I know what people will say about Kitchenaid but I had a 48" built in model in my home for 8.5 years before we sold the house. Only issue was the ice maker (which I'm told is an issue on many brands) that went bad and it was replaced (the ice maker module). After that, no issues and it worked and looked great for those years.

We are currently building a home now and due to size limitations, we have opted to not install a 48" but will most likely go with a Samsung 36" that holds 30 cu ft of stuff (same as the KA 48". Otherwise, I would probably be buying the KA KSSC48QVS.

This post was edited by swimman on Wed, Mar 6, 13 at 15:07

I am looking at a JennAir 48 inch built in. It is similar to the KA - apprx $8800

I wish there was a 48inch built in option with a more stream line ice and water dispenser. The SZ is slick, but still, so much room taken up for an ice maker in all these fridges. If I need bulk ice for a party, I will buy a bag of it :-)

The GE Monogram seems to fit the bill as well, and also seems to have fixed previous model problems.

This post was edited by wardman on Wed, Mar 6, 13 at 17:09

I've been studying these, too, and also found a 48" option in the Liebherr SBS 2413 (or SBS 243 in Stainless). It is two 24" columns installed together.

Be sure to check the various 24" Liebherr units that are designed to be joined together into one opening. They are extremely quiet and among the most energy efficient, with great features (Super cool, Super frost, Bio-Fresh, etc). They are available in stainless steel and as fully integrated units, so you can use your own matching cabinetry to finish the fronts.

So I'm in the same position as the original post, I'm about 2 weeks away from the delivery of all my new kitchen appliances. I have on order a 48 inch built in Samsung refrid. My big hesitation in this purchase is that there arent many reviews from "experts" and few from consumers. Although the few consumers that posted reviews have good things to say about it. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with it? As a side note, I'm also purchasing Thermador oven and dishwasher but choose not to get a Therm fridge because I felt like, for the price, it lacked the bells and whistles of other models in comparable size.

Hello Jerry-- any feedback?

Curious what bells and whistles you found lacking in the Thermador ?

I am debating between the Samsung and a Kitchenaid as well... would love to hear any feedback regarding the 48" side-by-sides, preferably with the water/ice dispensers.

Any updates on this thread?

I ended up with 48 KA. Like it a lot. Got it for about 4K. Floor model. Never turned on. Very quiet.

Just found this thread and wanted to throw in my experience with a 48" built in Samsung, side-by-side refrigerator with water/ice dispenser. We bought it a year ago and had problems with the water/ice dispenser "sticking" right from the beginning which would cause the water/ice to keep dispensing after you moved the cup away. We had it serviced under warranty and it fixed the problem, for about 6 months until is started doing it again. After about 8 months we noticed water leaking out from under the front doors at the hinges. To make a long story short, 4 months, 5 service appointments and many, many calls to Samsung later without any resolution to the water leaking, we were told the refrigerator can't be repaired and have been offered a refund. It's been a very frustrating experience, and a refund certainly won't cover the cost of taking out and disposing of the old fridge and installing a new one. I have always been a loyal Samsung customer, I just don't think they made a very good built-in refrigerator.

We have the Kitchenaid 48" Counter Depth Refrigerator. The ice maker is a complete lemon. We have had it for 3 months and the ice maker worked for about a week. We have had several tech repair appointments to try to "fix" the issue, but we definitely have buyers remorse at this point. This is an expensive refrigerator and they are already replacing essentially all of the components related to the ice maker (electrical panel included). It is so frustrating and I am wondering if the ice maker issue will be a temporary fix that will only repeat itself in the future. We are truly not happy, but I guess we will have to go through the frustrating and time consuming process to try to get this lemon out of our kitchen. They will not simply replace the refrigerator with a new one or issue a much preferred refund. I can't get over the fact that after all the money we paid, we are having major repairs so soon after having it in our kitchen. We are not happy. Warning...do not buy!

I owned a 48” Thermador side by side for 15 yrs. the freon leak killed it, as it was located in between the freezer and fridge, at the bottom of the unit...

we thot we’d down size because of costs so bot a 36” Frigidare, Gallery, bottom freezer and drawer. Ever since we purchased this refrigerator the ice maker has never worked. My old Thermador provided more than enough ice. I just wanted to go with a bottom freezer this time. I may sell this as I’ve only had it one year, not even, and put out the money for another Thermador.

OK, I just read all the reviews. Apparently all 48 inch counter depth refrigerators are terrible. Starting to question why I want to pay more than twice as much for a machine that doesn't function. Ice should not be a luxury!