anyone regret buying a counter-depth refrigerator?

13 years ago

Have a big decision to make - we planned on buying a regular size (25.5 cu. ft) Whirlpool monochromatic stainless fridge. However, I really do not like how enormous they look - sticking out about 10" from a typical countertop! (counter = 25", fridge depth = 35").

Now we found they also make the same fridge in counter-depth (20 cu.ft), which would be 30" deep... much less obnoxious looking!

I do not want to regret giving up fridge storage apace - anyone get a counter-depth and love it? Anyone regret it?

This is a huge decision for us! Thank you!!

Featured Answer

lcp213nc

13 years ago

Love mine! About 4 years ago when trying to decide if I wanted a counter depth model I had one big concern. All the units I'd seen had shelves that were not as deep as in a standard frig. I got some good advice from this site and found one that had regular depth selves. It's a Kenmore Elite (but made for Sears by Frigidaire).

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Comments (9)

maire_cate
13 years ago
For aesthetic reasons I prefer counter depth. But I wouldn't be happy sacrificing storage to achieve that look so we went with the 36" all freezer and 36" all fridge Sub Zeros.

If my kitchen were smaller and I couldn't devote 72" to refrigeration I'd try my best to recess the refrigerator into the wall. We've been looking at houses for sale online and one of the things that just hits me in the face is huge fridge protruding into a smallish kitchen. I find myself mentally rearranging the kitchen to at least minimize the hulking box.
davidro1
13 years ago
I have two fridges now, each about counter depth. No regrets.

I too felt
"... sticking out about 10" from a typical countertop"
"... hits me in the face is huge fridge protruding into a smallish kitchen"
I have posted before that a fridge counter run could be a DEEP deep counter, many inches deeper than the 26" we often see over 24" cabinets. This is the alternative to getting fridges that are CD. I predict that in some future year, full extension drawers will be made with longer glides than we now see on the market. There is so much space in most kitchens, one could easily make the counter deeper.
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We had a side by side refrigerator in the middle of a cabinet run in our last house and it worked very well. There was an island right in front of the refrigerator and the stove was across on the opposite side of the island. You could pull food out and set it on the counters on either side (due to short doors on the side by side) , or you could turn around and set it on the island. Whoever was cooking could take items right from the prep/serving area on the island to the stove or oven. Bruce
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ccat - others have said most of what I was going to say. I have been going through the same questioning. I started out assuming I would go with standard depth because I didn't want to give up any capacity and I didn't have room to go wider. BUT then I started looking at the actual dimensions of the standard and counter depth friges. I then realized that some of the current "standard" depth friges that I was looking at were in fact quite a lot deeper than my existing (circa mid 80's) frig. So I finally decided to go with a counter depth Jenn Air. It turns out to have more capacity than my old one, though not a lot more. I agree that you should get a panel that covers the entire side of the frig, sans door. If you are going with a stainless frig the sides typically are just painted black and look terrible. You should also pull the upper cabinets over the frig out to the same depth. (Try to get a 24" deep cabinet there, which will be much more useful.)
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Mollie, I have the KA KBLS20ETSS and like it alot. It has a bottom freezer and the fridge opens to the side instead of the french door type. After having the side opening door, I can't imagine the inconvenience of having to open two doors. I love opening it with one hand and everything is right there at eye level. The only drawback is there is no ice through the door- which I thought I would really miss but the water that comes from the inside dispenser is icy cold and tastes great. The ice maker makes tons of ice but it takes up alot of freezer space. We do have a small refrigerator in the basement, so I haven't had a problem with the limited freezer space. The bottom freezer does force you to be very organized and clean it out regularly. I hope this helps.
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If the standard depth is just visually intolerable in your kitchen (and probably would be for me, I just hate the sticks out like a sore thumb look), go with the counter depth. It will be smaller, but people tend to use what space they have, so I think you could make it work. If you need more space, put a standard fridge in the basement/garage for overflow. Or make a beverage center in another room with a mini or undercounter fridge. It's good for kids' drinks and social gatherings and doesn't impact kitchen traffic.
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billp1
13 years ago
We have a counter depth GE Profile and love it. I believe that it is 24.5 cu ft. Not much different then our old GE Profile that was 26.5. The counter depth is well laid out and works well for us.
tigergirl123
Original Author
13 years ago
billp, where did you find a counter depth with that amount of cu. ft? Can you double check for me, and give me the model number as well? I would really appreciate it, thank you!

I also considered making the counter over there a little deeper (an extra inch), but that's where our sink and dishwasher is going too, so I wasn't sure if that would look funny overall.

Can a fridge really be recessed? Is that ok for the "coils" or whatever is on the back? Hmmm... I might be able to save about 3" doing that...

Our fridge now (old house) is only 18 cu. ft. So going to a 20 would actually feel more spacious to us. However we do have 2 small kids and not sure if we would need even more space, eventually...

Any more words of wisdom? thanks!
tress21
13 years ago
My old Maytag fridge stuck out 11" from the countertop. That thing dominated our tiny kitchen. Replacing that monster with a counter-depth completely changed the look and feel of the entire kitchen. Just a few inches, but it makes a huge difference.

Our new fridge is a KitchenAid Architect 36" counter depth side-by-side with 24.5 cubic feet of storage. I love it. It's so much quieter and holds a steady temperature. I really don't notice any difference in the amount of storage space from the monster Maytag. The shelves are just a touch shallower, but I really don't mind--it was just old moldy things that got pushed back there anyway. This fridge is definitely taller, so that is probably where the extra space comes from. If you are petite you may have trouble reaching the back of the top shelf.

Here is a link that might be useful: KitchenAid counter depth fridge
drrust
13 years ago
We purchased a Kitchenaid KFIS20XVWH1 french door. Our kitchen has a small recess for the fridge. The funny thing is that is actually deeper than the very old GE side by side that it replaced. It is my understanding the KitchenAid/Whirlpool may even have a bigger counter depth unit (taller)

My brother has purchased an LG french door regular depth and even though their alcove was deeper than ours it seems to stick out excessively.
hpxmirage
13 years ago
DW and I were somewhat at odds when we began looking at fridges for our build - I wanted CD/built-in, and she (taticly supported by our builder, who said, "the cabinet guy can build in a regular depth refrigerator so it'll look the same") was leaning toward standard depth.

It took about five months, but after Christmas I bought, with her pleased concurrence, a floor model Sub Zero BI-36 bottom freezer, 84" high, 36" wide and counter depth.

Last night while rummaging through our current fridge she said, "I can't wait to have our new refrigerator so that I can actually see what's on the shelves all the way to the back."

:-)
ozzyblaze
13 years ago
My kitchen designer solved this problem for us. I needed the larger interior of the fridge and a counter depth would not work. The solution was that he angled the refrigerator into a corner, with a cabinet overhead and a cabinet frame built around the fridge. It looks wonderful and is very functional.

anyone regret buying a counter-depth refrigerator?

lcp213nc

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anyone regret buying a counter-depth refrigerator?

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