I have the new BI Sub that has the cab even with the rest of the cabs. Yes the top grill is still at the top but the top shelf can easily be reached by my 5'2" wife but not on the Miele. I (wife) like's the storage size in the Sub over the Miele on the 48 wide versions. I never really notice the top of the Sub but we have darker wood no louver covers and not stainless steel.

Yeah, sort of. I grew up with SubZeros and was sure that was what I wanted (though I was still using my cheap fridge from grad school), but I couldn't find a combination that was just right and don't like the interiors of the new ones as well. When I met the Mieles I had an aha. But they're not in use yet, though installed, as the kitchen is still being finished. I like the layout and door better. I'm fine with SubZero looks.

In other words, I have found the current crop of SubZeros not quite the same, in a bad way, as the 550. I'm sure the works are much improved, but I like the innards of the Miele so much better!

Can't speak to the Subs but we have the Miele 36" all fridge and all freezer units installed and running for about a year now. We did look at the SZ but liked the layout and functionality of the Miele better and the price was very comparable. Also research here led me to believe the SZ were not that reliable and our experience with Miele and their support had been phenomenal so we went with the Miele and other than the cost, have not regretted our decision at all.

I LOVE them. They are huge, completely integrated (some people coming into our house for the first time often wonder where they are) and ABSOLUTELY silent.

The shelves are easy to adjust, the lighting is excellent, the shelves contain spills and the draws have full extension glides and are easy to pop out for cleaning.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

BTW, if you look at my kitchen in the FKB those pictures have the original $%^&y GE Monogram units that needed replacing within a year. We anticipate these will last our lifetime and dh says they better considering what they cost LOL

As a happy, happy SZ 650 owner (fridge is now 4 years old), be sure to find out about how well the Miele keeps fruit and veggies. This is my first SZ, and I continue to be blown away by the way the SZ 650 keeps fruit & veggies really fresh, for much longer than any other fridge I've had.

I know Miele makes wonderful appliances, and I'm wild about their vacuum cleaners, but, I have no experience with the Miele refrigerator.

Good luck in making your decision.

OK, I have the Miele all fridge and freezer units, but I would not describe them as absolutely silent. For the most part they are quiet. However there are times when the freezer becomes quite loud. I have had Miele out several times to check on the noise, but since it is intermittant they never catch it "doing its noise thing". We have had the ice maker replaced and the electronic panel on both the fridge and now the freezer. Units owned one year, initial repairs done in the first 4 months. All that said, I love the look, how the far the doors open and how easily they open, the lighting, the depth of the shelves, and how the drawers open and close. Shelves are easily adjustable and really hold quite a bit. They are tall for me, but I find that it is easy to find things on the upper shelf by looking through the glass from the bottom. I'm pretty short! i wanted the compressor on the bottom for noise control otherwise we would have purchased the SubZ. However, now that we've used the Miele columns, I would purchase them again.

Wow, lucy, ours truly are silent. You cannot hear the ice fall into the bin and I have never heard either compressor and I sometimes sit in the kitchen for hours reading.

Thanks for the info, everyone. As beth4 suggests, can anyone comment on how well (and how long) the Miele keeps fruits and veggies fresh? That is one of the things I prize most about the SZ.

Much longer than any other fridge we've ever had LOL

And that comes after the units the Miele's replaced... brand spanking new never before used GE Monogram top of the line all fridge and freezer units THAT HAD MOLD GROWING in the drip pan RIGHT NEXT TO THE VEGGIE DRAW within one year of purchase.

Seriously though, we used to throw out so much and now find it lasts way longer. We have one drawer for veggies and another just for fruit. We eat so much that we are eating everything before it goes bad and only shopping once a week or every 10 days for fresh fruit and veggies. I used to shop at least once and sometimes twice weekly with the old fridges both the one original to the house and then with the GE one in our new remodel too. It took me a while to track down the mold growth and when GE wouldn't fix it, the fridge had to go.

I also plan meals to use the most perishable stuff (soft fruits and veggies first) first and the hardier stuff later in the week, a habit I needed to develop with our old fridge (before we even began the remodel). With the Miele I have come across veggies dh had purchased up to two weeks previously and they are still fine.

This thread seems outdated, but I wanted to ask a question.....

Does anyone here have the 36" fully integrated freezer on the bottom fridge on top Miele? We purchased ours about a year ago and have had huge noise problems with this unit. Miele is working with us trying to address the problem, but I fear we are getting to the end of the line, and we might have to ditch it for a sub zero. Can anyone here comment on their experience with this unit? We are going to head in to SF to the Miele Gallery to see if their unit in their showroom makes any of the same sort of noises. It doesn't seem right and we are unable to get used to the sounds. At first it was a pretty dramatic thrumming noise, and now it's about half the intensity it was before, but more of a motor running all the time sound. It's fairly loud. We are so bummed out because otherwise we love this refrigerator and want to keep it. It's so beautiful and functions beautifully. But the NOISE is driving us nuts. I'd love to hear what others think......