42' Jenn Air - Fully Integrated French Door

13 years ago

Does anyone have this particular refrigerator? I am looking for pros/cons feedback from actual users. Nailing down my integrated ref. decision and this one is ideal in terms of capacity.

However, I am somewhat concerned about the FD (is it really that reliable) and frankly whether Jenn Air is putting out as good of a product as their marketing materials claim they do. Other contenders are SZ (736 - although the layout and inside look are a bit dated and the refridge capacity is super small) and T'dor 30" Freedom which I would need to supplement with undercounter freezer drawers (likely SZ).

Any comments/suggestions/input you have are very welcomed!

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Comments (5)

francoise47
13 years ago
Interestingly, (and for what it is worth) Consumer Reports gives a higher rating to the Jenn-Air 42" sxs than the SZ, Miele, or Thermador. I haven't yet seen their rating for the Jenn-Air 42" French door that you are interested in. (Personally, I've always found the French Door style very awkward although I know that many people love them.) I'll be curious to hear from others about their experience with the new re-tooled Jenn-Air integrated refrigerators.
dodge59
13 years ago
Way back in 2005-2006 when I bought my Jenn-air 48" built in, there were only 3, 48" choices back then, GE, SZ and JA.

JA was rated #1 back then (for reliability) whilst you can guess where SZ was.

Ja Continues to rank on or near the top ON CR for reliability--note I said "Reliability" ---I mention this as some criticize CR's taking price and value into account, but we are just talking about which one are most likely not to need service.

Unfortuntately, like other appliances---you can not nor should you assume, because their Fridges are good so must be their cooking products---(Ovens and Cooktops) Reviews and posts here on GW confirm, as many have posted here, This is not the case.

Good luck with your decision, our JA has been totally trouble free since we bought it and very quiet due to its variable speed compressor.

Good Luck with your decision!

Gary
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Don't buy it! The French door design of this refrigerator is seriously flawed. If you open the right door first, which most people will do, then open the left door, a normal next step, and close the right door, the left door will smash against the glass of the right door when you try to close it. The problem lies in the fact that the hinge attached to the left door does not retract far enough to clear the right door. This is my third French-door refrigerator (other brands) and I have never had this problem before. Here is what Jennair has to say in their user guide: “ There are two refrigerator compartment doors. The doors can be opened and closed either separately or together. There is a vertically-hinged seal on the left refrigerator door. ■ When the left side door is opened, the hinged seal automatically folds inward so that it is out of the way.” I bought this fridge over a year ago and have had at least three different repairmen come more than six times to try and repair it. They have changed the hinge twice, to no avail. They have installed shims to level the back of the fridge, no improvement. I called again today and they are sending a new technician to view the situation. I am not holding out much hope.
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Hi, Thanks for your posts. According to the specs I would need 24 5/8. I guess it would be safer to have the panels 25". I could always move the refrigerator forward 3/8". I think I would rather have a little too much than taking a chance of having some of the black showing. 25" would bring the panel to the edge of the countertop. Will that look alright, or should the panel only go to the end of the cabinets? I can't tell from the pictures if the panel is equal to the countertop. Thanks Gail
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tinker, the KA II 42" IS fully integrated. I have the French Door version. It is fully integrated and built in with custom panels. We love it! Make certain your contractor and kitchen designer understand that you want it fully integrated with your adjoining cabinetry. It takes some expertise. If you are putting panels on, READ the DIRECTIONS before you order custom panels. Integration requires certain sizes vs non-integration. You'll need open space at the top of the refrigerator, so don't think about putting a cabinet above it, and the electric/plumbing needs to be placed in precise areas behind the fridge. Good Luck.I believe the new model # is KBFN502EPA
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My 2 cents on appliances with the integrated panels vs stainless steel. it's all fun and games and pretty until you have to replace an appliance! Often the new appliance has different specs then you have to find someone to make you a new panel and then the wood is a slightly different shade or the older wood has lightened or darkened. When I had my kitchen redone I did the dishwashers and refrigerator with custom panels. One dw was a bosch and one was Fisher paykel drawers. My FPdrawers gave endless trouble a few years ago so I gave up using them and sat wtih them for years as I knew I wasn't going to get the same product again but then did I put a wood panel on the new dw or have a stainless steel model? My carpenter said he could never match up the same wood perfectly. I had an extra panel that had not been used but it had been kept in a basement closet so it hadn't weathered like my other doors had. After being paralyzed with indecision for years I just went with a stainless bosch and am trying to tell myself that the ovens, mw and warmer drawer are all stainless so it matches. But I can't get used to it. My paneled subzero is on life support and if it gets replaced the newer models have different panel specs. I'm now doing a new kitchen in a different house and am definitely not putting in paneled appliances.
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greeneyes620_me_com
12 years ago
Jenn Air 42" french door is awesome but still a little pricey. Jenn Air, Kitchen Aid and Kenmore are all made by whirlpool.. Kitchen Aid has a 42" french door that is more reasonably price.. They all are great products...
David_V
12 years ago
Overall, I'd say I'm pleased with the unit for the couple months we've owned it. Caveat, it was the only refrigerator I looked at simply because I essentially stole it from the Sears Outlet (returned custom order). Had I paid retail, it possible I might be more critical regarding it's performance. I'm not sure, but I wanted to throw that possible bias out there.

Layout and construction seem solid. Door hinges look and feel stout. The adjustable glass shelving in the refrigeration seem very stable and are well finished. The drawers inside the refrigerator are a good size; I'd like it if top drawers had the LED lighting like the bottom as I don't get as much ambient light through the top of the drawer/bottom shelf as I'd like. Maybe it wouldn't bother me if the bottom drawers weren't illuminated so well in comparison, but they are so it does a little.

It's our first bottom freezer, so I don't really know how to compare it. I think it fits more than our previous side by side. It's definitely easier to take stock of everything. There is the large drawer that is divided into three sections, an ice drawer for the ice maker, and another drawer next to the ice. The ice maker and other drawer both slowly retract if you let go of them, which is kind of slick but probably unnecessary. No crystals (other than the time my wife didn't close the drawer all the way overnight) or weird smells.

I can't really comment on the sound levels since I have it installed into an open stud frame. It's not bad, the noise seems higher in frequency than I remember our last but lower in level. I don't know whether it will increase or decrease when we do the final installation. Either way, I don't see it as being an issue for us. I feel I can comment on the ice maker. You definitely notice when it is filling up and emptying cubes, but they're short, infrequent disturbances.

Hope that helps.
remodelzombie
12 years ago
Glad to hear this....I've already bought the custom cabinets with custom panels for this refrigerator. I'll be doing my appliance purchases soon. I did so much research before ordering my cabinets. There are several 42" side by sides out there (and I'm not a side by side fan), but this is THE only 42" french door refrigerator out there right now and 42" was all I had available in my kitchen plan.

42' Jenn Air - Fully Integrated French Door

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francoise47

dodge59

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