Is the GE GNE27JYMFS any good or did I just waste my money?

You actually lucked out getting that GE GNE27JYMFS on short notice. It is one of thier standard French door models that uses a fairly tried-and-true platform compared to the high-end Profile or Cafe series that are often packed with buggy electronics. In my experiance servicing these, GE has generally held up better than the Korean brands like Samsung or LG over the last several years, mainly because their parts are easier to source and the designs aren't quite as over-engineered. The ice maker on that specific unit is located in the freezer, which is actually a huge plus for reliability. Most of the headaches people complain about with modern French door fridges come from having the ice maker in the refrigerator compartment. When you put an ice maker in a 38-degree room, it has to be perfectly insulated or it frosts up and leaks. By having yours in the bottom freezer, you've bypassed the most common point of failure for GE and almost every other brand on the market. Don't expect it to last twenty years like a fridge from the 90s, though. The reality of modern appliances is that **sealed systems** and compressors are built to hit strict energy efficiency targets rather than survive for decades. You might see a bit of door sag over time—I have had to shim a few hinges on these models—but the cooling performance is ussually solid. Just make sure you vacuum the condenser coils every six months or so to keep the compressor from overheating, especially since you just did a remodel and there might be extra drywall dust in the air. Compared to your old Maytag, the GE might feel a little louder when the fans are running, but it's a solid mid-range workhorse. I've installed dozens of these in rental properties because they're predictable. If something does go wrong, almost any local tech will have the parts on their truck, which isn't something you can say for alot of the newer smart fridges. You made a decent panic-buy.

That's a relief to hear about the ice maker. I actualy didn't realize the placement mattered that much for leaks!

Quick question on the coil cleaning—is that somethig I can do myself without moving the whole unit? My old Maytag just sat there for a decade and I never touched the back of it. Also, how loud are we talking with the fans? My kitchen is right next to the living room so I'm hoping it's not going to drown out the TV when it kicks on.

You can definatly DIY the coils. Grab a long, flexible vent brush and a vacuum hose. You'll likely have to pull the unit out a few inches to get to the back panel, but it’s a 10-minute job. Regarding the noise, modern GEs use variable speed fans that run more often but at a lower pitch. It’s more of a steady 'white noise' hum than the old-school clunking of a Maytag.

One thing to watch for: check your door alignment after you load the shelves. If one side gets heavy, the seal can gap slightly. There’s usually a small adjustment screw on the bottom hinge that fixes it in seconds.

Check if yours uses the XWFE filter. GE is notorious for putting RFID chips in thier filters now, which basicly blocks you from using cheap generic replacements. If you don't want to pay $50 every six months, find the 'bypass plug' that comes with the unit so you can run it without a filter if you have a seperate water source.

Also, the interior plastic feels a bit thinner than your old Maytag. Try not to overload the door bins with multiple heavy gallon jugs, as the plastic brackets can stress or crack if you're too rough with them. Otherwise, it's a decent middle-of-the-road choice.