Hi Sandlll, I have the Bosch Linea 800 sxs and love it. I agree with you: it was one of the few fridges that didn't have that white plastic and chemical smell. We've had it for almost two years and are very happy with it. That said, with our upcoming kitchen reno we are thinking that we may get a true built -in if we have any funds left over. It is fun to dream of the Miele (which costs almost 3 times the Bosch)!

I am shopping right now too and one of my hangups is that many of the brands are going to the cheaper 400 series SS.
I was all set to buy the Bosch until I did my magnet test and discovered they are now using the cheaper grade.
GE and Electrolux are still using the higher grade.

You could put Samsung on your list.

The GE counterdepths are harder to find, but I think they still make a 25 cuft that is a bit taller than the 23s out there.

thanks for the info about the Bosch. There seems to be good and bad reviews about most fridges. Wish there was a clear winner - that would make it much easier! I will also look at the Samsung, but then I will make a decision. I am known to agonize over these decisions!

Me. I'm leaning towards the KA for reliability. But geez, nowadays you never know. Every appliance seems like a gamble. I wish I could afford a built-in.

We put the GE Cafe CD FD in when we redid kitchen last summer and we love it. Only complaint was it was freezing foods in fridge but we adjusted the temp and it stopped. Would get this fridge again. It looks nice, is quiet, holds enuff stuff for us, 2 people.

I like the samsung, it is my favorite for SxS. I like the way the freezer is laid out. My issue with it is that the fridge drawers are too big: they take away from the space on the door. If you like drawers for holding fresh stuff, you'll love this, but I need door space.

That moves me to the GE which has smaller drawers and more door space. The issue with theirs is that it is pricey.

I'm shopping too - 36" counter depth, 72" max height, bottom freezer...disappointed that they are ALL french door now.
One sales guy told us they are all Amana under the covers, is that true?

I wasn't shopping for a refrigerator but bumped into a steal at my local Lowes. I got a GE Cafe CFCP1NIXSS counter depth stainless steel french door for half price!!! It's last years model but I don't care. It has a plastic-y smell that goes away after cleaning with warm water and a little baking soda.

It replaces a Samsung SxS that we bought in 2002 (which will go to the garage). I liked the layout of the Samsung SxS (real drawers in the freezer; glass shelves etc) but having the counter depth really opens up the kitchen. It will take some time to get used to the bottom freezer but that's what change is all about.

Not all fridges are french-door. A french door doesn't work in my kitchen. I'm doing a left-swinging single door, freezer bottom. They are out there, but maybe not all over at your ma & pa appliance store. Single-doors are less than 36" wide and 72" tall though, if that matters. Most seem to be about 33" wide and 68-69" tall. Check out AJMadison dot com to see what's available.

I've never cared for SxS for the lack of width of each side, and now that I've used a french-door in our temporary house during the remodel, I don't much care for french doors either. It's great for just reaching in for the milk in the door, but I find I have to open both doors anyway to get what I need most of the time. It even feels awkward just to reach in to one produce drawer with one door open. I find opening both doors to be a pain. I'm a SAHM and cook every meal so that may not matter to anyone else. It feels like a wasted motion to me.

I just talked to my local appliance dealer and he said the Bosch side by side would be the best bet over Samsung. We have a fridge and a full freezer in the basement, so the side by side will work fine for us. If it was my only I would probably get a different design... But, I too think that the French door design is difficult with opening/closing both doors etc...

Our KitchenAid started to die on Friday. On Sunday morning at 2:00 am I found it was smoking and fluid started to drain. We unplugged it for good. It was 23 years old.

We end up at the Sears Outlet store. They had 50% off Kenmores and 45% off all others. I thought if the dents & dings were not too bad, then it was a deal. We were looking for a SxS since that was what die on Sunday. After we let the sales woman help another customer to give us time to look, we ran around looking at all of refrigs. We found a Samsung French door with the FlexZone drawer. I'd rather have more storage in the frig than in the freezer since we have a freezer in the basement. That FlexZone drawer called to me. I could only see a few scratches on both sides & only minor scratches by the handles on the stainless steel. I could live with it. The sad part is they wouldn't deliver until Wed. That gaves me time to clean in & under the KitchenAid. They will have to bring them through the garage. It will be a fight fit through the kitchen door. They are going to have to work for their money.

We have to buy one more door shelf. We put a lot of small jars on the door. We bought an extra egg keeper & one more roll out shelf for the KitchenAid.

I am looking for a SS french door. I love my current french door, but we'd like all the appliances to match.
I am not really a big fan of the water/icemaker in the door. I know some love it, but I'd rather have the door space.

Last week our 11-year-old GE Profile SxS died. All our appliances were almond, which was discontinued shortly after we moved here. So we decided to replace the entire kitchen with SS. We only had one day to shop and went to a locally owned store and a freestanding Sears appliance showroom. Based on many comments here I wasn't interested in dealing with the big box stores.

We were on a very very tight budget - $2,500 for fridge, gas range, OTR microwave, and dishwasher. The salesman at the locally-owned store (Home TV & Appliance in Phoenix) worked very hard with us, shaved the costs, and found a $300 rebate for the purchase. We bought all GE and so far I'm really pleased with everything.

We'll soon be moving and turning this house into a rental. I think the new appliances will help us get an extra $100 a month for rent. One other comment would be about french door refrigerators. I have always disliked that style. My best friend just had to have the latest thing a few years ago, bought a french door, and has now confessed to me that she totally hates her fridge. She is a bit absent-minded and the doors frequently don't fully close when she shuts them. I shudder to think how much electricity she's wasting with open fridge doors.