Cross Door vs Side-by-Side Fridges

There are plenty of options when choosing a new refrigerator in NZ, from a simple top and bottom freezer to side-by-side designs. So, how do you know which is right for you? Design can make a huge difference in your daily kitchen experience. Today, we tackle the topic of cross-door vs side-by-side fridges and how they compare.

Cross-Door Refrigerators and Side-by-Side Fridges – What’s the Difference?

A cross-door fridge or refrigerator is designed to have one refrigerator space divided by multiple doors. Cross-door refrigerators practise the traditional partitioning method, with the top for refrigeration and the bottom for freezing. On the other hand, a side-by-side fridge adopts a classic style. The freezer and refrigerator compartments are next to each other; the left is for freezing, and the right is for refrigeration.

Benefits of a Cross-Door Fridge

Cross-door refrigerators are well famed for their pantry-style layout. The multiple-door configuration allows you to access ingredients easily while keeping them fresh or frozen. Here are some of the features that make them so popular:

Large Refrigerator Capacity

Compared to side-by-side refrigerators, a cross-door fridge has a larger refrigerator capacity that enables you to store more fresh food.

Accessibility

Cross-door or French door fridges have multiple doors you can easily reach for items you need for cooking.

Excellent Partitioning

Because refrigerator and freezer compartments are both double doors, you can organise your food items better and prevent your fridge from having multiple odours from multiple food items.

Energy Saver

Cross-door refrigerators are subdivided into multi-door refrigerators. This allows you to open a specific door and take what you need without a considerable loss of air-conditioning when fetching food.

Things to Consider: 

Smaller Freezer Space

A cross-door fridge offers limited space for frozen items. If your household purchases a high volume of frozen items, you may want to opt for a side-by-side fridge.

Price Point

Cross-door fridges come with more advanced features and modern designs that may make them considerably more expensive.

Benefits of a Side-by-Side Fridge

Side-by-side refrigerators have classic vertical storage with multiple shelves for the refrigerator and freezer. They have a simple configuration of two doors that are side by side. Here’s what people love about them:

Large Freezer Capacity

While a cross-door fridge offers a larger refrigerator space, side-by-side refrigerators boast a larger freezer capacity, enabling you to store more frozen goods. 

Vertical Storage

A side-by-side fridge can keep fresh and frozen items at eye level. Plus, you achieve more independent space convenient for storing different ingredients.

Affordability 

You can find modern and sophisticated side-by-side refrigerators that can accommodate a range of budgets.

Things to Consider:

Higher Energy Consumption

Due to the left and right partitions, you need to open half of the door no matter what you take out from the refrigerator. When taking things out of the fridge, it loses more cold air. Therefore, your fridge consumes more energy.

Narrower Shelves

Though vertical storage is excellent for equal storage, it can compromise the width of your fridge, making it more challenging to store wide or oversized items.

Which is the Better Option? 

Cross-door and side-by-side refrigerators are excellent options that offer plenty of fresh food storage, modern features, and sleek exterior designs. Though they offer different layouts and price points, the best choice boils down to your personal preferences and living habits.

At Midea, we offer a range of kitchen refrigerators to keep your consumables fresh at a price you can afford! Choose from side-by-side refrigerators, cross-door or French-door refrigerators, bar fridges, and more. Shop conveniently online and browse our products today!