Thanks CP! I will look into the Bosch as well! How's the house coming along?!

I am getting rid of the Kitchenaid in the remodel and going with Subzero. The Kitchenaid is a 48" side by side and 17 years old. For the most part it has worked well, with 3 service calls in the last 7 years, where it just didn't seem to be staying cold enough. Tech could never find a cause for the problem.

Do you know the difference between panel ready and integrated? We had a thread discussing this not too long ago.

I'm getting Subzero 36" integrated column fridge and 24" integrated column freezer.

Ok, I'll weigh in here. I got a pair of SZs given to me (they are 36" all freezer, all fridge and are plain old stainless). Let me just honestly say that $14k for a new pair was way out of my budget, but I've had the pair running for a few months now and they leave my LG side by side in the dust. And I had to powerwash mold out of the fridge and replace a part. There is absolutely no comparison between SZ and anything else. Note:I'm not a used appliance kind of person, but I couldn't pass these beauties up. If you have the budget, buy the SZ.

We have a Kitchenaid (not panel ready) and haven't had any issues - it's 2 years old. We like the way it functions and looks. However, since we got it, I've read some negative reviews of Kitchenaid fridges. I think they were mostly to do with water and/or ice maker issues. We just redid the whole house after a fire and related flood, so I insisted that ours not be plumbed (not going thru that again - even on a minor scale), so obviously water/ice hasn't been an issue for us.

I do't think you can go wrong with the Therm or Bosch units- I have the Miele- all the same factory- just depends on some tweaks here and there.

Thanks all. I spoke to my husband and I think we are just going to take the plunge and go with the SZ

Chispa--I actually don't know the difference between panel ready and integrated. I will search for the link to the thread, but if you could share it, I would appreciate it!

Thank you for all of the responses!

Panel ready means the appliance can take a panel, but you can still tell it's an appliance. Integrated means the appliance can be completely hidden into the cabinets (I saw a pair of SZs look like an expensive antique French Armoire, for example). Definitely look at the difference and get what you want for your kitchen. With SZ the different choices are negligible- it's the cabinetry that will cost.

sawyer, here it is:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4830281/paneled-appliances

get the SZ, we got a SZ as part of our kitchen remodel, I do notice fruits and vegetables are staying fresher longer vs my ~10yr old fridge that the SZ replaced. I don't know if technology has improved so much now that all refrigerators will keep foods better or SZ fridges just preserve the foods better with the air filter, right temp and humidity. I come from the "a fridge is just fridge, no need to spend more for brand name one", but now I am a believer. Since foods last so much longer now, I might actually save money in a long run.

SZ all the way if you can afford it. I cannot believe how long produce and perishables stay fresh for! My sister has a Thermador and my SZ is vastly superior.

If you are getting multiple appliances, the Thermador savings are tough to beat. If you are just getting the fridge/freezer units, the SZ isn't drastically more expensive and is better enough to justify it (although I wouldn't say VASTLY superior).

My SZs don't have the filter (8 years old) and they still keep food fresher. I think it's actually the door seal and the fact that the temp stays within 1 degree of its setting, top to bottom. The other day I hard boiled eggs and put them in my LG overnight so I could make a dish the following day and I returned to frozen eggs and they had to be thrown out (along with other food that doesn't freeze. I also had this problem with my Monogram fridge, although that was contained to the veggie drawer.

Thank you so much! We are going w the subzero ;)

Glad you made your decision :) I did want to add that I purchased a SZ in my last home, but went with Thermador this home. There is no difference in the food preservation at all- forgotten produce still lasts weeks. But I saved $4k.