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slackim

KitchenAid Refrigerators? Good or Bad?

slackim
15 years ago

Yikes! After reading all of the issues with the KA ovens, I am somewhat reluctant to move forward with the KA freestanding 72 inch refrigerator that I had planned to buy for my house currently under construction.

If not KA, then also not Jennair since they are the same as KA, what is the best side by side freestanding 25+cu ft refrigerator to get these days??

Had a GE Profile Arctica before and really did not like it - had to replace the thermostat in the refrigerator side 2x and service guy out 3 times in 2 years. Even then, it still froze our produce. arrgghh!

Anyway, any help with recommendations for a good pro-style fridge that is under $2500 would be appreciated.

Comments (20)

  • weissman
    15 years ago

    Despite the reviews on the ovens, KA makes great fridges, I've had mine over 5 years with no problems, and a Whirlpool that's still going strong after 25 years.

    Don't know if it's still true, but KA warranties were better than other brands.

  • atinga
    15 years ago

    We have the KA 25 sq ft, CD sxs. The ref has been great except for one problem. The icemaker stops working when the water filter is about halfway through its useful life. Our municipal water is very clean, so it is not getting clogged. This problem happened 3x under warranty and KA came out, free of charge, and did something each time. The problem was never corrected, and of course once warranty is out, so is any help from KA. The unit itself is virtually silent, temps are great, I have not noticed any flavor transfer, and there is planty of room. When I took out the water filter and left it out, the problem went away. If KA is listening, you need another water filter system.

  • debo_2006
    15 years ago

    Our old KA frig is now in the basement and still running strong after 16 years. Our bottom freezer KA is a year old in our new remodel and no problems to date. Until I'm proven otherwise, I will continue to buy KA frigs and DWs.

  • friedajune
    15 years ago

    I have a 36" counter-depth side-by-side KA for 4 years. I have never had a problem with it. The water and ice dispenser work great. The temperature is perfect. However, you'll always find people who have had a bad experience with ANY brand. I know there have been a couple of people on this forum who have not been happy with their KA's. As I recall, they're always the KA built-ins, which perhaps are made in a different factory (I'm not sure). I couldn't be happier with my counter-depth KA though. Even more so when I read posts from people with Subzero's, which cost 2-3x as much as my fridge, and who are having problems with them.

  • jerrod6
    15 years ago

    I don't have a KA fridge but have had Whirlpool's in the past. I think Whirlpool makes a good unit and since the KA is rolling out of the same design area as whirlpool I think it would be a good bet.

  • cat_mom
    15 years ago

    Have had two Whirlpools (left one--under protest, when we sold our condo, and kept the one here as a second fridge in our garage after the kitchen reno).

    We have a KA built-in (SXS w/water/ice dispenser in door) in the new kitchen. It's been in for a year and so far we are very happy with it.

  • slackim
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for all of the great responses. That definitely frees up my mind regarding that issue.

  • janmar221
    10 years ago

    We recently purchased a KA 24 cu. ft. side by side refrigerator to replace a Frigidaire Side by side we had for 10 years. We thought we were buying a better quality unit in the KA. We were very, very wrong.
    Attached is a copy of a negative review I wrote & which KA posted on their website. We then received a follow up email from KA stating that the review is being taken down as I reside in Canada. I believe it was taken down as it was negative. To make matters worse, the customer service # they provided in the follow up email does not service Canadian customers.
    They sell them in Canada but provide no service & certainly will not entertain negative reviews. Buyer Beware.

  • jellytoast
    10 years ago

    I've found that it is pretty much useless to take any reviews found on a manufacturers website at face value. While they may post some slightly negative reviews to make the whole review process look legit, the truly negative reviews never get posted. IMHO, you are wasting your time posting a review or reading a review on a manufacturers website ... they are skewed favorably towards the manufacturer.

  • jwvideo
    10 years ago

    If you have not already done so, you might want to check out a long running thread on fridge shopping in general and the 33-inch (22 cu. ft) bottom freezer and french-door units by Kitchenaid/Whirlpool. It started in the summer of 2012 and has some recent updates on impressions after a year of use.

    Here is a link that might be useful: need a new refrigerator

  • dadoes
    10 years ago

    Don't know how relevant is it in comparison to current products but I have a KA top-freezer unit that's either 15 or 17 years old (1996 or 1998, I don't recall which) and has needed no repairs. It has been my "garage fridge" since Jan 2005, has run flawlessly for the duration in Texas summer heat.

  • sjhockeyfan325
    10 years ago

    We had a regular-depth KA french door refrigerator purchased in 2005 or so in our previous home. The compressor went out after 8 months, and was replaced. Other than that, it was fine, as in "okay" - nothing particularly good, nothing particularly bad. It kept the food in the fridge cold and the food in the freezer frozen.

  • tarheel72
    10 years ago

    When our home was built in 1998 we installed a 42" SXS KA with panels and had zero issues until about a month ago. Freezer would no longer hold temp and in spite of several attempts to find the leak, no success. Deduced it must be inside the walls on the loop somewhere. Evaporator, heat exchanger and compressor were all working fine. We replaced it with identical model, but went with SS and no ice/water in the door this time. Kitchen looks more updated and modern to us. Anyway, if we get 15 years out of this one we will consider it money well spent. Got the first one for $3800 + panels, this one for $6075. Both were contractor pricing, through our builder and his wholesale appliance distributor.

  • bookworm4321
    10 years ago

    So, what did you get for yoursel?

  • michelefolan
    5 years ago
    I have a Kitchen Aid frig that is only 1.5 years-old. I am extremely upset that the snack drawer paint wore off and now the drawer just broke. I called Kitchen Aid and the replacement drawer is $109 plus $15 for shipping. Ridiculous. It's cheap plastic. Last time I buy Kitchen Aid.
  • HU-863382578
    3 years ago

    today’s Kitchenaid appliances are awful. Don’t waste your money. we bought a fridge and dual fuel range 3 years ago and within 18 mi that the convention oven broke and 2 months later the fridge went. Terrible quality. Will never buy again.

  • Charlese Hilton-Brown
    2 years ago

    I purchased a KitchenAid refrigerator, model#krff507hps00, and highly disappointed. I was told it is top of the line. Purchased 11/2019, delivered 12/2019, had to call for service 10/2020 and again 02/2021 and now again 04/2021. Lights blinking (fixed twice) not cooling, this will be the second time. Less than two years. This is unacceptable. I wrote the company and waiting on a reply. Depending on how they respond will depend on my next move. I need a new refrigerator. This was the most expensive refrigerator we've bought. I am not rich and cannot afford to continue to worry about the frig NOT cooling off and on. My food costs! So unhappy.

  • Architectural Notice
    2 years ago

    We purchased two KitchenAid appliances last year: a dishwasher and a low profile over the range microwave.


    While we haven't had any problems with the low profile microwave and like it, at 10 months the KitchenAid dishwasher had a problem where it wasn't draining. It was still under warranty so we called for warranty repair. The repairman said it was a drain motor issue. He mentioned he had seen this issue with other KitchenAid dishwashers. One month later, we still don't have the new part and don't have the use of the dishwasher.


    While I like the huge capacity of the dishwasher and the third Flex Rack, it is disappointing that an appliance less than one year old would have such a problem. We didn't have one service call for our 10 year old Kenmore dishwasher that we replaced.


    I probably wouldn't consider KitchenAid appliances in the future.

  • dadoes
    2 years ago

    Architechtural Notice, Whirlpool has owned KitchenAid since 1986. KA dishwashers have been fully Whirlpool design since sometime in the mid- to late 1990s. Your previous Kenmore may or may not have been a Whirlpool. Sears/Kenmore doesn't itself manufacture anything, all appliances are rebadged the various other brand manufacturers. The first three digits of full Kenmore model numbers (xxx.xxxxxxxxx) is a code for the source manufacturer.