I'd recommend at least checking out the new Fisher & Paykel; they have a 72" tall flush built-in model now that I believe comes in at about half the cost of a standard built-in: https://www.fisherpaykel.com/us/kitchen/fridge-freezers/built-in/activesmart-refrigerator-36-french-door-built-in2.RS36A72J1.html

Nope, that KA is exactly as intended. You may blame the KD for not being aware of what it's like, but they always look like that--much worse than an ordinary counter depth model. I know a few folks who have that fridge, and the truly awesome thing about it is the way they have all persuaded themselves that it's chic and sleek and high-end looking. Go figure.

At the least if you had to have that frig, I would eliminate the black and paint it the same as the cabinets. Visually it would recede -a little. It does look as though deeper cabinets would help it unless you need that space for the doors. The top picture looks worse than the bottom in the original post.

Sheeesh, it's hard for me to believe anybody would design something to look like that.

I was my KD, and I designed the whole kitchen around the Fridge.

Fridge was step one, bought it, got all the installation info, and then gave it to my builder, telling him, I want it "Flush".

Unfortunately my wife's twin sister built their kitchen a few months before we did and the fridge was an "after thought", and yep , it sticks out even more than our Op's picture. It really "bugs me" every time I go over to Wife's Sis and see the fridge. Her kitchen adjoins the family room and if it were me I would at least built the wall out that adjoins the two rooms to at least hide the part of the fridge that sticks out and is seen from the family room.

I guess saving money over a "paneled and / or integrated one", was important in this case, but I suspects there are more options as far as "Built in and or integrated" fridges besides SZ and F & P?

Gary

I see that a lot. And people think it's fine.

@Kate -- What's the point of your post exactly? Are you looking for built in fridge recommendations?

I had a Liebherr freestanding fridge with finished ss sides. Some adore their Liebherrs (I was among them) some find them lacking.
But they have a 0 clearance door and can be made to look way better than
the KA. Liebherr makes a French door as well.The giveaway is that this fridge needed clearance at the top/ But for me this is a better look than the other for sure.

Part of the issue on those other fridges is the disgusting idea that the fridge is not fully finished in the same way all around.

Kitchenaid's own picture from the link Kate provided in the post does not anything like how it unfortunately turned out for her. I agree that it was KD's fault not giving enough space for the cabinet around the fridge.

The KA and Bosch are simply regular counter-depth models that can accept panels. In fact, they are slightly worse as they require a deeper cabinet enclosure. They are not built-ins and will never look like it (let alone integrated), because the door is so thick. The prior generations were shallower and look much better when they are in regular stainless (and not attempting to be faux-paneled). I suspect one of the pictures is using a 24" cabinet depth instead of the required 25"+, which makes the body stick out in addition to the door depth.

I don't believe the OP actually went through with the purchase --- she found out the reality before she purchased it. She's just trying to highlight the somewhat misleading marketing photos. I have a variation of the model in a prior generation, but in stainless. The body sits flush and only the stainless door sits proud, and a trim kit addresses the gaps.

@diggity -- that new Fisher Paykel looks really interesting -- you really do lose some space with that one, though. ETA: Looks like it requires a 25" deep cabinet and careful electrical/water placement to achieve a fully flush look.

I'll have to change the OP so it's a little more clear that this is not my kitchen in the above pictures. My bad! I am extremely relieved I found an honest rep who really took the time to explain to me what that panel ready Kitchen Aid really looked like. The first appliance company I went to tried to sell me the Bosch, and I'm sure he knew the KA was the exact same thing. So glad I got a second opinion!

That poor person that got screwed over! I just found the image and shared it. They were obviously PO'ed by what they got.

diggity14 I checked it out. Thanks! Love how they clearly state "No More Gaps" Any idea what price range it's in? I'll have to do a little google research ;)

59 Dodge Liebherr still ranks high, and makes a lovely built in. I looked at them, and they have upped their price to compete in the SZ price range. On their website, the 36" fully integrated would run me $7200. They don't make a 36" built in, just 24" and 48" Thanks for sharing your experience with the maintenance, and your good looking built in! Oh, and there are lots of other brands making built ins and fully integrated fridges, they compete with the SZ high price, not half the price like the Bosch & KA model

wekick I considered painting the side, but was warned it might look awful. Too much $ at stake to gamble with that.

Chanop Wow! That is actually a completely different fridge. You can tell be the compressor cover above the doors. It's actually one of KA's true built in fridges, that cost just as much if not more than a SZ. That is SO misleading!!

rococogurl I wanted to share my experience of looking for a built in option without spending the big bucks. With what is available on the market today, it isn't possible. :( A few years ago, it was. I'm not looking for any recommendations, but others might come across this and find some other options helpful, so please share! During my search last October, there was little on the internet to explain the misleading info about this.

Interesting, I didn't even notice they are different fridge. Sorry for confusion.

Unfortunately there is no built in option without spending north of + or = $6K. As long as the market supports it that will continue. Many of us have shopped for alternatives to $$$$ built ins.

@Kate - From the thread over on the kitchens forum you've had a rough ride in re the refrigerator. I had to replace by built in after 11 years. It was not easy at all. If you're going with something temporary -- which from the other thread it seems -- and you can tolerate a 25+ deep refrigerator cabinet that's 84" high or thereabouts, it will be easy to go upscale later on. Alternately Liebherr offers a faux grill to fill in the space.

Here is another picture from the reviews

Yes, it's been a bit of a rough ride, but I'll see it through. After the whole mess, I just put it on the shelf and focused on the cabinets. We actually only have room for a 33" fridge, so all of that hemming and hawing over a 36" was for nothing. As for this crazy panel ready non built in KA, it comes in other finishes and I loved the interior.

I recalled when I was looking at a few kitchen showrooms for my own reno, I came across some kit to hide a fridge behind panel door. It is a clip and a slider to attach fridge door to the outer panel door and both open together.

Following example on Houzz seems to use a kit from Fisher & Paykel.

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@Kate -- There is no perfect reno. There's always something. People who have the KA seem to like it. But as we all know there's a difference in the look.

Everyone has priorities. In a reno many years ago I used the existing fridge and got custom cabinets. The world doesn't end if you live a life without owning a Sub Zero.

"The world doesn't end if you live a life without owning a Sub Zero."

"Rite On"!!!!, rococogurl.

I spent some time googling built in as well as "Integrated Fridges', trying to find a "Deal", for the OP.

For the most part it IS very difficult to find "reasonably priced" built in and / or integrated fridges.

And YES, Liebherr, as well as Whirlpool, (Jenn-air Kitchen aid) has followed SZ's prices, as I posted that they would almost ten years ago.

(See my comments about SZ running prices up a flag pole and then other manufacturers saluting the flag)!

To Me, this is particularly disgusting, Especially for the Euro Manufacturers, (Liebherr, Miele, Bosch), when one takes the strong dollar into account, prices should be dropping not rising on these imports!

In fact, I went to AJMadison web sight to check prices. Every SZ price was quoted as "Call for Price", as was most the Jenn-airs who have copied SZ's Sleezey Marketing practices~~~~~the goal here is to "Sick a Professional Closer on You"! You should be able to get prices, as well as any other info that you deem important BEFORE, you get a Salesman after your money, Ya thinks?

Anyway, be that as it may, I did find some "More Reasonable Prices" on sites like Sears Outlets, and some Scratch & dent stores, so you might want to look into those options?

Good luck on your hunt, and I hope it works out as well as my hunt did, back in 2006, alto at that point in time, Only SZ and Miele appliances were priced fixed, so I got a deal on the Jenn-air, $4588.00 for a 48".

I was not so fortunate with the Miele DW and paid full price for it, but the fridge deal along with some other Non priced fix appliances, (Electrolux) help ease the pain of the Miele DW Price.

Gary

"The world doesn't end if you live a life without owning a Sub Zero."

Yes! I completely agree! Thank goodness for my sake, I can see beyond a high end fridge, or even a new one, as for the time being I'm stuck with a 20 y/o fridge in my otherwise top of the line new kitchen. So at this point, I'd be ecstatic to have an updated fridge of any kind, panels or not, haha!

"See my comments about SZ running prices up a flag pole and then other manufacturers saluting the flag"

Now I remember that spot on analogy! Gary, I'm sure your previous posts were of great help understanding the marketing and trickery that goes on in the refrigerator world. Thanks for that!

I feel that --and this is only my personal opinion -- that unless you are getting a truly integrated fridge, just buy a fridge with a SS door and have it look like a fridge. The expense of a panel-ready fridge plus the panels to me do not seem worthwhile unless you decide to go for the fully-integrated look. A fully-integrated fridge requires a big budget, but so does the built-in look except without the same seamless effect so why do it.

Please note the distinction between fully-integrated and built-in. A fully-integrated fridge completely disappears into the cabinetry. There are no hinges showing, no grill, no trim as in Dodge's photo above (Dodge - I am just trying to explain the difference from an integrated).

There are several fridges that are sleek and attractive with their own SS doors without panels. The efforts described in the OP plus the added expense do not seem worth it to me if you still have so much of the fridge showing.

Yes! It's like, why even bother?

Also, I had a hard time wrapping my head around buying custom panels, which don't come cheap, for a fridge that has a 10-12 year life span (if I'm lucky). That was my first red flag.

Thanks for bringing up the point that there are different levels of what many think is one category:

Panel-Ready $

Built-In $$

Fully-Integrated $$$

@Kate, and as you discovered, Panel-Ready does not necessarily intersect with "built-in". I needed to get a counter-depth due to our layout and aisle width. I don't miss spending the $7 to $10K on built-in or integrated fridge, although I looked at some floor models that took the sting out a bit of the pricing. We went with a SS true counterdepth (no sides showing) with an extra trim kit to finish it off while allowing for proper venting.

Gary, thanks for looking around for deals! I just noticed that comment. It IS tough to compare prices. I started to look in order to compile a price list to help with my point that there is no longer a middle ground for those looking for a fridge that is flush. But I had a hard time too!

The sales lady at the appliance showroom here in Delaware was lovely to work with. She was patient with my questions, level headed, and didn't treat me any different once I told her that there was no way my DH was going to go along with any fridge near $8000. I will make our DW, hood, and disposal purchase from her in the next few weeks. Hopefully one day a new fridge! It's Judy at ABC in Wilmington, if any locals ever need help. I've heard Hawkins & Sons is just as nice.

Rococogurl, is that your current kitchen? It's so sharp and I love it! :)

The kitchen appliance market has adjusted to the slow down of the past few years by raising prices even further. This is not just at the high end. There is no middle range in the built-in category.

Fridges can be paneled in different ways. I agree with friedajune " that unless you are getting a truly integrated fridge."

Plus built in paneled fridges are the hardest of all to replace if necessary.

I went from a built-in ss fridge -- which was fully integrated -- to a built in ss fridge with a standard install meaning the door sits 3/4" proud of the cabinets. It isn't a SZ so it doesn't have the honking big grill which I don't especially care for.

It looks the same as the one that was integrated.

While shopping I was horrified by the prices. The middle of the line b-i brands -- GE (just sold to Haier/China) and Thermador were not much less than the high end fridges for a lot less quality. Then there was Bosch which is a Thermador Miele cousin with lower grade finishing but it was nowhere to be seen.

I didn't look at KA and Jenn Air because they were too deep. Liebherr makes more sense to me than either of those but I may not be up on the latest prices.

@Kate -- 33" is pretty useless for a fridge. It will be nothing but trouble. Widths run 30" or 36" or 42" or 48" or 60" or at the lowest end 24".

33" is what I am stuck with for now. The appliance lay out is very similar to the kitchen photo you shared above (love love love!!) but imagine a doorway between the fridge and counter, and to the left of the fridge, a massive exterior stone wall that we were advised not to cut into. The kitchen is on the first floor of 3, so that is a major support wall. Oh well. Like you said, no reno is perfect. Maybe on day I'll make a post about 33" fridges. ;)

Yes! And that GE/Haier China buyout. Just saw that on the news. I wonder how that will play out....

One more thing, I'm pretty sure you can hide that huge grill on the newer SZ, or at least some models.

Fully integrated SZ have no grill. Standard mount SZ have it.

"Please note the distinction between fully-integrated and built-in. A fully-integrated fridge completely disappears into the cabinetry. There are no hinges showing, no grill, no trim as in Dodge's photo above (Dodge - I am just trying to explain the difference from an integrated)."

No problem with your post.

As I've posted, before, many times, Our goal was not to hide the fridge or pretend it doesn't exist in the kitchen. Back in 2006 I'd never heard of a "Fully Integrated fridge. If you ever watch "House Hunters" or a similar program, watch the potential buyers give "Thumbs down" to any kitchen missing a fridge!, (so maybe it's my age), but I've never understood this "Hide the Appliance Game".

Our goal was first to have the fridge flush. The GE that the built in replaced just stuck out in the kitchen, (not saying anything's wrong with that), but we just wanted a "Smoother" flowing look. Secondly, the old GE was SS, and man was it a pita to keep it looking nice. Our Diswasher, A KA was also SS, and it seemed like every drip of water that got on it sank right down to the "Soul" of the SS. I spent hours and hours trying to keep that "succer", spotless.

So I think you can understand why we wanted a paneled Fridge and a Paneled DW. Once again our Miele DW is not a "fully integrated model", alto we could have bought one. While it is paneled, the control panel does show, We like seeing what the DW is doing and like to be able to set the controls without opening the door, so again no desire to hide it or pretend it does not exist in our kitchen, again goal was, easy to keep looking nice, and controls/display easily visible.

Maybe we are the only ones in the world that see things this way, alto one wonders, (if that is the case), why do they still make "built in" appliances as well as "fully integrated"???

Anway, there are few days, even 10 years later, that wife does not remark on how much She loves her kitchen, and I wish the same for you!!!!

Gary

Here is our fully integrated Liebherr. Three years ago, it was about $2.5k less than the same size SZ. My wife and I actually preferred it even before we found out the price difference. Love the fridge, it's been great! ...so far no problems.

@cookncarpenter - love the kitchen look and great install job on the fridge. I liked my Liebherr as well. I'd go with one again.

For those of you reading this string, in 2018, thought I would update you all. A lot of Customer Service calls to KA answered this question for me. If you buy the KA Slide-In Panel-Ready, you will have the black strip. If you buy the KA Built-In Panel-Ready, you'll have the stainless steel strip on the side (which all built-in's have, if you want nothing - you need to fork out the $$ for integrated).