Miele Refridgerators vs Sub Zero
Alona Erbst
2 years ago
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 years agomalabacat
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoRelated Discussions
Sub Zero BI-36u vs Miele
Comments (8)Can't speak for the SZ models but we purchased the Miele units (fridge and freezer) and are THRILLED with them. Ours have custom panels and do not look at all like appliances. In fact most newcomers to our kitchen ask where the fridge is and when they open it is is a definite WOW! Here's a previous post I made on the Miele units: We initially installed GE monogram all fridge freezer units. Needless to say (and if you need to know details you can find them on the forums or email me for details) these units needed to be replaced within a very short space of time. Our only choices as the kitchen was custom built to fit the specs of the GE units, were to go with new GE models (no way no how), Miele or Sub Zero. Our experience with Miele had been fantastic so we went with those. The fridge and freezer are everything we anticipated. We had one installation issue. Both the fridge and freezer were shown in the specs with a 90 degree door. While this is true for the fridge, it is NOT true for the freezer due to the extra insulation in the door. We could not open the door far enough to allow the draws to open unhindered. Miele was great and authorized a replacement freezer for one with the hinges on the oppposite side. I believe they have changed their spec sheets on the freezer as well - or at least I hope they have. The original misleading photograph is still on their website. Some things I have discovered as we live with these models They really are shallow BUT you can get a LOT in them. If you have a large platter too big for the shelves, it will probably fit in the drawer. (I've stacked them in the draw using glasses between "layers" and it's worked fine.) The blessing of a shallow fridge and freezer is that it is impossible to lose food in the back. We also switched to glass storage so we can easily see what's in the fridge. Where we used to throw out lots of food that we had no idea what it was, we are now finding that there is often "nothing to eat" or at least that's what my kids tell me :) As previously mentioned, the door shelves are shallow. You can fit a half gallon in the door but not a gallon. Because the compressor is at the bottom, the top shelf can be rather high. We're all tall so it doesn't matter so much but if you're short... Another advantage of the bottom compressor is that if you plan to panel the fridge, it is one panel. Ours is so integrated most people think it's a pantry and not a fridge at all. The freezer in the butlers pantry is the same sleek and streamlined look. Also as mentioned, the ice maker is TINY. We haven't had the freezer over a summer so not sure how that will pan out but we have needed to purchase ice for parties. Both the fridge and freezer have full extension drawers. This makes it so easy to sort and store produce and to find them. We've dedicated one draw for fruit, another for veggies and the smaller drawer in the fridge is for deli. Our freezer is now organized with each section in the drawers holding different frozen goods. I also found some Rubbermaid plastic containers that fit on the shelves with no wasted space and improve the "holding" capacity. I can fit a lot in those open containers and it doesn't fall out when you open the door. If I was organized enough, I could plan it out and put ice into one to collect for parties :) Food lasts longer without a doubt. I have some rhubarb that I just used today to make cupcakes. It was still crisp and fresh and had been in the drawer for at least two weeks. I notice celery lasts longer too. Both the fridge and the freezer hook up to your computer network through wireless technology. Ha you might say but last week when I was out of town, dh grabbed something from the freezer on his way out the door and it didn't close properly. He was on the train when he got an email saying the temp in the freezer had dropped and the alarm had gone off. He called a neighbor who came into our house and closed the freezer properly for him. That probably saved us a $1000 right there! I am not sure how long they will last but past experience with Miele has been positive. We reinstalled our Miele DW from our old kitchen that is almost 10 yrs old. Our previous Miele DW was 20 yrs old and could have been fixed and gone another 5 years but we chose to replace it. Our second Dw is also Miele as are our DO. Wasn't planned that way but that's what we ended up with. After going with cheaper (and never let anyone tell you GE is cheap) and having products not last a year, we're hoping these are our forever fridge and freezer. They're pretty expensive but we hope they are worth it. So far so good....See MoreMiele Columns vs. Sub-Zero Bi48SD Fridge/Freezer
Comments (29)Thanks Marcydc. Changing the first filter was hard because the installer used big honkin' working man muscles to tighten it so tight we needed tools to unscrew it (I had psychologist man muscles working on it, but he needed pliers for leverage). The real difficulty, however, is changing the filter, and fixing the filter code, without warming up the freezer. After my third change I've learned a few things: The book says that when the filter light first comes on it's just a warning, and when the light changes state (starts or stops blinking--can't remember which), it's time to change. Tech help told me I should change as soon as it comes on, and that the trouble I've had resetting the filter indicator comes from letting it go to the end. In that case, it has to be changed in program mode rather than customer mode. The other thing I've learned is not to even try to reset right after changing the filter. My unit won't go into customer mode if it's even a little warm, and if it loses too much cool, it won't go into program either. It's basically trying to say, "Shut the door, idiot!!!" It's easy enough to change the filter and wait a number of hours. I always set aside some ice, because you're supposed to throw away the first 24 hrs. worth, so waiting another 6-12 hours is no biggie. But what defines "hard"? For me, it's the procedure to get into customer mode or program mode. It's arcane in a way that only a German engineer could like. It's like looking for easter eggs in a computer game. I can't hold the instructions and do the routine at the same time. That's "hard"....See MoreSubZero BI-36U Vs. Miele KF1901
Comments (2)I looked at both last week. The biggest difference to me was the size of the freezer. I'd rather have the room in the fridge, so the SubZero would be my pick....See MoreMiele Columns vs. Sub-Zero Bi48SD Fridge/Freezer
Comments (5)Just for clarity, the Miele cooler boxes are made at the BSH factory in Turkay. The electronics are made by Miele, I believe (but am not sure) in Germany, and I've heard that final assembly is in Germany. Still not USA, but for what it's worth. I chose Miele primarily because the units fit better in my kitchen. I grew up with SubZero and originally assumed I'd get that. Both are good. SubZero has a long history of mostly exceptional units. Miele created the current offerings for the North American market so there's much less of a record, but the repair folks seem to think they're just as good. Things I liked better about Miele, besides the sizes, include the lower drawers that are the full depth of the firdge and the shallow door shelves, the height, the feel of the drawers and shelves, the angle of the doors when open, and, of course, the glamour lighting. I also like how easy it is to remove the shelves and baskets for cleaning. I think one of the weak points, however, is where the clips that hold the drawers on the rails connect. They're a little too plasticy, sometimes squeek, and I worry that they may break at some point. Oh, and getting the filters in and out is harder than it looks. OTOH, I love the drawer temperature selections. Word of warning: The dispenser is the weakest part of any unit, and the ice maker is second. You might look into the merits of the two models on that level as a decision point besides price. I have no information about it on these particular units, however. Whichever you choose will be excellent. Enjoy!...See MoreJAN MOYER
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoTXGuy
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