French door counter depth refrigerators are the most popular in the industry these days. There are two reasons why - function and aesthetics.
From a design perspective, French door refrigerators make sense. In smaller kitchens, single-door refrigerators typically require more clearance then French door models.
French doors are about half the size of single doors. Many current kitchen designs incorporate islands which may not leave much space for door clearance.
Functionally, you have greater lateral width and more refrigeration space in a French door than a side-by-side.
Aesthetically, the French door used to be a split refrigerator over a pullout freezer. Now you have 4-door and even 5-door refrigerator models.
In this comparison, we will look at the newer Samsung refrigerators against Frigidaire’s best series - Frigidaire Pro. Your decision most likely will be based in part on when you will be buying this refrigerator but we'll talk about that later.
First, you should know the differences between counter depth vs. full depth refrigerators.
Counter depth refrigerators are the simplest way to improve the overall look of your kitchen. You do not have to see the painted side of the refrigerator and it does not protrude 8-10 inches into your kitchen.
However, you do pay more for a counter depth refrigerator. In some cases, it can be $800-1,200 more and you also lose some capacity.
Samsung is a huge Korean conglomerate focused mainly in electronics and has been in business for over 70 years. Being a technology company first and foremost, Samsung is known for their innovations in appliances.
Additionally, Samsung is among the best affordable luxury appliance brands.
Features:
Frigidaire, an American made brand, has been around since the early 1900’s. Frigidaire was one of the first companies to create a self-contained refrigerator (compressors are built into the unit) back in 1916.
Frigidaire was acquired by Electrolux in 1997 and is now one of the largest appliance companies in the world. They offer a few different series in their brand label: Frigidaire, Frigidaire Gallery, and their highest series known as Frigidaire Professional.
(Available with or without an external dispenser)
Features:
From a reliability standpoint, it is almost a dead heat with Frigidaire at 19.8 to Samsung 20.3% service within the first year. However, Samsung is the most reliable with an ice dispenser by a wide margin over any other brand.
There is a $500- $700 difference in price depending on when you buy it.
Frigidaire has a very desirable commercial look and smudge-proof steel. It also offers two icemakers and is part of a very good package with great rebates.
Samsung has the twin cooling, so the refrigerator and freezer air never comingle. It is similar to the Sub-Zero value proposition.
In other words, the moist warm air of the refrigerator is not distributed to the cold dry freezer air. Your food, especially in the freezer, will taste better because the fresh food odors are not being absorbed in the freezer.
The metal cooling on the door is intelligent (offered on a few high-end Samsung’s) because the metal absorbs the cold and keeps the temperature 3 degrees colder on the bin.
On the 4-door counter depth refrigerator, the bottom right compartment can be used as refrigerator or freezer. You will like the flexibility of choosing a refrigerator or freezer compartment.
Ultimately, both are good choices, but Samsung becomes incredibly compelling during promotional times.
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 240,000 people have read a Yale Guide.
Related Articles: