Regardless of brand, there are at least 2 considerations as to top vs. bottom compressor.
1) The obvious: the bottom compressor raises (vis-a-vis the floor) the usable storage area, the top compressor lowers it.
2) The not so obvious: if you have shedding pets that spend time in the kitchen, the bottom compressor is not necessarily a good idea.

We've had a 501 R and a 501 F since 1988 and in those 22 years we've had 4 dogs - big, hairy rottweilers who for some odd reason liked to lay in front the the bottom vents. I just made a point of vacuuming and brushing the coils every 2 or 3 months. We had the dogs before the Sub Zeros so I have no idea how much cleaner the condenser coils would be without them.

I'm so accustomed to the grills at the bottom where they are less noticeable that when I visit my neighbor who has a Sub Zero with the grills on the top and they just seem to scream out "Hey I'm a Sub Zero - look at me!" Plus my cabinets are a dark cherry so they'd be very noticeable. I just hope mine last for many more years.

"The combination would exceed my original planned purchase of the BI-48S by more than $2K,"

....................then you're not getting as good a deal as you think on the 700TC !

"know if the concerns with the icemaker in the 700TC has been corrected? "

what concerns would those be????

geo and maire ... thanks for the comments.

antss ... LOL ... thank you! ... the deal is 47% off retail price on the 700TC. I had not planned on looking at the 27" 700 series at all due to price and staying with the BI-48S as the storage capacity is comparable to installing two 27" side by side. However, with being able to purchase one of the 27" at a (to me) considerable savings, it puts back into budget the combination. And I much prefer the integrated look of the 700.

On the icemaker (and I understand that the information may be incorrect), some earlier threads (2005ish) were having issues with the icemaker breaking repeatedly. I know that ice and water are problematic to begin with ... just didn't know if this particular unit had experienced (or is still experiencing) more problems than average.

Thanks for any response.
Kisha

On

The 700 series icemaker is a pretty standard design that lots of manuf. use and I am not aware of any problems.

The BI-48 and it's SxS predecessors are the SZ units that have problems and it's not so much with the ice maker itself but the complicated and cumbersome delivery system to get that stuff into the fridge door from the freezer. These units almost always have problems over their lifespan.

If you're in the dual fully integrated market you should look a the offerings from Thermador Freedom and Miele before you buy something.

Thanks everyone ... my first choice when starting to research was the Thermador Freedom columns. That is until I saw them in person ... I LOVED the inside layout, finishes, etc ... but I felt so short in front of them (I'm 5' tall)and could not reach the top shelf easily (yes I did play with the top shelf hydrolic feature). The Miele were even worse in that regard. The 700's are higher than I would prefer, but not as bad as the Miele and Therms.

I've been looking at the 700 series and the BI series lately. About a week ago, a sales rep told me that the 700 series R/F will soon be getting an interior update that matches the 700 series towers which are more like the BI interior. (Antss, please correct me if this is wrong) Personally, I like the BI interiors better than the 700. Functionally, there is not much produce/bin storage in the 700 and aesthetically, they are not as bright and clean looking as the newer BI interiors.

the 700 series is due for an update much like the new BI series changed/improved the 6xx line. I have not heard about a cosmetic change to the current platform but I suppose it would be the logical band-aid until the new lien arrives. I have not heard a rollout date for any of this and I'm sure it would be 12 mo. easy before you could put your hands on anything in your house and even longer for the new series.

If you need a fridge now , I would wait on a maybe.

Antss, not sure I understand....is the issue w the BI series w the in door ice/water dispenser?

If so are the units with no dispenser problem free/ less problematic?

If I'm not understanding would appreciate insight into any issues with the BI-48

Thank you

Ice/water in the door from SubZero = trouble, almost guaranteed. Those without are some of the best units the industry has to offer.

N.B. - the fridges with the ice/water in the door are fine too, IT'S THE ICE AND WATER IN THE DOOR that's the problem.

Ice/water in the door from other makers historically has more problems than those without. They are just complex and prone to breakage.

Oh, meant to say I would NOT wait on a maybe.

Thanks ants

We ordered the bi-48s no dispenser, quite costly so glad to hear no issues there