What Is a Side-by-Side Refrigerator? | Two Full-Height Doors

A side-by-side refrigerator splits its fridge and freezer into two full-height vertical compartments beside each other, giving you easy access to both sections without bending and often adding a through-the-door water and ice dispenser.

A side-by-side refrigerator is the appliance you see with two tall doors that open from the middle — one side for fresh food, the other for frozen. The layout runs both compartments from top to bottom, so you don’t crouch or stoop for frozen items the way you do with a top-freezer model. Because the compartments are narrower than other styles, you trade wide-open storage space for reach-every-shelf convenience.

How the Layout Works

One vertical half is the refrigerator section and the other is the freezer. Which side gets which duty varies by model — some brands place the freezer on the left, others on the right, so you can pick the configuration that fits your kitchen flow. The two compartments are separated by an insulated wall and have independent cooling systems with their own evaporators and fans, a feature Samsung calls “Twin Cooling.” This lets you set the fridge around 35–38°F and the freezer near 0°F without one zone affecting the other.

The most common advantages of this design include:

• Full-height access to both compartments — no bending or kneeling for frozen food
• Through-the-door water and ice dispensers on many models, letting you fill a glass without opening either door
• Adjustable shelves and door bins on both sides for flexible organization

The tradeoff is that each compartment is narrower than a French-door or top-freezer unit. Wide items like party platters, pizza boxes, or large baking trays may not fit, even when the total capacity is generous.

Size and Capacity Range

Side-by-side refrigerators span a wide capacity range. KitchenAid notes that many models fall between 19 and 30+ cubic feet, though smaller and larger options exist. In metric terms, that’s roughly 550 to 800 liters. These units are typically taller than they are wide — around 85 to 100 cm (33–39 inches) wide and up to 185 cm (73 inches) tall. Because the vertical layout uses the full height of the appliance, the total capacity is distributed evenly between two narrow columns rather than one wide, open space.

Ice Maker and Dispenser Setup

Most side-by-side models place the ice maker inside the freezer compartment, typically near the top. Ice drops into a storage bin and feeds the door dispenser, so you can dispense cubes, crushed ice, and cold water without opening the freezer door. The dispenser is usually built into the freezer-side door — meaning you may need to confirm which side has the dispenser before you choose a left- or right-handed layout for your kitchen.

For buyers upgrading from a top-freezer model, the dispenser is one of the biggest convenience upgrades. The tradeoff is that the ice maker and dispenser mechanism take up a portion of the freezer’s usable shelf space, so the actual storage capacity inside the freezer is slightly less than the total cubic footage suggests.

Side-by-Side vs. French Door

The most common point of confusion is mixing up side-by-side and French door designs. A French door refrigerator has a large refrigerator compartment across the full width above a freezer drawer below — two narrow doors that open wide, but the freezer is horizontal and pulls out. A side-by-side keeps both compartments vertical and full-height, with doors that open from the center into narrow columns. If you often store wide platters, large trays, or whole pizzas, the French door design gives you more flexible space, while the side-by-side layout is better for everyday access to frequently used items on both the fridge and freezer sides.

For anyone ready to compare models and settle on a specific size, see our roundup of the best 26-cubic-foot refrigerators for your kitchen — it covers side-by-side and French-door options in that common capacity range.

Installation and Fit Considerations

Side-by-side models are wider than top-freezer and bottom-freezer fridges of similar capacity. Before buying, measure your space in three dimensions — width, height, and depth — and account for door swing clearance so the doors can open fully without hitting a wall or cabinet. Because many side-by-side units include water and ice dispensers, you will also need a nearby water line and an electrical outlet that matches the unit’s requirements. Check the manufacturer’s installation guide for exact specifications because hinge clearances and required openings vary by brand and model.