I adulted today...new fridge!

Cooking Discussions Cookware
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So I adulted…my Frigidaire Gallery was still chuckling along after 10 years, but the plastic bins and shelves have literally disintegrated.

I can’t see the logic in spending $400 for new shelves and brackets and bins for a 10 year old fridge, so off I went to find a new one.

Bought myself a KitchenAid side by side on clearance (model discontinued)…decided to splurge a little on a good one that may last longer. All the bins have a stainless lip, so hopefully it will stay in one piece.

Its quite a lot smaller (20cf vs 27), but there are only 2-3 of us ever, amd its counter depth, so maybe the new one wont eat one entire end of the kitchen

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Counter depth makes a big difference in a small kitchen or pinch point - hope you enjoy it!

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Congrats. As Neil Young told his refrigerator, “Long may you run”.

An extra unit in the garage, even with bad shelves, can be a great staging/cooling idea. Use it 'til it quits, I say.

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Hate to be a party pooper, but me Kitchen Aid side by side counter depth - bought in summer 2018 - didn’t even last 3 years, and that was after 2 repairs under warranty. Hope you get lucky. The one it replaced was still going strong @ 14 yrs.

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Congrats on the new fridge, sounds like a good buy.

Frowns or “anti-congrats” for the people who designed your bins in the old one - I can’t imagine such a failure in age testing.

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I would, but I cant put anything in it. The bins and shelves all broke!

Stuff is literally piled on the 3 remaining shelves

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Ill hope mine didnt talk to yours!

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Maybe use something like a few inverted stacked milk crates? Stuff you don’t “grab” as much underneath, stuff you want easier access to atop? Just spitballing here. Or did you already have the guys delivering the new haul away the old?

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I actually liked the fridge a lot …

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pictures or it didn’t happen

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Its the bins at the bottom…so square and regularly sized isn’t part of the description. Ive had the bins half-assed stacked as it is, and Im tired of bits of plastic and random thumps in the night as things shift, as even the plastic pegs on the side have given out.

It grumps me that it’s still running well, but I would bet my lunch money that 2 weeks after I installed several hundred dollars worth of new bins (a significant percentage of the cost of the new one) the bloody thing would die. Its 10 years old…just not a good gamble.

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I definitely get the frustration. I wasn’t commenting about keeping this and foregoing the new one - rather just the notion of maybe letting the old one hang out in your garage as extra space (I’ve got our old Kenmore in the basement and it does come in handy). But even that looks like it’s not a great option for you, given its condition.

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A fridge or freezer for the garage is actually on the list, but I’ll get one thats designed to run in the heat and humidity that is my preferred environment!

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Unless your garage is subject to extreme temperatures, you would be throwing money away on a “garage-specific” appliance. I looked at buying one, and I discovered that they are special order, and are considerably more expensive. If you’re handy, you can order and install just the special “garage” thermostat (that keeps it working below freezing temps). But several appliance guys told me using used/derelict regular reefers, and replacing them if they fail, is the smarter strategy.

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We bought a new 18 cu ft Frigidaire top freezer for the garage 5 years ago (<$500) and have no problems with it. You do need the garage kit (<$50) installed, but it keeps it running fine in the unheated/uncooled garage in both winter and summer.

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I hope you have better luck with your new fridge than we have had with our counter depth side by side KitchenAid. Was a lemon from day 1. We had an extended warranty. I have a 4" thick folder full of paperwork of all the repair orders. They would never admit it was a lemon so wouldnt take it back or replace it… Actually at the moment we are researching a replacement. Only thing we learned is NEVER get ice & water thru the door. Good luck!

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Yes, my garage is subject to extreme temperatures. 95F at 90% humidity is normal here for months. It eats compressors for lunch.

They’re in stock everywhere here and not hugely more expensive.

There’s a pretty strong argument for not tossing money at electricity hogs that will die prematurely and end up in a landfill

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Ugh! I bought the extended warranty, so I’ll hope I dont need it!

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They all end up in a landfill eventually. It’s just that you’re consigning your #1 a little early. You’ll have to see about ##2 and 3.

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Im not sure why Im justifying this again…but it makes litttle sense to throw 15% of the cost of a new fridge at one that has attained 70% of its probable lifespan.

If youd like to make a donation to replace all the busted stuff, maybe I can cancel the sale.

But Im sick of trying to keep the damned thing together with epoxy and duct tape.