Can't speak for the SZ models but we purchased the Miele units (fridge and freezer) and are THRILLED with them. Ours have custom panels and do not look at all like appliances. In fact most newcomers to our kitchen ask where the fridge is and when they open it is is a definite WOW! Here's a previous post I made on the Miele units: We initially installed GE monogram all fridge freezer units. Needless to say (and if you need to know details you can find them on the forums or email me for details) these units needed to be replaced within a very short space of time. Our only choices as the kitchen was custom built to fit the specs of the GE units, were to go with new GE models (no way no how), Miele or Sub Zero. Our experience with Miele had been fantastic so we went with those. The fridge and freezer are everything we anticipated. We had one installation issue. Both the fridge and freezer were shown in the specs with a 90 degree door. While this is true for the fridge, it is NOT true for the freezer due to the extra insulation in the door. We could not open the door far enough to allow the draws to open unhindered. Miele was great and authorized a replacement freezer for one with the hinges on the oppposite side. I believe they have changed their spec sheets on the freezer as well - or at least I hope they have. The original misleading photograph is still on their website. Some things I have discovered as we live with these models They really are shallow BUT you can get a LOT in them. If you have a large platter too big for the shelves, it will probably fit in the drawer. (I've stacked them in the draw using glasses between "layers" and it's worked fine.) The blessing of a shallow fridge and freezer is that it is impossible to lose food in the back. We also switched to glass storage so we can easily see what's in the fridge. Where we used to throw out lots of food that we had no idea what it was, we are now finding that there is often "nothing to eat" or at least that's what my kids tell me :) As previously mentioned, the door shelves are shallow. You can fit a half gallon in the door but not a gallon. Because the compressor is at the bottom, the top shelf can be rather high. We're all tall so it doesn't matter so much but if you're short... Another advantage of the bottom compressor is that if you plan to panel the fridge, it is one panel. Ours is so integrated most people think it's a pantry and not a fridge at all. The freezer in the butlers pantry is the same sleek and streamlined look. Also as mentioned, the ice maker is TINY. We haven't had the freezer over a summer so not sure how that will pan out but we have needed to purchase ice for parties. Both the fridge and freezer have full extension drawers. This makes it so easy to sort and store produce and to find them. We've dedicated one draw for fruit, another for veggies and the smaller drawer in the fridge is for deli. Our freezer is now organized with each section in the drawers holding different frozen goods. I also found some Rubbermaid plastic containers that fit on the shelves with no wasted space and improve the "holding" capacity. I can fit a lot in those open containers and it doesn't fall out when you open the door. If I was organized enough, I could plan it out and put ice into one to collect for parties :) Food lasts longer without a doubt. I have some rhubarb that I just used today to make cupcakes. It was still crisp and fresh and had been in the drawer for at least two weeks. I notice celery lasts longer too. Both the fridge and the freezer hook up to your computer network through wireless technology. Ha you might say but last week when I was out of town, dh grabbed something from the freezer on his way out the door and it didn't close properly. He was on the train when he got an email saying the temp in the freezer had dropped and the alarm had gone off. He called a neighbor who came into our house and closed the freezer properly for him. That probably saved us a $1000 right there! I am not sure how long they will last but past experience with Miele has been positive. We reinstalled our Miele DW from our old kitchen that is almost 10 yrs old. Our previous Miele DW was 20 yrs old and could have been fixed and gone another 5 years but we chose to replace it. Our second Dw is also Miele as are our DO. Wasn't planned that way but that's what we ended up with. After going with cheaper (and never let anyone tell you GE is cheap) and having products not last a year, we're hoping these are our forever fridge and freezer. They're pretty expensive but we hope they are worth it. So far so good.

geo and maire ... thanks for the comments. antss ... LOL ... thank you! ... the deal is 47% off retail price on the 700TC. I had not planned on looking at the 27" 700 series at all due to price and staying with the BI-48S as the storage capacity is comparable to installing two 27" side by side. However, with being able to purchase one of the 27" at a (to me) considerable savings, it puts back into budget the combination. And I much prefer the integrated look of the 700. On the icemaker (and I understand that the information may be incorrect), some earlier threads (2005ish) were having issues with the icemaker breaking repeatedly. I know that ice and water are problematic to begin with ... just didn't know if this particular unit had experienced (or is still experiencing) more problems than average. Thanks for any response. Kisha On

i've prepaid (to secure the old cost before the rate hike next month) for my BI-30U, to be delivered in early-january when demo begins. i also wanted the 650 because i didn't want the icemaker in the fridge, which is how all BI's come now. but the local store said they couldn't guarantee locating one...which should mean the BI's are available now, i would think.

Thanks for all the comments!! Re price, the models I'm looking at are comparable to SubZero and Gaggenau. Turns out there's a new Miele showroom, so I went there today, but they didn't have the 30" freezer. What I did learn (as those of you who have them know) is that the fridge door holders come out of their rims like the wire ones in the freezer do. Also, that the shelves (the rims) remove by sliding them to the top. This rail system is very secure, but that's why the pieces come out--so you can clean easily without removing all of them. Tommy, thanks for the custserv review! Thanks, Lucypwd, for the answer about the deli drawer. I've been very confused about that. The "floating" drawer seems to be in the 36" over under, where it's small and slides back and forth under a shelf. David, I don't know of my own experience, but all of the literature calls the lights halogens, and the guy at the showroom called them "appliance halogens". Maybe they really are LEDs, but that's not what they say. I also found out that the columns are identical in every size, just wider. Has anyone seen the 30" freezer? Does the icemaker extend all the way across? Or is there some kind of storage next to it? Canuck, I guess you might not have had your SZ for long enough to really know, but have you noticed the ethylene filter working? One more good I learned is that, according to the rep, the kit for installing the units next to each other is a heat shield, and works no matter which direction they open. (SZ have to open armoire style.) They also told me that having a Miele certified installer do the installation doubles the warranty. Re construction, the rep said that while the box, compressors, and other big parts are made in the Turkay plant, the electronics are made by Miele in Germany. He said that they spent 7 years developing the American style refrigerators. That sounds like so much marketing but is probably pretty true. I'm pretty convinced to go with the 30" and 30". I can stand dealing with the kind of issues Lucy is having, if necessary (I was in the showroom for the better part of an hour, and they had three fridges and two freezers running, and all were practically silent, so I'm hoping your tech can fix yours). And I like the sizes and fitments better than on any other units I've seen. More comments are surely welcome. :)