A counter-depth refrigerator's box is about 24 to 25 in deep (61 to 63 cm), about as deep as the base cabinets, so it lines up with the counter. The doors and handles stick out past it: with them it is about 29 to 32 in deep (74 to 81 cm). A standard-depth fridge is about 34 to 37 in deep with handles. Both are usually about 36 in wide and 69 to 72 in tall.
How flush will it sit?
Pick a fridge and enter how deep your counter is, from the wall to its front edge, and the gap you plan to leave behind it; the air a fridge needs there is in its installation guide, so check it for your model. You see where the box, doors and handles end compared with the counter: a geometry check, not proof the installation meets the maker’s requirements.
Counter-depth refrigerator dimensions
Every maker lists several depths. These are from the spec sheets, all 36 in French-door models:
| Model | Box | Without handles | With handles | Doors open 90° | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE GYE22GYN (counter-depth) | 24⅜ in | 29¾ in | 31¼ in | 43⅜ in | 35¾ in | 70½ in |
| GE Profile PYE22KYN (counter-depth) | 24⅜ in | 29¾ in | 31¼ in | 43⅜ in | 35¾ in | 69⅞ in |
| LG LRFLC2706S (counter-depth) | 24¾ in | 29⅛ in | 31⅝ in | 43⅝ in | 35¾ in | 70¼ in |
| Bosch B36CT81ENS (counter-depth) | 24 in | 28¾ in overall | 43⅜ in | 35⅝ in | 72 in | |
| GE GFE26JYM (standard depth) | 29 in | 33⅜ in | 35⅞ in | 48⅜ in | 35¾ in | 69⅞ in |
| GE GFE28GYN (standard depth) | 29⅜ in | 34¾ in | 36¼ in | 48⅜ in | 35¾ in | 70½ in |
These are representative models from the makers’ spec sheets, checked 10 October 2026, not a list of what is on sale: GE’s page for the GYE22GYN said on 28 October 2026 that it is no longer made, and it stays here as a fit example. Sources: GE Appliances quick specs for the GYE22GEN/GMN/GYN, PYE22K, GFE26J and GFE28G series; LG LRFLC2706S spec sheet; Bosch B36CT81ENS spec sheet. Heights are to the top of the door or hinge, whichever the sheet gives; Bosch's case is 24 in plus 1 in of spacers on the back.
Whirlpool's guide gives the general ranges: counter-depth models about 24 to 30 in deep without handles, standard-depth about 30 to 36 in (Whirlpool).
Counter-depth vs standard-depth
"Counter depth" describes the box, not the doors. Base cabinets are 24 in deep and the counter on them about 25½ in (standard cabinet depth), so a 24⅜ in box, 1 in off the wall, ends right at the counter edge. Its doors still stand about 5 in proud, and the handles another 1½ in. A standard-depth box alone runs past the counter by 4 to 5 in.
- Counter-depth: a built-in look and more room in the aisle, but often less space inside: the GE counter-depth models here hold about 22 cu ft, against 25.6 and 27.7 cu ft for the standard ones. LG's counter-depth LRFLC2706S is an exception at 26.5 cu ft.
- Standard-depth: more space inside, but the handles end about 11 in past the counter edge.
Widths, heights and capacities for every type, from top-freezer to built-in, are in refrigerator sizes.
Room for the doors
With the doors open 90°, the GE and Bosch models here need 43⅜ in from the back of the box, and the standard-depth GE models 48⅜ in. NKBA recommends a work aisle at least 42 in wide for one cook and 48 in for two, measured from the fridge front or counter to whatever is opposite, and a 15 in landing area on the handle side of the fridge.
Our kitchen layout planner draws a counter-depth fridge 29¾ in from the wall to its door front (1 in of space behind it, as KitchenAid’s guide asks, plus the 28¾ in of a Samsung counter-depth model) and a standard-depth one 35¼ in, and measures the aisle from the door front.
To the side, GE asks for 16⅛ in between the side of the GYE22GYN and a wall if the doors are to open fully; Whirlpool suggests about 4 in to a side wall for a 90° swing. Bosch notes that its drawers pull out with the doors at 90° but come out only with the doors fully open.
How to measure for a counter-depth fridge
- Depth: from the wall, not the backsplash, to the front edge of the counter (Whirlpool).
- Height: from the floor to the bottom of the cabinet above, less ½ in for air (Whirlpool).
- Width: at the narrowest point; GE's GFE26J sheet asks for ⅛ in at each side and Whirlpool suggests 1 in in total.
- Behind: leave the gap the sheet asks for: 1 in for the Bosch model, 2 in for the GE GFE26J.
- Path in: check doorways and halls on the way in against the depth without doors.
Questions people ask
What is a counter-depth refrigerator?
One whose box is about as deep as the base cabinets, 24 to 25 in, so it lines up with the counter. The doors and handles still stand out 5 to 7 in past it.
How deep is a counter-depth refrigerator?
About 24 to 25 in for the box and 29 to 32 in with doors and handles, from the spec sheets above.
Is a 30 inch deep fridge counter-depth?
Usually, if the 30 in includes the doors: the counter-depth GE models are 29¾ in without handles. A box that is 30 in deep on its own is standard depth.
Are there refrigerators that are 25 inches deep?
The box, yes: the counter-depth models here are 24 to 24¾ in deep without doors. With doors and handles none of them is under 28 in.
What are the disadvantages of counter-depth fridges?
Mostly less room inside: the GE counter-depth models above hold about 22 cu ft, the standard-depth ones 25.6 and 27.7 cu ft. The doors and handles still stand out past the counter.
Counter-depth vs standard-depth: what is the difference?
About 5 in of box depth: 24 to 25 in against 29 to 31 in. With handles, 31 in against 36 in for the GE models above.
Final Takeaway
A counter-depth fridge’s box is about 24 to 25 in deep, close to a standard counter, but its doors and handles stand out to about 29 to 32 in, so it never sits fully flush. Measure your counter from the wall to its front edge, take the air the model needs behind it from its installation guide, and check where the doors and handles land. Plan the aisle from the closed doors and the side room for the doors to open, and confirm the model is still sold before you plan around it.
Main Sources
- GE Appliances quick specs: GYE22GEN/GMN/GYN, PYE22KBL/KEL/KMK/KSK/KYN, GFE26JBM/JEM/JMM/JSM/JGM/JYM, GFE28GBL/GMK/GSK/GEL/GYN
- LG, LRFLC2706S Pro Builder spec sheet
- Bosch, B36CT81ENS spec sheet
- Whirlpool, Counter-depth refrigerator dimensions and sizes
- National Kitchen & Bath Association, Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards: the work aisle in front of the fridge and its landing area. This is NKBA’s older free edition; the paid 5th edition (June 2026) was not checked.
Checked 10 October 2026; NKBA numbers checked again 19 October 2026; GE’s GYE22GYN listed as no longer made on 28 October 2026. Metric values are converted from inches. The positions against the counter in the checker are our arithmetic from the spec sheets.