At ajmadison.com you go to fridges, you click on bottom freezer, you scroll down and enter 23" to 25" in the custom width requirements field (disregarding all the other possibilities) and you click on the enter key. This gives you a page containing options from several companies you have not heard of.

Dimensions listed in web description are approximate. Open the PDF's you will go get on the manufacturers' web sites.

Dimensions used to brag about volume are the most approximate (and the least accurate) so do not use these to compare different manufacturers' fridges.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for your reply davidro 1. I know this issue has been hashed and rehashed! I've read all of your valuable input on the subject and it's been very helpful. Mostly, I'm wondering how the appearance and quality of the GE fridge compares to Fagor since I won't be able to see either in person. Are the interiors comparable as far as sturdiness and storage? Has anyone seen/looked at the GE GBC12IAX? I was hoping it would be almost as nice as Leibherr, but for a lot less $$$:)

If you can think of any other requirements, now is the time.

The Summit CP-171 is a Danish design (Vestfrost). Danes are the world's biggest manufacturer of compressors. This fridge has TWO compressors running two independent coolant circuits: one for the freezer and one for the fridge. This is a feature that Subzero uses to justify charging 300% more. It's a feature that Liebherr puts into their 30" fridges, but not their 24" fridges.

I've seen the GE fridge too. It is OK, reasonable, not bad. I figure you will be satisfied, and you won't be dissatisfied. I've not seen it operating.

I've also seen Blomberg, Danby, Fagor, LG, Miele, Conserv, Liebherr and many others. Most of them in operation. Ultimately they all look feel and seem to operate almost the same, since modern technology has caught up, everywhere, and they all work well.

hth

davidro 1-
With your wealth of knowledge and research, which 24" wide fridge would you pick for your own personal use in the less than (hopefully, much less!)$2000 price range? Defrosting would be required with the dual compressors, right?

Thank you so much for your input.

I suggest you also check out the Summit FFBF285SS. I've had it for almost two years and absolutely love it. It's similar to the VestFrost, but with one compressor. You can see it on ajmadison's web site and read the reviews. I purchased it sight unseen before any reviews were available and was able to special order it from a local appliance store. The price was around $1,200, which included tax and delivery/set-up. I was really nervous about buying an appliance without ever having seen it in a store but, honestly, I fell in love the minute it was installed in my house. It is beautiful, well-designed, and more spacious than you would expect from a 13.8 cu ft unit. FWIW, it has the Summit badge, but is manufactured in Turkey. I recently saw a Blomberg unit that looks exactly like it.

Yes, most of the Summit fridges are rebadged and almost identical to other fridges available from "manufacturers" that are really marketeers with a label they've invested in, and a servicing organization training retail staff and remunerating them with contests, prizes, spiffs and goodies. For example, Bosch and Miele don't make fridges but HAVE fridges to offer, that are made by another company.

In the final analysis, they all (all 10 or 12 competitors) seem to be made in factories owned by Turks or Koreans, and I think that is great. Blomberg is now an officially Turkish company (they bought a German company and merged, so they got to keep the German name).

I would get the 24" LG. Then I might get another one, and put it in a closet far away from the kitchen. It's the best of both worlds: you get to have a "pantry" far away, that you can access easily, and you get to lighten the kitchen footprint a lot and also force yourself to use some discipline to keep pretty much just the most frequently used 20 or 30 small bottles of condiments and sauces on hand (and not all 50 of them). I would "nefotiate" and order extra door bins and door egg trays at the time of purchase. Did you know they are reversible? You can unclip them (on the "fly") and turn them around if you want the front side to be a high wall to hold in lots of small tall things. There are lots of cute features like this one. The other advantage is that you benefit from their cost accounting policy which is *not* based on "what the market will bear" but is just based on getting a small margin. They have already sold millions of small fridges in Asia so they don't need to get a large margin to justify selling it. The other firms are more like marketeers that will sell whatever they can at any price that they feel they can command. Stateside, Blomberg is not Blomberg at all, but a Los Angeles family agency (a marketing company) that negotiated to get the rights. But LG is just LG: real employees of LG.

HTH

but if i had to get only one fridge i would get the CP-171.

First I would ask them more questions and maybe go to Summit (email and call first) to hear the CP-171 in operation first. I already saw two different Vestfrost models (rebadged), in 2008, so I might skip the on site visit after Q+A.

Defrosting is not going to be needed often. I don't go constantly opening and closing the freezer. Defrosting once every second year might be possible.

Extremely helpful--Thank you!

For his small condo kitchen, a hipster friend of mine got a SMEG (my friends have all the interesting appliances, not sure why that is) which looked retro-cool and might meet the original poster's needs. But for me, a refrigerator is for keeping beer cold and ice frozen, nothing more, so others may flame me for bringing it up.

But maybe it's worth investigating for spayurdog?

Finally saw the GE GBC12IAX in person and am so glad I did. While the exterior looks nice enough, it was shorter than what I had envisioned and the plastic interior pieces seemed cheap and flimsy. It in no way compares to Liebherr (the only other one I've been able to view). I suppose nothing will:( I so wish I could have one, but spending almost $3000 for a refrigerator would really blow the budget. Anyway, GE is off my list, too. Now deciding between Fagor and Equator Conserv--I don't like the looks of the handles on the Summit CP-171 (do they look as bad in person as they do online, I wonder?). I know Equator and Summit are basically the same thing, right??

I never thought I would waste this much time trying to pick out an appliance. This is worse than car shopping! It would help if I could compare all brands in person, but apparently I'm the only person in Minnesota with a small kitchen. No one seems to carry smaller appliances around here, they are all "special order".

Well, it's here! I finally went with the Equator Conserv CT380, ordered from SmallHome.com for $1075 (including shipping!). It's not installed yet, but just out of the box my first impression is that it looks like the LG, only taller. It has the same plasticy border trim as LG and Fagor (though I have only seen pictures of Fagor). Definitely not as sleek and high end looking as Liebherr, but much kinder on the pocketbook. Hoping to put the $$$ saved toward soapstone countertops. Thank you all for your input. I will post pictures if I ever get this thing installed.

Now, does anyone have opinions on 24" ranges? I'm torn between the Delonghi gas (for a more vintage look) or Fisher Paykel electric (easier to clean). I'm going with the 18" GE Monogram dishwasher, if that makes a difference. Is it O.K to mix handle styles?

Hi spayurdog et al,
I went through this lengthy process of researching small appliances too. Few thoughts for those still looking.
Dishwasher - I would get the Bosch 18" integrated if you are changing your cabinets because having the matching cabinet front makes the small kitchen look so much larger. It costs about $100 more, and the cost of the panel, but worth it if you walk into the kitchen and immediately face the dishwasher like me. I measure my kitchen in inches, not feet.
I have the LG 24" fridge in white and it works well, looks OK, but the front panels are flimsy and they dent. This is a problem in a tiny kitchen because you're always banging things, so be extra careful around it. I agree the Leibherr is beautiful, but the 24" got some disappointing reviews a while ago. So did the Bertazzoni small range - which I almost bought.

Hope you enjoy the Conserv fridge a long time. Just f.y.i. while it's still fresh and new, you ought to keep track of the type of coolant gas that it uses. It's an unusual mix. In some future year this will be an important detail. Search "refrigeration gas types" to see a list. At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerant there is a short list.

For 24" ranges, look at Viking too.

I just want to re-mention that the local service tech for my GE oven told me the GE dishwashers that he services are not designed well and customers were complaining of dishes not getting clean. I would avoid that brand dishwasher for now. Don't know about the ranges but we have a GE profile oven that is OK at 24 inches wide. Their 30 inch cooktop w downdraft vent was OK too until we dropped a heavy bowl on it and broke the glass. It cost more to repair it than a new Whirlpool Gold model (The GE was heavier built). The fan switch has given out on the Whirlpool after a couple years of use. Not warenteed
.

I have a 24" Bluestar range, and my neighbor has a 24" American Residential Range... they both work great and are equally well loved.

I also own a Conserv fridge, made by Vestfrost in Denmark. Mine has a stainless front, 2 compressors and is not frost free. However, I rarely have to defrost. maybe once in 2 years. Summit sells so many different models now it's confusing.

R134-A Refrigerant

I hope you enjoy the two compressor circuits. It enables you to freeze a lot fast. Also, the freezer cold stays at even temperature when you put a lot into the fridge side. Technically it's a great fridge at a good price. The 24"w Liebherr doesn't have two compressors, b.t.w.: it has one compressor that gets switched between two cooling circuits.