One key in these models is whether you want the in door ice dispenser. When you go to the appliance store to look at them you'll realize how much space in the freezer the dispenser takes up. Ice dispensers are also a common cause of repairs. Freezer capacity needs and wants vary; if you go to Costco once a month and buy a lot of frozen food then you'll need a large freezer. If you go shopping several times each week you'll need less space. Keep in mind that having 3 or 4 fridge/freezers will drive extra electrical circuits. I'd compare a 42" french door and 48" side by side with 30" columns. You can also put two 30" freezer under models side by side which essentially gives you a 60" french door.

We have 30" Thermador columns for a family of 4. Very happy, more than enough space for us. No noise concerns, these are as quiet as the SZ I had in my previous home. You need to look at them in person to see if they have the space you need. We have had no repair issues, but it's only been 1.5 years. We separated and paneled them- love the look.

been looking at these myself, the 18" freezer is really very small. because of how the columns are setup you lose a decent amount of space due to side walls/insulation. I'd *much* rather have a 36" French door (SZ also makes a 42") than a 24+18 column.

with a family of 5, i'm looking at 30" fridge + 24" or 30" freezer vs 36" FD + drawer fridge. Cost ends up being about the same.

ideally I'd do a 36+24 but thermador doesn't make a 36 and if I went with a different brand, I'd lose the "free" hood.

i like the two bottom freezer units to make a big french door unit, but its really starting to get into the crazy expensive territory.

I think the differences between thermador, miele, and SZ are all relatively modest in this category and there is no clear single "best" product.

I suggest checking the various Liebherr offerings of 24" and 30" wide pairs. They are counter depth and are offered in either stainless steel finish or panel-ready models. As for quiet and efficient operation, I don't think any brand can beat Liebherr, Also, the icemakers make squarish cubes that don't cling to the outer edge of the drinking glass as do most other brands that make crescent-shaped cubes.

I replaced my built in refrigerator last year and looked at all the brands I mentioned. There are some significant differences both in features and price. With a 36" single door bottom mount fridge there was, f.ex. a $5K difference between SZ and Thermador; $6K difference between SZ and Liebherr. The quality of the finishing details, various features and service are all part of the package. The gallon jug thing on the door always seems weird to me but SZ and Liebherr have that. Unsure about Thermador.

Each brand has different configuration options as well. TOL built ins are 84" high; Liebherr is a shorter unit.

This is fantastic feedback. In response to questions/comments. I am not a big Costco shopper, but I do like to "pre-prepare" for holidays and then to use the freezer then. I was thinking a combined unit (freezer/refrigerator) would be more likely to break than separate units. But, I'm not wedded to this approach. I would like to minimize repairs and have some backup refrigerator/freezer available. Prior to the remodel, I had a 36" bottom freezer built in GE Monogram and a KitchenAid standard freezer on top modestly sized in the garage. But, I always had a deep freezer for holidays.I have four questions remaining: 1) Do you think the freezer needs to be in the main galley cooking wall or could it be across the way from the refrigerator (10ish feet)? Our current freezer is used for ice cubes, ice packs, ice cream and frozen fruit (for smoothies) and in many respects it is a pantry for us. So, I was thinking I'd place it on the opposite wall of the main cooking area and it would not be a problem. 2) I'm not following the 30" under counter approach? Could you please explain this? 3) The space would easily allow for the 30" and 24" Liebherr towers and then across the way 2 FP drawers or under counter units. Alternatively, I could get a 36" wide full fridge on the main galley side and then another 30" freezer on the other side. What would you do? 4) Re brand, we don't need a particular "label" to be happy, but we need built in fully integrated, noise matters (quiet is extremely important) and uptime (low repair rate) matters too. I would give up the gallon size holder in the door for the quiet noise and low repair rate. Thank you so much.