Side-by-side alternative: The best French-door hinged refrigerators

The silver (stainless steel color) swing refrigerator of the Gorenje brand has four doors with hidden handles and a very laconic design. So, even the touch controls are located inside, which only adds to the minimalism of the design.

With dimensions of 182x79x64 cm, the Gorenje NRM 8181 MX holds a total of 427 liters, which is usually enough for families of 4 to 5 people. At the top there is a refrigerator compartment with a capacity of 256 liters. It has 3 wide shelves and is complemented by 4 door baskets. Below are retractable boxes, and these are not just drawers for vegetables, but a FreshZone zero chamber with a volume of 22 liters and a CrispZone humidity zone for fruits and vegetables.

The freezer quite habitually “settled” at the bottom of the unit. This is a 149 liter compartment with 6 compartments. One of them houses the TwistIce ice generator: to get the finished cubes into the tray, just turn a special lever. There is also a quick freezing function (and cooling too), and the total productivity can be close to 10 kg per day, which, as a rule, is enough for the average family.

Gorenje NRM 8181 MX is equipped with an inverter compressor with a pair of independent cooling circuits. In addition to an increase in overall reliability, you can count on moderate operating noise (up to 37 dB) and class F (new) energy consumption with an annual rate of 366 kWh (slightly more than 1 kilowatt per day).

The device does not require manual defrosting, because the NoFrostPlus system (it is supplemented with MultiFlow air circulation technology) is implemented in both the freezer and the refrigerator compartment. Among other common features today, it is worth highlighting the door closing indicator and LED lighting.

The disadvantages of the refrigerator include a rather short period of cold retention during a power outage - about 10 hours, but this is typical for many French-door solutions. In any case, Gorenje NRM 8181 MX is a noteworthy model, representing the lower part of the middle price segment.

The Toshiba French-door refrigerator has an external touch panel, so you don’t have to open the doors to set up and control modes. There is also child protection (although children will not be able to physically reach the sensors - they are located quite high). Operation of the Toshiba GR-RF610WE-PMS also promises to be very smooth, because there is a No Frost system in both the freezer and the refrigerator compartment. Plus there is a Pure BIO plasma deodorizer designed to eliminate unpleasant odors and destroy bacteria in work areas.

Note that the model is available for sale not only in a dark gray matte color, but also in a glossy black version - version GR-RF610WE-PGS, which includes a glass door finish.

The swing unit has a 337-liter refrigerator and a 133-liter freezer. A total of 470 liters is achieved here due to the body height being increased to 190 cm with a width of 83 cm and a depth of 65 cm. The freezer compartment is located at the bottom and is divided into 6 drawers. Here you can freeze up to 12 kg of food per day, and if there is a power outage, the cold inside should remain for about 12 hours, which is not ideal, but quite a tolerable indicator.

The refrigerator area has 4 open shelves (the bottom one is pull-out), 6 door pockets and two useful functional compartments. The first is the Moisture Zone, designed for fruits and vegetables, and the second is the Flex Zone, where you can set the appropriate temperature (from -12 to +7 ° C), so it is suitable for a wide variety of products.

In the refrigerator, inverter technology is implemented in both the compressor and the fan. This tandem is designed to increase the accuracy of temperature maintenance and have a positive impact on the overall reliability of the device, while noise should not exceed 40 dB, and energy consumption should not exceed 369 kWh per year (corresponding to class F).

Toshiba GR-RF610WE-PMS is a balanced hinged refrigerator without anything extra.

The Haier brand unit represents the line of multi-door Cube 90 refrigerators. The model is notable for its body width increased to almost 91 cm with a height of 190 cm and a depth of about 65 cm. Thanks to these dimensions, the Haier HCR-5919ENMB has a truly large capacity - 528 liters, which will satisfy the needs of even large families families.

Although the model is really large and heavy (weighs 120 kg), it has a nice design with silver colors, hidden door handles and external touch controls. The latter adds convenience when setting temperatures, activating super cooling and freezing, vacation mode, etc.

The 354-liter refrigerator compartment has room for three wide open glass shelves, 6 door pockets and 2 drawers. One of them is a MyZone container - a freshness zone with two operating modes - closer to 0 degrees - for meat and fish - and a little warmer - for fruits and vegetables. Next door is the Humidity Zone, which automatically maintains a high level of humidity. Separately, it is worth highlighting the hanging shelf for three bottles and the T-ABT module, which cleans and disinfects the air in the working chamber.

At the bottom of the case there is a 174-liter freezer. It has 4 classic pull-out boxes and a couple of semi-open containers for quick access to frequently requested products - ice cream, semi-finished products, etc. The freezing capacity is a moderate 12 kg per day, but the autonomous preservation of cold leaves much to be desired, because 9 hours is not enough.

The unit will not require labor-intensive maintenance, since the entire unit is “covered” by the No Frost system. The model should not cause any special acoustic discomfort, since the noise level is stated at 38 dB. Additional advantages include economical energy consumption of class E (new) with an annual consumption of 329 kWh.

Haier HCR-5919ENMB is an interesting refrigerator that is definitely suitable for large families.

The representative of Bosch's Serie 6 comfort class line received a silver AntiFingerprint coating, which should not get dirty, collecting fingerprints. The refrigerator's touch control panel is located on the outside, but has almost no effect on the appearance - it is located in the recess between the doors, which act as hidden handles.

Bosch KFN96AXEA also has a built-in Wi-Fi module, which allows you to integrate the device into a smart home eco-system. In the proprietary Home Connect application, you can remotely change operating temperatures, receive notifications of faults, perform diagnostics, etc.

The refrigerator is positioned by the manufacturer as an XXL solution. Thus, thanks to its large width and depth (90.5 and 73 cm, respectively), the model can boast an impressive useful volume of 605 liters. It is stated that the largest products (for example, a huge watermelon) and large kitchen utensils, including baking trays, can be placed inside.

Thanks to the inverter compressor, excellent capacity does not entail loud operation and overpayments for electricity. The noise level should not exceed 38 dB, and energy consumption is awarded a fairly high rating of E (new) with an annual figure of 333 kWh.

The useful volume is distributed between the refrigerator and freezer in almost a ratio of 2/1, or more precisely 405/200 liters. Below there is a low-temperature compartment with 6 drawers and a total freezing capacity of 13 kg/day. The refrigerator compartment is divided between 4 open shelves, 5 door pockets and two freshness system compartments. One VitaFresh container maintains a temperature of about 0 degrees and is intended for fish and meat, and the second box is a de facto humidity zone with two modes, optimal for fruits and vegetables.

Among other features, it is worth highlighting the No Frost system in all chambers, dynamic cooling with a Metal Backwall for more stable maintenance of low temperatures, and a 15-hour cooling autonomy decent for such a large volume.

Bosch KFN96AXEA is a cool unit for a spacious kitchen from a renowned manufacturer.

One of LG's flagship French-door refrigerators is notable not only for its external touch control panel. On the user's right hand there is a minibar, which provides quick access to drinks and other products. The proprietary InstaView Door-in-Door technology is implemented here. In fact, these are two doors in one + the backlight function: it is activated by double tapping the glass outer panel. That is, you don’t have to open the minibar to find out its contents.

There is a dispenser on the top left door of the LG GM-X945MC9F. And since a thin Slim SpacePlus ice maker is built behind it, it is possible to supply both cold liquid and ice (both crushed and in cubes).

With dimensions of 179x91x74 cm, the unit has a useful volume of 638 liters, of which 365 liters are in the refrigerator compartment. There are three open shelves (one folding), 3 door pockets, a pair of Big Fresh Zone boxes and small Extra Space compartments. The latter are very versatile and can be used for various small things - from cheese or sausages to other most popular products in the kitchen.

In addition to 6 pull-out containers, the 273-liter freezer has 6 door pockets. The freezing capacity is 10 kg per day, which for a large usable volume can be considered a shortcoming.

The refrigerator has a Total No Frost system (no frost forms in the working chambers), a Pure N Fresh deodorizer and an inverter. This compressor is covered by a 10-year manufacturer's warranty. Moderate energy consumption is declared for the model: it is rated F and will amount to 450 kWh over the year. Another bonus is support for remote control via the proprietary ThinQ application.

The disadvantages of the model are low battery life (10 hours) and high price tag. But if you need not just a large volume, but also other “goodies”, such as a minibar, then paying extra for the LG GM-X945MC9F looks quite reasonable.