JA & KA are both made by Whirpool.
The JA built in Fridges have been rated #1 for reliability by readers that have responed to Consumer Reports surveys.

I've had one for > 5 years and it has been trouble free.
Some of the Jenn-Air products are built in a Special JA Factory in the US, I will have to do some research to see if their Fridges are.

Good luck with your pending decisons.

Gary

I am revisiting my decision on the SubZ and looking at the JA and KA too. I will be following this post for new information.

I'm considering the KA 42" french door. Will look at the JA now also.

OK , it took a while, but I finally found it!
The Jenn-Air fridges are made in Ft Smith Arkansas.
Click the link below to see.

Gary

Here is a link that might be useful: Where appliances are made.

Thanks, Gary! I love that it unlike the KA it's fully integrated. Also seems to be more expensive! Of course.

I am not looking to start a war here but you guys need to be aware that those units ARE NOT fully integrated !!!

JA is flat out fudging the truth on their website and in the literature. They are not the first to have this "flush design and concealed hinges" nor are those "exclusive" to them.

Furthermore, the design is such that your cabinet's toekick cannot be placed in front of the the unit's so as to achieve a seamless one piece or "fully integrated" look.

Additionally - if you want this look - you are going to have to order a custom overlay kit in order to have that flush panel look. Be sure your appliance person orders it as it's not included or readily apparent that you even need it.

DOn't mis-read me, I like these fridges in the abstract. I do not like mis-leading advertising - glossing over a feature that could be really important to a designer or end user just so a company can invite themselves to the party when they aren't properly dressed. Coupled with the price , I find this a difficult sell compared to the other players that are "fully integrated".

Choice is almost always a good thing though.

Hmmm. Thanks for that! So maybe sticking with the KA and exposed hinges would be better. I don't know what to do!

We are currently in the planning stage of remodeling our kitchen. My husband wants the true fully integrated French door/freezer on bottom. Our research indicates we have two choices: 36" Sub Zero Model BI36UFD or 42" Jenn-Air Model JF42NXFXDW Overlay. We currently have a freestanding 36" French door Kenmore Elite. I've read reviews indicating reliability problems with the JA. I've also been told that if repairs are needed on the SZ, it takes about a month to get an appointment as they only allow SZ employees to make repairs. All comments would be appreciated!

bumping because I too and looking for a fully integrated (flush inset) 42" FD refrigerator but I was told by the appliance dealer that it wouldn't be fully integrated, meaning flush inset in his words. I think of fully integrated the same as flush inset. 2littlefishes - what did you end up getting?

Bumping this up to see if anyone has purchased this 42" FD unit...

bump...

I bought the Jenn Air 42 inch French Door Refrigerator JF42NXFXDW for my complete kitchen renovation. We put custom cabinetry throughout and added the custom panels to the refrigerator as well as other appliances.

I wanted the refrigerator to be built-in with the cabinetry fully integrated so that you weren't able to tell there was a refrigerator there.

That has not happened.

The hinge is definitely a flush mount hinge. You read correctly. The Jenn Air has a flush mount hinge. You need to know that the Kitchen Aid Refrigerator does NOT have a flush mount hinge. (though Jenn Air and Kitchen Aid are owned by the same company). They LOOK like the same refrigerator, but the hinge assembly is different.

Problem: After going round and round with my contractor, we determined that the online specs for the Jenn Air panels are incorrect. The panels don't cover the hinge and are about 3/4" too short. So you submit the specs to your custom cabinetry company, they make them to Jen Air specs only to find that the custom panels aren't wide enough to cover the hinges. At that point, unless you Redo your custom panels (expensive proposition) there is no way can they be fully integrated into your cabinetry.

The Kitchen Aid 27" warming drawer specs are incorrect as well.

I am currently in conversation with Jenn Air (Whirlpool Corp). We'll see where this goes.

I spoke with the Jenn Air Built-In Refrigeration Specialist last night. He said that there are two options when you have your custom panels made. A 5/8" reveal option or a 1/8" reveal option. He also said that most cabinet makers will take off another 1/8" just to be safe.

He said it appears that my Kitchen Designer used the 5/8" reveal option (though I told him I want absolutely no space and a "fully-integrated" cabinet) and then on top of that, my cabinet maker took the safe 1/8". The Jenn Air Specialist said sometimes you have to write in BIG RED CAPS to tell the cabinet makers to use the exact measurements as written.

I'm now going back and reading through all of the specs that I gave my Kitchen Designer and also going through all of the Jenn Air online specs. I'm not sure if I have any recourse...it's sort of a blunder of errors.

This post was edited by remodelzombie on Wed, Aug 13, 14 at 13:51

Remodelzombie: Sorry for your frustration, and hope you find some recourse, not out of your own pocket.

Speaking from years of new home construx. and total renovation experiences, whichever way the wind blows, it may bother you a lot less a year from now⦠or it may be that pisser story we all relish telling on the far side of a giant, tiring remodel experience!

Best wishes.

Well, look at "the bright side of it" remodelzombie !

If you were "my age", (72) and had we had a "Truly Integrated Fridge", I would be asking my wire , (All the Time), "Where is the Fridge?"

It was not our goal when we bought our 48" built in and paneled fridge, to hide it. We wanted something that looked nice (to us), and wanted to get rid of the stainless that was a real "PITA" to keep looking nice on the old fridge.

Anyway, I have yet to see a kitchen where one can not recognize even the "Most perfectly Integrated Fridge", They always have handles on them, so "Refrigerator is Completely Hidden"?????~~~~Whose Kidding Who" and whose keeping track~~~certainly not ME!!!!

Gary