Hi, a few points for you:

1. Counter depth vs built in is going to be about a $5,000 price difference for a good quality built in.

2. There are very few counter depth refrigerators that accept panels, and IMHO it looks cheesy to put the panels on a counter depth. It will never look like a sleek wall of cabinets. You'd be better off doing the counter depth in S.S. to match any other S.S. appliances.

3. If your budget allows, there are a couple built in options. I recently ordered a Sub-zero bi-36u along with all new cabinets. The bi is not completely streamlined as you can still tell it's a fridge even with the panel due to some gaps and the obvious compressor up to, but we chose it because it had more fridge space and we like the compressor high up compared to their fully integrated line. The custom panel was more expensive by $400 for the bi than the fully integrated because it required a backer panel compared to the fully integrated that has a screw on bracket system.

4. Also consider the Miele built in, it was my top choice as I liked the looks and feel, but the only reason I didn't buy was the some of the floor models I encountered had loose or broken plastic trim around the doors. Seemed like a design flaw to me. Oh and the rubberish gaskets inside the fridge for the multi zone compartments discolored and became dirty easily.

Hope that helps!

Did your sub zero offer a water dispenser inside? I can't bear the thought of having to buy bottled water again.

You would need to go to a 42" or 48" to get the water and ice. I believe they had it in the door but they just came out with an updated series that has water and ice in the fridge itself. One of the first things to break on fridges are the ice and water in the door. Ours just has the ice bin, but we have a reverse osmosis system with a spout at the sink. We are putting in 4,000 sq. ft. of new white oak hardwood floors, and I've seen too many water damaged floors due to broken ice makers in the doors and using a plastic line in lieu of a copper line to be comfortable with.

This is a good thread and I don't want to hijack it but, Skibum, can you tell me which RO water filter you chose. Every one I look at has some dissatisfied user comments.

First what size opening will you have?

Do you prefer French door or Side by Side or freezer on Bottom with one big door? Think about clearances with one big door models. With kids running around this was a big pain for us in our old 36" SZ.

If you are really committed to panels, I would suggest the true builtins - looking at Jenn Air or Thermador models (or miele which is similar box). I'm not sure about Monogram / Profile - whether they are true integrated builtins.

If you are open to stainless steel, lots more options exist. And they are cheaper (approx $2000) but still builtin. Or go counter depth (another $2000 cheaper). i didn't like the CD because the freezer space was all cut up with motor stuffed in back corner in the ones i looked at so check that out.

Water only comes in the door of a few models - SZ 42 & 48". Therm/bosch/miele - i don't believe have it. Neither does jenn air (or cheaper cousin KA) models. Monogram / profile do have water in door. We went with filtered chilled water at our second sink. Cheaper and doesn't take up space in the fridge (and perhaps more reliable).

I have a builtin stainless steel Bosch (same on the outside as thermador freedom) and it looks great. But its cheaper because it only comes in SS and its inside is white plastic. Ka is the cheaper cousin for Jennair. I'd a post a picture but i dont think its what you are looking to see.

One more thought - you should look thru finished kitchens blog. There you can see lots of pictures of kitchens and it will say what fridge they used. I recall many CD fridges shown.

Here is a link that might be useful: finished kitchen blog

Catman, I'm not sure the specific brand for the reverse osmosis, but we got an entire treatment system for our well water from EcoWater. The setup was around 10k, but it took care of the sulfur problem we had. The RO worked great, no complaints. And we liked having at the sink as we were able to have purified water which was easily accessible for cooking.

Sophie, my experience was that the panel ready and S.S. were essentially the same price. The panel ready sub was $6,800 and the S.S. was over $8,000. Our panels were $800 and the sub oem handles were another $300. So it pretty much evened out for us.

Skibum - not disagreing with you. I meant more like across the product lines, my observation is that to get panels and fully integrated was going to cost the most amount of money. There are cheaper alternatives to get builtin but you have to give up one of those two. That probably excludes subzero as it seems to be in its own class! The main manufacturers of builts are SZ, GE (monogram/profile), Bosch (bosch, thermador, box for miele, gaggenau?), and kitchenaid/jennair. Lots of alternatives for Cabinet depth. And then there is Leibherr too.

The fact that you want the wall to look as if it is all cabinets tells me that you want "full integrated", not built-in. Subzero makes semi integrated look with their built in but you see the door slightly and the grill cover above the frig. The best place to look at the options is the Subzero web site. They show you how the integrated and built ins look.

One of the big difference is where the air intake grill is. The built ins are at the top which are often covered with panels. The integrated frigs have the grills at the bottom behind the door with a small gap that lets the air flow around it. When the door is closed, you see nothing. The frig is designed so that the bottom of the door is at the same level as all the other cabinets next to it with the toe kick where you should see the standard toe kick.

If you think about it, it makes sense that the gill cover at the top is what gives it away. There is nothing else that can be up there (above 7ft) except the grill cover for the frig and it is a dead give away that it is a frig. Either you don't care or you do.

The Liebherr has the toe kick vent so there are air vents cut into the grill, which makes it a not a "true integrated" Small difference but these things make a difference in the look AND if you know what to look for, it jumps out at you.

Mieles and Boschs are integrated, not built-ins. The do not make a line where the grill cover is at the top. Thermador makes built-in line and integrated line. Subzero makes both also.

There are people that want the look of the SZ built-in so that it "showcases" that there is a SZ there. (This probably helps with resale more than the integrated since more people know what SZ is but not what it takes to do the full integration.) There are people that go the extra mile to make sure that it is fully integrated. Do the research and see what you want.

Good luck.

Thanks Kaismom - nice explanation of the terminology and differences.

I forgot to mention...

one more thing: the hinges allow the fully integrated frigs to be slightly recessed from the side panels (as you would hang some cabinets), about 1/2 to 1 inch recessed from the side panels that wrap the cabinet boxes.

This type of hinge is quite expensive and requires really good tolerance.

There are a few designers that really know how to work with fully integrated frigs but most don't, IMHO. Sometimes, they only really know one manufacturer well but not others. Most designers know how to do BIs because they are common and it is what most people do in that price point.

Here is an inspiration photo for my refrigerator/freezer wall and pantry. It's Amy Zantzinger's kitchen. She has a 36" fully integrated (not built-in) Subzero refrigerator (on the far left size of the photo), followed by a 27" fully integrated Suzbero freezer (in the middle) and pantry cabinet (on the right). These two Subzeros have a door with shelves on top, and two drawers on the bottom.

You can see the Washington Post article and photos of her kitchen, here, which include photos of the fridge/freezer/pantry doors open:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/rethinking-the-everyday-kitchen/2011/03/30/AFurYa4B_gallery.html#photo=1

Her cabinetry was custom built by The Master's Woodshop in Hagerstown, MD. That company's website:

http://www.themasterswoodshop.com/index.php

To see more of Amy's house, see this:

http://www.hamiltonsnowber.com/project_chevychasevillage.html

Good luck with your decision!

She has a 36" fully integrated (not built-in) Subzero refrigerato

jmcgowan et al - ALL "fully integrated" fridges are by default "built-in".

However, all built fridges are not "fully integrated". A fully integrated fridge is able to conceal all of itself, while a built in often has trim showing, or toekick exposed, or compressor grates showing.

Slightly off topic, but that is a gorgeous kitchen and a gorgeous house.

Fully integrated are pretty expensive. A built in with panels is a much cheaper option and you get a lot of the same look. You can integrate it with SS. Here is our KA from 1998, still going strong. We recently upgraded all of the other appliances to SS but left the frig alone, given the look and that it is working fine.

[IMG]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/Tarheel72/Appliances/CIMG4349.jpg[/IMG]