LG models at 85. GE is rated at 83.
Consumer Reports notes the ice makers on LG and Samsung have poor performance history.

evan_aggie said:

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Check out Ajmadison for the sake of searching/filtering. It may help point you in a direction.

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Is AJ Madison an okay place to buy from? The current two LG units I'm looking at are priced slightly cheaper than big box stores, have free delivery and no tax.

It has been mostly positive, but frustrating when gone wrong.

They had the best prices and actually: when I added our refrigerator and oven to our cart, the prices were LESS than what they even showed on the website. Our refrigerator came in perfect shape, but our oven had a fork-lift hole puncture right through the box and the glass was shattered inside. The delivery guys were completely surprised, which pisses me off just from the stand point that SOMEONE screwed it up and didn't want to admit it until delivery.

We called AJMadison, and they had a new one sent, but it took 3 weeks because they were back-ordered. Their offices were also open/closed at odd times: it is an orthodox company, so they keep odd hours. Still, in the end, we probably saved $400-$500 compared to big box stores between the two appliances.

My family had ordered 3-4 appliances from them and had no issues at all. I'd probably order from them again if it saved $200/appliance, but anything less and I'd just get from HD/Lowes/BestBuy.

Rodney:

Any thoughts on these stand alone refigerator/freezers we're considering for our new build? They seem to get really good reviews and are relatively cheap compared to similar type/size units.

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/FPRU19F8RF.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=FPRU19F8RF&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjMfoBRDDARIsAMUjNZpjfDjVICRyFTMo6hvxNR-F1yHgnDzMH0dZKd9BksGI2HnyB0sGRtQaAieMEALw_wcB

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/FPFU19F8RF.html

Any other recs along the same lines? FWIW...we are splitting them in the kitchen, which is one reason we need stand alone units.

We currently have a Samsung french door/bottom freezer and would never get another.

Anything but Samsung. We had ice maker trouble & some sort of fan trouble that no one could figure out but the freezer would over freeze & the fridge side wouldn't stay cool. Had warranty work done countless times and ended up giving it away just to get rid of it.


edit to add: My brother's sucks & so does my next door neighbor - no one listened when I told them not to do it. Both were blinded by the nice design & I'll give Samsung that: they do look good.

I don't have a ton to add, but I bought a new fridge a little over a year ago. Ended up getting a side-by-side GE. It's pretty basic. Has the in-door ice and water dispenser, and that's about it. Paid around $1300 for it. I did a lot of research, and it seemed (like many things these days), the more features it had, the more problems it had. Granted, this was just me, no spouse or anyone else involved (aside from my kids whose only request was the water and ice dispenser). I've been very happy with it.

One of my customers owns a large appliance repair business here in North Texas that ran 50,000 service calls last year. When I asked his advice about buying a washer & dryer and fridge he said the Korean products focus mainly on flash and not quality. They only service the whirlpool brands (whirlpool, maytag, kitchen aid, jenn air & admiral).
Prior to his advice we purchased a LG french door. Its been pretty good except the ice chute flap not opening all the way which causes a blockage. Was told the hinge of the flag is actually part of the left door and would have to replace the whole left door ($800)He ended up putting a adjustable metal band on it for a temporary fix.

After his advice we bought a kitchen aid dishwasher (instead of Bosch) which has been great and then whirlpool front loaders which have been great.

And just like that my icemaker went out again today - ****ing Samsung.

Samsung owner here. I loathe my ice maker. Apparently the issue is that it isnt completely sealed. Samsung basically will just send you caulk to "re-seal" it, which doesnt fix the problem.

MAS444:

Those Frigidaire All Freezer/All Refrigerator units have actually worked out pretty well for us, though they look nicest installed with the faux built-in trim. There's honestly not much to choose from when it comes to freestanding all fridge/freezers though - there's those Frigidaire units (in regular, Gallery, and Pro styles), Electrolux models (regular and ICON), and Whirlpool has a version called SideKicks.

The kicker here is that they're all more or less the same unit, coming from the same place - Frigidaire and Electrolux are the same company, and Whirlpool sources their version from them. I believe the higher end models (Electrolux) have slightly stronger compressors, but other than that, the differences will be largely cosmetic - handles, lighting, interior trim etc. They're all 32"W with a variety of different trims available for different installs.

We sell a lot of Whirlpool products, but the SideKicks aren't a big mover because we usually recommend Frigidaire or Electrolux versions, since they make them all anyway. Out of those, I'd say we see people either go all out for the Electrolux ICON version because that's what we display in a few showrooms, or they go for the Frigidaire Gallery since it has a great price. We have seen more people gravitating towards the Frigidaire Pro like you've selected though, since the handle is more in line with other pro-style brands.

Long story short, if it fits your purposes, then I think it's a great choice as far as reliability and looks go. We haven't seen too many issues with these units overall, though I would recommend a trim setup since it does fix the units in place - these are on roller wheels, and opening the door can pull them forward a bit if they're not fixed in place or weighed down (empty). There are standalone trim kits that you can get for the units, so they don't necessarily have to be installed side by side.

Factory Builder Stores said:

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MAS444:

Those Frigidaire All Freezer/All Refrigerator units have actually worked out pretty well for us, though they look nicest installed with the faux built-in trim. There's honestly not much to choose from when it comes to freestanding all fridge/freezers though - there's those Frigidaire units (in regular, Gallery, and Pro styles), Electrolux models (regular and ICON), and Whirlpool has a version called SideKicks.

The kicker here is that they're all more or less the same unit, coming from the same place - Frigidaire and Electrolux are the same company, and Whirlpool sources their version from them. I believe the higher end models (Electrolux) have slightly stronger compressors, but other than that, the differences will be largely cosmetic - handles, lighting, interior trim etc. They're all 32"W with a variety of different trims available for different installs.

We sell a lot of Whirlpool products, but the SideKicks aren't a big mover because we usually recommend Frigidaire or Electrolux versions, since they make them all anyway. Out of those, I'd say we see people either go all out for the Electrolux ICON version because that's what we display in a few showrooms, or they go for the Frigidaire Gallery since it has a great price. We have seen more people gravitating towards the Frigidaire Pro like you've selected though, since the handle is more in line with other pro-style brands.

Long story short, if it fits your purposes, then I think it's a great choice as far as reliability and looks go. We haven't seen too many issues with these units overall, though I would recommend a trim setup since it does fix the units in place - these are on roller wheels, and opening the door can pull them forward a bit if they're not fixed in place or weighed down (empty). There are standalone trim kits that you can get for the units, so they don't necessarily have to be installed side by side.

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Just read your post more closely - you mentioned what I posted. Oops.

Thanks a lot! And we're definitely using the trim kits.

We have a Frigidaire Gallery french door/side-by-side. We've had it for a little over two years and haven't had a single ice maker issue (or any issue for that matter). It's stayed silent and has some nice features like slow-brighten LED lights on the inside, easy to replace filter, etc. I think it was $1,000 during one of these spring Black Friday events.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frigidaire-Gallery-25-6-cu-ft-Side-by-Side-Refrigerator-in-Stainless-Steel-FGSS2635TF/303204001

evan_aggie said:

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Imo, it's mostly going to be driven by personal preference.

We didn't care so much about the gimmicks of an exterior/interior double door. We just wanted a water dispenser hidden inside for a clean door...all solid. We ended up with a Maytag.

Check out Ajmadison for the sake of searching/filtering. It may help point you in a direction.

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Same for me. Wanted French Door look, but didn't want the hassles that come along with the ice maker being in the refrigerator and look the look of the dispenser in the door. We got a Jenn-Air with water inside and an ice maker in the freezer. I actually like scooping the ice out of the bin better. Actually bought mine open-box on ebay - it was a little risky, but worked out great.

Same style as ours:

ice maker in freezer, classic bucket style, with water dispenser in the fridge. My only desire would be to have a slightly larger water reservoir inside the fridge. I think it stores maybe 1.5 - 2 qts of liquid.

Old RV Ag said:

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dlance said:

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Samsung's ice makers suck badly. So bad there are rumors of class actions trying to get going. I hate mine.

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Yep. Their ice makers are very bad. I know from first hand experience.

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We shut off door ice completely during year one. We also have ice maker in the freezer drawer and that is great. Pull drawer, scoop ice, done. If i had it to do over, i would skip door ice and water altogether in favor of ice in the drawer.

We purchased a Samsung french door in October 2010. We had zero issues until we had to replace the ice maker in August 2018.

My experience was that it was a great fridge. I don't know if I was lucky or their quality issues started after our purchase.

JSKolache said:

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Old RV Ag said:

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dlance said:

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Samsung's ice makers suck badly. So bad there are rumors of class actions trying to get going. I hate mine.

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Yep. Their ice makers are very bad. I know from first hand experience.

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We shut off door ice completely during year one. We also have ice maker in the freezer drawer and that is great. Pull drawer, scoop ice, done. If i had it to do over, i would skip door ice and water altogether in favor of ice in the drawer.

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Exactly. My last frig with the icemaker and bucket in the freezer last 35 years without a single problem. It's thermostat in the fridge went out and it was freezing everything. Parts no longer available so went with that nice looking Samsung. If I could have bought a brand new exact copy of my old fridge I would have. I can't believe in this era, I have ice trays in my freezer.

I've had zero issues with my Samsung and it's great at making ice. It's about 2 years old

Got a Whirlpool a year ago and have enjoyed it without issue so far. Hopefully that continues over the years.

WRX986SIHZ

That second LG is just about identical to the one we've had for 10 years now. The only trouble has been whenever the icemaker freezes up which is an easy fix, and the alarm clock style LCD on the front seems to be crapping out. It might be the bulbs that light it up but they're probably LEDs and I'm not taking the door apart to go after those when it's getting replaced with a Subzero next year anyway.

Out here in the country we have brown outs & power failures fairly regularly. Our repair guy (an Aggie with a great story about why he went to appliance school) told us to get the most basic model we could find. It has toggle switches for the in door ice/water/light. Nothing digital & works like a charm. Not what most people want, but for us olds, it's perfect!

schwack schwack said:

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Out here in the country we have brown outs & power failures fairly regularly. Our repair guy (an Aggie with a great story about why he went to appliance school) told us to get the most basic model we could find. It has toggle switches for the in door ice/water/light. Nothing digital & works like a charm. Not what most people want, but for us olds, it's perfect!

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Exactly my findings and why I said what I said. The more bells and whistles, the more things that can and will go wrong. The more basic the better. It's a fridge/freezer after all man.