I think it is a mistake :) I don't see the point in paneling it and then having a dispenser on the outside. I would either not panel or not have a dispenser. I think both of these options look nicer than the paneled with dispenser.

However, there are things that dispense hot and cold water at the sink, and also something someone posted on a while back that does cold water and seltzer water. It came with several choices of faucets and you put it under your sink. It was very pricey but very cool! The ones that dispense cold water only are much more affordable.

Thanks- I would love a cold water dispenser....didn't know that was even an option! I appreciate your opinion (and kind of knew you were right)

If anyone can advise me about cold water faucets I'd love to know more.

bad news AND those SZ models with ice and water in the doors are very prone to failure. These are exactly the models that ding SZ in CReports reliability index.

If you need this feature I'd look at another brand or get a water chiller for under a sink.

Thank you, thank you! Ok, no dispenser on the fridge. Now I need to ask about water chiller's- didn't know that was an option!

did someone already use the word chiller in a response in your other thread?
When you don't know what a key word means, plug it into a search engine along with the word kitchen so that the search engine gives you results that pertain to your needs.

chiller kitchen

Then, add more key words.

water chiller

Then, it gives you ideas for more key words.

remote water chiller

---

HTH

Function over form! Personally, I don't like paneled appliances but I love having ice and water in the door. It is certainly possible to have a paneled fridge with ice and water through the door but it will look a bit different. If I had to choose, I'd skip the panel BUT you can have it all!

If you really want the dispenser AND panels, I would put a special finish on the panels (I'm assuming they are made of wood) so that finish and wood won't be damaged prematurely by any dripping water. The finish that will hold up is Smith's Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer and Epifanes Marine Varnish.

Panels are not just to make an appliance "disappear;" they are simply an alternative finish. I would prefer a paneled fridge, because with my other colors and finishes, I don't think a white or black fridge would look good. Stainless would look fine, but I absolutely do not want to have to polish fingerprints off it constantly. So I plan to panel my fridge.

That said, only YOU can decide if the form and aesthetics are right for you. I have seen paneled fridges with dispensers in several kitchens in my magazine collection. I don't think it looks good, but then again I don't think dispensers look good. The panels on the SXSs are small and broken up and look tacked on. But obviously the homeowners must have really wanted the dispenser. I keep a Brita dispenser on the top shelf of the fridge and do not mind opening the door to dispense the cold water, especially since it flows much faster than a built-in dispenser. These are all options you have to weigh and consider what matters most to you.

Thanks Andersons. That really steers me towards not putting on the water dispenser.

By the way, I went to college with a girl named Anderson S____. I'm guessing you aren't the same person though! :)

I wouldn't worry about the look. Think about it for a moment. It's a big fridge and a big panel. Unless you're putting together several small panels, anyone looking at it will know it's a fridge. So what if there's a "small water appliance" integrated into it. How's that different that embedding a Miele espresso maker into a pantry cabinet, for example? Or a microwave for that matter. I think it'll look fine. I know it looks fine in the magazines and brochures.

What is more important is the reliability and of course the effect on the wood, as others have mentioned. The wood can be taken care of by treating it. Reliability? That's the main variable.

That said, I, like you, love my chilled water and ice. So I wouldn't hesitate to get it in the door. I just don't like the kind where you have to open the fridge.

As far as reliability from Consumer Reports, I've said it before and I'll say it again. People who buy a SZ and then the dispenser needs service -- they get it serviced. Many people who buy a Frigidaire or Maytag and the dispenser needs service -- they do NOT always get it serviced. CR's survey specifically asks about service, not about issues, so the reliability of cheaper brands is overstated.

I can think of 3 different refrigerators my parents owned with dispensers. They all had problems. I think the first problem, they had a repair guy come, but it quit again soon after and they didn't want to pay any more money. My mother's Maytag delivers ice and water so slowly that no one ever uses it. I consider that a service issue, but she has never bothered.

spider, I'm sure I'm not your friend from college, but that's a cool name. :) My handle is part of a messed-up version of my last name that hotmail offered me because my name was already taken.

Re: c. reports , I wasn't weighing in on their validity, my opinion of them is well documented around here.

I can tell you that the ice/water dispenser on the SZ side x sides are very prone to malfunction, so much so that you'd be in the minority if you didn't need service on it within 10 years.