Are counter-depth refrigerators worth it?

15 years ago

Up until some grumblings from the DH I had only been considering a counter-depth refrigerator for replacing our old standard-depth...I was looking at them 90% for aesthetic reasons and 10% for the additional space gained in a main thoroughfare in the kitchen. Aside from that, I am not concerned about loss of interior space or anything like that...but DH's grumblings have me thinking; is it really worth it to spend significantly more money for a counter depth fridge? It looks like I'd only get 6" more space in the walkway area, and aestetically, it wont be too much different than a standard. FWIW, I was considering the kitchenaid architect-II counter-depth.

Thoughts? Is it worth it?

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Comments (8)

weissman
15 years ago
In my opinion it wasn't - I couldn't see spending more money for less space. In my kitchen, though, the fridge is at the end of a cabinet run so I think it looks fine. If it were in the middle of a cabinet run, I might have felt differently - although a cabinet depth fridge isn't flush with your cabinets - the doors and handles still protrude. To get it flush, you need a built-in, even more $$$.
sniff
15 years ago
Last fall I shopped for counter depth refrigerators and was so disappointed that I didn't buy one. I didn't want a side by side, and was told that all the mainstream bottom mounts, except for a new GE were made by the same manufacturer. Molding, hardware, and outer appearance are what differs. The crisper drawers are useless. They can hold one head of leaf lettuce and little more. The ubiquitous shallow drawer (is it supposed to be a meat drawer?) is of no use to me. I also disliked the abundance of white molded plastic inside. I grocery shop every 5-6 days and buy mainly produce. There is simply not enough room inside. There are just two of us using an old counter depth side by side Amana. I am prepared to pay twice the price of KA, JA, etc., but haven't found the ideal product. I was disappointed that the new 36" Liebherr is a FD with two freezer drawers, but I'll revisit the 30" (I think it's about a thousand more than the others) and check out the pricier new model. I love the simplicity of that 30"; super tall, though.
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Before the remodel, I sold my perfect condition 4 year old Kenmore fridge on CL. At that time I purchased a 3 yr. old counter depth SS KitchenAid for $1000 from a young woman on CL who had received the appliance as part of her divorce settlement. There are bargains if you are diligent about scouring CL daily even beyond the new Liebherr. Most of the folks who buy Liebherr have really tiny kitchens and need taller, thinner fridges than standard CD. How many sq. ft.is your kitchen? You may not need to go the more expensive Liebherr route. I would not buy the 14 year old KitchenAid. Even if the mechanics are great, the plastics inside become brittle and deteriorate over time. Three years age my 32 year old Montgomery Ward fridge was left with the house I sold still running great. However, the door lining was pulling away, and the door would not close completely due to a loose door casket. Neither of those items could be replaced any longer. I should add that we were a small family and careful with our possessions so this occurred due to age, not abuse. Paneled fridges are one technique to make a small kitchen look larger. However, door panels are an expensive option. You are at the beginning of your remodel, and there is frequently project creep. My approach was to go with SS and use the money for all built in appliances in my small kitchen so that the counter flow is not interrupted. I put the money in an induction cooktop over a 27" wall oven. This is a long way of saying go with the Liebherr over the KA but before you do, make sure you need to spend that extra money on the Liebherr over a standard counter depth like a KitchenAid. My apologies for rambling about on this post and good luck with your remodel.
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The biggest issue with counter depth (paneled or not) is that are not really counter depth, they stick out past the surrounding cabinets by three or more inches. When I first remodeled our kitchen back in 1986, I used a panel ready Amana that was 27" deep, plus the door thickness. I built the whole surrounding cabinet wall 27" deep all the way to the end of that run, so only the doors stuck out past the cabinet. The first photo is what it looked like in late 2012 just before my last makeover. This also made for nice 27" deep pantry pullouts on the left end, and extra deep uppers. Another benefit, is that the counter overhang (butcherblock) has a place to die into on the side of the refer cab. The next photo shows my fully integrated 30" Liebherr a couple months later, the old Amana was 32", so I had to add to the face frame, and the Liebherr is a foot taller, so the upper needed modification as well. There is now 3" dead space behind the fridge, but who knows, or cares? The big 27" deep drawers where the oven was ended up being one of the best windfalls in the recent makeover :) third drawer down is a warming drawer ....
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I'm with crl. We re-used a 33" regular depth fridge that we love, but put in 1.5" of filler on each side so that when we need to replace the fridge we'll have more options (as 36" is a common size). Also to consider is that 'counter depth' is a non-standard term, and can vary by 2 inches or so. Many people have purchased a counter depth fridge and been disappointed to find that it still sticks out from the cabinetry. So either a) choose carefully, b) spend another several thousand for an integrated fridge, or c) you still need to have the cabinetry customized to a degree for a flush fit. For us it was an easy decision as we had the room for a regular depth fridge, and had custom made cabinetry so the cost was negligible. So net-net, going with a regular depth fridge saved thousands.
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Seeing your whole layout, I can understand why the refrigerator isn’t on the end of the run. Do you have a plan and purpose for that isolated stretch of counter? Would it be better to move the other tall cabinet up against the refrigerator and leave the counter on the end? When I see those types of counters separated from other kitchen functions, my mind always goes to a coffee/beverage center. A microwave there might be nice for snacks and reheating things from the refrigerator. A bar sink would be great for getting drinks, and making coffee without entering the kitchen and interfering with the cook. Sorry to to mess up your thread with these comments if you’ve already thought all this through.
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dr.stone
15 years ago
Funny...so mant different people, so many different opinions. We love our counter-depth frifge and would never go back. Six inches may not seem like much (did I really just say that!?), but asthetically in kitchen design it makes a huge difference not having the fridge protrude beyond the counter. We have a 36" side-by-side (Electrolux) and have no issues with space (I do have a separate bar fridge elsewhere in the house though).So I guess its a matter of personal taste, but I say it is well worth the cost upgrade.

Cheers'
dottieq
15 years ago
Six inches of space doesn't sound like much but it is a lot! I have the counter depth (Jennair French door). It is small inside....very small, but I needed the space for walkway. I don't mind it being small inside because I was able to put refrigerator drawers on the island and I have a full size refrigerator in the garage which is used when entertaining. I had no choice, would recommend a full refrigerator if space is not a requirement. I do like the looks of the counter-depth. Mine is paneled and Jennair gives as close an integrated look as you can get short of a built in. If you think the counter-depth is expensive, the built-ins run about $6,000. Once again, six inches in a walkway is a lot. Ihave 38" from refrigerator to island....42" to 46" would be better. I will also point out that even though it is called counter-depth, it still juts out about 4" to 5" from the counter. Hope this info is helpful.
mls99
15 years ago
It depends on what YOUR priorities are! For me, I didn't want something that would stick out significantly between dining room and kitchen, and I wanted something where I didn't lose the food. It works for me. List out the pros and cons for you and see which side wins.
dassykee
15 years ago
Not for me. We were able to recess a full depth fridge (Samsung) and have both more space in the fridge and more walkway.
jeanne70
15 years ago
We've had our counter depth subzero for 27 years. I love being able to find and reach all the food easily. When I'm visiting other people or in a vacation rental it's a real pain to search to the backof the refrigerator for something. We have 42 inches for walkways. We can fully open the single door on the 36" Subzero and still get past it with the 180 degree plus hinge. The extra cost of the Subzero is worth it because the temperature is so consistent, which keeps food longer. When we built the kitchen in 1981 we went with top of the line appliances. We are just now redoing the kitchen and have not had to replace one single appliance. We would have been bummed if we had needed to replace a refrigerator with a panel front after only 15 years. Think about how long you expect the kitchen to last and how long you want the appliances to last.
kmsparty
13 years ago
I am shopping for a fridge and came across this post from a few years back. I'd like to get some new opinions and recommendations.

Are counter-depth refrigerators worth it?

Comments (8)

weissman

sniff

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