Add 15K minimum to your budget between the cost of upgrading the appliances beyond consumer grade, plus the cost of the panels themselves, plus the cost if having a cabinet installer that actually has experience with them and knows what he's doing.

The least expensive panel ready fridge is about $2800, and is not a built-in, which limits the success of the panel esthetically.

Then the price jumps to about $5000 for one that is a combined refrigerator and freezer. I would add at least $1000 for panels and labor.

The least expensive DW that is panel ready (except at IKEA I think) is about $700, and the panel for this will be a bit less but can get expensive if you want it to look like a drawer and doors.

The fully integrated appliances, where nothing at all shows to indicate that they are a refrigerator or DW, (no frame, no controls) are higher in price. So there is added expense in the appliance, in the panels, (which have to be customized even if stock sized panels are available because of how they attach to the appliance) and with the labor. I would not spend the extra money on the appliance and panels and then have someone who had never done these panels before do the labor.

In my last kitchen I had an integrated Subzero and the cabinet company, which was experienced, still mis-cut the refrigerator door panel slightly, and it had to be remade from the beginning. The panels were matched veneer, and had I insisted the veneer still match, they would have had to remake the fridge door panel, two freezer door panels and a panel and cabinet door for above the fridge. Luckily it wasn't that noticeable, and let it go.

It adds to the project on every level. It is a very nice look depending on the situation, but it adds to the budget and to the skill requirements of the contractor significantly.

If you're comparing the cost against a "regular" fridge, it might cost $15,000 extra to do panels. If you're getting a Sub-zero and Miele dishwasher either way, then the incremental cost is mostly the panels themselves and the labor (I have a paneled Bosch dishwasher and a paneled Thermador fridge - the cost of the appliances in "panel-ready" vs stainless steel was not that much, so the added cost was in getting the panels from my cabinet company and having them installed. It was a lot, but not $15,000). I'd say it was a a day of labor for one person (my GC himself, who was experienced in doing these) plus the panel cost. We actually don't have the right DW on panel yet - they sent the one for a different model and the new correct one just arrived. The refrigerator install was tricky, but the DW looks to be quite simple.

AJMadison has searchable features. What about the KitchenAid Architect II series fridge (2,800.00)?

Here is a link that might be useful: panel-ready fridges