I have the 642 sxs overlay SubZero and I love it!!! It keeps veggies, cheese, lunchmeat, etc. fresh for a really long time. It blends in with my cabinetry. My model does not have the through the door water and ice.

Well, I went the other route... I liked the SZs quite a lot, but the sticker shock was too much esp. after we had sprung for our Lacanche Cluny. So I got a Jenn Air panel-accepting fridge instead; my KD said it would look integrated except for the very small stainless rim around the outside. Well, now when I look at my nearly completed kitchen, the fridge is the only thing I am not 100% thrilled with. While it's counter-depth and there's plenty of room behind it, it has to stick out a bit from the plane of the surrounding cabinetry to fully open the doors, which is necessary to fully open the crisper drawers. Mind you, it's not terrible, but it's not my ideal. So if fully integrated is really important to you, and the $ is not a deal-breaker... go for it, you'll be glad you did every time you look at that fridge ;-)

The only thing I regret about my SZ is that I didn't get the next size up :) When we remodel the remodeled kitchen I'm gonna get a HUGE one LOL Just so I can have a fridge I can keep a small football field in during the winter.

Really, SZ is a great fridge, and they do fit so much better into a design because of their special hinges.

I'm getting the built-in Kitchen Aid 42 inch French door that accepts panels because I really, really want the french door, the bottom freezer, & I really don't want the side-by-side. But that's just a personal preference of mine.

BUT, if I were getting the SxS I would definitely get the Sub Zero for the completely integrated look (I understand and accept that the KA will stick out a little bit). We're not rich people, but this kitchen is something I'm doing once, and I want to make it as close to what I want as possible. A few years from now I don't think I'll notice or think about the few thousand dollars that we won't have, but I'll notice the gorgeous kitchen every day.

There are enough things that I'm giving up either because there's only so much space to work with, or because the price really is astronomical and out of the question - the stunning thick glass counters that I fell in love with come to mind. I say go for anything that's do-able that you'll love.

I have a 27" fridge/freezer unit plus undercabinet fridge drawers, both integrated. I have to say I chose SZ for design reasons but 2 years later I love both units for the way they perform as well. No problems, easy to see everything, easy to clean, holds well during power outages..... Really does seem to take care of food better than my last new fridge. If the price tag doesn't keep you up at night & you love it, why not. It's an indulgence of course but I'm quite happy with mine.

As north40mom says, SZ can fully integrate which was a big deal to me. On the other hand, if I didn't have major design issues I wouldn't have considered SZ due to cost.

(PS I also have BS RNB 36 -- can't say enough good things about that range, you won't regret it.)

Don't hesitate Do It! We did the SZ 601 Refrigerator and SZ 601 Freezer in our new house opposite each other as it is a galley kitchen with full overlay panels. I absolutely love it. Its my first SZ's and was a huge splurge but worth every penny. It looks great outside but I love the space, the design and how the great design makes cleaning so easy. Love the visibility of the food and have said to the humor of my friends every woman should have at least one Sub Zero in their lifetime. Good Luck

I just purchased my second SZ for my new house. Last one was 8 years old and the new owners of my house said it was one of the selling points for them. They really do keep food fresher longer.

For what it is worth, there was a subzero in the country house we bought outside the city, and it has been amazing. A few months ago I left lettuce in the drawer (oops) and didn't get back for 3 weeks-- it was still good!
The fridge part did fail this summer, and I called them up-- it was still under warranty for parts, but not labor (I think it was over 10 years old), but they covered the labor too, because "they were never happy with that particular compressor" The serviceman replaced everything-- all the guts of the fridge-- and it is basically a new machine at no cost to me. Amazing service.
We are just about to move and are planning to put in a new kichen: no surprise what fridge I want to have!

Sorry to be the lone SZ non-enthusiast so far. We got a built-in when we built our home over 12 years ago. It looks great (still does), but has had every conceivable problem (big and small) throughout the entire time. Other than the inconvenience, the problems didn't hurt us too much financially because of its good warranty, but we're long past that point now. Our appliance repairman says that SZ used to be a top-of-the-line brand, but shifted to cheaper components and their repair record has reflected that. You may or may not think Consumer Reports is a good reference, but FWIW, SZ has the worst brand repair history, by far, of all fridge brands as reported this past fall. The survey covered purchases made between 2002 and 2006. On the other hand, I do recall a recent post that said SZ was "improving", but there weren't any specifics provided. You might want to check out the large KitchenAid, very highly rated by CR and with an excellent repair history. Good luck with your selection!

North40mom's experience is the exact reason I just bit the bullet and bought a SZ. I did not want to get all the way done with this kitchen and regret the fridge. Going into this remodel I really wanted the SZ integrated and kept putting it off looking at every other paneled fridge I could find trying to make myself happy with something less expensive. But I couldn't. And once you put in cabinets for a regular fridge, unless you've planned enough height for a SZ, there is no going back. I couldn't go back a few years from now and re-do this decision. So, I said, five years from now those few extra thousand are nothing IF I really can swing for it and that fridge makes me happy every day from now on! So, my SZ 700 series fridge is in the garage awaiting installation day (who knows how long that will take!) I hope that helps! If you can swing the cash, I think it will be a look you prefer.

I love the look, quality and size of a SZ. But they don't last any longer than any other fridg. Soooooooooooooooo, now is when you decide if in 10 years(the life of a fridg) your going to feel like spending the money "again" to buy another one. I don't mind spending money on say a BMW, when the muffler goes out in 10 years you don't buy a whole new car, but..........with a Sub zero....you buy another one. That is when I purchased a counter depth fridg. I looked ahead....if that's not your style, then today is a good day to buy a SZ!!! :0)

DH's grandmother's SZ was old in her kitchen when I met her in 1980, so it was at LEAST 20 years old when she moved in 2000, and still going strong. That - and the fully-integrated appearance- were the reasons we went with a SZ when we remodeled, and it was money well spent.

i'm going to chime in... mine must have been a lemon (although lots of posts on the appliance board would suggest otherwise). i had a 650 bottom freezer and in the three years we owned it the serviceman was there five times. the icemaker was the culprit. there was a little piece of plastic that would break off every once in a while. lots of people love them, but still lots of others have had their share of headaches. it's like anything else, i suppose. GL!

I was going to go with SZ until I discovered Liebherr on the applicance forum. Better quality, half the price. 36in should be out on the market soon.

Whatever fridge you go with I would recommend the 48" over the 42". The freezer is very narrow on the 42", and the price difference is only about $100 or so.

agree about going with the 48 inch over 42. When we bought our subzero the appliance store highly recommended we go with 48inch as they said the price difference was not that large but the space difference was significat. We love ours.

Wow. This is so great. Lots of positive feedback, which if I'm being honest I was hoping to hear (!), and the number of good experiences seems to outweigh the number of the not-so-good ones.

I really, really like the look, even in stainless (v. the integrated panels, which I haven't made a decision on), and we buy loads of veggies, cheese and fruit, sometimes in bigger batches than we can handle (or I don't get around to making the dish I had planned, and so the food sits around for longer, all too often deteriorating before I get to it), so being able to keep that food at its peak is important to me. I'm convinced, and will look into the 48", based on the recommendations. Now that I ditched the wall oven from the plan (I think), I've a bit more room. The 48" that we saw clearly must have been in a whole different league, as it was double the price of the 42", and definitely out of our reach.

I highly recommend you search Subzero refrigerators on the Appliance Forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Appliance Forum

I have a 36" SZ 650 and love it. It is 4 years old and we had one repair- totally covered.
It looks great, has plenty of room (not so much in the freezer, however), and keeps my food fresher much longer.
As far as fridge space goes, I also have an undercounter wine/beverage center, and 2 other refrigerators in my house.
You see "SZ" written in real estate ads as a selling point, too.
Go for it!

I think if you really want it you should get it. I personally didn't feel the need to get a SZ fridge but there were other things I questioned spending extra money on. I decided I was only doing this once and I didn't want to have regrets later. In retrospect I'm really glad I made the choices I did even though I splurged more than I originally thought I would.

My parent's SubZero is 28 years old. Over the years they had to replace the compressor but otherwise it's been great. I don't know if the build quality these days is still the same though.

We're going to buy the SZ 736 with the fridge on top & two freezer drawers underneath. We're getting the model without the icemaker. Does anyone have the 736?

Thanks!

ccc123 - - I have the 736 with no icemaker sitting in my gargage! I can't tell you how well I like it, YET! But I'm very excited for the day it gets installed and I am able to use it!

As others have said, if you like the Sub Zero, and you can afford it, without having to sacrifice other things (including retirement savings) then you should get it, and enjoy it. Absolutely.

But if you're choosing it because you think there aren't alternatives, there are. There are many excellent quality clones out there, including the Liebherr, for thousands less.

I say this because a kitchen designer came into my house and told me I HAD to have this one Sub Zero fridge. It was the only one that would work in my space. Not true. My research, here and other places online, turned up several very good alternatives in a range of prices with the same dimensions. (She was not getting a kickback that I know of. She was, I believe, just used to dealing with "Sub Zero people" and assumed that's what I wanted to be told.)

We all have our splurges, but at least we should know all our choices. Enjoy your fridge!

We're waiting for 2 things before purchasing our new fridge. SZ is redoing their line, tentatively due out this summer. And we're waiting on the Liebherr 36", also due out any time now. We'll weigh these against the Thermador Freedom series and make our choice then.

SZ has been a great name, but there are more advanced options right now to the current SZ offerings. You are fixing to spend a lot of money - I'd humbly suggest giving it just a little more time.

Spoke with the SZ rep. for my region. The changes won't be big -- new air purification and water filtration systems, and some minor cosmetic changes. So, nothing that would influence my decision. They'll also rise in price, of course. For those who are interested in the new BI versions, a big kitchen design show in Chicago in April will have them on the floor. They'll be available in stores sometime in the fall (launching in the summer), the rep. thinks.

We went with the SZ (650) and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I think I hear angels singing when I open it. ;) My DH comments *every* day on how awesome it is.......and he normally does not voice an opinion unless it is VERY strong. :)

Good luck w/your choice!

Dorothy