Kenmore Elite French door fridge review
September 25, 2011
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A review of our Kenmore Elite French door refrigerator with freezer drawer on bottom.
It’s been a month since our fridge died on us and caused water damage in the kitchen. We’ve since gotten the island installed and put back together, and a couple of weeks ago we got our new fridge.
And it’s beautiful. I mean it people:
Excuse the plywood. :)
Wait…hold on.
It’s more like this:
For reals. We had to wait two weeks for it, since it was out of stock, but it was worth the wait! I knew I wanted the French-door style refrigerator and it does not disappoint. When we went shopping, there were a ton to choose from, and at first I was looking at the counter-depth versions like we had before.
But then I saw this one.
The basic measurements of this one are the same – but the space inside can’t be beat. It’s got 31 cubic feet of space inside. That means 31 cubic feet of AWESOMENESS:
And when you open the doors, there’s singing. I can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from, but it happens.
Wait, maybe coming from my head. Whatever.
It’s HUGE. Part of the reason it holds so much is that the ice maker is in the door:
It makes the cutest ice too. Really. Our old ice was long, these are square-shaped. It really doesn’t take much to make me happy.
It’s got the basics:
And some fun stuff like extra deep door storage:
The bottom drawer inside is my very favorite thing. It’s wide and huge and it is great for flat, wide stuff. And you can open one of the doors or both – which I think is brilliant. So often we’re just grabbing milk or whatever, and I like that we can still just open one door if needed.
The only difference in size is that it isn’t counter-depth, which means it comes out further than the counter. It sticks out about four more inches than the old fridge. We kept the old fridge in place and moved it out for a few days to make sure we wouldn’t mind it.
We didn’t. :)
And we have the same issue with this one that we had with the old one – the right door doesn’t open all the way:
There’s nothing we can do about that, so I’m not bothered by it. (We’re used to it anyway.) And actually, because this fridge sticks out a bit further than the old one, the door opens more than before.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that ALL of the drawers (even the long bottom one) still pull out completely, even when the doors don’t. SMART.
Our old fridge was a side by side, and it always drove me crazy. I felt like the older refrigerator we had long ago (like, eight years ago) was more spacious. We couldn’t fit much at all in our freezer in the old one, and it especially bugged me that we couldn’t buy frozen pizzas.
I know, my life is rough. ;)
But what really sold me on this one were the THREE drawers in the freezer:
Most French-door styles have two freezer drawers and this extra one totally sold me. Now our meat has it’s own drawer. Love that! And the meat is happy too. I’m guessing. ;)
You’ll notice the freezer and fridge aren’t full – it’s because we’re slowly refilling it all. I had no idea how much food we had in our fridge (that went bad) and how much it would cost to replace it all. It’s crazy! The insurance company will cover some of it, but not all, from what I understand.
The insurance claim did not cover the new refrigerator, which is about the only thing they aren’t covering.
So far the only thing that has slightly bothered me about this new style is that there’s not much room for all that stuff we used to keep in the door – you have to keep it out in the open part of the fridge. This isn’t a big deal because there’s SO much space, but I like having that separate spot for all that little stuff. It’s the organizer in me. ;)
But it’s not a big deal all, at least to me. Overall, I’m LOVING it so far.
So, do you have this new style? Love your side by side? Traditional freezer on top? (I liked it more than the side by side!) It makes me wonder what they’ll come up with next – but I think this is the best design yet!
We recently bought a french door too and I LOVE IT!!! love the ice in the door and all the space and of course they're just awesome to look at. Can't wait ot see those new floors!
ReplyDeleteWe have the exact same fridge! I hear singing too when I open the doors :) The best thing about it is the slim ice in the door!
ReplyDeleteWe have a french door fridge, and I.LOVE.IT!! The long drawer on the bottom is my favorite! I actually used it today to store my paint tray and roller to keep it from getting dried out in between coats of paint! Not just for food, my friend! :)
ReplyDeleteYour refrigerator is gorgeous and so shiny and clean! Looks like a fridge you could keep organized!
ReplyDeleteOooh, I want to hug your fridge too! Group hug?!
ReplyDeleteParty is at Laylas ;) Love the new fridge! I love the 3 drawer freezer we need to start pricing them out!
ReplyDeleteOkay, just so I know - what brand and model # did you buy? I'm going to need one soon, and since yours sings to you, I'd like to check into that also. Thanks! It looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWe have an almost identical one (water dispenser is on the inside) and I LOVE it. Isn't it amazing how much fits in there?! We have the same issue with the right door not opening all the way. It is what it is and with a fridge that great, who cares ;)
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!!!! I could use a new fridge too.
ReplyDeleteI am also glad that you still love your Basic H! :)
Have a great night!
Bonnie
I have mega fridge envy!
ReplyDeleteJenny
www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com
It's gorgeous Sarah! I wish I had that fridge. Ours is teeny tiny and I hate it. We couldn't bring our nice big one with us when we moved. It was too big for the spot in the "new" house. We'd have to cut part of the upper cabinets out to get a taller/bigger fridge and that's not gonna happen. Can't wait to see the kitchen all put back together!
ReplyDeleteI've already got my mantel post up and running, so I'm good to go for the party. = )
~ Catie
I COVET YOUR FRIDGE! Its gorg. ENJOY! winks-jen
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the only one!! Appliance affairs ;) Being so new to blogging, I wondered if I could write about my new fridge? Ours died too. A slow death, with unthawing of all the goodies :( We didn't have to wait two weeks though(poor you), It was only 6 days. It is much bigger then the old one. Which I forgot about the minute this came in the door =) Enjoy your new baby!
ReplyDeleteMy parents have that exact fridge but in black! It is awesome! They have the same issue with lack of door storage space, so they just grabbed a plastic shoe box and put it on a shelf. They just pull it out like a drawer when they need to get something out of it. :)
ReplyDeleteooo so pretty! Yes after the hurricane here we had to replace a bunch of stuff and it is not fun and very expensive!
ReplyDeleteWe have the exact same frig but ours is black. I know exactly what you mean about loving it! I loves mine too :)
ReplyDeleteWell, why don't you tell us how you really feel about your new fridge ;)
ReplyDeleteI am loving the shelves in the freezer :)
Thanks for the cleaning tip :)
I'd too would love to know what make and model yours is. It looks perfect! My side by side I purchased a few years ago has got to go. My previous side by side was great but now nothing fits. Keep hoping it'll die but I do not want to have to go through what you've had to go through!
ReplyDeleteWe went through the same evolution (side-by-side to French door) and endured the same problem with the door not opening all the way in our old house. In the new house, there's more room for the fridge, so it opens more fully.
ReplyDeleteI also miss the amount of storage on the door, but I've found if I use my door shelves for the smaller stuff (one shelf is full of barbeque sauces and marinades; another is dedicated to salad dressings), the main part of the fridge is slightly less cluttered. Although I still have more bottles and jars on the shelves than I would prefer, but I love the bottom freezer storage more than the refrigerator space I gave up. Congrats on the kitchen coming together!
NICEEEE, I love it! =) Enjoy...Liz
ReplyDeleteThats exactly the one that I dream about getting! If you saw my out dated fridge you'd scream! Enjoy it and If I were you I would definitely hug it! :O)
ReplyDeleteLOVE that fridge! We went the stainless side-by-side route a few years ago. Biggest regret ever! It's far too narrow to fit stuff properly and way too deep to find anything. The food waste from lost food is insane. :-( Hoping this one kicks it soon so I can go to the French door one too. I think those became popular 2.7 seconds after we paid for our side-by-side. Hmphf!!
ReplyDeleteYup, we have a French door refrigerator and it sings too! We just love it. We didn't have a water and ice thingie before, we had to make ice manually, so pioneer like, and of course, the one who emptied the tray never refilled it. So this new fridge is like so technologically advanced for us! And it's so much bigger, we get to let a lot more food rot in it, lol!
ReplyDeleteI am so confused why stainless steel appliances are all the rage. They get dirty immediately. Since you seem to be in-the-know about all things trendy in the home, please explain!
ReplyDeleteI also have a suggestion for lack of door space. I have a lazy susan in my fridge for condiments like ketchup, mustard, A1, and the like. It holds a ton, keeps it all in the same place, and I can spin it around to get what I want. Enjoy your new fridge.
ReplyDeleteI love it! We JUST got a french door refrigerator and I literally hugged it when it was finally here :) Also - Bar Keeper's Friend is super cheap and good for cleaning stainless steel! I found it with the other household cleaners at Target.
ReplyDeleteYour new fridge is fabulous! Our side by side just died on us this past Thursday so I went out and bought a 4 door french door one (I didn't even know such a wonderous thing exsisted!). One seven year old, Two 3.5 year olds and one MESSY husband do not make any stainless steel appliances appealing but I enjoy the look of them so I finally found a platinum (clean steel?) one. We are going from a 23 cubic ft to 28.5 and I'm hoping it won't be to huge. Glad to see that you don't mind yours sticking out, hopefully I'll be the same. Enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteI don't have a French Door fridge, but rather a side by side (coming up on 10 years). Anyway, after moving this summer and inheriting the world's narrowest pantry, my lazy susan didn't work for my canned goods anymore. Enter my friend's brilliant idea of using the lazy susan INSIDE my fridge! I keep jams, jellies, salsa, smart balance, etc. on it, and we LOVE it! Just a thought, since you mentioned losing door space! :)
ReplyDeleteLovely! I have fridge envy and it will forever (at least as long as we live here) go unsatisfied. My kitchen configuration is such that there is nowhere to put a fridge of that size and design. Darn!
ReplyDeletehi -I also have a french door fridge that I love. i put all my little bottles/jars etc in a wicker basket and have it on the top shelf. that way i can pull it all out very easily when i need something and it contains all those little things in one area. hope that helps (nice "french" look also)
ReplyDeletecheers Fiona
www.lilyfieldlife.blogspot.com
That's a sexy fridge!! You have a beautiful kitchen :)
ReplyDeleteThat is one good looking fridge! Amazing what makes us happy! I remember last summer I got a new sink and I'm still smiling over it!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
Sandy
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....I love your frige!!! Hey, I'm from Lafayette, and I'm new to blogging (just started)...anyway, if you'd like to visit it's http://ashleysfixinit.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI was really hoping we might be able to get together somewhere maybe to thrift/share ideas....what not. There's not too many Hoosier Bloggers out there...but my sister in law lives pretty close to you and I've gotten her addicted to you as well. Let me know if you have any "FREE TIME" what is that?!? If nothing else, maybe you could help me a little with my blog over the phone. Are you going to the covered bridge? Also, I've used lots of your ideas and was wanting to start some kinda "Fabulous Friday with Friends" deal where I get guest bloggers? I think it's like a "linky party"...but I'm not sure because I don't know what that is because, well, I'm a virgin blogger. Any help would be great!!! I'm a HUGE fan of yours!
I could hug your fridge as well, hahahaah! It is fabulous!!! Would love one like that, unfortunately my kitchen would not accomodate it... too small fridge space:(
ReplyDeleteHugs to your fridge as well! I love these french door fridge. I have one as well and cannot believe at time how many veggies it can store.
ReplyDeleteLove your new frig! The best product for cleaning stainless steel, and I've tried them all, is the stainless steel wipes come in a pop-up dispenser. The ones I prefer are made by Weiman that I get at the grocery store. they clean well and NO streaks!
ReplyDeleteWe just bought a new (older) house that "features" a 20 year old fridge...with no light...and a very inefficient use of space. It's located in our inspiring kitchen that "features" red formica countertops and brown carpet. Needless to say, I'm jealous, though delighted, that your fridge brings you such joy. I hope that one day, I will feel such joy about a refridgerator!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post - it made me chuckle!
Love those cool drawers in the freezer...what a neat feature! More room for ice cream. ;)
ReplyDeleteWe have a traditional oldie fridge. Freezer on top...I do like being able to get ice out without bending over, but we wouldn't have that problem with an ice maker. ;)
Do you have to have a mantel to link up tomorrow or would the top of an armoire count??
Cute ice!!
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious.
That 3-drawer freezer is to die for. Awesome. Enjoy it.
We have a lazy susan on the shelf in the fridge that holds all the little stuff that won't fit on the door. I think it is actually intended for a spice holder but it works great in the fridge too!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm happy for you! And I'm glad you posted about your fridge. Don't ever think we aren't interested!
ReplyDeleteHow old was the fridge that leaked? Seems like it died a premature death. Ouch.
My grandmother had a freezer drawer below fridge in the 70's. I do plan to consider that next. Currently I am still using my around 23 year old unit. (perhaps I am the "winner" here, for oldest fridge? Oy.) I recognize that a new appliance would be much more efficient, but so would what, $2,000....[It aint in the sofa pillers.] :) And then there is the stove! Ha. We seem to be card carryin members of the wait til it dies club. Oh well.
Yay for your lovely new fridge!
Chrissy
Congrats on your new lovely fridge! oh, you're going to love it. And, it will really save on energy, too. I noticed it when we bought our new one.
ReplyDeleteAnd, while I love the double door design I always thought a fridge should be designed to cover a whole wall (ok maybe 1/2), like at a store, with sliding glass doors and much more shallow. I tend to "ignore" the stuff in the back sometimes until it's too late. If it were all right up front it would be great!
Where do you get the cleaner? I "think" I've found their website but I'd rather just be able to go get it.
ReplyDeleteOh and your fridge is AMAZING! I love our French door fridge too but yours is soooo much prettier.
I think your fridge is as big as my house LOL! Love it x
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing about your fridge! My husband and I are building a new house and so we need to buy a fridge. I was really interested in the french doors one bc I also think the side by side ones don't have as much storage! :) it is a BEAUTIFUL fridge!
ReplyDeleteI want to come over and hug your new Fridge! LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteWe've had all styles of fridges, and the french door one like yours is by far my fave. Our last house had a fridge almost identical to yours. Our new house has the same type of fridge, with one big exception: no water or ice. I love a coooold glass of water, so now we have to store it in a container in the fridge. Good thing that suckers big and we can fit in the extra jug =) Enjoy the fridge, and better yet, enjoy filling it with all sorts of yummy food!
ReplyDeleteThe refrigerator is pretty.
ReplyDeleteI would just like a milk spigot on the side (It does stick out four inches, after all). It could have a little in-set bowl so I can drink.
My humans say I drink too much milk, though. Still...
http://phoebedancingcat.blogspot.com/
Have you tried Shelia Shine? It works great on stainless. Motorcycle/car enthusiast use it to care for their vehicles. I ordered mine through ebay.
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved in, we had a side-by-side. I hated it and the day it broke was a wonderful day for me. :) (No water damage, thankfully!) I hated that everything felt so cramped and I couldn't fit any platters in there or anything. In a perfect world we would have purchased a French door style (Love) but the ones I liked were too spendy so we went with a nice bottom mount freezer style and I swear, there was singing when I opened it, too!!! About 3 years later and I can still hear the joyful chorus! I, too, am easily amused. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm drooling over here...
ReplyDeleteThis is the fridge that I have my eye on too! I think I am going to love it!!
ReplyDeleteI am just saving my money to roll off some Ben's for it. :) It's always more fun to have new stuff when you know you don't owe anything! Go Dave!! :)
I love your new fridge, we actually have one with the freezer in the bottom and I love it! Also love your blog too!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could own your fridge.... beautiful, almost like a work of art (smile)
ReplyDeletehttp://decoratingwcents.blogspot.com/
I'm with ya. When I replaced my fridge, it wasn't the most expensive - but it had exactly the features I wanted.
ReplyDeleteLuRve!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been looking and this looks like The One! Awesome...
I am pretty sure I heard little bells ringing, angels singing,... something like that... when I got to the end and saw those THREE drawers. No, really, I heard it.
When my fridge dies, I totally want the french door style - yours looks flippin' awesome!
ReplyDeleteSwoon............that is just THE fridge I want! We currently have a side by side and it's been good to us but I want this style! Looks awesome by the way..........so glad you're getting your kitchen back together!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness I want to hug your fridge, too! My husband is always complaining about how small ours is (he hates to smash all the veggies into the small drawer). I'm putting this on my wish list!
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.purehome.com/
I have a french door freezer on bottom too that I absolutely LOVE!! Mine is 6 years old so it's not as fancy as yours but it's still great! My MIL has a side by side & I HATE that thing. The freezer is just too small. When we bought ours I commented that I wish they had the ice dispenser in the door (that was before they came out with that) & the salesman & my hubs "chuckled" & rolled their eyes as they talked about how with "gravity & all it wasn't possible". Don't think I don't remind the hubs of that everytime I see one of those fridges! If only I could find that salesman!
ReplyDeleteMy old side by side died 2 years ago and we got another one. I hate it! The freezer shelves are so narrow and don't go all the way to the back of the freezer and things fall off! My next fridge (if I live long enough) will be a French door, but I want it in white!!! Do they even make them in white? Anyway, I love yours - it is gorgeous!!!
ReplyDeleteI love it too Sarah! Thanks for sharing :) I didn't read through all the comments so don't know if this has been mentioned, but what about using bins for all the "little" stuff? A few years ago I put all of our jams, cream cheese, syrup (breakfast-y things) in a bin and I just pull it out in the morning. Then I got another and it has all condiments and salad dressings. It does take up some space (we have a regular 2-door-freezer-on-top) but I've since gotten over losing the space and love that I can tell guests "the jams are in the blue basket" or "pull out the white basket for dinner" (which has mayo, mustard, etc.). Bet you're on pins-and-needles waiting for that flooring. . .
ReplyDeleteWe have the same fridge. Love love the space in it, hate hate the stainless steel. With little boys that help themselves to things inside, I have so many finger prints and cannot get it clean with out spending an hour polishing it. I am going to have to try the cleaner you use. Enjoy your fridge!!
ReplyDeleteDoes it sing if ya forget and leave the door open? Mine does and I love it! I am sooo glad I am not the only one gets excited about these things ;)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read through all the comments so someone might have suggested this already, but the best and cheapest stainless fridge cleaner I've found is extra virgin olive oil. Seriously. Just a dab on a soft, lint-free cloth will make the whole thing sparkle.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new fridge!
Rachel
Didn't read all the comments either but try WD-40! Best stainless cleaner/shiner EVER. A friend sold appliances for years and let me in on that secret. I'll have to try olive oil too (less stinky). But seriously WD-40 is fantaaastic on stainless. :) Seriously jealous of your new fridge...
ReplyDeleteWe have a french door fridge, too, and I also hated not having a spot for all the little "door items". So I bought plastic bins at Target or somewhere, and now have a few of them on the top shelf with condiments, etc on them, so I can just pull out a whole bin instead of moving 13 individual small bottles to get to the ketchup. :)
ReplyDeleteSo jealous! Not of all the damage of course, just the fridge!!
ReplyDeleteLove the fridge! I just didn't have the space for one that big in my kitchen.. but I did splurge and get a bottom freezer. So far so good! http://53rdst.blogspot.com/2011/09/laboring-day.html
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you and your new fridge! It's beautimous! I love that you use Shaklee too! I love reading your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteYour new fridge is wonderful! We just got its baby cousin, a 28 s.f. "plain" Kenmore. Since we have only fluoridated water from the taps, we skipped the water/ice maker, and it allows loads of room on the inside of the left door, for all the little bottles. We keep two huge 2.5 gallon spring water jugs at the ready in the top section, one facing out for serving, one for a backup. I love ours for all the reasons you stated, except we don't have 3 freezer drawers, just two, plus a really neat "dashboard" up front on the pull out freezer's door top, where I stash all my bits and pieces, like ready to use tomato paste in tablespoon size frozen chunks, frozen banana halves for sherbet, etc. As a professional housekeeper, I really like the limited holes in the freezer drawer bottom, keeps most crumbs in there. LOVE the copious lighting in both the fridge and the freezer! Major spoiling of Us consumers, not food! Love love love! Our black unit, which we got on an excellent sale for under $900, is sleek and whisper quiet. Best of luck with yours.
ReplyDeleteour fridge is about to go out too! I was just at sears today drooling over this 31 cu ft. fridge. I think i'm in heaven. And it was even on sale!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about this, even though I am insanely jealous!!!! All in good time, Betsy, all in good time.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great fridge!
I have a french door fridge too. I LOVE it!! The big flat drawer on the bottom is my favorite. I keep all the kids snacks there(yogurt, juice boxes) that way they can grab it themselves. Your fridge is really nice. I have to get that cleaner for the stainless steel. Where do they carry it? I can never seem go get mine perfectly clean and it drives me crazy. Can't wait to see the new floors. Best of luck with the install!
ReplyDeleteYour fridge is beautiful, but I think I must be the only crazy person in the world who chose a textured black side-by-side recently. Our french-doors-style fridge died and we needed a replacement. I LOVED the storage, the big drawers, the water dispenser, the opening...BUT I couldn't stand that the doors wouldn't close easily. Drove me nuts! Hopefully they've changed this feature for your new one. ALSO I wanted my kids to be able to reach stuff, and the french doors fridge was too tall. And this was IN addition to the fingerprint issue. GAH! It sure is a beaut, though! Have a great time filling it.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog!
Lori
Love your new fridge. I've been wanting a French Door for awhile but haven't been able to justify getting a new fridge when the current side-by-side, which I hate, just keeps going. One of these days.
ReplyDelete