FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR BUYING GUIDE

The French door refrigerator style features two side-by-side refrigerator doors that open outward from the center, either independently or together. This refrigerator configuration includes a large, pull-out freezer drawer below the double doors. It offers an eye-level line of sight that can help make fresh food easy to see and a full-width storage compartment ideal for storing wide platters.

Use this guide to check your kitchen’s fit, understand capacity, compare 3-door and 4-door layouts, learn more about the benefits of French door refrigerators and more. If you’re still deciding on a style, you can also compare French door vs. side-by-side refrigerators.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR

French door refrigerators come in a variety of sizes, capacities, configurations and finishes, and understanding the options available can help you choose the right model for you and your kitchen. Below, take a closer look at kitchen fit, internal capacity, door configuration and finish options so you can compare models with confidence.

1. SIZE

Size is one of the most important considerations when choosing a new fridge, as you need to ensure your kitchen has enough space for installation. French door fridges are typically on the larger end of the spectrum, with dimensions that range from 30 to 36 inches wide, 67 to 70 inches tall, and 29 to 35 inches deep.

Select French door refrigerators come in counter-depth sizes that require less clearance than standard-depth options and typically measure less than 30 inches deep, which can be helpful when shopping for appliances for apartments or other smaller spaces.

Before you shop, this quick checklist can help you determine if a French door refrigerator’s dimensions can work in your space. Pay attention to:

Opening dimensions: Measure the width, height and depth of the space where you plan to put the refrigerator. Compare those measurements with the dimensions listed on the models you’re considering.
Installation clearance: Leave a small amount of room around the refrigerator for ventilation. About ¼ inch on each side is recommended.
Door swing beside cabinets: If the refrigerator is placed next to a wall or tall cabinet, make sure the hinge-side door has room to swing open. You’ll typically need about 2 ½ inches.
Freezer drawer pullout: Make sure there’s enough open space in front for the freezer drawer to pull out fully without an island, table, open cabinet or any other possible obstruction in the way.
Delivery route: Measure the width of each doorway, hallway and stairwell the refrigerator needs to pass through.

2. CAPACITY

Because of their typically larger size, French door refrigerators often offer larger internal capacity compared to other configurations. Standard-depth French door models typically have larger capacities compared to counter-depth options, though the difference can be minimal.

Capacity is listed in cubic feet, and the total number combines the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Consider looking for about four to six cubic feet per person, so a household of four may do well with a refrigerator of around 20 cubic feet, while larger households may want 25 cubic feet or more.

Looking at how that space is divided can help you decide whether a French door model can comfortably fit the way your family shops and eats. Full-width shelves and drawers can make it easier to store wide items like party platters and pizza boxes, while the freezer drawer or bin layout leaves plenty of room for frozen foods.

3. CONFIGURATION

French door refrigerators typically come in 3- and 4-door configurations. Like bottom-mount refrigerators, which have either a door or drawer-style freezer located on the bottom of the appliance, 3-door French door options offer two French-style refrigerator doors that keep refrigerated items at eye level and a freezer drawer below that gives you an aerial view of your frozen favorites.

4-door French door refrigerators also offer two refrigerator doors and two freezer doors that open from the center or an extra freezer drawer that pulls out. Choosing between these configurations may depend on how you prefer to access and organize your fresh and frozen foods.

4. FINISH AND COLOR

The finish you choose can change how your refrigerator looks in your kitchen. It can also affect how often you need to wipe down the exterior, since some finishes can show smudges and fingerprints more readily than others. Refrigerators generally come in a selection of colors and finishes, like these stainless steel, black stainless steel, black and white refrigerators from Maytag brand, but available finish and color options can vary model to model.

Select French door refrigerators from Maytag brand offer Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel that is designed to reduce smudges and fingerprints from the exterior of your fridge and make cleanup a breeze.

Though a stainless steel finish is a popular refrigerator trend, the right color and finish option for you depends on your personal taste and kitchen aesthetic.

COMPARE 3-DOOR VS. 4-DOOR FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATORS

Choosing between 3-door and a 4-door French door refrigerator can often come down to how you like to access and organize your food and features offered by both can vary by make and model.

To see how the two layouts can differ, here’s a look at a Maytag^® 31 Cu. Ft. XL Capacity French Door Refrigerator which is a 3-door model, compared with a Maytag^® 29 Cu. Ft. XL Capacity French Door Refrigerator, which is one example of a 4-door model.

French door configuration and layout:

When comparing French door refrigerator styles, keep in mind that various configurations are designed to fit your unique kitchen routine. For example, a 3-door model has two refrigerator doors that open from the center and one pull-out freezer drawer below. The 4-door model adds either a double freezer with 2-doors or another freezer drawer, like the Temperature Locking 4th Drawer on select Maytag^® 4-door models that can adjust to lock in and maintain consistent temperatures for deli items, drinks and meat.

Refrigerator ice and water dispensers:

Built-in refrigerator ice and water dispenser options vary widely by model, ranging from internal filtration systems to advanced external dispensers that maximize interior shelf space.

Select Maytag^® 3-door French door fridges offer chilled, filtered water on demand and Large Capacity Ice Storage that holds more than 7 lbs. of filtered ice. Meanwhile, select Maytag^® 4-door French door fridges offer an Exterior Ice + Water Dispenser and an In-Door-Ice^® Dispensing System that frees up space in your freezer for more of your frozen favorites, with Large Capacity Ice Storage that holds up to 4 lbs. of filtered ice.

Refrigerator capacity:

Total refrigerator capacity varies based on the appliance’s configuration, shelving layout and overall exterior dimensions. For example, select Maytag^® 3-door models offer 31 cubic feet of capacity, while select Maytag^® 4-door models offer XL Capacity at 29 cubic feet. Cubic feet can vary from model to model and is not necessarily affected by the number of doors.

Standard French door refrigerator features:

Generally, no matter how many doors they have, French door refrigerators often share common elements like advanced cooling systems, crispers and durable exterior finishes.

Select 3- and 4- door Maytag^® French door refrigerators feature a full-width XL Crisper, the EvenAir^™ Cooling System and a Fingerprint-Resistant Stainless Finish.

FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR BENEFITS

There are several benefits of a French door refrigerator that can help make mealtime run smoothly, like eye-level access to fresh ingredients, large interior capacity and full-width refrigerator shelving. Explore the benefits of French door fridges below.

Wide shelving and drawers: The full-width refrigerator compartment of these models offers more refrigerator storage for wide items like serving trays or bulk groceries.

Large capacity: Since these models tend to be on the larger end of the size spectrum, they typically offer large interior capacity to store your weekly grocery haul.

Easy access and organization: By keeping your fresh foods at eye level, you can easily find the foods you’re looking for at mealtime. French door models with a bottom-mount freezer drawer give you an aerial view of your frozen foods with bins that help make organization smooth and simple.

Narrow door swing: Because the refrigerator doors open from the center, each door is more narrow than a single wide door. That can mean less room is needed to open one.
Possible energy savings: Select Maytag^® French door refrigerators are ENERGY STAR^® certified to help you conserve energy and pay less for utilities.
Ergonomic design: With the freezer drawer at the bottom, fresh foods stay right at eye level, which can make everyday items easier to find at a glance.

WHAT'S THE BEST FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR TO BUY FOR YOUR FAMILY?

A great French door refrigerator for your family is one that fits within your lifestyle and kitchen design. You can narrow your options by considering what kinds of groceries your family tends to stock up on. Overall capacity could be a priority for those who buy in bulk for anything, from meal prep to big dinners, while specialty zones and drawers may be helpful for certain types of groceries.

And if freezer storage matters, comparing freezer layouts can help too. Keep reading to learn more about French door refrigerators that can meet the needs of large families, those who love to host and small spaces.

IDEAL FOR LARGE FAMILIES

Larger households tend to go through groceries quickly, so total capacity and flexible storage can matter. Aim for about four to six cubic feet per person, and if your household has five or more members, you may want to look at models with 25 cubic feet or more.

Take this Maytag^® 31 Cu. Ft. XL Capacity French Door Refrigerator, for instance. The interior capacity can accommodate bulk grocery runs and has the XL Crisper, which features full-width drawers for maximum storage. Adjustable Gallon Door Bins are built to hold up to 16 lbs. of bottles, jugs and containers and help free up room on the shelves for long and tall items.

This model measures roughly 70 inches tall, 36 inches wide and 35 inches deep, so it’s a good idea to confirm your dimensions before you shop.

SHOP MAYTAG^® REFRIGERATORS FOR LARGE FAMILIES

IDEAL FOR HOSTING

If you host often, the details on the top of your list may be storing party platters, keeping a lot of cold drinks on hand and having plenty of ice at the ready.

Select Maytag^® French door refrigerators, like this Maytag^® 33-Inch Wide French Door Refrigerator with Water Dispenser, feature a Temperature-Controlled Wide-N-Fresh^™ Deli Drawer where you can fit party platters and deli trays, Humidity-Controlled FreshLock^™ Crispers and Gallon Door Bins.

SHOP MAYTAG^® REFRIGERATORS FOR HOSTING

IDEAL FOR SMALL SPACES

If you have a smaller kitchen, size can be an important consideration, or even the deciding factor. Many refrigerators, like most offerings from Maytag brand, are often available in 30-36-inch widths, so measuring your opening can help you narrow your options. Counter-depth models are more shallow than their standard-depth counterparts, typically measuring less than 30 inches deep. They sit nearly flush with your cabinetry.

For a midsize option, the Maytag^® 30-Inch Wide French Door Refrigerator with Exterior Water Dispenser features 20 cubic feet of space and measures about 30 inches wide and 34.5 inches deep. It includes a Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel finish, BrightSeries^™ LED Lighting, a Temperature-Controlled Wide-N-Fresh^™ Deli Drawer and the FreshFlow^™ Produce Preserver to help keep your fruit and vegetables fresh longer.¹ You can also explore counter-depth refrigerator dimensions to see which size best fits your space.

SHOP MAYTAG^® REFRIGERATORS FOR SMALL SPACES

FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR FAQS

Explore more commonly asked questions to help you feel prepared when shopping for a French door refrigerator for your kitchen.

Whether a French door refrigerator is right for you depends on your need for size, storage and available features. If you’re often hosting large gatherings and dinner parties, having easy access to the large, wide refrigerator space of a French door fridge may be the right fit for you.

They are often worth it if you buy in bulk, stock up on frozen goods and value having access to fresh foods at eye level, as well as storage for wider items. These models tend to be larger, so the space you have available in your kitchen can be an important consideration too.

A French door refrigerator typically needs a water line if it has an ice maker or water dispenser. The refrigerator must be installed to a cold water supply for the ice maker and water dispenser to work.

French door refrigerators typically need the same routine care as other full-size models, like wiping surfaces clean and keeping an eye on the water filter if your model has one. Select models, like some refrigerators from Maytag brand, also include features that can help simplify cleanup, like an easy-to-clean Fingerprint Resistant Stainless finish and Touch Controls that wipe clean.

Yes, a French door refrigerator can typically be installed next to a wall as long as you still have the right clearance to open the door. Always follow your model’s specific guidelines in your owner’s manual.

When installing your Maytag^® refrigerator next to a fixed wall, leave 2¹⁄₂" (6.35 cm) minimum clearance on each side to allow for the door to swing open. Follow your installation instructions for guidance on requirements like having enough clearance for the hinge-side door to swing open, measurements and space for ventilation.

Before delivery, measure the width, height and depth of the opening. Also measure along each doorway, hallway and stairwell that the refrigerator will need to pass through to get to its permanent location. You should also confirm there’s room for the doors and freezer drawer to open fully.

SHOP ALL MAYTAG^® REFRIGERATORS

Whether you choose a French door, side-by-side, top- or bottom-mount model, Maytag brand has refrigerator options you can depend on. Browse the entire lineup of Maytag^® refrigerators with features on select models like the Soft Freeze Bin that controls the way foods freeze, so foods like ice cream are soft enough to scoop, or the Temperature Controlled Wide-N-Fresh^™ Deli Drawer that’s the ideal size for party platters and deli trays.