We are making the same decision right now -- either sub zero or thermador for a 36" French Door. I'm leaning towards Thermador based on (i) price (cheaper to start, then factor in the free range hood and it beats the sub by a $3k or more); and (ii) some aesthetic aspects, like the integrated look, the LED column style lighting, and that it would match a touch better with a Thermador range (which includes a free dishwasher). Based on name along, and my support of American manufactured products, I wanted the sub, but it's really hard to justify the extra money, particularly when I already have a hard time justifying the extra spend over the price of a Samsung FD which worked just fine for me for 5 years. But I would love to hear if anyone has any other thoughts. When is the Sub Zero 42 inch French Door coming out? I see it in the design guide, so I assume sometime this year.

Since no one has replied i will say i have the Bosch built in refridgerator french door with stainless steel doors(i can't find the model you are talking about). It is a twin to the Thermador builtin fridge 36"(bosch owns thermador) - only the interior is different. The fridge works great. Very quiet - beautiful. Lighting is very nice. Drawers are nicely designed. I think the thermador has an elevator shelf which is about the only difference (and different color inside). Its tricky to install. I think thats the source of my only problem with the fridge which is the loose freezer drawer (moves slightly side to side when pulled open). Not enough of an issue to call service. I've had a year now. good luck!

I have had a 30" Freedom refrigerator and 24" Freedom freezer for a year. I haven't had any trouble with them, and I would buy them again in a second. I love to be able to really see everything in there. I am 5' 7", but I would agree anyone under 5'2" or so might have trouble with that top shelf. Mine are panelled and I love the way they disappear into the cabinets. However, getting the panels put on was difficult and took awhile. This will add to your cost, and you might need to take that into account with your budget. Also, the cabinet makers (a local custom shop) didn't make them correctly the first time, and they needed to be redone (at their expense, fortunately.

@r, I thought I would chime in here to just say that I don’t think you are “obsessing“ at all regarding the use of knobs in this case. One of the most crucial variables in any kind of industrial design is the way we interface or interact with whatever the product is. Most of us utilize capacitive touch controls or infrared type touch controls on a constant basis with everything from iPads, smart phones, as well as any number of house appliances. But I would suggest that your instinct regarding cooktop or rangetop controls makes a lot of sense. Consider the difference in using a wall oven versus a cooktop. Most cooks in the kitchen can get the opportunity to wipe their hands in order to use touch capacitive controls on a wall oven. Of course, the case could be made that turning a simple dial, can be more intuitive, then going through a series of menus to get to where you want to go, since in the end, the mission of the wall oven has not really changed very much since our grandparents time which is essentially to bake the cake or roast the chicken. The reason I suspect that cook tops and range tops, as well as ranges are a particularly good candidate for knobs is due to the fact that the controls are often placed on a horizontal plane. Many people, especially those who are new to induction appliances for example, have learned a hard lesson as the very sensitive touch controls do not always take kindly to steam, water, droplets, and oil or gravy splatters. It is not hard to imagine why this is problematic because if you put any of these liquids on top of your smart phone screen, you would discover that the touch controls that works so beautifully such as the ones I’m using right now on my iPhone to create this post do not take kindly to having these substances on top of them. There are lots of examples of folks who have touch capacitive controls on these horizontal locations where the entire appliance is either shut down or thrown off its game. Of course, the majority of modern products that have knobs do not use the analog/mechanical controls of knobs of the past, but are in fact, “knobs“ that interface with micro control boards behind them. Still, there is an entire field of design that studies user interaction, and I do think that, at least, in some instances, such as with cooktops, knobs actually, do make a lot of sense. One can certainly debate where the best location for those knobs would be to avoid getting splatters on them since Cleaning knobs is not exactly, a fun time for most folks. Some people would assume that installing Touch Sensitive controls in all sorts of consumer products that once used knobs, levers, and buttons, is simply a design trend, and I’m sure there is truth to that. But a little voice inside also suggests to me, that one of the reasons they have moved away from knobs and especially the electromechanical kinds used in the past, is due to the cost of manufacturing. I do not have a data set to support this theory, but if you consider the labour and the bewildering amount of copper wiring that went into something such as a 1950 electric stove, some of which had lots of extra features, you can begin to imagine the cost savings of having a micro “motherboard“ taking the place of all that complex analogue electrical structure. I truly enjoy all of the benefits and possibilities that I have with my smart phone, laptop, iPads, etc. But I do think your instincts for knobs are not without merit, because sometimes, appliance designers attempt to answer questions that no one ever asked. My two. Cents 🤔.