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gaggenau 24' freezer column (RF461)

14 years ago

Anyone out there have this appliance? Feedback on it? I'm especially wondering if the ice/water dispenser works well (as well as overall freezer performance). Thanks!

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Comments (6)

plllog
14 years ago
I'll bump this up for you, though I have no real experience. Have you seen one in person? Unless they've changed it in the last year and a half the ice maker works takes up a lot of prime real estate. I think someone didn't like the way the dispenser worked with the door panel, but that might have been an installation problem rather than a Gaggenau problem.

I like the metal shelves. The basic design is good. The engineering should be good. Not that many people have them because they get the Thermador, which is the same basic design but costs less, instead. The Gaggenau should have a more exacting temperature control, and I think it has a supercooling button to push for just added a bunch of not-frozen food. Or a sensor. I forget. One is the Gaggenau, the other is the SZ.

I ended up with the Miele, which also has a small, centered ice maker, but it's arranged better and doesn't seem to take up a quarter of the freezer. And I didn't want a dispenser.

Are there any other integrated, stand alone freezers with dispenser?
hazmatt
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks pllog -- I would have gone with Miele (and did for the fridge component) but they didn't have the 24" option. I didn't want to go down to 18" and didn't have the room to go up to 30". We loved having the water/ice dispenser in our CD KitchenAid (which is now moving to the basement), particularly the crushed-ice option, and it was really frustrating to find hardly any integrated or built-in freezers with that feature. In fact, NOBODY seems to offer the crushed-ice that's so nice in sodas, mint juleps, sidecars, etc. Which are sounding pretty good right now, in the midst of all these overwhelming choices and decisions... ;-)
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doug_gb ~ I generally appreciate all replies to my queries, but yours is extremely offensive and completely unnecessary on an otherwise supportive forum such as this. What is your purpose for writing such a rude response when you have nothing useful to offer? Regarding the restocking fee, I have never stated that I didn't want to pay any penalty at all for exchanging the units. I still do not believe that there is anything wrong with asking this forum how much a reasonable or standard restocking fee is in this type of situation. Yes, the dealer did process the order and deliver it, as your said w/ insurance, etc., but wanting to charge over $1000 extra for "restocking" would seem excessive to most consumers. Rather than "raising hell" with them immediately, I took the time to ask more experienced people on this forum what they thought was reasonable and fair in this situation, because this is my first purchase of major appliances and I did not know what the typical policy is. I have been happy with my dealer in every other respect and they've certainly made a healthy profit from having all of my business. Since you do not know me at all, except for this post, I would say that someone who cares enough to do so is the exact opposite of self-centeredness. I've never expected any appliance to make my "food taste better". My husband and I have waited years and finally saved up enough money for our new house and dream kitchen, so we certainly won't apologize for researching the pros and cons of the expensive appliances that we are purchasing. I've never professed to be a chef or even a cook with particular experience, so your statement about your family's cooking expertise is completely irrelevant and has nothing to do with whether or not I might be "insecure". True, Mario Batali or Hubert Keller may be able to whip up the greatest meals on a hot stone, but that has nothing to do with most home cooks. I am simply a very busy mom who makes food for my family everyday. The Sensor Dome and CookSmart programmed functions on the new version of the Thermador are not meant for the executive chefs of the world, but are convenience features for the less capable cooks among us. My frustration, which has nothing to do with security, is that accurate and detailed information has not been made available by the manufacturer (BSH) about the Gaggenau and the new Thermador cooktops. I needed to find out if the new features that the salespeople were so excitedly touting are functions that will be truly useful to the average cook, or if they are gadgets that will be forgotten about after the first few weeks. So I posted on this forum to ask if anyone knows more info about these cooktops to help me make an informed decision. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and if you did not like it or didn't know the answers, then you did not have to reply at all. Luckily, others have been far more helpful than you and I really appreciate their input in my situation.
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plllog
14 years ago
It's less convenient, but someone just mentioned in Kitchens that a Bamix stick blender can do ice. Instant crush. :) And good for smoothing your soup too.
homepro01
14 years ago
I have the 18" freezer. It is fine for my needs but I bought a floor model with the icemaker. In retrospect, I would prefer a freezer without the icemaker and it does take up a ton of space in the Gaggenau. I think for my needs, my future freezer would be the 24" Liebherr. The pullout drawers would really make a difference to the types of things that I store and the Gaggenau only has one pullout drawer. I have not researched if I can add more drawers though.

Good luck!
michema5
13 years ago
I am considering the Thermador freezer column with external ice. Can't live without the ice dispenser, but I really want separate fridge/freezer for my layout. Any more options or opinions on these?
lascatx
13 years ago
I have an 18" Thermador freezer. We originally ordered with the dispenser, thinking we couldn't live without it even if it didn't have crushed ice, but there was difficulty getting those in for a while. We went with internal ice maker/no dispenser and have really been very happy with it. The ice maker doesn't take up any more room that ice makers we've had in other fridges - actually less, and it is located where it is easier to access -- at hand level rather than eye level.

Can't tell you how well the dispenser works, but I haven't heard any complaints. Just keep in mind that water drips will make stainless more difficult and could be hard on cabinet panels.

The Thermador does have a super chill function, so I would expect the pricer versions to also have it.

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