Thermador 36" counter depth french door vs Cafe CVE28DM5NS5
irynaq
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Hi there! I'm considering these 2 refrigerators for our new build. I really like the size of the Cafe and love the glass over stainless look which will match with Thermador's glass & stainless wall ovens. But I can save a little bit of money by buying the Thermador T36FT810NS because of their 1-2-Free package going on, this $4999 fridge will only cost me $2300! The Cafe which is normally $4100 will cost me $3500, so the difference will only be $1200. Finally, since we're building, we are able to recess the back of the fridge 6" so either one will look counter depth (not built-in) in our space. Does anyone have any experience with either of these refrigerators? Do you like one more than the other, if so, why? TIA.
P.S. I'm narrowed my choices to this two refrigerators only because both of these will match the glass & stainless finish of the Thermador Masterpiece wall ovens.
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wdccruise
2 years agoirynaq
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Counter Depth Fridge vs Standard Depth
Comments (22)I just bought and installed the KitchenAid counter depth french door fridge. Not the supersized one. I chose it for a couple of reasons bur primarily because it was one of the few I could get without a water dispenser in the front door (though there is a discreet one inside the fridge). I hated the fact that the counter depth added about a $1000 to the price tag and worried that I would not feel the aesthetic advantage justified that price difference once I got it since I was trying to be very frugal in my purchases. I was so wrong. I am crazy about this fridge. The bottom freezer holds everything my old full depth freezer did except I can see it all so easy in the lighted space with 3 slide out layers. I can see everything I have when I open the french doors. Nothing hard to get at. Nothing out of sight. The door shelves hold tons of stuff too. I like that the sides are gray....not black...so if some of the side had to show it would blend fairly well with the stainless. Mine will not show as there will be a full panel of cabinet wood covering both sides (cabinets arrive in 2 wks). I'm having an open shelf/cubby above it to hold cookbooks. Buy this unit with confidence....See MoreBest counter-depth fridges under ~$3000?
Comments (20)I purchased the KA CD FD 72" high model last fall and so far I really like it. I seriously looked at the Liebherr but in the end I really needed white not stainless - wish the Liebherr had come in white. Whilst I really liked the Liebherr produce drawers (much bigger than on the KA) I also like the split shelves on the KA that I can adjust as two columns. I thought this unit was vastly overpriced relative to the shorter model and the standard depth units, but I really liked the upgraded interior and the hidden hinges etc on the 72", and especially the better sliding produce drawers, so I sprung for it. It would be great if the produce drawers were were larger and deeper like on the Liebherr but I use the veggy green bags and store the extra produce on the glass shelf just above the drawers. It is reasonably quiet, but then I have it where the noise is not an issue in any case. The ice maker seems to work fine for us - but this is my first fridge with ice and so that is already a luxury for me. I could do without the water dispenser - the water tastes disgusting and plasticy. We do not use it and I wish it were not there. My ideal would be to have only the icemaker, no water! For me this was the best fridge outside the Liebherr. However, I could not justify the expense of the Libeherr when I would be compromising on the stainless vs the white. Good luck!...See More36" Counter-depth Fridge: KitchenAid or GE Cafe or other?
Comments (9)I am getting rid of a GE Cafe counter depth fridge in this size. I love the way it looks, but make sure that whatever you get has TWO cooling controls. Mine is going on 8 years old and it only has one cooling control, which means the cold air from the freezer is pumped into the fridge and any veggies will freeze if they are too close to the back of the fridge. The only safe place for a salad is in the door. I've turned the temp up in the fridge to 39F and still ... frozen celery, carrots, etc. The GE stainless steel is easy to clean and it stays clean looking. I'd go with the Bosch if it were me, love the look of those in the showrooms but I don't love their standard depth options (you have to get ice/water in the door, which I do not want). So, if the GE now has two separate cooling zones then I would get GE again. Aside from destroying produce I do love it, it's super pretty and the ice maker was a strong performer....See MoreCounter depth fridge that can be installed w/o gaps
Comments (38)Her big splurge, the BlueStar platinum 48... I love our Bluestar. It's an amazing range. Would absolutely buy it again in a heart beat. But a 48" Platinum would be unlikely to be anything I'd normally recommend. That model is all about looks and not really that great for functionality. I understand about splurging. But if I spend all that money, I'd want it to actually be something I like to use. The 25kBTU Platinum burners are fun (we have one of those in our range), but the 22kBTU burners of the RNB are very similar; if this is the only reason for the Platinum, then it doesn't really justify the much higher cost. The griddle on the RNB is IMHO a better design. Can't comment on the grill, but I personally don't think an in-door grill is a great option anyway. The fancy oven burners in the Platinum are great for faster pre-heating, but are overall a more questionable design than the more traditional burners in the RNB. A 48" range is much less ergonomic than a rangetop plus wall ovens. The venting requirements for a 48" range are crazy. You need somewhere on the order of 2000 CFM, which means a loud expensive vent hood, a very complex make-up-air system, and no upper cabinets. Unlike a 30" range, a 48" range doesn't have spacers in-between the burners. So, you will need to put the grill or griddle in the center between the burners. Otherwise, your burners are too close together and you can't ever use big pots. But with the grill/griddle in the center, you have to always walk a long distance left-to-right when using more than one pot. Alternatively, you can decide for eight burners and no grill/griddle, but I have yet to hear of anybody who can actually keep all eight burners in active use. Again, a more reasonably sized rangetop and wall ovens work better; the wall ovens can be used for simmering much more evenly than any hobs. We have four hobs and three ovens in our kitchen. I use all three ovens every so often. But I can't remember the last time I used more than two hobs. I wouldn't have any idea what to do with eight of them....See Moreilu333
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