I would also love to hear more comments and reviews on either this model you're referring to here (RS36A80J1) or the shorter version (RS36A72J1) which retails for $3799. I can't believe how little info there is on these fridges!

The 72" and 80"/84" are the exact same thing in two different enclosures. The same capacity (16.8 cu. ft.), the same layout, same number of shelves and bins. The only difference is that 80"/84" model is elevated and requires taller doors.

By the way there are two 72" integrated models:

F&P RS36A72J1 $3,799

DCS RS36A72JC1 $3,899

And two 80"/84" integrated models:

F&P RS36A80J1 $5,299

DCS RS36A80JC1 $5,399

We have sold several of these units already, but because it's an integrated style most haven't actually been delivered because projects take time.

That being said, FP makes pretty solid refrigerators, and this unit is not a reinvention of the wheel. They basically reworked their freestanding platforms so I think quality should be fine.

Does anyone know what differences there are between the F&P vs. DCS models?

DCS is owned by F&P. And there is no difference between the models, only different handles (beefier on DCS)

Thanks tigrangrig. I'll be putting my own handles on the paneled version, so since handles are the only difference, I guess the F&P makes sense.

I saw it in a showroom a few months back. Here's some pics in case anyone finds it helpful:

Overall, I really liked this fridge. The quality seems great. The three reasons I'm going with this fridge: fully integrated, reasonable price, and with the 72" high version, I can still have storage above the fridge unlike with an 80"/84". In my small kitchen that makes a difference.

Joe do you have the FP in your showroom? If so I think I may have to take a ride up to see it.

They basically reworked their freestanding platforms

Joe, can you elaborate on that, please?

I think 72" F&P is the best option out of those models. I said earlier that 72" and 80"/84" are the same thing, which means with 80/84 models you waste 8" or 12" of cabinet space, plus you pay $1,500 more.

We do not have it on display unfortunately. I wish we did. I know the A&D showroom has it on display in the 80" height. You can check that out Monday-Friday.

The new units are basically updated versions of their existing RF195/RF201 platform with a change to the ventilation in the front and a shallower box to fit in the space. The technology is not new though, so I am inclined to trust it more than other new units on the market.

Thanks to everyone for the info. I'm very excited about this model and glad to hear folks express confidence in the quality. For fully integrated/panel ready, this is so so so much more affordable than anything else I have seen.

Interesting that the 72" and 80" are actually the exact same size fridge. For someone under 5 ft tall, that's a no-brainer :)

When you get it ccirou3, would you please post pictures and also how much room you have inside it? That is my main concern but if I can save almost 3k, my budget and my DH would be very happy. My biggest concern is if the freezer is large enough since we feed our dog RAW and we make up containers of food at a month at a time and store it.

So is the difference between the 70" and 80/84" that the latter unit has elongated panels to give the illusion of being a taller refrigerator?

Am I correct in thinking that the body of the units are identical? If so, then the top shelf height would be the same for both units, correct?

The top shelf will be higher, 'cause 80/84 is "elevated"

The attached pictures are from installation manuals:

As you can see 80/84 models have "double bottom grille" (which is covered by custom panel) in addition to 4" toekick.

The grille of 72" model is sitting on the floor.

Now look at the top: as you can see 80 and 84 have much more space between the unit and the cabinet. Especially the 84" model. The dotted line is the cabinet.

And this is how they'll look installed (with optional F&P handles).

See the grille and toekick differences.

And notice how 80/84 freezer panel is taller. But the freezer is the same
size as 72" model. The extra height is for covering the grilles.

And side-by-side for height comparison:

Wow! tig, you're a genius. You could not have made that more clear.

Thank you so much!

I never really thought about how integrated refrigerator's vent, but I wonder if the taller version has additional space allotted at the top for venting purposes? Is that how they vent?

cpartist, I will definitely report back but it will be a little while! I haven't broken ground just yet :) And I hear ya on the freezer space for puppy food! Fortunately my pup is only 20lbs, but even her raw food takes up a decent amount of freezer space.

Looking at those pictures of the different models...I wonder why they put a panel over the grill on the 80/84, but not the 72? Any reason why you couldn't put a custom panel that extended over the grill on the 72"?

They all vent from the bottom. The extra space on top of 80/84 is just a void. On 84 you got 4" more of void.

ccirou3, they don't cover the grille with a panel on 80/84, the grilles are behind the panel, and there is some space between the panel and the grille for air movement. And there is 4" extra space under the grilles, the custom toekick goes over there. You can't do the same thing with 72, cause the grille on 72 is the toekick.

Bumping this up to see how @ccirou3 and anyone else ended up liking the F&P integrated fridge. I'd love to see photos especially if you had it paneled. Thanks!!

I am also thinking of buying this. I loved the look of it in the store. The saleswoman recommended the 72.

We are renovating our house and looking at the 72". Did anyone purchase one and if so can you share your experience?

We have the 72" - no complaints

I'm the OP, and did purchase the FP based on advice from this thread/forum. No troubles whatsoever, it looks great and I don't have a single complaint. I'd purchase it again.

We are also considering the F&P integrated French door model, but I read that noise level can be high. the fridge will be in open concept - close to dining/family room areas, and noise really bothers us. We are willing to spend more on higher end product (Miele?) for quieter unit (as long as integrated, French door style- needed to clear island). Thanks for feedback,advice!

Lorialain I have not read or heard anything about noise. Is the noise coming from the ice maker or just general refrigerator noise?

we are still under renovation and the refigerator won't be installed unti late Oct/early Nov.. Thanks for sharing your information!

I'm very happy with this integrated french door. I would say other than the occasional ice cube drop, it's very quiet. I definitely recommend it.

thank you gardener123 for sharing your experience! It is reassuring. Julie Mitchell, I read some bad reviews about the F&P general compressor/motor noise (not an ice dropping issue). More about general background dB sound output. I am having a hard time finding dB levels about refrigerators/freezers (so unlike dishwashers, where they all publish this info!). Some where I read F&P was in the 44-45dB range whereas Liebherr and Miele were in the 40-42dB range, but it's not clear that these were comparable models (french door, 36", fully/near fully integrated designs) and if these were most recent models, etc. and the reliability of the sources I was reading.

ccirou3 - we are strongly leaning towards the same refrigerator rather than the integrated one. Did you wrap the cabinets around tightly or did you leave gaps? From the photo it looks like you didn’t. If so, did that affect the refrigerator‘s efficiency? Thank you.

ainelane I was getting ready to purchase a Thermador after looking at the FP for so long. I was so concerned about the space 17 cu is not much but I do have another fridge. So not it is back in the running. So now it will between the integrated or doing what @ccirou3 purchased. It looks really great that way she did the cabinetry. I will definitely show my cabinet man if I go this route.

We did what ccirou3 did and are very pleased with the result. Our cabinet maker insisted that we allow 1/2” clearance on the sides so we went with that but it’s fine - it’s not that visible. On the top we decided to allow more space and then added a filler so that if we ever switched refrigerators to a taller one we could remove the filler. I’ve attached a photo.

I should add, the space is definitely a little tight by American standards, especially in the freezer. We don’t mind though because we’re used to fridges in Europe so this seems fine to us!

Hi again! I’m posting a close up so you can see the gap to the cabinetry as well as a shot from across the island so you can see how that detail disappears. My cabinet maker left a half inch of space inside the cavity, but put a small shim facade just at the front of the opening to visually fill the gap. We have no issues whatsoever with efficiency, it’s on the same settings it came from the factory on and it works great! After almost 4 years (omg where did the time go) I still am super happy with this fridge. It’s probably the major appliance I’m happiest with!

Sorry for the dark and unstaged photos! I’m not a great photographer 😊

Oh and as far as space goes, still no complaints even after getting a second dog who eats raw and of course eating at home a ton throughout covid. We made it work during thanksgiving with casseroles and chilling pie crusts and the like. If we had even one kid though, I would want the wider version.

Thank you @ccirou3 and @Maria V for sharing your photos. This helps a lot.

I have one other question about the integrated model. When it needs servicing, it is easy to pull the fridge out. Do you have to take the cabinet apart to get the fridge out. With the French Door Model Stainless it appears that it just pulls out like the current cabinet depth we have. Seems leaving 1/2" on each side is the norm for that fridge.

We can easily pull our refrigerator out, especially having left 1/2 inch on either side but I imagine this would be doable with ccirou3’s approach as well. We were actually going to do exactly what ccirou did but then, once it was installed, we were ok not adding the fillers/ shim facades on the sides. We only added one to the top. I would recommend adding one on top that is high enough that if you want to switch fridges later on, you can remove it and have enough cabinet height. Also, to be sure, we do not have the integrated model, just the standard refrigerator. I think the shim/filler idea is great because it can be done on the spot by the contractor (as long as you ordered the fillers) and is a flexible solution.

Also, if you go through the photos on this website, this designer often seems to use the Fisher & Paykal non-integrated refrigerator. This is where we got the idea for the fillers/shims to tighten the space around it. https://www.guildandersonfurniture.co.uk

Here is an example: https://www.guildandersonfurniture.co.uk/portfolio/wylye-valley/

Thank you @Maria V. Glad to know it is an easy pull out and you don't have to dismantle anything. I am looking at the Guild and Anderson Furniture on line now. Gorgeous.

I am hoping someone can give feedback on how hard it is to get slide the integrated FP model fridge in and out if you need to service. Then I will make my decision. Maria what size range and model did you go with.

I think I have the same one as ccirou - the non-integrated/ freestanding one that we tried to make look integrated :-). The model I have is the RF201ADJSX5. The advantages of that are that you get more space (17cu ft) and it’s also quite a bit less expensive. The space in the integrated one was a concern for us because I think the depth was only about 11” internally! The Guild Anderson photos also have the non-integrated one. So if you look at my photo above and ccirou and Guild Anderson that should give you an idea of what you can do with the non-integrated version. Unfortunately I don’t know much about the integrated one but hopefully someone can weigh in.