GE is having some identity crises. As far as I know, all of Monogram always has been trimmed up GE. I have six year old Monogram Advantium, dishwasher and warming drawer, and the up trims were worth it to me, but I have no illusions. :)

SubZero is on a different level. The direct competitor is Miele, with Thermador a step back and Liebherr in a slightly different lane, but also a step back. The reports we've had over some time is that the fresh filters on the Liebherr and SubZero do work. The Miele has different kinds of filters, but I can attest that produce also stays good a good long time. Into that question, however, you have to assess the issue of should it stay "good". There's still nutrient loss even when there isn't rot. That's up to you, however.

The ice maker is the most delicate part of the fridge. In the (very long) life of a SubZero, it's likely to need to be repaired once or even twice. I wouldn't worry about it. Through door dispensers are particularly problematic, however, and I wouldn't recommend one to anyone who doesn't think it's a must have. SZ has those on the side by side models. The "over under", i.e., bottom freezer model, is nicer to live with, in my opinion, or all fridge and all freezer. I ended up with Miele because at the time SubZero didn't make the sizes I needed for my space. I wouldn't hesitate to buy SubZero, however.

Thanks for the feedback, I will look at the Miele as well. Our particular food issue is that it's bad after 3 days in the fridge, certainly not weeks (no shellfish, fresh mozzarella or other delicate foods, just regular leftovers and food). I think just an interior ice maker will suffice. We have reverse osmosis hot and cold on demand which I will never do without again. I don't know what sizes yet as my plans haven't come back from the architect - but it's good to know I have options. I regretted the side by side when I couldn't get a platter in the fridge, so I'll probably go with the bottom freezer model. I do need a separate freezer and will probably go with a generic GE upright in the pantry. BTW my parents purchased all monogram about 6 years ago, with the exception of the Profile fridge (they couldn't tell the difference to justify the cost) and they love them. No service issues except for the magnetron tube (the microwave part went out) on the advantium. Incidentally, I'm struggling with a frigidaire double oven with no proofing feature and we love bread. Sigh. It's gotta go (along with its huge handle so I can open the drawer).

Yes! You need to be able to open your drawer!

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with Monogram. There are a few known stinkers selling fridges out there, but most of them work fine and there's the least variation between high and low end when it comes to keeping things cold.

If you can't store fresh mozzarella for more than a couple of days there's something very wrong with either your packaging or the fridge. Shellfish isn't known for a long shelf life. Which maybe was you saying that you weren't even trying that. Cheese, however, is a way of food preservation. If it's clean (no mold spores) when it's wrapped, and has a good airtight seal, it should last for months if not longer. I always keep some factory sealed fresh mozzarella in my fridge, as well as ricotta, fontina, provalone, and romano, so I'm ready to make a lasagna on a whim.

Leftovers, theoretically, should be used up within a few days so bacteria can't have their way, but mine last way past the point where they should have started to rot (though I do toss them at that point figuring the nutrient value has dissipated and just on a general gross out level). Meats are slower to go icky in my drawer on the "meat" setting than they otherwise would. I try to use them promptly, but have an extra day or two if something comes up.

Some produce lasts forever in the fruit/veg drawer. Some prefers to be in the main part of the fridge. All lasts longer than it should before anything dire happens. :)

SubZero should be the same.

Re your pantry freezer, if you can bear it, get a manual defrost model. If it's not getting opened often, and for sure no kids just standing there staring, it'll hold the food better. The evaporator system on a higher end fridge, along with dual compressors (you definitely want that), is very good. For long term, however, nothing beats manual, except on defrosting day. :)

I was referring to the fresh mozzarella that comes in a tub with liquid. That never lasts more than a couple of days. The fridge we inherited is an LG, about 8 years old. I would say it's nowhere near as good as my monogram was. It's currently freezing the fridge, even the top shelf. My produce did last much longer in the monogram than this current fridge as well. I package all the leftovers in airtight glass containers for lunch, and generally they do last the rest of the week. I often get questions about whether food is good that I purchased earlier in the day. I'd like a dual compressor fridge and I heard that monogram now has this feature. I had an all bosch kitchen, except for the fridge and having to cook on a 30 year old electric 30" smooth cooktop is the worst. Hopefully the plans for my new kitchen come back soon.

Again, it's preserved milk. If it's in a sealed tub, rather than bulk, it should last at least a couple of weeks. It does for me. I haven't tested how much longer than that it lasts.

I have a feeling it's the poor temperature control in your current fridge that's making things spoil so fast.

More even than the fridge, however, you need happy cooking appliances! All the best for your new kitchen and a short wait!

China's Haier just bought GE Appliances a few months back.

Expect the Sinicization of GE Appliances over the next 10 years including their service department.

We have a 36" Thermador bottom freezer and I'm liking it a lot. It keeps berries and vegetables fresh for a crazy long time, and we've held mozzarella longer than is probably sensible too. Granted, we went from a 25 year old, strange-sized, bottom-of-the-line Kenmore, but it still surprises me how long things keep. It's my understanding (which isn't necessarily correct!) that Miele, Thermador, Bosch and Gaggenau fridges have the same mechanicals and are all built in the same factory. I was looking at Miele too, but I wanted gallon storage in the door which Thermador has but Miele didn't. Miele's stainless is billed as easier to clean, and I do find that our Miele dishwasher is less given to streaking than the Thermador fridge.

I was told the Bosch fridges are the same as the Thermador with different handles. I'm getting the Bosch integrated. One sister has the Thermador and one has the SZ and both are very happy with their fridge.

Are you going with induction cooking instead of the electric cooktop?

There are a few more cosmetic differences between the Thermador and Bosch integrated fridges beyond than the handles on the interior but they are minor (lighting, trim on shelves, etc).

I've seen comments that you can't get parts for Thermador after 8 years or so. I would like to avoid replacing high end appliances that quickly. I didn't have any issues with my Bosch appliances in 10 years. They looked brand new when I sold the house. I may have to look at the induction ranges since I'm not sure we can get a vent in for gas. We'll see what the architect says. Yes, all my appliances must go, I even have the super crappy kitchen aid dishwasher that you have to disassemble to clean (it was also sold as a kenmore elite and a whirlpool gold). I refer to it as "not a Bosch". I know the fridge is bad - it's also a full depth that's sticking out of the cabinet.

Bosch bought Thermador in 1998 so Thermador products that are 10+ years old might be supported differently than ones sold today that are integrated with and share common parts with the Bosch lineup. Difficult to tell how long they will support parts for the current model line.

You've definitely got a point there... when I bought my monogram fridge, I looked at the Bosch, but they didn't make it at the time, it was rebaged. I believe my range was also sold as a Samsung. Things have sure changed since I last bought appliances.

Induction is fab. Way more people prefer induction to gas than prefer gas, but if your architect is any good, there should be a way to duct a good vent. Since you're doing a gut job, place the vent first and arrange the kitchen to suit you around that. I wouldn't be without an exterior venting hood. Ever. At all. When I lived abroad in a provided apartment that only had two gas rings, no oven and no vent, I was miserable not from the lack of oven but the lack of vent. And that's with a door and window right next to the cooking.

I may be stuck with a downdraft. The house is a modern rustic custom with 30 ft wood ceilings and a radical open floor plan. It's a gorgeous home that's suffering from the 80's and the lack of materials to pull of the vision. It's exactly why I have an architect and a structural engineer rather than just a kitchen designer. Although, I may bring in the kitchen designer for all the details later on. I can't wait to cook on decent appliances - I'm definitely looking into induction - especially since we have babies. I'm so glad I found this forum, everyone is super helpful.

I have a KA that is not a built-in - just a countertop depth. I have no problems with it keeping food for a long time. I live in a very upscale neighborhood, but very few houses have SubZero's - usually just a higher end counter-depth. I guess that in KY we're just a bit more frugal and less interested in status! Yes, I do know people with SZ but they are in the minority for this highly desirable older (a few houses built in '38, most in '48 with a few rebuilt in '73 after a bad tornado) neighborhood.

Is there any chance of putting the cooktop on an exterior wall? If so, then you can vent straight out, and put a decorative cover on the outside.

Especially in a radical open floor plan, you'll benefit greatly from a really good hood. With an enclosed kitchen, at least there are walls to contain things.

If I were you, I'd tell the architect that a hood in the kitchen was of top importance.

Yes, I agree. Every time I cook anything on the stove with a downdraft vent, you can smell it in the upstairs bedrooms. Basically straight up the back wall becomes the railing for the upstairs hallway with all the upstairs rooms opening to it. Noise is a huge issue. Unfortunately, the exterior kitchen wall is windows and a slider to a deck with panoramic views. It kinda gives this illusion of floating in the treetops (we're at the top of the mountain). I do have a wall we might be able to vent through the roof, but I'm waiting for an opinion as to if we can do it from the structural engineer. The floor plan itself is really comfortable and pretty flexible. Great for entertaining. The family room is closed off with glass French doors or the TV would drive me nuts!

Yes, it's quite a house, and it needs a lot of cosmetic work. The lighting is a complete disaster - inadequate or missing and fluorescent with the switches in strange places. The master bath is a bigger disaster, but I'll get my soaking tub in front of that picture window eventually. The picture window is currently a garden window - you know the kind you put plants in the kitchen? Who gives a million dollar view to plants? Goofy, like my kitchen.