If I had it to do over again, I would have ordered both the panel and the cabinet on top of the fridge to be 28" deep. The granite would then just butt into the panel, and give a standard fridge more of a built in look. We used Shuler/Medalion Cabinets which allowed us to order custom sizes. Of course it would have cost more, but less than a "cabinet depth" refrigerator. Here is a link that might be useful: Standard 24'' panel

I bought a frig as your described. It is a french door Whirlpool. when the power goes out, the ice in the door will melt and it seems the water has no place to go but out onto the floor. I too am trying to decide whether to return and what brands are better designed. Did you buy this type?

If that were my mistake, I'd pull the whole surround, add extra 3/4" pieces to the back edges (enough to move the cabinets far enough forward to cover the fridge sides), prime and paint to match, then re-install. You would have a barely noticeable seam 2"-3" from the wall, between the counter and upper cabinet, but wouldn't need to rebuild the whole structure. Add 2x4 ledgers to the studs to affix the upper cabinet.

Well, you can also spend more: $2350 for a Liebherr wine cooler or $2900 for an F&P drawer refrigerator.