Swing Vs. Pull for a Bottom Freezer

Visibility

• A freezer with a door that swings out, rather than one that pulls out like a drawer, offers less visibility. You have to bend down to get a clear view of its contents. A drawer has different baskets, which are arranged at different height levels so you don't need to move all the upper items to reach those closer to the bottom.

Space

• A pull-out drawer for the bottom freezer takes up less space than a swing door. The drawer pulls straight out and doesn't need additional space on the side of the refrigerator to fully open. It's especially ideal if you have limited space in the kitchen or if you want to place the unit in an alcove.

Organization

• A bottom freezer with a door offers more organization opportunities than a drawer. The freezer with a door has shelves to organize your frozen vegetables, ice cream and frozen pizzas, along with a basket or two. A unit with the drawer relies solely on baskets and tends to get crowded and difficult to navigate when full.

Cost

• Both models of freezer-on-the-bottom refrigerators cost more than traditional models with the freezer on the top. The cost difference between the two types of bottom freezers is small, if at all, and depends on the manufacturer and what other options and features are available, such as an ice maker or more organizational components.