Thermador Freedom Column vs All in One - help!

11 years ago

We are building a new house and after getting over the sticker shock of built in refrigerators we are going ahead with the Thermador 48" all in one unit (that we get the vent free with). The place we are buying all our appliances from didn't have that one - only the Freedom Columns - and that was what we were basing our decision to get the all in one. Thermador's website is less than helpful :/

The all in one is about $1k less than the 30" fridge/18"freezer column combo. They will be going in next to one another so is there any advantage to getting them? Are the different compressor systems the same on both? How about the cooling doors and the ability to store a milk gallon in the door? Lighting differences?

Thanks in advance for your help :)

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Comments (4)

snvyas
Original Author
11 years ago
P.S. We were also considering getting the Kenmore Pro Elite 48" side by side for around $3k less than the Thermador 48" sxs. Any opinions on Kenmore Pro Elite vs Thermador? Is the Thermador really that much better or am I just paying for the name?
Emilner
11 years ago
I can't comment on the 48" Therm, but I would think you give up a little storage with the columns. I have the 30" columns and I LOVE them. They are super quiet, they look fantastic when covered in cabinetry, and the layout is very well laid out. I can't get over how much they hold yet you can still see everything. Also having the compressor on the bottom means I don't have to bend over as far to get stuff out of the bottom drawer. The only minor gripe is it makes ice relatively slow. (it does hold a ton of ice though).

I had a 42" GE Monogram fridge before these and I can say it was the absolute worst fridge I've ever had. Ice always clumped up and turned into a block within a few days, reliability was poor, the layout stunk. The day I got rid of it was such a happy experience.
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The problem with the doors is that they aren't plug n play like the installers are used to. May not be so much an issue with custom panels since the cabinet installer generally puts those on, but with stainless, they are shipped separately. That protects them in transit and the initial part of the installation when so many SS doors and side get dinged or scratched. When mine were installed, they shipped all the brackets and seals separately too. The guys said it was a lot different than the typical built-in fridge that was more like a DW -- plug it in, slide it back and set a couple of screws. If it needed panels, the cabinet guy would come back to do those. Mine are stainless, so it was a lot different. The fussed a bit over the installation since it was the first they'd done, but they took the time to look at the instructions and do it right. My contractor's guys didn't want to look at installation instructions, the guides to make sure they got wiring placed correctly, etc. They got to do a few things over. My fridge was installed once and correctly. I've had it 2-1/2 years now and love it. I say you salesman has installers that can't bother to read directions or try anything new. If it is different, you don't need it. So he thinks. nutherokie, if you have problems getting anyone to install them, the instructions are quite detailed and complete. A couple of folks here have done them DIY and they looked fabulous. I know I've seen them in a light wood, contemporary kitchen that was DIY installation, but I can't remember the name of the owner. Good luck -- you'll love the columns.
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joc6820
11 years ago
Went through this same dilemma a few months ago as part of a new construction. Needed a Thermador fridge because we did the full Therm promo package. Was interested in the 48" SXS, but was told it's not a "real" Thermador, i.e. it's out sourced from another maker, Kitchenaid? Couldn't afford the freedom columns so did the 36" bottom freezer model. It, like the columns, is Thermador-made and has the dual compressor/evaporator systems. The 48" seemed fine, but I must say it didn't seem to have the build quality of the 36" and it was more money. I liked the layout of the 36" and it looks like it holds a lot. Got a small apartment size fridge for any spillover for another room.
clinresga
11 years ago
We too have the Therm columns, 30'' fridge and 18'' freezer dating back almost 4 years now. In general we like them a lot. They provide rock solid cooling. Love the dual compressors and the bottom location so there's no obtrusive grillwork above the doors a la SZ. The configuration is great, much more useful than a traditional full depth fridge.

They have not been perfect though. Early on, the glitzy movable upper shelf in the fridge stopped working--I think we stripped out the gears. I never dealt with it, as it was a feature of absolutely no use to us. We had to replace the entire ice maker unit (under warranty). We had to replace one of the glass shelves that sits above the produce bin when the plastic mount broke off (under warranty).

Overall I'd buy them again, especially considering what was available to us when we did our renovation--we were looking for fully integrated units, and the SZ units only came in one width for freezer and fridge, which gave us too much freezer storage and not enough fridge. The BI's (if my memory is correct) still had the exposed grills above the doors which did now work with our design. I am still a bit nervous about longevity, given the little issues that have arisen, but knock wood, so far no major issues.

Thermador Freedom Column vs All in One - help!

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snvyas
Original Author

Emilner

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clinresga

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Thermador Freedom Column vs All in One - help!

Comments (4)

snvyasOriginal Author

Emilner

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joc6820

clinresga

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snvyas
Original Author