2-Door Refrigerator: When It Is the Right Choice

In most Israeli stores, a 2-door refrigerator is a top-freezer fridge: a small door on top for the freezer and a large door below for the fridge; it suits anyone who wants the most liters per shekel.

Three types called 2-door:

• Top freezer: the common one. ⁦333–604⁩ liters, ⁦60–⁦86 cm⁩⁩ wide. This is the subject of this guide.
• 2-door bottom freezer: fridge door on top and freezer drawers below, ⁦60–⁦70 cm⁩⁩ wide. More expensive for the same capacity, and more convenient in daily use. We cover it in our bottom-freezer refrigerator guide.
• 2-door office fridge: a small fridge of about 90 liters with a separate freezer compartment. A completely different product, covered in our office fridge guide.

Why people still buy a top freezer:

• Price: per store prices, ⁦483–527⁩ liters in a top freezer cost about ₪⁦2,450–3,550.⁩ A 4-door fridge of the same capacity usually starts at ₪3,000 and up.
• Simplicity: fewer doors, fewer seals, fewer mechanisms.
• Height: some models are lower. The 505-liter Electrolux ETM5002BC is only ⁦172.5 cm⁩ per the product page.
• Wide shelves: a fridge compartment ⁦80–⁦86 cm⁩⁩ wide takes large trays and pots.

Who it suits less: anyone who has trouble bending, since the vegetable drawers are at the bottom; a narrow kitchen where a wide door blocks the passage; and anyone who opens the freezer a lot and wants drawers rather than shelves.

The rule: if budget is the first consideration and the niche is wide, a 2-door top-freezer fridge gives the most fridge for the money. If convenience comes first, a bottom freezer or 4-door.

On a 2-door top-freezer fridge, width determines capacity: about 333 liters at ⁦60 cm⁩, about 505 liters at ⁦80 cm⁩, and about 600 liters at ⁦86 cm⁩.

Capacities and prices we saw:

• 333 liters: Haier HRF2390SS and Haier HNF395SS, about ₪⁦1,470–2,390.⁩ The HNF395SS is 60.5 × 170 × ⁦67 cm⁩ per the model page, with 256 liters fridge and 77 freezer.
• ⁦415–438⁩ liters: Electra EL459 (415 liters) and LG GR-B486IVSU (438 liters), about ₪⁦2,100–3,100.⁩
• 483 liters: Haier HRF-840SS, about ₪⁦2,450–3,550.⁩
• 505 liters: Electrolux ETM5002BC, 80 × 172.5 × ⁦72.5 cm⁩, about ₪3,000.
• ⁦527–528⁩ liters: Haier HRF-940SS about ₪⁦3,050–3,400,⁩ and Electra EL571 about ₪⁦2,700–2,830⁩ per the Zap model list.
• 604 liters: Sharp SJ-GTR820G-BK, 86 × 187 × ⁦74 cm⁩, about ₪⁦4,800–5,200.⁩

How much you need: couple: ⁦330–420⁩ liters. Family of ⁦3–4⁩: ⁦480–530⁩ liters. Family of ⁦5–6⁩ or anyone cooking a lot for Shabbat: about 600 liters. The common rule is about 100 liters per person plus about 100 liters base (1 cu ft = 28.3 L).

Fridge vs freezer split: in a top freezer, the freezer is usually a quarter to a third of the capacity. On the ETM5002BC it is 119 liters of freezer out of 505, and on the Sharp 181 out of 604. Anyone who freezes a lot will prefer the Sharp's ratio.

Net vs gross: some pages list gross and some net, and sometimes the same model appears with both numbers. The Haier HRF-940SS appears as 527 liters, and in one offer as 505 net. Compare net to net.

500-liter fridge: if that is what you are looking for, a 2-door fridge is the cheapest way to get there. We compared the options by price per liter in our cheap refrigerator guide.

A 2-door fridge gives the most capacity per shekel, a 4-door fridge gives the most convenience, and a 3-door fridge is a compromise: one fridge door on top and two freezer doors or drawers below, about ⁦70 cm⁩ wide.

3-door fridge: per the model page on Zap, the Haier HTW7720DNG is a 3-door fridge with a bottom freezer, Total No Frost and an inverter compressor, about ⁦70 cm⁩ wide per one offer. The price is about ₪⁦3,830–5,000⁩ in 17 stores. The Zap list of LG models also shows large 3-door fridges of 750 liters, from about ₪8,000.

What each type gives:

• 2-door (top freezer): the cheapest per liter. Freezer at eye level, wide fridge, vegetable drawers at the bottom. A wide fridge door that needs space.
• 3-door: fridge at eye level, two separate freezer compartments below. At ⁦70 cm⁩ wide, it fits a niche where a 4-door will not.
• 4-door: two narrow fridge doors and two freezer drawers. Convenient in a narrow kitchen because the doors are small, but needs an ⁦80–⁦90 cm⁩⁩ niche and costs more. See our 4-door refrigerator guide.

Price comparison at similar capacity, per what we saw:

• About 480 liters: Haier HRF-840SS (2-door) from about ₪2,450, vs Haier HTW7720DNG (3-door) from about ₪3,830.
• About 470 liters: Haier HRF-4494F (4-door) about ₪⁦2,700–3,300⁩ per our earlier guides.

In other words, the gap between 2 and 4 doors at the entry level is sometimes only a few hundred shekels. Before choosing a 2-door because of price, compare it with a basic 4-door fridge of the same capacity.

When 2-door wins: when you need ⁦500–600⁩ liters for under ₪3,500, when the niche is ⁦80 cm⁩ wide, or when you want one wide fridge shelf for trays.

A Sharp 2-door top-freezer fridge gives about 600 liters at ⁦86 cm⁩ wide, and per store prices costs about ₪⁦4,800–7,000,⁩ i.e. the capacity of a Sharp 4-door for about half to two-thirds of the price.

Sharp SJ-GTR820G-BK: per the product page, 604 liters gross (423 fridge and 181 freezer), 86 × 187 × ⁦74 cm⁩, No Frost, J-tech Inverter compressor and ⁦310 kWh⁩ a year, class E. Minimum niche width: ⁦90 cm⁩. Price about ₪⁦4,800–5,200.⁩

Sharp SJ-4660: another common model in the range, about 600 liters, sold per the comparison page in about 24 stores at about ₪⁦5,300–7,000.⁩ Some listings mention a Shabbat control, but not for the specific version.

Why the Sharp 2-door is popular: the large capacity at ⁦86 cm⁩ wide, the wide shelves, and relatively low consumption for the capacity: ⁦310 kWh⁩ a year for 604 liters, vs ⁦335 kWh⁩ on Sharp's 4-door models per the product pages.

What to check:

• Shabbat mode: on the SJ-GTR820G-BK it is not mentioned on the product page. If you need a Shabbat mode on a Sharp, you will definitely find it on the 4-door SJ-9270, with the SHARP Glatt device certified by Mishmeret HaShabbat.
• Door opening: the fridge door is almost ⁦86 cm⁩ wide. In a narrow kitchen or against a wall, make sure there is room.
• Warranty: Ralco is Sharp's importer. Make sure the product is from the official importer.

We detailed all Sharp models, including 4 and 5-door, in our Sharp refrigerator guide.

The big downside of a 2-door fridge is the wide fridge door: when open it takes up almost the whole width of the fridge, and in a narrow kitchen or next to a wall it can block the passage or not open fully.

How much room you need: on an ⁦80 cm⁩ wide fridge, the door opened to 90 degrees sticks out about ⁦80 cm⁩ in front of the fridge. In a kitchen where the distance between the fridge and the island or opposite wall is ⁦100 cm⁩, that leaves a ⁦20 cm⁩ passage while the door is open. On a 4-door fridge, each upper door is about half that.

Next to a wall: on the hinge side, a wide, thick door sticks out sideways when opening. If the fridge is against a wall, the door will stop before 90 degrees, and the vegetable drawers will not come out fully. Leave the side clearance listed in the manual, or reverse the door so it opens toward the open side.

Reversing the door: on most 2-door fridges the hinges can be moved to the other side. Find out in advance whether the movers or the importer's technician do this on installation day, and whether there is a charge.

Top freezer and height: a top freezer on a ⁦187 cm⁩ fridge sits at about ⁦140–⁦187 cm⁩⁩. For a shorter person, the top freezer shelf is hard to reach. A lower fridge, like the ⁦172.5 cm⁩ ETM5002BC, is more convenient.

And the vegetable drawers: they are at the bottom of the fridge compartment, about ⁦10–⁦40 cm⁩⁩ off the floor. Anyone using them a lot will bend down every day. That is the price of the design, and there a bottom freezer wins.

Some 2-door fridges have a Shabbat mode, but not all; check on the product page whether there is a full Shabbat mode or just a light switch, and which institute certified it.

What we saw:

• Electrolux ETM5002BC: a built-in Shabbat mode per the product page, with a reference to certification, but the institute's name is unclear in the text.
• Haier HNF395SS: one offer mentions a switch to turn off the light for Shabbat.
• Haier HRF2390SS: one offer says the fridge switches to Shabbat mode automatically, without stating certification.
• Electra EL459: in product titles we saw a light switch certified by the Tzomet Institute.
• Sharp SJ-GTR820G-BK, Haier HRF-840SS and HRF-940SS: Shabbat mode is not mentioned on the pages.

Light switch vs Shabbat mode: in a No Frost fridge with a display, a light switch alone is not always enough, because there are sensors and fans that respond to opening the door. Check with your rabbi what you need.

Electricity: the Sharp SJ-GTR820G-BK is rated at ⁦310 kWh⁩ a year. On the other models the annual figure does not appear on the page, and the energy rating is inconsistent between offers. Israel moved to the European label on 1.9.2022, so most fridges are marked E or F; compare kWh per year, not letters.

Warranty by importer:

• Haier: Newpan, per the offers.
• Electrolux: one year and 9 years on the compressor, Mini Line certificate per the product page.
• Sharp: Ralco.

A cheap 2-door fridge can also come as a parallel import (yevu makbil). The price difference is relatively small, and official importer warranty on the compressor is worth it.

As a second fridge, a 2-door fridge of about 333 liters with No Frost is almost always the cost-effective choice: per store prices it costs about ₪⁦1,470–2,400,⁩ and gives real cooling and freezing at ⁦60 cm⁩ wide.

Service balcony: many families keep a second fridge for drinks, hosting and holiday shopping. A 2-door fridge suits this because it is cheap, simple and also gives an extra freezer. Watch two things: a closed service balcony gets very hot in summer, and an open balcony is exposed to dust and rain. A fridge is not designed to stand in the sun or damp; place it on the shaded side, leave ventilation space, and connect it to a protected outlet.

Rental unit or apartment for rent: here price, reliability and warranty matter. A 333-liter 2-door fridge from an official importer gives the tenant a full fridge, and if it breaks there is someone to repair it. The Haier HNF395SS, per the model page, is 60.5 × 170 × ⁦67 cm⁩ with 256 liters fridge and 77 liters freezer, and one offer lists Newpan as the importer with a one-year warranty.

Storeroom or workroom: a fridge standing in an unair-conditioned room works hard in summer. If there is no choice, prefer a model with No Frost and check the climate class in the manual; a fridge marked tropical class (T) is designed for a hot environment.

Second fridge vs separate freezer: if what you mainly lack is freezer space, a 6-drawer freezer will hold more frozen food in the same spot. If you also lack fridge space, a 2-door fridge gives both. Compare in our best freezer guide.

A second fridge's electricity: an extra fridge running all year adds to the electricity bill. If it is only used on holidays, consider switching it off and leaving the door slightly open the rest of the time, so no odor develops.

Before ordering, confirm the dimensions with clearances, the door-opening space, the defrost type, Shabbat mode if it matters to you, and the importer's name.

• Width, height and depth: measure the niche at three points. For an ⁦86 cm⁩ fridge like the SJ-GTR820G-BK, the niche must be at least ⁦90 cm⁩ per the product page.
• Door opening: measure the distance in front of the fridge. The fridge door on an ⁦80 cm⁩ fridge takes about ⁦80 cm⁩ when open.
• Hinge side: if the fridge is against a wall on one side, make sure the door opens toward the open side, and find out who reverses it.
• No Frost: check that it is stated explicitly.
• Shabbat mode: look for the institute's name, not just the word Shabbat.
• Net vs gross: compare net to net.
• Importer and warranty: Haier through Newpan, Sharp through Ralco, Electrolux with a Mini Line certificate per the product pages we saw.
• Delivery and carrying up: check whether carrying up to your floor, removing doors and removing the old fridge are included in the price.

On arrival day, let the fridge stand for a few hours before plugging it in, per the manual's instruction, and let it reach temperature before adding food.

For a couple or as a second fridge, buy a 333-liter 2-door fridge with No Frost for about ₪⁦1,500–2,400⁩; for a family of 4, about ⁦480–530⁩ liters for about ₪⁦2,450–3,550⁩; and for a large family with a ⁦90 cm⁩ niche, the 604-liter Sharp 2-door.

• The lowest budget: Haier HRF2390SS, 333 liters.
• Family of ⁦3–4⁩ for about ₪2,500: Haier HRF-840SS, 483 liters.
• Inverter and Shabbat mode for about ₪3,000: Electrolux ETM5002BC, 505 liters, ⁦172.5 cm⁩ high.
• More than 500 liters: Haier HRF-940SS, 527 liters.
• 4-door capacity for less money: Sharp SJ-GTR820G-BK, 604 liters.
• Freezer drawers at ⁦70 cm⁩ wide: Haier HTW7720DNG, 3-door.

What not to do: buy a 2-door fridge for a narrow kitchen without measuring the door-opening space, assume there is a Shabbat mode without checking, and skip comparing with a basic 4-door fridge that sometimes costs only a few hundred shekels more.

For a comparison of all fridge types, see our best refrigerator guide.