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Counter-depth fridge installation/operation

last month

Sanity check . . .

If you have designed your kitchen with a counter-depth fridge (in my case Bosch 800 series 3-door) please let me know how you worked out these two interrelated questions

What is your expectation of how the fridge will sit in its space? (Ie, how much of the unfinished sides of the fridge do you expect to see visible beyond your cabinets)
What is your expectation of how far open your doors will swing? (Ie, should the fridge doors be able to operate to their full swing, or something closer to 90 degrees)

I appreciate your input!

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Comments (8)

girlnamedgalez8a
last month
The only part of mine that is out beyond the edge of the counter is the thickness of the door , about 1,1/2" . It swings all the way open, I have never noticed it being restricted in any way.
AE Gaupp
Original Author
last month
@Raimondi I understand this. I asked about the unfinished sides protruding.
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Thanks for that link Davidrol! It's nice to see I'm not alone! I was fully prepared for the fridge doors and handles to protrude in front of the counter. I never really gave it a lot of thought, but I guess I imagined 4'' or so. The manual for the 30''D model we were looking at also stipulates that the fridge have 1'' of clearance at the back, which would put this ''counter-depth'' unit a full 7'' in front of a standard counter. We are in a cold climate and the fridge would be on an exterior brick wall. I was hoping that some rigid foam insulation might do the trick, but when the best case scenario at the end of the day is reclaiming a couple of inches, all the framing and fussing really doesn't seem worth it. Back to the drawing board...
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Why Hamma? Because most Americans say they need humongous refrigerators/freezers. I hear people say they need to store the meat they killed on a hunt. They have very large parties every weekend. They cater large parties. They have many children who need many snacks all day long. Maybe they live many miles away from the nearest grocery store or supermarket. One of the posters above mentioned pizza boxes and soda/beer can boxes. (Not sure why you'd need to put a whole pizza or beverage box in the fridge.) Personally I have none of those issues. I do not like nor need a large hulking refrigerator. Counter depth is a cost-effective way to avoid the behemoth fridge look in the kitchen. Yes, they do protrude a few inches, but not as much as a conventional depth one. I have the same KA counter depth fridge (cost $2,000) as Anglophilia in my vacation rental home, and after 7 years it's still working fine, and looks great. In my primary residence we went for a 42" side by side built in Subzero, which protrudes only about 2", but is much more expensive ($9,000 retail). Fully integrated Subzeros are totally flush with the cabinets, and require expert installers.
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mcarroll16
last month
Same as galanamedgalez8a. The cabinet enclosure covers the entire unfinished side. Only the doors stand proud of the cabinet. The doors open fully.
RTHawk
last month
last modified: last month
Here is what my side of the fridge looks like - it is Bosch 800 series counter depth. the doors open fully. I just realized now there is still a tiny sliver peeking out - i wonder if that can be pushed in farther? I don't really care though.
AE Gaupp
Original Author
last month
@RTHawk that looks great! I’d be happy with that install/operation combo. Thanks so much for posting a pic
wdccruise
last month
These questions are answered in the drawings in the specifications sheet. Note that the opening is to be be 25" deep to appear as shown above.
artemis78
last month
As others have said, you follow the spec sheet. I believe the Bosch is one that has some different options depending on how far you want to be able to open the doors, etc. If your space is existing then you would temper your expectations with the limitations of the space. If you're designing new, then you'd decide what you want and what some of the other tradeoffs might be and size it accordingly.
chicagoans
last month
Picture below from the manual linked by wdccruise. You definitely want to be able to open the doors fully so you can remove drawers for cleaning.

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