This past spring my old GE side-by-side started acting up (it's 8 years old) - it wasn't the $7000 model by any means. Started shopping for a replacement and I went with a Samsung with the French Doors. It only has the one full width shelf in the fridge for Deli, etc. That's where I keep cheeses and meats (bacon, sausage, deli, etc.) I'm much happier with the new fridge than the old one. The side-by-side was too narrow in both compartments - couldn't fit big stuff in the freezer side, the ice maker took up 1/3 of the freezer area, and I had trouble getting larger dishes in the fridge side, like for marinating larger cuts. My old GE did have the special bin in the bottom of the fridge side that you could set the temperate in to either flash freeze or defrost in it. I don't think I ever used the freeze part and only on occasion used the defrost function, as it would wake the dead (LOUD fan running noise). I don't seem to have any difficulty defrosting meat in the Samsung in the regular refrigerator area. YMMV