Refrigerator and freezer with pull-out doors and shelves

Refrigerator and freezer with pull-out doors and shelves work well for wheelchair-bound persons with impaired balance.

Refrigerator with door pulled out
Refrigerator with door pulled out

Refrigerator and freezer have pull-out doors. The lower shelf is attached to the door. The other shelves can be pulled out individually.

Susanne’s technique for removing objects from the refrigerator or freezer (photos below): She pulls out the door and leans on it to avoid losing her balance. Then she grasps the object with both hands.

Users comments
Unfortunately, only refrigerators and freezers with side-hinged doors are currently available. It works well for Susanne if the shelves are cassettes that can be pulled out. Such freezers are available, but Susanne has been unable to find this type of refrigerator. In the case of low pull-out shelves Susanne needs to consider how foods are packaged; e.g., handles on milk containers, or vegetables sealed in plastic bags, which she can grab with one hand.

Made by
Gaggenau; no longer available

Purchased from
Household appliance stores

Paid for by
The user

Editors comments
Norcool produces refrigerators, with pullout shelves, see Norcool drawer fridge, norcool.com (last checked July 2020).

User leans on open refrigerator door
User leans on open refrigerator door
She picks up a bottle of oil with both hands
She picks up a bottle of oil with both hands

Related tips

Individually modified kitchen
Individually modified kitchen
The user chose fixed low work surfaces. The closer the work surface to the knees, the better she can work independently in the kitchen.. 2005

Tipsare: Susanne

Susanne lives in an apartment. She studies as well as working full time as a free-lance journalist. She was injured in 1982 and has a high spinal cord injury (C5). Through hand surgery her grip function in her left hand improved. She has personal assistance.