Cutting to the chase: cheapest built-in refrigerator

16 years ago

We are building a house and now need to specify appliances. We want a built-in refrigerator.

Yikes! The prices we've seen are astonishingly high--and there don't seem to be any clear price leaders. (That's pretty unusual for a consumer product category, isn't it?)

While I fully appreciate that different brands offer different strengths and weaknesses (and cachet), I also think that any built-in on the market would be fine for us as long as it is big enough. And we do have to watch the budget.

So my question is: What's the most affordable built-in refrigerator on the US market? We can be very flexible. It can be:

--36 to 48 inches wide

--Any door configuration (TF, BF, SxS, FD, etc., although we find the compartments of 36-inch side-by-sides to be a little narrow)

--single fridge/freezer unit or separate "towers"

--decent-sized freezer space (It seems that some brands--Liebherr?--have very small freezers).

All info/observations/advice appreciated!

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Comments (12)

weissman
16 years ago
I'm not an expert on this and I'm sure others who have done more research will jump in, but I believe KitchenAid built-in fridges are less expensive than some of the other brands.
coleen3201118
16 years ago
I agree with weissman; also, your price goes down if you don't have a water/ice dispense - we do b/c we have young kids, so our price went up. We went with a Thermador, FWIW.
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heimert
16 years ago
Kitchenaid is significantly cheaper for a 36" bottom freezer than is the subzero, thermador, and GE (at least $1000). My pricing put the GE and the SZ about the same (GE maybe a bit higher), and the thermador a few hundred less (in between KA and SZ, closer to SZ).

Colleen -- did you get the thermador freedom? how do you like them?
lascatx
16 years ago
We got the Thermador -- an 18" freezer and 30" fridge. I went and looked up a KA online to see how the pricing compared, because I couldn't remember exactly what it was when we were looking a year ago. What we paid for the two Thermadors was a little more than the KA without a dispenser and significantly less than the KA with the dispenser. I was surprised when I saw how much more the one with the dispenser was. That was one site, so you might see differently.

For all that I saw a year ago, my favorites for use of space and design are the Thermadors with KA second. There is now a Bosch version of the columns -- I think they have a little less in the window dressing and bells or whistles, but are largely the same units for a little less than the Thermadors. I would look at them too. But you will still pay a good bit more than a counter depth model, and I think KA has one of the best there too -- a 25 ci ft model.
coleen3201118
16 years ago
I did not get the Freedom - I got the new model built in (what about it is new I don't know, but they weren't available until the end of summer) I'm still waiting - they say first week of September - my fridge is in the garage for the time being! We got the 42" SxS with water. I love the interior space - the icemaker takes up very little space and it's stainless inside. I was all set to order the KA - and in fact did order it - but the appliance guy hadn't sent it out when I came back and changed to the Thermador. it's supposed to be VERY quiet as well.
lascatx
16 years ago
It sounds like you got the Thermador that is, or at least was last year, made by KA.
coleen3201118
16 years ago
Yes - the layout of the interior looks the same (I loved the layout of the KA) but it's stainless and glass inside instead of plastic, has a stepped up compressor and a couple of other things that make it a little different. (I just called the appliance guy to ask). Admittedly, a large reason of why I bought it is it looks really nice - so yes, I'm shallow!
lascatx
16 years ago
I agree -- it is a better looking fridge. We got a chance to buy one for the same price as the KA because someone changed their mind on it. We were ready to get it -- then changed our minds also. LOL
coast2
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks to everyone who has responded to my original question! There seems to be a consensus forming: KitchenAid offers the least expensive built-in refrigerator.

Anyone disagree?
jacobsmishpacha
16 years ago
If you are willing to get a counter-depth refrigerator instead of a built-in, you can save a bundle. There are french-door varieties by a number of manufacturers (kitchenaid and GE come to mind). They only come in 36" width; however, so they might not work so well for a large family.

We are living okay with one at the time though (family of five), in the apartment we are living in during our remodel. We do also have a beverage refrigerator in the dining room which helps out a bit.
guadalupe
16 years ago
If you shop, it will be the Kitchenaid, then Monogram and the most expensive will be Sub. The rest are just there with no good reason for being there and that includes the often repaired Viking.
heimert
16 years ago
guadalupe -- you will also see Liebherr (in certain sizes) and Bosch/Thermador/Gaggenau, which now are manufactured by BSH group (owns those brands), instead of kitchenaid. But, true, the others (Jenn-Air, older style Thermador, Viking) are all built by or derive from a Whirlpool brand (Amana, Kitchenaid, Maytag, Whirlpool).

Cutting to the chase: cheapest built-in refrigerator

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Cutting to the chase: cheapest built-in refrigerator

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