August 31st, 2022 | 5 min. read
By Danny Nguyen
Learn how to find the perfect refrigeration products with our Counter-Depth Refrigerator Buying Guide
You've decided to buy a side-by-side counter depth refrigerator instead of the French door style. Many people did, especially during the pandemic.
French doors are more popular and have more styles. Side-by-side refrigerators have good features, including two features French door refrigerators do not have.
Both are important.
This article covers everything from the four best side-by-side refrigerators you should consider to the differences between the more popular French door and side-by-side refrigerator styles.
We'll also look at reliability based on actual service calls. We logged over 100,000 service calls over the last three years.
Let's start with the major differences between side-by-side and French door counter-depth refrigerators.
Looking for answers about Counter-Depth Refrigerators?
Short on time? Download our free Counter-Depth Refrigerator Buying Guide.
French Door Counter-Depth vs. Side-By-Side Refrigerators
The major differences between side-by-side and French door counter depth refrigerators are:
- Size
- Price
- Layout
- Technology
- Reliability
Size
French door refrigerators will give you more overall freezer space.
| French Door Refrigerator | Side-By-Side Refrigerator | |
| Refrigerator Capacity | 14.6 Cu. Ft. | 14.76 Cu. Ft. |
| Freezer Capacity | 7.3 Cu. Ft. | 7.74 Cu. Ft. |
Price
A side-by-side will be cheaper from $300 to $1,200, depending on the brand and features.
Layout
A side-by-side may be more organized top to bottom, but French doors allow for more lateral space for trays and platters.
Technology
Side-by-sides can have a door-in-door panel like LG's InstaView as well as twin cold environments.
However, French doors have the most variety and different technology.
The French doors and drawers can be convertible into refrigerators or freezers with many brands.
Reliability
We calculate appliance reliability by dividing the products we serviced by the products we sold. For this article, we looked at the number of counter-depth French door refrigerators sold and serviced from December 2020 to October 2021.
Most Reliable Counter-Depth French Door Refrigerator Brands for 2022
The following service rates are based on a minimum of 90 refrigerators sold and a total sample of over 2500 products.
| Service Rate | |
| LG | 4.5% |
| Samsung | 8.4% |
| GE Profile | 10.2% |
| Café Appliances | 12.6% |
| Bosch | 14.9% |
| JennAir | 15.8% |
| GE Appliances | 16.5% |
| KitchenAid | 17.0% |
| Beko | 32.6% |
| Grand Total | 15.5% |
Side-by-sides are more reliable, yet we sold more French door counter-depth refrigerators.
French doors have their dispensers on the refrigerator. Ice cubes in a warmer environment tend to leak.
The side-by-sides have the dispenser in the freezer and are more reliable.
Read More: Most Reliable Counter-Depth Refrigerators
Now, let's look at the best side-by-side refrigerators to consider.
All of these will now have two evaporators to keep the warmer, more humid air and colder, drier air of the freezer separate.
4 Best Side-By-Side Counter-Depth Refrigerators
Beko BFSB3622SS - $1,799
Beko has the most interesting technology for keeping food fresh longer.
EverFresh+ with Active Blue Light technology preserves fruit and vegetables.
I know what you are thinking. How can blue light preserve anything?
It turns out blue lighting is the same Kelvin color temperature as sunlight. The light tricks your produce into thinking it's sunny, extending photosynthesis.
Their crisper drawers have directed airflow from the compressor and are gasketed to keep the air inside.
Therefore, fruits and vegetables stay fresher and crisper for up to 30 days.
The icemaker generates a whopping 11 pounds of ice versus three to four for other brands.
Beko’s IonGuard pulses negative ions to counteract the positive ions of odors.
Overall, Beko has an interesting refrigerator but it’s smaller at 19.32 cubic feet nor is it wi-fi-enabled.
LG LRSOC2306S - $2,332
You will have just about every feature in this 23 cubic foot side-by-side refrigerator.
You can tap the InstaView glass panel to see what's inside your refrigerator without opening your door.
Then again, if your refrigerator is like mine, you may want to tap it again to not see what's in the refrigerator.
When you open the door, a cold airport blows air top down to keep the refrigerator at a consistent temperature.
LG calls it DoorCooling+. It's a good feature because cold air naturally drops from top to bottom.
This refrigerator has two icemakers, one designed to produce standard ice cubes and the other producing Craft Ice.
It's a ball-shaped cube designed to dissolve slowly, so you taste more of that drink and less water from a dissolving ice cube.
LG has robust smart functionality powered by its ThinQ platform.
With LG’s service diagnostics, a service technician will show up at your house to fix your refrigerator before it breaks.
LG is designing that capability for their appliances, and will be available soon.
GE GZS22DSJSS ($2,429) and Profile PZS22MYKFS ($3,059)
GE doesn't have special lighting like Beko. Unlike the previous LG, you must open the fridge to see inside.
However, GE does have services unlike the others on this list. Service may be the best feature for a refrigerator, especially since most stores do not offer it.
The size is decent at 22 cubic feet. All of GE's appliances are powered by their smart app, SmartHQ.
They have added cycles and features wirelessly even to existing customers.
The difference between Profile and GE is shelving. The Profile has better controls on their ice dispenser as well.
Key Takeaways
First, a side-by-side is a good option for a French door.
They have more freezer space, are less costly, and are more reliable.
You do have more choices and different types of French doors. You can also store better horizontally, like trays and platters.
In terms of brands, all three have decent features. LG has size, craft ice, and the best cooling technology.
Beko is interesting with blue lighting and a huge icemaker. GE has a great service network and a good basic design.
What do you think? You can leave questions or comments below.
Additional Resources
Download the Yale Counter Depth Refrigerator Buying Guide with features, specs, and inside buying tips for regular, pro, and integrated counter-depth refrigerators. Well over 1 million people have read a Yale Guide.
Related Articles
Looking for answers about Counter-Depth Refrigerators?
Choosing a new refrigerator can be a confusing and time-consuming experience. We've taken the pain out of the decision process with our Counter-Depth Refrigerator Buying Guide.
Why Should You Trust Us?
It seems that every appliance review has nothing but glowing comments about almost every product, yet you read customer reviews and they are almost universally bad.
We are here to fill in the disconnect. We'll give you the best features, and the drawbacks as well, including reliability based on over 37,000 calls performed by our service team just last year. Our goal is to give you ALL the information so you know what's right for you.
Please consider subscribing or adding to the conversation in the comments below. We appreciate you stopping by.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
