I googled E522BRE reviews. A lotta 5 star ratings, didn't find any negative ones.
Here are the reviews:

http://www.productreview.com.au/showitem.php?item_id=17730

http://www.epinions.com/review/Fisher_and_Paykel_Fisher_Paykel_E522BSX_Refrigerator_Bottom_Mount_790mm_Wide/content_469145325188

http://shopping.yahoo.com/23209959-/

Gary

Thanks, Gary---I had a similar first impression, and am hoping that the issues with the other models may be related to F&P trying to add the ice and water. (Apparently those models are also made at different plants; this one is supposedly one of the few still made in New Zealand, although manufacturing is being phased out there too as far as I can tell.)

I'm also somewhat heartened to see that the identical model gets a much lower kWh/year rating from the EU energy label process, which might lend some credence to our appliance store's theory that the EnergyStar testing is a bit wonky. Also just read the Consumer Reports article that notes that EnergyStar tests are performed without ice makers connected for those refrigerators that have them---I had been puzzling over why models with ice makers would be lower energy use than those without, but that explains it!

I don't have one but my architect friend does and loves it. I'm planning to get 2 for my remodel, one with ice and one without.

I like the no frills, streamlined, straight forward look. I'm sick of clunky looking fridges with gobs of plastic all over the inside.

I also like the styling of the Leibherr, but ultimately decided they are too tall and more money than I want to spend.

Thanks for this post. I have been wondering the same thing. Like bickybee, I am considering purchasing two and putting them side by side in my kitchen. I need lots of fridge space but can't afford the 42" models. These F&P models are a good price, look great and I can't wait to have a ton of fridge space!

For whatever it's worth, I went to look at refrigerators again yesterday, and asked the guy at the appliance store (where we've bought appliances in the past, and I like/trust them) point blank which of the three brands we were considering (F&P, KitchenAid, and Electrolux---they carry all three) he would go with given that all have mixed track records. He recommended the F&P over the other two, in part because he said they get fewer calls back about them, and in part because he found F&P much easier to deal with for repairs than Electrolux or the company that services KA when there are problems. (That may vary by region, though.) That fridge was also the cheapest of the three by $1K+, so seemed like there was no particular incentive to recommend it over the others from his end...we decided to give it a try. I may buy the extended five-year warranty (which I almost never do!) just for peace of mind, though. Won't be in for another couple of months, but I'll report back once it's up and running.

Anyone want to give an update on their F&P refrigerator? I'm considering model E522BRX w/out ice maker. This fridge is the perfect size to replace my old Kenmore side-by-side. I have a 1930 house with a small kitchen and a small space for fridge. My concern is that there are some really horrible reviews out there regarding F&P. I would love feedback from those here who have one.

Also, my current fridge has a feature that I really like. If I let go of the door when it is open beyond 45 degrees or so, it will swing shut on its own. The fridges I've looked at in the stores (at least the french door types) must be forcibly closed. I really like the fact that my fridge basically closes itself. How does the F&P fridge close?

I sure wish there was a floor model I could see, but my only option is to special order the fridge from Lowes.

Thanks for any feedback you can give. Who knew it would be so hard to buy a refrigerator?!

Not much help since, two months later, I am *still* waffling on fridges---augh!---but I can answer the door question. You do need to physically close the door, but with much less force than, say, a KitchenAid fridge. (So you can give it a push in the right direction and it will swing shut, which most of the french door fridges I've played with don't do.) The flip side of that is that I find the F&P doors lighter weight in general than many of the FD fridges---don't know if that's good, bad, or irrelevant. I also don't know if you could level the fridge in such a way that the doors would swing shut---I imagine you might be able to, since I think that's why the older fridges do that.

I would also love updates from anyone else out there who has one of these, though!

Refrigerators & upright freezers should always be correctly level, not purposely tilted to entice the door to self-close. Units intended to self-close have a mechanism on the hinge to trigger closure. Possible side effects of setting them off-level include defrost condensate not draining properly ... and ice cubes freezing and gelatin molds setting off-kilter, LOL.

My Fisher & Paykel E522BRXU has two adjustable front feet that are intended to allow the refrigerator to be slightly tipped back, as is explained in the instructions. The installer adjusts the feet so that the door to the refrigerator compartment has a tendency to close on its own, rather than stay put or open some more when it is let go. (It is not intended that the door be completely self-closing.)

The design of the refrigerator requires the slight tilt back in order to be sure that condensation goes into a pan that is heated by the compressor motor. The installation instructions are quite clear. If the refrigerator were designed in such a way that it did not require the tilt, it would be more complex to make, and would cost more.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fisher Paykel refrigerator noise?

Thanks inox---that's how the door swing thing works on some older American fridges, too. In those particular cases, the fridges were intended to be correctly slightly off-level. (The one we had growing up wasn't noticeably *not* level---it just had feet intended to adjust for the door swing.)

Do you still like yours, on balance?

Well 3 yrs ago I bought our F&P refrig based solely on wanting a counter depth, bottom freezer without ice & water. The only ones were Sub Z, Liebher, both considerably more expensive than the F&P. I had a 23 CuFT with a drawer and was worried about size but the layout works very well. Knock wood, no problems. OH and if by chance the door doesn't close tight it beeps at you.