In the very recent past I have had both a Subzero 48" built in and a Kitchenaid 48" built in, both with external dispenser. I much prefer the Kitchenaid, and it can be about half the cost if you have access to the Whirlpool Inside Pass discount program through your employer.

We have the Samsung RS27FDBTNSR. It was installed last week so I cannot comment on longevity but it looks nice, keeps the food cold, has a dispenser and was reasonably priced for a 48 inch built in.

Thanks both for your input. I think I will opt for the kitchenaid. Seems like this particular model of kitchenaid was essentially sold under many different names such as Dacor, Thermador, and Jenn-air. So I assume its widely used. I really wanted to see the Samsung in person. I heard only bad things about the install and good things about the fridge. At any rate, I think my wife doesn't want installation issues from the Samsung.

we have a kitchenaid kssc48qvs. No problems in the first few months.

We had an older model an a prior home. The prior one didn't keep the ice well - it would melt a bit (condensation maybe?)inside the collector and become a huge block that had to be taken out and thawed a few times a month. Apparently that was a design flaw. Everything else was great with it though.

We have this newer model now and have had no trouble with the ice collector. Ours is a floor model and we got a great discount. No regrets and I like the huge savings over the sub-zero that we almost got.