The primary worth of a SZ or something similar is that it is true counterdepth and stays out of an aisle.

Having the fridge wide and shallow also allows you to see all the contents in a single glance, rarely do you lose left overs in the back until they are fuzzy and molded.

SZ has a top notch ultraviolet air scrubber. Because the ice dispenser goes from freezer to refrigerator it is particularly finicky about water pressure and water hardness. It needs to be high and soft.

42" is not a lot cheaper. If your KD is assuming 48" it might be because that is typical for your neighborhood. Forgoing a built-in for free standing in a neighborhood where built-in is expected may cost you in time and money when it comes time to sell. Then again if this is your forever house.....

Built ins with the same high quality as SZ but better record on dispenser reliability include Miele, Gaggenau, and Thermador Freedom Colleciton, You can pick what size refrigerator and freezer you want and install them together or in separate parts of the kitchen.

If you want the least expensive 48" Samsung has one for $7.3k GE Profile for $7.6k and Kitchen Aid for $8.5k. KA has a better reputation than GE and Samsung is too new to have a reputation yet.

SZ has a top notch ultraviolet air scrubber

What does the air scrubber do? Do the other fridges you mentioned have a similar system (doing whatever it does)?

None of these comments are going to really answer the question but they address some of your questions, I suppose.

Consumer Reports tends to have a bias against higher priced appliances, especially those in the "luxury" category, and there seems to be an underlying mentality that nobody really needs things like this. Some of their complaints about luxury appliances are true--but I still think there is a bias there.

I had a Subzero in my last house and I did have close to $2000 in service and repairs into it in a decade. Overall I still thought it was a very good refrigerator though.

The smaller Subzero kept more food in the fridge and freezer compartments than the larger refrigerators that came with the subsequent rental and in the house I own now. The space was much more useable. It also kept food fresher much longer than the two subsequent fridges have.

I don't think I will buy a Subzero for the planned kitchen in this house. I don't want to spend the money at the outset and I don't want to be faced with service calls. I have more options in the size I can put in this kitchen. I am strongly considering Liebherr, although I think the interior of the Subzero is nicer. Even with its faults the Subzero has turned me off of conventional depth, non built-in refrigerators of any sort.

The air scrubber, and every other cool gadget on a SZ is meant to make your food last longer. i used to have to eat raspberries the day i bought them or they'd go bad. My SZ keeps them mold free for over two weeks, generally speaking.

SZ is a wonderful fridge, and really the only one that can be fully integrated, unless you go with modular columns a la Thermador, that haven't gotten the best review over on the appliance forum. Do you need 48" of refrigeration? Probably not. Go smaller in size, or try to buy a floor model if price is an issue. These are fantastic refrigerators. Cant speak to water in door, but my ice maker is perfect.

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. Your insights are helpful!

I don't know anything about the ice and water dispensers b/c we didn't want those for a variety of reasons. However, as others have noted, the SZ and other "high end" refrigerators keep food fresh a lot longer, and the shallow depth is great, I don't lose or forget about food :-) We bought a 36" Miele about 5 yrs ago and we love it. Perfect size, holds a lot, and the quality of our food in our refrigerator went up significantly b/c it stays fresh for so long. I'd go with a higher end fridge since that sounds like it's in your budget. You'll be happy you did.

I hope this is not to far off the OP's question.

Why does a Sub Zero keep food fresher? If my Kenmore is 36 degrees and a sub zero is 36 degrees, what is the difference?

The SZs use different handling systems for the freezer (prob where some of the extra $ goes), so food in both sides tends to keep longer, in my experience.

However, I am not happy with my SZ ice/water in the door and really miss the system on the freezer side used by my old GE Arctica. The ice, when it is not stuck, comes down too hard and has broken several glasses. We now keep a plastic box in the niche for collecting ice when needed. We also miss GE's crushed ice.

I did not try out the GE Monogram water/ice system when we were shopping as SZ/Wolf was offering a recession-era deal for a dream range plus fridge that I could not pass up. Otherwise, I would have gotten the Monogram.

Until our downsize back in October, we had had SZs for about 10 years and really loved them. They do keep food fresh a long time, etc. They also are VERY expensive.

So, when we moved this time, we bought the fridge of the prior owner. It is an Electrolux (I think) French door fridge top and freezer drawer bottom with water and ice dispenser. I planned to see if after 10 years of SZs I could tell a difference in how long things stayed good.

After 5 months now I will be honest that though there might be a small difference, in my perception, the Electrolux also seems to keep stuff good for a LONG time. Long enough that I reach the point where I don't remember when I bought the produce and then often toss for that reason.

In short, after 3 homes and 10 years with SZ, we do not plan to go that route this time. It is really a LOT of money and my test showed that I really can't tell enough of a difference to justify it.

I had a much harder time adjusting to the French door part though it has grown on me some.

Now I just need to find the perfect counter-depth, preferably non-French door, fridge on top, freezer on bottom WITHOUT a water/ice dispenser.

Now I just need to find the perfect counter-depth, preferably non-French door, fridge on top, freezer on bottom WITHOUT a water/ice dispenser.

Not intending to hijack the thread, but I have just gone through the same thing. The only manufacturer that I could find that offers a full-sized CD freezer-on-bottom one-door fridge of standard height is Fisher Paykel. If your cabinetry allows for a fridge taller than 72" or if you can live with French doors, you will have more options. My new fridge is arriving later this week so I can't comment on it yet. The good news is that the FP's that I have seen are very nice-looking refrigerators with sensible interiors. Maybe in years to come more companies will offer a counter-depth non-French-door bottom freezer fridge.

Agreed, subzero has fantastic customer service....great post nycbluedevil!

I am 3 months into my love affair with my 48" SZ s/s and i couldn't be happier. I, too, have had a pack of raspberries last 2 weeks in there (only because they were buried under a bag of apples and the kids didn't see them!).

The space, the layout, the drawers, everything is perfect. I can't tell you how happy I am that I don't have to perform a balancing act in the fridge on grocery day(s). Room for everything, and everything in plain sight.

We have the internal water/ice dispenser (paneled doors, I didn't want exterior) and I love it.

I had to "fight" to get this fridge - husband couldn't imagine what could possibly make a fridge worth that much money, and now he's as in love with it as I am.