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Would you consider the new GE CD Cafe refrigerator?

SparklingWater
10 years ago

I have a 36" w x 27" d x 72" h refrigerator space in which I wish to put a new CD refrigerator with our remodel.

Have any of you looked at the brochure/specs or video's for the newly available GE Cafe Series CYE23TSDSS 23.1 cu ft French Door refrigerator? I've linked it below.

I like it's new features, wonder if the featured hot water might work for our morning (we still grind, filter and drip into the cup) if it's hot enough. I like the twin evaporator, the multiple filters, the led light, the door bin layout and the freezer. At 31" depth due to stainless doors and sides of doors, the refrigerator will stand out of my 27" paneled box, thus actually easing the problem I have with an adjacent stair rail that curves starting at 29" away from the adjacent wall.

I've never owned a GE refrigerator. Any thoughts on them-I hear they are truly trying to address past QA issues with their huge new appliance investment. Do you think their customer service is good? I've called Viking, FisherPaykel, Jenn Air and KA and didn't find CS so accommodating. Maybe I'm picky though.

My other option is a Jenn Air CD which I've seen in person many times. It wasn't in great shape at Sears on Friday (bottom vent broken, french door seal broken), but then it was the floor model. Still, it's considered higher end.

Thanks for any thoughts about this.

Comments (13)

  • sjerin
    10 years ago

    I have a problem with GE fridges as my last one lasted all of five years. :(

  • Holly- Kay
    10 years ago

    I can't give any advice on brands as all my appliances are still awaiting cabinets to be installed. What I will say though is take both positive and negative comments with a grain of salt. No matter how wonderful an experience one person has there is another out there with an equally bad experience.

    You may want to check out reviews on Consumer Reports. I made my decision based on a good friend's positive experience only to hear horrors stories here about Jenn Air. To be fair there are bad experiences with most any brand you can think of. I have heard good things about GE appliances for the most part but do your homework!

  • sbp59
    10 years ago

    No way. Not from our experience. All our other appliances are GE...so we got the frig and within 1 month we swapped out to a Samsung. It leaked a lot and ice in the freezer door - it was a French door - repeatedly icing up and we had wood floors so I was nervous until it went out the door,,,GE has some work to do before I'd buy another frig from them.

  • susanlynn2012
    10 years ago

    I wish I had bought the Stainless Steel GE Counter Depth French Door Refrigerator instead of the LG FD Refrigerator as my doors are never staying shut and the beeping to remind my that a door is not shut all the way does not always work. But I am glad I went with a French Door Refrigerator and I love my bottom freezer. I wish I had paid more to get counter depth.

  • SparklingWater
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    lynn2006-maybe a call to your appliance dealer and to LG to ask for help with the seals. That is most disturbing and I was pretty amazed at what I saw on the JA.

    Thanks for your wise comments-I hear the GE Cafe line has not gotten such great CR reviews. I'm always leery of being one of the first buyers too of a new line although I hear repetitively GE has good consumer communication-they just keep coming out until a possible replacement?

    Ha, I forgot the link so here it is. No GE rebates to customers btw. Wonder if to appliance dealers.

    Also, I read in a dealer blog that SubZero is making a big change in 2014 with new products. Do you think it could be a true quality freestanding refrigerator in 70" to 72" range. Can you imagine their market? Smart...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Link to 2013 GE FD CD refrigerator

  • deeageaux
    10 years ago

    When you buy a first generation product you get the latest and greatest specs but you have to accept the inherent risk in unknown future quality problems.

    I bought a GE SxS in 1988. I did not clean the bottom vent of lent and and the compressor burnt after 11 years. Put in a new one and cleaned it every 3 months. Gave to neighbor when I remodeled last year.


    That nor horror stories of recent GE fridges made by Samsung or Daewoo of Mexico for GE appliances has nothing to do with your potential purchase of this GE CAFE fridge made in Louisville KY. The only GE fridges that have been made in KY the last 10 years are the top freezers and built-ins.

    But these new FD are made on brand new lines with brand new tooling with brand new designs with new employees.

    I am a risk taker. If I were in the market for a fridge in this class I think I would buy this one. Telling friends and family they can get hot water in the fridge dispenser and seeing the look on their faces would be too cool.

    GE customer service is no worse than any other mainstream appliance maker like Whirlpool, Samsung or LG.

  • susanlynn2012
    10 years ago

    I am in love! If my refrigerator was not so new (bought near the end of November 2006), I would buy this new GE CD Cafe CD Refrigerator now as it would match my 3.5 year old stainless steel GE Cafe Gas Range that I love so much. I also love the features and that it would not stick out like my LG FD refrigerator does. If you buy today, the price is $2,369.00 which is a great price!

  • Holly- Kay
    10 years ago

    I went with the Jenn Air cd. I sure hope it wasn't a mistake. I loved the features.

  • susanlynn2012
    10 years ago

    Holly-Kay, my neighbor went with Jenn Air appliances and his kitchen is stunning and his home sold so quickly as soon as he put it on the market. He enjoyed his new kitchen for several years and now the new neighbor is enjoying it. Which model did you get? You can't go wrong with a Jenn Air CD Refrigerator.

  • dodge59
    10 years ago

    I have not checked for a while, (maybe a year), but since about 2005 or so, Jenn-air was the highest rated fridge for reliability by folks that responded to Consumer Reports Surveys. Well Ahead of SZ and some of the rest.

    We've had our JA for going on 7 years now, the icemaker did die after about 5 years, but $135 and 10 minutes of my time, I replaced it and the new one makes plenty of ice, no clumping, funny shapes, etc etc that you see about some of the other icemakers.

    It hasn't even burned out a light bulb yet!

    We love the features too, shelves that crank up and down with a handle, both in the fridge and freezer, great lighting, even the ice maker is well lit, We can set 3 different temps in the fridge compartment, one for meats, one for veggies/fruits and the main fridge temp, all digital controls and readouts.

    They also have the modern variable speed compressor, that is quiet and efficient, unlike the High price brand that still uses "the same compressor that was in your "Grandmother, or even Great Grandmother's Fridge"

    My only "Beef", (And it is a BIG ONE) is now they are hiding the prices like that "Fancy Brand" used to do, They should take a lesson from that brand and put their prices up ,at least on their website, but to Me, they should be posted by any store that sells them, sooooooo until they do so, I still recommend looking elsewhere, as to me that is "Sleezebag Marketing" and as much as I like mine, had they been practicing such marketing strategies back when I bought mine, I would have looked Elsewhere!

    I hope yours is as good as ours has been, holly-kay!

    Gary

  • SparklingWater
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    No, I'm not demeaning JA holly or lynn. I think the beat up 69" one I saw in Sears was a unique, ill-maintained situation. My own appliance dealer's 72" Jenn Air Pro FD CD is wonderful and truly appealing in lay out. I've viewed and played around with it many times. It's a tighter squeeze at 72" for my space so I asked about the new GE.

    Well, we shall see where the Kentucky GE refrigerator group goes. It's good for us here in the US to have them: offers some competitive drive to WP and us some new product offerings.

  • Fori
    10 years ago

    I love the styling on the Cafe line of appliances so I'd consider it just based on that. These new features are cool and intriguing and I want someone else to try it out first. :)

  • elissahart
    10 years ago

    We looked at the Cafe fridge, but ultimately ended up with the KitchenAid CD french door fridge--I liked the look better and it gets great reviews. So far we love it and have been very happy with it.