Hi Francy--don't know if this will be much help to you: I have the Monogram refrigerator drawers but they are sitting in my living room waiting for my kitchen demo to begin. I can't tell you much about the insulation but I did measure the drawers so you can get an idea of size. The top drawer is 18" x 16" and is 9 1/2" deep. It can easily hold 4-5 gallons of milk. The bottom is 18 x 11 and is 10" deep. There is an area in the back of this drawer that is shallow--I assume it is where the compresser is located. I was originally going to order Summit but could not find anything about how much energy it consumed. I bought the Monogram sight unseen but am happy with the way it looks. According to the tag it costs about $34 a year to run which is what swayed me. Sorry I don't know anything about the other brands. HTH

Francy, Airport Appliance in Hayward has some drawers you can check out (call them and see if they have the ones you're interested in). I'm assuming you're in THAT Bay area...and if you are I THINK Atherton Appliance in Redwood City has some.

Does the side of your range actually get hot? Those old things are supposed to have great insulation. You might just maybe want to put new insulation inside the stove itself. I think it's a DIY job and it's worth doing if you're still all original in there.

If you are concerned about location or potential heat, I would look at the Perlick. They are rated or indoor or outdoor use and have a higher BTU rating than the others. They are also the only energy star rated fridge drawer.

i have the uline 24" and luv them . top drawer holds items 8.5" high bottom drawer holds items 5.5" inches high, this is on the inside measuring. all companies have their specs for the drawers interior size on their websites. mine had to be blocked in the back. most do because they are top heavy even without items inside. a small piece of wood, or something like framing a wall behind drawers will work. as for what fits, refer to specs, i get a lot in mime. as for putting them beside a stove, people put refrigerators beside wall ovens all the time. i have seen this in new construction alot. most new appliances are energy star rated, even refrig drawers.my husband is in the appliance business, he said every brand, within the same size of drawers has different cubic volumes. check on line and see which holds the most. i selected the monogram built in freezer bottom because i know it has more cubic volume inside. good luck on finding your info!

I love my fridge drawers-but I have a big kitchen with lots of refrigerator space. My old kitchen had very little so I am a bit obsessed! However, I think you might be just as happy with a good undercounter fridge-and have $$$ to spare. We keep our milk, oj etc in an old subzero undercounter fridge/freezer and it is really convenient-with lots of space. What is the difference in capacity between an undercounter fridge and the drawers? BTW, my drawers are GE.

The Monogram drawers can be integrated--we have them and a SZ undercounter R/F drawer unit. Unfortunately, Monogram is refrigerator only but we were limited to 24" wide in one location. The SZ drawers are 27" wide.

We're doing the integrated GE Monogram drawers as well!

I've had the Monogram drawers in use for two months now. Love, love, love them. They're fully integrated in my island. You wouldn't know they are refrigerator drawers unless you opened them. I keep all my veggies and some fruit in the top drawer and beverages (milk wine, soda, beer in the bottom drawer) They're just great!

Thank you for all the info! I'm sorry i didn't reply sooner: my email notification got messed up and I didn't see the followups!

Fori: Airport Appliance only has the U-line to "see and touch," but apparently Expo has a Monogram, Marvel, and Sub Zero.

Our old stove does get very hot to the touch on the side, so I'll look in to the Perlick. (I'll have to investigate reinsulating the stove. That would be a good idea!).

I didn't realize some of them can't have the toe kick area covered. I have vintage cabinets, with no toe kick, so I was planning on putting some type of vented screen (like a radiator or register cover) in the toe kick area.

An undercounter fridge is definitely more afforadable than the drawers (and might even have more capacity), but the drawers seem so much more accessible. Easier to see all the stuff in there. Or is it?

Thank you again!
Francy

Do you NEED the counterspace? I want you to get a pink Smeg to complement your range. 24" wide....only 58" tall. Even *I* could put stuff on top of THAT!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1467314}}

Hee!

Now, did you pick that lovely pink color because I already have an 80 year old "pinky" temporarily placed next to my stove?

Now, 2 years ago, when we bought this house, I was thinking about a Smeg. But at that time, I couldn't seem to find one available in the United States. But now they are! They even make a reto looking dishwasher. Oh--cute!!

However.....

I can't really own an appliance with the word Smeg in my kitchen. Something about high school slang words, and food preparation, etc. If you don't know what I'm referring to, then maybe I shouldn't tell you!

But I also really need that counterspace. So the plan is for fridge drawers next to the burning hot oven, counter, and then upper cabinets with built-in microwave section.

Also, the Smeg is (I think--need to double check) deeper than the drawer fridge. And I have a doorway next to "the pinky." So I also dismissed the idea of a retro looking fridge based on depth. But maybe the Smeg is shallow...

There is still that name though.....

Smeg
Smeg
Smeg

ACK!

Francy

Hehehe. Claymation duo Wallace and Grommit had a "Smug". Yes, the name. Smeg. And yet I'd rather have a Smeg than a Diva. The Smeg is probably too deep, and you do need your counterspace.

Can anyone with GE Monogram or Perlick refrigerator drawers comment on the noise and vibration they generate? Are they as loud as a freestanding refrigerator or louder? I would like to put a 24" drawer in an island and have a concern about the vibration being felt through the island countertop (which will be Caesarstone). Thanks...

I've got two sets U-line refrigerator drawers in my kitchen, plus a Monogram beverage fridge in an adjoining pantry. Plus, a full-size in a utility room which provides space for the small amount of frozen food that I keep as well as space for party trays and large items on occasion. One of the Ulines is right next to my stove; we insulated the space between the stove and the fridge. When I roast something like a turkey, which means the oven is working for many hours, I see no difference in the fridge, so apparently this isn't a problem.

My U-lines are integrated--buy the black ones and have someone make you a facade--my carpenter did it easily.

In terms of reliability, I can't say that I am completely happy--all three of my units, U-line and Monogram, required service. In the case of the U-lines, the harnesses were faulty, creating problems with the wiring as the drawers opened and closed. Although one of these incidents was under the warranty periiod, U-line apparently refused to pay the charge. I'm not very good about ranting and raving and following through. . . .
The Monogram had a bad thermostat or something like that. It was taken care of under the warranty.

So, with all that refrigeratiion, the best performing one is my el cheapo in the utility room. And none are close to as good as the Frigidaire side by side that lasted for more than 40 years. Times change. . . .

Which reminds me, that the U-lines have stainless steel interiors and, of course, look awful all the time. Can't imagine why people like this material. Give me enamel any day of the week.

I have the Monogram drawers and except for one small issue (they seem to have forgotten to put that "refrigerant" in it!), it's been great. They're quite roomy, and silent to boot. I use them mainly for wine, etxc., and I do find that most (though not ALL) bottles will fit in standing up.

I have the integrated Monogram fridge drawers and Love 'em! They are very quiet - I never notice them making any noise. Wish I could say the same about my full size SZ! Also, no vibration whatsoever uner my Cesarstone countertop in the island. They hold lots of stuff, very easy to access everything, and much more functional than my old under counder fridge (no bending to find stuff hidden on the back of the shelf). The drawers are very well lit, and keep food very fresh. The only problem after about 9 months is that the light just went out in the bottom drawer, so I have to figure out where to get another bulb. Here are some pics. The vent is in the toekick, but it is not very visible due to the location of my island. Oh, one other issue I just remembered. There is no way to anchor these drawers to the surrounding cabinets, and when first installed, they kept sliding back whenever we shut the drawers, so they ended up sitting about 1/2 inch back from the face of the other cabinets. It drove me crazy until my contractor put a small block of wood behind there, and problem solved. Now the unit sits very flush and looks totally integrated.

Perlick drawers are top notch. They better constructed, have more capacity and capability than any other drawer out there that I have seen. You can use them indoors or out, order them stainless or integrated and they have a ton of configurations and sizes to choose from. I find them quiet but everyone's hearing is different so you owe to yourself to find one and listen to it just you should with any other brand you are seriously considering if the acoustic footprint is an issue to you. You can find prices and different models on ajmadison.com at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Perlick drawers

My kitchen is gutted and under the slow process of DIY renovation. But I had my GE Monogram refrigerator drawers delivered early and they sit in my living room and we already love them! They are well light, roomy, have a white interior that show no fingerprints. They work great and keep our fruits and veggies very fresh - which is what I bought them for. To be next to my prep sink in the island, similar to Needanap's setup. They are plain right now, but will have custom panels on them when the kitchen is done.

If drawers and undercounter beverage center were same price, would drawers be preferable for everything -- veggies, sodas, wine? (I assume temperature can be adjusted.)

I kind of paniced at the appliance store, ordered the Monograms without doing a lot of research or hearing how loud.

Mine are going near the dish storage and coffee for my mother's cream, and will also have the milk, condiments, salad dressings-- things we want in the diningroom frequently, since the drawers will be closer than the main frige.

I looked at the SZ with icemaker, but it left so little room in the top drawer that I decided it would be easier to fill an ice bucket for times when it was really needed.
Personally, I don't feel dedicated storage for wine is worth it unless you either have at least a thousand dollars worth on hand, or go through several bottles a week. For more casual use, I feel the old rule of putting the reds in and taking the whites out half an hour before you open them is fine: some people get so fussy with their wines I suspect it leaves them more stressed, not less.

But if you do need dedicated storage, drawers wouldn't be my first choice. The shape just isn't friendly to storing bottles on their sides. Fine for the half hour thing, though.

I'm considering buying a set of 24" drawers and I was hoping to hear from any of you that posted last year as to how you're liking your drawers now that they're installed.

I wanted to have a set that would be accessible from our dining room so people wouldn't have to cross over into the kitchen when I'm in it to get something. Of particular importance to me is that it be able to hold (in the top drawer) 2 gallons of milk, 1 32 oz bottle of Coffee Mate and one or two 64 oz bottles of juice, if not more. In the other drawer I would store sandwich-making condiments, fruit, string cheese and deli meats.

I am hoping to find the best value for my money. Obviously, if one of them is noisy, it's a no-go b/c my kitchen is open to the LR and DR. I'm hoping to find one for under $2K, but maybe that's unrealistic? I'm also only looking at ones that take a panel to match my cabinets.

From what I could count, these are the makers of refrigerated drawers: Perlick, Electrolux, Viking, GE Monogram, Ariston, Norcool, Aga and Marvel. (I got this info from http://www.appliancist.com/drawers) But I believe that link is a little outdated because I believe that Uline and KitchenAid also sell them.

Thank you. Any advice you can share would be greatly appreciated as I'm nearing the end of picking out my appliances and hope to start demo soon!