Here's a link to the Fisher and Paykel U.S. web site. I noticed when I searched those two model numbers - most of the hits were from Australia. Don't think that would do you much good!

Here is a link that might be useful: Fisher and Paykel U.S.

amy -- thanks for that. I swear I checked out that model and other sites said the door was not reversible. Have you ever ordered from that dealer?

mcps -- Fisher & Paykel did not get a good rating from Consumer Reports for repair record, fwiw.

Harriet, the door probably is not reversible per se....you have to make sure you order the correct door swing. That's different than the old days when we could just change the hinges and move the handle. Make sure you get the right door swing when you order....I bought a floor model Sub Zero for my new kitchen and I got it wrong! Not a dreadful mistake, but I am disappointed.

I have not ordered from AJ Madison and their reviews are mixed. I do think that people who have complaints tend to post reviews more frequently. I know I do! You can get lucky, or not, with almost any vendor.

I will say that I have done business with US Appliance and was very happy. They also have the KA, and an Amana...a brand I've liked in the past. In fact, I bought a small Amana this summer for our summer place and I love it. The search function on US Appliance is unwieldy, but it looks like thay have some good option for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: KA

I went ahead and ordered the KA. They can reverse the doors -- that's what they said on the phone -- and they'll deliver it next week.

Thanks for all the help, everyone.

I see you made your selection, but just for informational purposes ... When I was looking, I kept seeing 'reversible handle' on most of the products. I think in the past, the standard was to order right or left.

This is what the Features section said in the link to the JA. It's a bit cryptic. When previously searching, there was an option for custom panels, but the standard is ss, white, or black. Maybe that's what this is supposed to mean. That site seems to be selling the stainless version.

° Requires Custom Panel (not included)
° Available in Black or White Textured Steel Cabinet with Sleek Stainless Steel Handles

Rainbow Appliances, below, shows it in white, $2K.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jenn-Air in White, Reversible Handle

Squirrel, thanks. The Jenn-Air looks almost identical to the KA except for the handle design. Also, the KA has a smooth finish, which I prefer because it's much easier to clean. Price and features are the same (except the dealer I ordered from waived the shipping charge, so it's a little less overall).

I basically had the guy on the phone, they had it in stock, and the price was pretty good, so I went ahead and ordered it. Keeping my fingers crossed that it works out ...

These are stressful purchases, aren't they. I'm amazed to read the short lifetimes on these major appliances, which are extremely expensive, imo. My refrig just went and it was 30 years old! It was probably about $400, and fairly early on it had an expensive repair, but has been fine since. I know, not efficient and I hated it anymore, but it reallly lasted. My 12yo Maytag w/d is, fortunately, also from a great older and sturdy design, so should be good for years to come, thankfully. Thought that had to be replaced now, too, but it only had a minor problem.

I've been liking the Maytag bottom freezer, but Maytag's refrig repair history doesn't seem to be that great, according to Consumer Reports. Better than GE on the bottom freezers though. Maybe I'll check out Sears again. Forget what their KA units were like. May have been too expensive or not in bisque. I've pretty much ruled out a wide counter-depth model, though, as my kitchen is small and I want the counter span. Can't wait to get a new bottom-freezer one, though!! and can't wait till the purchase is over!

Good luck with yours!!

My counter-depth Kitchen Aid Refrigerator is only 6 years old and already I have to replace it. It's not the frig itself that broke down, it's the water dispenser. My sister was right, years ago she warned me about refrigerators with ice and water dispensers, they're the first parts to break. But I went ahead and bought one anyway because I was sick of paying for bottled water. I figured whatever part breaks I'll just have repaired. How nieve was I!

So now the little plastic tube that dispenses the water has split in half. I call a highly recommended, reputable repairman so he can order the part and replace it for me. He does some research and comes back with the most unbelievable news. Whirlpool (who makes KA) has decided that they won't provide this part. You can't fix the water dispenser tube unless you pay for an entire NEW DOOR! Kaching...$700 not counting labor. Even he said it was not worth it, just go buy a new frig because these things have a short lifespan and after 6 years I might as well. He also told me Whirlpool is making more and more parts unreplaceable so you will have no choice but to buy a new frig.

I checked out LG at Best Buy yesterday. I'm considering that brand because I am happy with my new LG washing machine. Haven't done the research yet so I can't say which one I'll end up buying but right now I'm really jaded on Whirlpool, I do not want to become another victim of this company 5+ years down the road.

Any opinions on the LG refrigerators?

I think they are designed to break down after five years so you either have to do an expensive repair or replace them. Even taking inflation into account, two grand seems like a lot of money for a refrigerator. If only we weren't constrained by the depth issue, I would have just bought a basic top freezer model (though I do like the bottom freezer -- that's what we have currently). They are much less expensive and, I've read, more energy efficient.

Don't get the fad for French door types. It seems like it adds an extra step to opening the fridge, plus it's another door/seal to break down.

Good luck finding bisque, Squirrel! Sears doesn't seem to have as wide a selection as some of these other places. We've had good service from them before, but they just didn't offer what we were looking for this time around.

flyingflower: Is your KA a side-by-side model with the water through the door? I've heard those are more prone to breakage.

The one I ordered has the water dispenser inside, not on the door. The water/icemaker are features I didn't even want, and I'm thinking of not having them attached; is that a bad idea? We don't use that much ice, and we have a pitcher with a filter for water that works pretty well for us. (We're Luddites; what can I say?)

I thought Kitchen Aid was a Sears brand. Who can keep up, it's boring!

FP, can't you just have the icemaker/water dispenser disconnected? I thought hookup was an option for those. I was very tempted, also, for a filtered water ice/water unit, with this new one. I get tired of maintaining ice and the Brita, and hate running out of iced tea! Always read about the repairs though, so I'm skipping it. A lot of them also seem to spray ice on the floor.

Some of the warranties are only for one year. Hard to imagine, for $2000.

I do like the looks of the FDs. I think they're just supposed to be more stylish, basically. Apparently they are supposed to contain some energy, too, by not having to open the entire unit with a full-sized door. I'd get one if it were doable here : )

Am really looking forward to a bottom drawer, though, and being able to see everything at eye level. Actually, I've wanted a glass door frig for years.

One thing that I have learned in my appliance research in the last 6 months is: LG refrigerators have horrible reliability ratings, lots of breakdowns, even fires..check that out on the appliance forum.

It seems no matter what appliance brand you look at, there are some type of problems...I guess they are just not made to last anymore :(.

Remember those old refrigerators that were made like tanks? I think they rusted out before they stopped working. I vaguely remember having one like that when I was little. My parents replaced it with a side-by-side sometime in the 70s. That one lasted a long time, too, IIRC (I didn't pay attention to appliances when I didn't have to buy them myself!).

It's certainly a different world now ...

I really like our LG French Door CD frig. We have the one with water dispensing on the door. It's 2 years and we have not had any issues.

We have a side-by-side with the water on the outside of the door. I don't know what you mean by water inside the door. You have to open the door to get water?

Glad I asked about the LG...I'll steer clear of that one but now I'm really bummed because that means I may have to go back to the KA. We're very limited since it has to fit into the cabinet space and must be a counter-depth model. When I told DH we may be buying a new frig every 5 years he blew his top! I'll have to call out the repairman to fix the husband.

My last frig (a Maytag) never had a problem. This one I've had repaired while it was under warranty. Again, they needed to replace the entire door. At the time I was glad I didn't have to pay. I hated to part with it but it was the wrong color after we remodeled the kitchen and I was so looking forward to a frig with a water/ice dispenser.

Don't tell me the french doors are a problem too! I like that design. I looked at one in the store yesterday and I thought how nice it would be to put large platters in there. The SBS's are so confined. But they make nice freezers...until you try to store something bulky in them.

What I'm not sure I'll like is the bottom freezer drawer that comes with the french doors. Perhaps it's because i'm so used to the vertical SBS design bending over a low freezer drawer seems cumbersome to me. You have to lean over the bulky drawer front and then bend even lower to rummage through that cavity. Am I missing seeing a benefit to this kind of freezer? Dh can't find anything in the freezer as it is (if it's not front row center he won't see it). How do men manage giant pit freezers?!

Description for the KA model I ordered says:

"Interior water dispenser is located just inside the refrigerator door for easy access to filtered water"

I can't picture this, but I'll find out soon enough. Seems really silly when the sink is just a step away. I suppose the advantage is it's cold and filtered.

I have a KA side by side, with a water/ice dispenser in the door, and haven't had any problems these past 6 years. I use it daily.

You'll find the interior water dispenser along the frig frame once you open the door. There's a button with a little spout below it. You have to press the button as it fills..........and also keep the frig door open at the same time.

DS also has a KA and they recently moved to a new home and discovered the handle needed to be on the other side. The handles are not reversible. They had to order a new door and we used the original handle on the new door. Cost: $200.

There is nothing wrong with LG go for it. A friend of mine just bought an LG for her new home and she loves it also. We choose LG over KA because of cubic space and construction.

We originally looked at the KA CD with black floating glass. I did not like sliders on the freezer tray.

harriet...I went to another appliance store yesterday and now I know what they mean by indoor water dispenser. On the model I looked at there is a little tube that sticks out of the interior side wall when you open up the left french door. There is no tray to catch any water that might spill, it's a rather simple little drinking fountain looking thing. You just tip your glass under it and that presses a lever that dispenses the water. No fancy bells and whistles so perhaps this is less like to fail...but if it does you're probably SOL because it goes into the side wall of the frig. There was an ice maker in the bottom freezer compartment, along with a plastic scoop that sits in a slot made for it to remove the ice with. I thought that was a nice addition. But it does take up some freezer space.

I asked the salesman to rate the 3 manufacturers relative to each other...he said first is GE, then comes LG, and lastly Kitchen Aid. Then I went to another salesperson and he pointed out a bad feature to the LG and I could tell he clearly did not like this brand but he too raved about the GE. I remember back when I was shopping for this last frig many people on the forum hated the GE. SO I'm dubious of their recommendations.

It sounds like the bad thing about the LG is the seal on the French door. It's not protected with this flap thingy the others are using now. He says they're behind on that technology and the door seals run against each other which will have problems over time. Did you know LG is made in Korea? I didn't! He said it takes much longer to order a part from LG than from GE.

well I guess it's time for me to go over to the appliance forum and read what they're all saying about these junky refrigerators.

Oh man ... started searching on Kitchenaid + reviews or Kitchenaid + complaints, and there are so many complaints about quality and service.

I wonder if I should cancel my order and think about this some more? Our Amana is working again, for now (just decided to on its own). Aaggh.

harriet, since you've been reading KA reviews has anyone else mentioned broken part(s) cannot be replaced, the only recourse is to buy an entire new door?

No, I don't remember seeing that particular complaint. It was more basic stuff like, "Stopped working the day after it was delivered." :O

I did find one site that named the counter depth bottom freezer KA a "best."

There's a lot of other information there that might be useful, including places to find reviews online. See the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Consumer Search

Update on our refrigerator saga: We changed our minds about the KA and ordered the Summit instead (see link above).

Neither of us was happy about spending $2k on something that wasn't exactly what we wanted. The Summit is smaller (basically, we'll lose half a foot of space in the width, but the height and depth are about the same as what we have), but it's less than half the price of the KA, will fit better into our kitchen, and doesn't have the icemaker and water dispenser that we didn't want anyway taking up room inside.

Only drawback designwise is the stainless steel look, but at least it will go with the brushed stainless faucet and handles in the rest of the kitchen.

And I kept picturing how our current fridge is half or more empty most of the time. We shop once a week or more, don't buy a lot of beverages, and don't store a lot of frozen food. So it seems like a waste to spend money refrigerating empty space. It will be interesting to see if our electric bill goes down.

Well, I got a Summit also -- 28 x 24 x 75. Only in white, but I love it and the SS is also very handsome. I sure hope it lasts a long time. I don't believe it's got any electronics going on, strictly mechanical, so that's a plus, imo, for simple construction and parts.

My old no-whistle fridge lasted 27 years. This one is eco-friendly and only costs $40/yr to operate. Hoping I'm good to go again for a long while : ) Bottom freezer is a dream come true.

I had to go out and search for a Counter Depth Refrig myself - OMG !! 1/2 the fridge for at best 900.00 MORE.

This I do Not Understand at ALL. I was looking at LG and I went on line - You should too and check out real ppl who review such things as appliances.

This site is really helpful. www.buzzillions.com

HUGE Help. See in my House I have to "fit" this fridge into a alcove - because if its not in this alcove ..It would be Where??? No other place for it. I have just gone thru Hell trying to find a fridge to fit in this NEWLY Constructed area within my 1925 kitchen.

Its not delivered yet. But I did buy it. I searched online relentlessly - NOT kidding before I bought it.

Its a Maytag - I found a pic of it online

However this pic is not the Counter Depth Model - The counter depth model is just 20 cubic - the pic is of a 24 - Yet I wanted you to see the " Inside" vs the outside. The inside is what matters.

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/146203050/maytag-mfc2061heb-bb

My Mom had a side by side for years and she hated it with a passion - passion - she could never fit anything in it ever. And she was not a big cook. But when it came down to storage of anything - Nothing ever fit.

I remember that fridge and I too hated it with a passion. My fridge now that I have is shorter than Me. I am 5'5 and I can see over the top of it - that was what the previous owners had installed " Into the alcove".

I can not fit anything as far as a soda in a 24 box - forget it - the top shelve holds nothing. It is so short within the case - Nothing fits. Its like a big Coleman Cooler. CAN NOT WAIT for MY Beautiful NEW Fridge.

Yes I got it in Black :) - I no like white.
Even though its not a side by side - please take a look k

Carmin

We've had the Summit for about a month now. It fits perfectly into the space, and it has quite a bit of room inside.

Don't care for the freezer on top, but it's not that onerous.

It's very quiet, food stays cold, it looks nice.

The only problem with it is that the freezer temp fluctuates a lot, and ice cream doesn't really stay frozen -- not, as DH, says, "spoon-bending hard" -- even though we have it on the coldest setting. So someone is going to come out to look at it this week.

Here's a pic:

Still not sure how good the stainless looks with the other white appliances.

Harriet, I think that's a very nice looking refrigerator. I was contemplating that top freezer, also, but found good pricing for what I really wanted this time -- bottom mount. Thought I was going to have to give up that idea. Then I found a pretty little 10cf LG bottom for only $600! Until I read about fire hazards with their frigs the day before I was going to order it, and had to start all over again.

I can't believe I finally found an affordable counter-depth. It is small, only 13.8 but plenty, I think. I almost got the 9.8! and was really looking forward to trying such a small, manageable frig. It was only $75 more for the larger size where I found it locally (maybe prices had come down a little bit), so I feel more comfortable now that I have this size, that it won't be way too small. My old one was only 16 and full of lost, old stuff. I actually had my heart set on something big and roomy this time. This one is tall and sleek with European styling, so I am loving it! My kitchen looks huge now. It actually has a quick-freeze drawer!

Love those Maytags. That's what I was set on, but had gone from the 32" 20cf down to the 30" 18cf one-door. Even the smaller frigs were too deep, so I would have to look into knocking out the back wall; more $$$. I was thrilled to eventually stumble on the Summit counter-depths. Maybe it was due to this thread, I don't recall, as I did so much online searching it made me dizzy.

Just wanted to share what I ended up with, which might be good for someone else out there with a small kitchen.

Have you seen this one? I've been thinking about this Samsung for my own kitchen (in black - my early 80's Amana monster is about to bite the dust). I've been waiting to see a little more a track record for the fridges, but I dunno.

It doesn't come in white, but it does come in stainless and black and the doors are reversible and it's counter-depth. It's likely not what you're looking for, but I figured I'd mention it. : )

Here is a link that might be useful: SS Samsung CD at Lowes

Oh, shoot... I'm a day late and a dollar short. Nice fridge! :D I like the curvy-ness.

Hi Chicory, I was looking at that one too. I think it's 32" wide though, which was just too wide for here. I did see that one around in white, though. More frequently seen in the ss and black for some reason. Did not see it irl, but looks pretty! Mine has the stylish, curved front too : )

So you bought the Summit? That's a sweet fridge, Squirrel! I have to have CD, but width doesn't matter so much, but I also have teens/monsters to feed, so it's gotta be 20+ CU or else. Refrigerators are totally mind-boggling.

I also got the Summit 13.8 cf CD fridge. I love it!

OK, I spilled the water in the ice cube tray getting it into that freezer shelf, but I'll get the hang of it.

Finding one, with restrictions, is a nightmare. I just can't believe I finally got there! and without having a monster in my kitchen. My other was only 16cf and not as deep as today's, but it still stuck out too much and I always hated that. Plus, it's a narrow kitchen, so I always came into it at an angle to find things, so the top and set back refrigerator is wonderful.

Becca, did you get the ss look finish or the white? I got the white sight-unseen. I was relieved to see it's pretty. Doesn't look at all like the vague picture, esp due to color. The ss is a good-looking fridge, I think. I was lucky enough to find one around here, as there aren't any in the showrooms usually. Those were there as scratch & dent items and went in a flash. Yes, those ice trays are a little tricky. I think my old trays might be easier, larger and less filled. Love those little cubes, though : ) Mine didn't come with the sliding shelf boxes or the bottle rack -- did yours?

Tell me about it! I first got a Frigidaire because it was the shallowest that seemed to exist of the "name" brands. But I have a galley and it hit the cabinet across so I had to sell it on Craigslist (store wouldn't take it back even though it was 100% unused).

Is it SS look? I thought it was actual SS, although it holds magnets so that makes sense. But that's the one I got and it looks really good. You're right, the picture looks like it's a dark gray but it's actually pretty close to my other SS appliances which are GE. I haven't seen the white. In NYC, small appliances are much sought-after so both the local appliance stores I looked at had it (and other Summits) on the sales floor. Seeing that it wasn't really that color helped make up my mind.

And you reminded me, mine did come without the shelf boxes, which was weird, I thought. I meant to call Summit about it and forgot. But it did have the wine rack. I wonder why some would have it and some not?

Anyway, here is the protruding Frigidaire:

And here is the Summit, albeit still covered in plastic. Huge difference!

Very beautiful! It actually looks wide there. Now that is a narrow kitchen. Lots of working room though. Your ceilings must be really high.

I wrote ss 'look' because I thought I'd remembered it was actually a painted finish over metal and I remembered it looking different. Not sure what it is though. It's a pretty finish, though, however it's done. The white is powder finished metal, not the soft textured surface.

Yes, Summit is actually in NY. I was told to go there to see it, lol.

You must love your beautiful new kitchen. It looks great in there : )

I sent an email on the gadgets, but haven't heard back yet.

You know, it does look wide. I think it's just the angle and the relative size of the kitchen, because it's The ceilings are close to 9 feet, yes, and I carved out most of the space on the left from closets on the other side of the kitchen; it was even tinier before. It's so New York to prefer closets over a kitchen! But not me.

Even though Summit is in the Bronx, this one is made at that same factory in Turkey that makes Thermadors and other pricier fridges. Summit units seem to be made just everywhere.

And thanks! Still have the backsplash, trim, and crown molding to go. Since this shot the undercab lights went in.But yes, I already do love it. :D

If you find out anything about those parts, please post, I'd love to know, thanks.

becca, just curious why you have the doors opening from left to right. I have found it's very helpful to have the door swing away from the counter so you can move things from counter to refrigerator more easily.

They do seem to be made all over the place. The model we got (pictured above) was made in Mexico.

Well, first, there is a counter just a few feet across and the door opens over 90 degrees, so loading groceries that way is no problem. But more importantly, that doorway leads to the DR and then the LR. So when I'm sitting at the table or on the sofa, it's easier to reach in and grab the water pitcher or the mustard or whatever.

Honestly, there never used to be a counter to the right of the fridge, so I may find myself regretting that. I have no idea if I will use that one more than the one by the window. We'll see! But I am single and informal and find that I am opening the fridge while in the DR and LR as often as when I'm in the kitchen.

The doors are reversible. Mine came with a little bag of the necessary pieces, and the guy switched it here.

I'm asking about the boxes and rack at Summit and with the store, but haven't heard yet. Summit didn't respond when I asked about finding labels 'Made in Turkey' and a catalogue that said made elsewhere, also. Their website says they're made in the States.

Squirrelheaven, is yours the FFBF280W? I don't see where it says that it's made in the US?

And I wondered what that bag of pieces was, thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Summit FFBF280W

I thought I'd read it on their website. Now I only see that stated about cooktops and other items. When I was at the store, though, the salesman was looking through the catalogue and commented on the same thing, as something said it was made outside the States but there was some sort of a statement about everything being made here. Maybe the refrigs are different. The size smaller (FFBF240W 24" 9.8)seems like it might be the same one as the Vestfrost/Conserv, which is supposed to be from Denmark. Looked like some Deutsch written on some of the packaging bags. Will have to put on my PI hat to recheck that later : )

Verdict on our freezer problem was that it's not working right. :)

We are now waiting for a call about whether they will repair it or just send us a new one.

Customer service has been pretty good on this so far (though I would have preferred a perfectly working fridge).

Bummer. I hope they just send a new one. Do you have any idea what the problem is? Are you dealing with Summit or the store?

The repair guy thought there was something wrong with the compressor. I called Summit directly about this, and they authorized a local repair person to come to my house. The local place will call Summit and let me know what they decide to do.

The repair guy, btw, said that people don't have a lot of problems with the Summits. He had one that was replaced because it was really noisy.

Wow, I've been trying to get info on Summit in the Appliances forum for ages, and except for Harriet's thread there, there's hardly anything. There's ten times as much info here, Thanks!

beccamj, your kitchen looks great. Harriet, I hope you get a quick resolution.

Squirrelheaven, thanks for clarifying. I sometimes forget they even make stuff other than fridges! I do remember one of them being the Vestfrost/Conserv (and it being from Denmark) but can't remember which one.

Harriet, oh dear. I'm glad they are trying to resolve it and glad to hear there aren't usually too many problems.

Writersblock, thanks! And yes, I was really set against Summit originally but now that I have one I couldn't be happier. I'm waiting till my kitchen is 100% finished and the workers are out of there (it's tight quarters in a galley) and then I'll take the plastic off and post a picture.

We have a 17-year-old subzero that is merrily humming along. It's 48" wide with huge capacity; I can put full serving trays right in on a shelf. It's a gem, and I highly recommend the brand.

I guess if they actually replace the compressor, that's good as a whole new frig. I'd be comfortable with replacing that whole unit.

I had looked for complaints out there on Summits and didn't find much at all. Other nightmares a plenty and I was really afraid to get anything, to the point of ending up having my house burn down. Fingers crossed on this one.

I just heard from the store and they said the wine rack is being shipped directly to me but that the storage shelf boxes are on backorder. There was no ETA available but they will also be shipped as soon as they become available. She also mentioned that Summit was great to deal with.

This is what mine really looks like, and I didn't pay near the MSRP.

{{!gwi}}{{!gwi}}

And the Samsung in white. Can't remember if it's a door or a drawer on the bottom. The drawers are more convenient to use and require less clearance on a side wall, but do reduce freezer space. It's priced more at the door level.

{{!gwi}}

Hm, my store said I should call Summit directly. I will try that and see if they make me go through the store. Those compartments just looked so cool.

And yes, that's precisely what mine looks like on the inside! The price I paid was also way less than Summit's MSRP on their site.