Do-It-Yourself Story

We bought new handles from APP which came faster than buying locally (they weren't in stock locally). They were from the manufacturer (GE) and were slightly different than the originals but look fine. The old ones had a small relief in the back for a protrusion on the door; the new ones had no relief. A regular drill and bit made the needed space, and the handle fit perfectly. It's slightly narrower, but it's of absolutely no consequence. The part package included the handles for both the refrigerator and the freezer. We replaced both so they look matched, even though the freezer handle was not stained. We're happy! The only trick is to use the corner of a putty knife or a wide screwdriver blade to pop straight out the top of the trim strip above the handle, and the bottom of the trim strip below the handle. For the top strip, push the soft trim down then out. Then the trim strip, minus the metal strip holder, pulls straight out and off. The metal holder stays in place for the whole project. It takes a torx screwdriver to remove the two screws that hold the handle in place. It's a quick job once you know what to expect.