GE's Cafe line looks like a million bucks with those customizable handles and clean design, but the cooling system has a documented failure mode that hits around year three: the fridge compartment won't drop below 43°F while the freezer keeps working, and warranty repairs take two months with multiple failed compressor replacements. Shelves bend under normal weight, ice makers freeze into solid blocks instead of cubes, and temperature swings spoil produce or freeze it solid. If you're comparing this to a pre-2016 GE that ran for decades, understand you're buying a different company's product now. Skip unless you're leasing short-term or prioritize looks over function.
LG's side-by-sides offer generous capacity and eye-level freezer access, but the brand's linear compressor disaster from 2015-2022 makes this a hard sell: those units died at 2-6 years with $750-1000 repair bills because warranty covers the compressor but not the labor or the motherboard it killed. Current rotary compressor models might escape that fate, but there's no long-term proof yet, and the in-door ice makers still fail regularly across all eras. If you find a simple model without the ice maker and pair it with a bulletproof extended warranty, the layout works well for families who need wide shelves and hate bending for frozen goods. Everyone else should buy a GE Profile or Whirlpool and sleep easier.