All in all, yes, I'd buy Marvel again, though I might look more closely at Perlick first. From what I've heard they may be quieter. I can't remember why I decided against them in the first place, but they weren't high on my list. It might just have been that there were more Marvel units on the floors of the showrooms. I was being a bit facetious when I said the Marvel are not quiet. They're actually loud. When they were first plugged in, and there was no other noise in my kitchen, and I was working hard, I had to unplug. That initial cooldown is unrelenting. I plugged back in so it could cool overnight with no one in the room. With the kitchen running, with the hood on, and/or people talking, and/or music or TV, I don't notice the drawers cycling. I was sitting quietly, alone, the other day, watching a TV show I'd recorded, and did notice the noise. It wasn't enough to be bothersome over the TV, but it was noticeable. The TV stands just about right over the fridge drawers, which open on the opposite side of the island from the seating. I wouldn't give up the amount of usable space, inc. drawer height for the bottles, for something quieter. That might have been the issue with Perlick. It's amazing how much the Marvel hold. I've put a 22 lb. turkey, in the cardboard carton it came in, in the top drawer. That's bigger than my Graniteware roaster, which also fits with plenty of room to spare. The crazy thing is that while the cycle is loud, the drawer open alarm is very tiny. It can't be heard outside of the kitchen, unlike the timers on my stove and ovens which also are beeps but can be heard in the living room. When there's an open drawer and one comes into the kitchen, there's a "what's that?" thing, like a travel alarm going off forgotten in a suitcase. Not for a contemplative area, but should be fine anywhere there's a bit of hustle bustle. Oh! Right. Mine are also raised on a small platform because the island is a bit raised. That might make them louder too.

Bump

I have Marvel 24". I chose it because it seemed to hold more than any of the others. I use it for produce, but also wine, juice and milk. It works very well. And it's true that you can put tall bottles upright in the lower drawer. As far as I can tell it holds temperature fine, but I haven't measured. The produce stays fresh as well as in my Miele fridge. Cons: It's true that it is noisy, especially when it's first cooling down. It doesn't cycle on that often, and in a busy kitchen it's not bad, but in a family room or similar it might be too loud. Also, the gasket on the lower drawer is kind of puffy and it doesn't line up quite right. I'm sure I could get someone out to try to fix it, but I've had too much else to do. Or I might be stuck with it. It's no big deal. Just a minor irritation. In a more prominent location it would be another story. I agree with Lascatx on the Perlick reputation for quality.

Dear Johnny Dollar, My kitchen planner/cabinet rep was the one who suggested alder with this stain to soften the redness in the wood. I had initially wanted natural maple, as in our old kitchen. The light color of maple just was not right with the madre perla, the new oak floors, and all the other colors. The softness of the wood was never discussed and this is the first time that I have heard about it. We are almost empty nesters, so this kitchen will not get as much wear and tear as in a family with young kids. So far no gauges or dents or chips. The cabinets were made halfway across the country from where I live, so staining was not done on my premise. The finish on the cabinets looks very even.