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French door counter depth fridge comparo. KA vs Elux

AWay
10 years ago

Hello there. First post here and hoping to glean some opinions regarding counter depth fridges. We have KA pro-handled appliances (rangetop, DW, double oven) throughout our new kitchen but have yet to select a counter depth fridge.

We only have 24" cabinets around the cutout and are hoping to achieve a flush built in look with the fridge. In hindsight we should have had the builder space out the cabinets a couple inches from the back wall to allow us some extra leeway...

In any event, I think we've narrowed down the choices to two contenders based on the pro-handle look and shallow depth.

The ElectroLux ICON E23BC68JPS seems to have a slightly more updated interior with LED lighting. The handles are slightly more substantial as well. There doesn't seem to be too much movement on the $3,200 price though.

The KitchenAid KFCP22EXMP looks very similar but the french doors didn't quite close as nicely IMO and the interior could stand to be more modern. The pricing is better (down around $2,800) and would increase our rebate by another $200 since we have all the other KA appliances already ordered.

FWIW, the spec sheet says the Elux is an additional 1" shallower which would help it sit more flush with the cabinets. Is there anything to choose between the two or is one preferred over another? I've googled the models fairly extensively but still haven't made a decision either way.

If there is another brand or model we should be considering instead I'm happy to investigate other options. We don't even mind spending more so long as it's a french door, no ice though door, pro-handled, and preferably as close to 24" cabinet depth as possible (without doors).

Thanks so much for any and all assistance!

-Andrew


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Comments (9)

  • laundryvet
    10 years ago

    Andrew, I have a 3 year old KBFS20EVBL3 that is a shallow cabinet depth model. Not the same as yours, but a KitchenAid with French doors.

    I, too, did not want water or ice through the door and we wanted an easy clean black flat finish. It also hit a $1800 or 1900 price point I think, which fit in my budget.

    I like the interior layout, the quality of the inner components and the usable capacity for such a small cubic foot fridge. Nothing on the inside broken yet, which is amazing from 4 abusing boys. If we didn't have a fridge in the garage for beverages it would be a rough go for a family of 6.

    That said, if I had wood floors, it would have ruined them a hundred times over. The drain line is prone to freezing up, depositing water floor side. I deal with it, and flipped flat on my back one time when not thinking about it as a walked by the fridge in the dark one morning.

    Also, in my case, it sits out the thickness of the doors beyond the cabinet, maybe 2.5 inches, plus the handle depth, into the room. I would certainly not call it flush, but less obtrusive than the mega depth fridges of today.

    I also had to have my cabinet altered to make room for its height, it was about two inches taller than my 12 year old Amana 25 cubic ft side by side that crapped out one day.

    Would I buy again? Maybe, but the leaking can be a pain in the you know what, so if the Electrolux doesn't leak I would go that route.

    Steve

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    I have an elux (but not the icon)
    It is about 4 years old
    We had some initial problems related to the ice maker (actually, it was a faulty valve) and has been great since then.

  • AWay
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Hmm, thanks for the feedback all.

    We were hoping to essentially just have the doors stick out past the cabinets, again for that flush look. (I don't even know if recessing they doors is a possibility due to how they have to open)

    In the long run, spending and extra $700 or so on the Elux isn't a huge deal if it will achieve the look and function properly. We'd happily give the KA a try if they updated the interior to make it look a bit more modern/upscale. LED lighting I think should be a given today!

    Will continue to peruse. We don't have to order for another week or two to arrive in time for our move in date.

  • LE
    10 years ago

    We were considering both KA and Electrolux and came down on the side of the Elux for the exact reasons you mentioned. Then my husband decided even those doors stuck out too far and he wanted the Liebherr. I think its slightly nuts to spend that much on something to keep your food cold, but he seemed to care more than I did, so he gets his way on this one...But just wanted to say that our conclusions regarding the differences between the KA and Elux were the same as yours, and we also had the same or similar criteria. Good luck!

  • AWay
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    LOL, nice to have someone in the exact same boat!

    Which Liebherr model did you end up with? Much more expensive?

  • crazybusytoo
    10 years ago

    I'm with you too AWay...this decision is holding up my cabinet order. I was all set to go with a Jenn Air built-in but it doesn't look like they make it anymore :/

    lori, do you find that the Liebherr is too tall to reach things in the back of the top shelf? Are you happy with it?

  • LE
    10 years ago

    Top of the back shelf? Oh, you mean the Condiment Museum? I hope I can! (But I'm 5'8")

    Ours isn't installed yet (insulation and drywall coming soon!) so I can't tell you for sure, even though I've looked at the thing at the store 6 times, I was always focusing on other things.

  • LE
    10 years ago

    AWay, I don't remember the model number, but it is the non=biofresh 36" wide model and is-gulp- around 5K. I don't even want to admit that... I just hope it is not a lemon and I don't have to think about it again for a long time!

  • crazybusytoo
    10 years ago

    Thanks lori! Please keep us updated and I hope you love it!