I just replaced a 42" built in refrigerator whose compressor started to go after 12 years. My repairman told me that for any refrigerator these days, 10 years is average, 12 years is pretty good. You did not say how long you were planning to stay in the house, but if you are in it for the long haul, get what you like since you will probably have to replace it before you are ready to sell. Personally, I am leary of buying any appliance built by one company and sold under another company's brand. I had a GE Monogram dishwasher that broke. When the GE repairman came, he couldn't fix it because it was actually built by Bosch and he didn't even have the specs. GE eventually replaced it, but it was 6 mos. of trying various things, scheduling innumerable service appointments, and washing by hand. So the second thing I would say to you is to carefully check into who will be servicing your appliance and how familiar they are with another companyis technology. Also, think about whether they can still support yours if, for example, DCS switches suppliers a few years down the road. (My replacement GE Monogram D/W was built by Fisher and Paykel. It lasted just long enough for the warranty to expire, and then I needed a very expensive repair. I now have a mid-level KitchenAid at a price point that will allow me to junk it if it has problems.) My dying refrigerator was also GE Monogram. For replacement, I looked at Viking and SubZero, the high-end fridge of choice in my town, as well as the new model GE Monogram. I did not consider Electrolux because its new North American kitchen appliance division is still getting up the learning curve and has been plagued with quality issues. In the 42" size, and I assume the same is true for the 48", Viking and GE have the same technology: there is one compressor that generates cold air for the freezer which is then blown by a fan into the refrigerator. Since Viking doesn't have any better repair record than GE Monogram, the primary difference is cosmetics and price. SubZero, possibly the only high-end refrigerator still built in the USA, is much more substantial with separate compressors for the freezer and refrigerator sections, but it is also the most expensive. And it is not trouble free. I ultimately chose another GE Monogram for the simple reason that I wanted an in-door water/ice dispenser, and the SubZero's dispenser is so big it blocks most of the freezer compartment's in-door storage. I eliminated the Viking because it didn't have any features that justified the higher price. I have been told that Viking sales piggy-back off their range sales--if you want to match your Viking range, you're not going to be comparison shopping among different brands. Since my recent experience, I have been taking a closer look at kitchens in high-end homes (most of the homes in my community) and am finding that many kitchen designers are "unbundling," that is, moving away from the 42-48" behemoths to 36" non-built in counter-depth fridges (much easier to move/repair/replace) combined with separate under-counter refrigerator drawers, ice makers and wine coolers. Hope this helps.

Has anyone seen this refrigerator in person? Very little information is available and I've yet to see a photo of the interior. It intrigues me because of the dual compressors and cost.

Dan/Memphis

Unless your specific neighborhood is a DCS hotbed I don't think anyone is going to be wowed by a DCS anything let alone a fridge that they don't even make!

I'm not saying they make junk - just that they don't have "cache".

Pretty sure the top 3 built ins with brand recognition are SubZero, Viking, and GE Monogram.

That could be changing with Thermador's freedom series and does not account for regional or city specific pockets.

Also - I'd stay away from Viking as their units have a history of problems and don't represent a good gamble and they are also going to be under transition as a company with their pending merger, acquisition, or partnering or whatever they are calling it this week.