Counter depth gives you a cleaner line in your kitchen -- closer to a built-in, especially if it is enclosed by walls or cabinets. A similar effect can be achieved with a standard depth fridge if you can recess it a bit (moving the wall behind it). It is generally an aesthetic issue -- looks nice. But, if your kitchen was built with tight traffic points or limited door cleanrance in front of your fridge, a counter depth can help give a little more ease in the clearance. Some folks pick a French door fridge for the similar reasons. They can make a huge difference in a tight spot.

Counter depth units tend to be a little smaller inside, so you may get a llittle less food storage. You really need to study the organization and function of the shelves, door bins and drawers and see how they will work for what you need to store, get in and out on a daily/weekly business. A little less space may be important for you (we always want more, but do we need it?). Like a built-in, having less depth might mean you push fewer leftovers and seldom used foods to the back where they become science experiments. On the other hand, less ddepth may mean you cannot put trays, cookie sheets or platters in the fridge -- do you ever need that? On the freezer side, things like frozen pizza or other larger items (warehouse store sized frozen good?) can be a problem.

Look at what you need for your storage, use and traffic issues and keep in mind that each person giving you an opinion has their own preferences or reassons for what they are telling you. A salesperson has the potential for being influenced by price and commission levels. Counter depths tend to cost more so their sales and commissions figures are better, but they don't have to use it.

The door itself needs to stick out. So you need to look up the depth of the fridge without doors, add any required ventilation behind it, and see if that fits into your hole.

Having the door stick out is required and expected, counter depth or not. But you'd rather not have the sides stick out too--in some fridges, they don't even match the fridge!

Also check height. Counter depth fridges are usually taller. If the height of your hole is adequate, I suspect it's been designed for a counter depth.

People put fridges in all the time that stick out. That's why the contractors are probably telling you it's okay. They see it and aren't clued in that it's not asthetically ideal.

This is okay: [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/fridge-sticking-out-acceptable-dsvw-vd~484197[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/fridge-sticking-out-acceptable-dsvw-vd~484197)

This is not: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/6006804191_90be424ee3.jpg

I can't believe how often I see home listings with fridges sticking out 4 or 5 inches like that. It basically screams that the kitchen is non custom and was designed without too much thought for details. Remember you need a bit of clearance at the back too, so plan for that.

We have the Fridgidaire counterdepth fridge and it does not feel significantly smaller than a regular depth fridge. I advise getting one without an ice maker water dispenser in the door because that frees up a lot of space.

It is just making a choice between storage and aesthetics. You will sacrifice one or the other. I consider function/capability before the look, and never considered counter depth because I want the storage, which is usually 15 - 20% larger for the regular. I don't mind the fridge sticking out at all. Although the viewing angle in the second picture is possible, usually one looks at the fridge from approx. the front, at least in our kitchen layout. No friend mentioned or hinted something like "oh, your fridge is sticking out". :-) Rather, some praised the larger inside than their counter depth. Magnetic post things work on the exposed sides, as a bonus.

OMG! The horrors! To think that not everyone has a custom kitchen and their fridge might stick out! And they'd even let people see that!

Seriously, that is what most people all across the country -- probably the world have if they are lucky enough to have a refrigerator and something that large. People here tend to be above the norm and forget that. As eshem said -- it a mattter of trading off -- function and aesthetics, and I will add at a given price point and size.

It also has a lot to do with your kitchen design. In my house, it really doesn't make a bit of difference because the fridge is at the end of the line on a wall, so I'm never passing by it when prepping, but if I had a galley with the fridge somewhere in the middle it would be more important to consider the depth.

A standard dept refrigerator will quickly become "the elephant in the room" and can spoil the aesthetics of your kitchen Yes, lascatx, this IS a "first world" problem, but if one is spending money on a new kitchen, why would someone intentionally spoil the aesthetics of the room, and a big old honking refrigerator sticking out multiple inches does just this.

How far back a counter depth refrigerator can be set, depends on the model. When I redid my kitchen last summer, I had told the KD how I wanted it to look - showed him pictures and everything. When they went to install the cabinet around the refrigerator, the entire door and the seals were sticking out. I was not happy! KD came over and I again showed him the pictures of how I wanted it to look. I also didn't want 3" of nothing at the top - total dust catcher and again, not the look I wanted.

So, they reordered a new cabinet for above and new deeper sides. When they were installed, they all agreed it looked SO much better - as close to a built-in look as is possible. I could not afford that!

Yes, counter-depth is more expensive than standard, but it's a LOT less than a true built-in. As for using storage space - in most instances, the depth lost is made up by the refrigerator being taller. I love my refrigerator - a KA from about 5-6 years ago, unfortunately, no longer made without external ice/water which I do not like/want. I'm not a fan of the french door types - just like the old side-by-side.

It's both an aesthetics and a price question. Regulars are more prevalent with lots of choices and more lower priced options. If you have panels boxing in the space you create a higher end look with a counter depth or by recessing a standard depth frig into the wall behind it. You can gain space by removing the drywall and repositioning any studs. You're close so I'd do that.

I personally don't like to see refrigerators sticking out more than door depth. There are ways to make this happen.

However, the issue is thickness of the door. If the door sticks out it's one thing.

If the side of the fridge also sticks out and is visible it really can look bad because sometimes the side of the fridge is finished differently than the door. So I would pay attention to that in my calculations. That's often something that remains unseen until after the purchase is made and the fridge installed.

I don't think that looks good at all. In fact, I'd rather have a freestanding fridge finished the same all around with no cabinet than one that shows the side and the door in a cabinet. Looks like someone didn't know what they were doing to me.

It's silly to say that function should trump aesthetic. If we thought that way, why are we all on a site looking for design help? Obviously, people care about form as well as function. And for most people, a fridge sticking out with black sides is a serious design mistake.

As mentioned, I have a counterdepth and I just don't feel like it is a big loss of space compared to a regular fridge. We don't have an icemaker in the door, but we do in the freezer. Check out the Frigidaire line. Also, this fridge is usually priced less than $2000 (it is always offered on a big mark down - I've bought it twice), so we're not exactly talking about a major financial investment. It's a good quality, well designed fridge. It's really not a big tradeoff from a regular depth fridge. I frankly don't know if there's a trade off at all (because I've never felt like the inside was particularly smaller than a regular depth fridge).

I don't think it is silly, as long as it is an informed decision and the person knows what she/he is getting into. It's just priority management and kitchen is firstly a functioning area.

Just like some people want every ounce of possible aesthetics, others may want the same for storage size. Even more people are not bothered by both. I don't think most people in general population want counter depth either, because if that was the case, counter depth would have been cheaper than comparable regular. There is no special between the two except the size, and counter depth uses less material. It is more expensive simply because demand and production are lower. I would agree that if one is seeking a lot of advices from designers or she/he has a designer's mind, she/he much more likely wants counter depth or better ones.

A functionally challenged cook will recess the frig into the back wall to get all the traffic flow clearance they need for their space to work.

I don't like it when there's a full fridge surround and the unit sticks out six inches, but a standard, old fashioned gap with a full sized fridge looks fine to me. It's more about whether it looks like you got the wrong size fridge for the design than whether the design works with a stick outy fridge. I've also seen where there's a full fridge surround that itself sticks out six inches. That's not ideal because it often looks clunky, but then the fridge doesn't stick out of the surround and doesn't look like a mistake.

Much of this depends on what the norms are in your area. If build-in or integrated is the norm, having a big box store full sized fridge sticking out from a shorter surround is going to look relatively bad. In that case, a full surround properly fitted to the fridge, is the best idea, possibly with the fridge recessed into the rear wall. If you live in a place where most people have free standing fridges, and most aren't in built in surrounds, then a free standing fridge (full or counter depth) in a gap or a correctly sized surround, looks fine. If most kitchens have the fridge outside of the cabinets altogether--just in the open space at the end rather than in a designated space, any kind of freestanding fridge looks fine.

Do you need a counter depth refrigerator? No. Will you be glad you got one? Yes. We had to replace ours 3yrs ago in a hurry after the old one that came with the house died. Due to space restrictions we had to get the counter depth. It was approx 1k more than a regular depth refrigerator but I am soooooo glad we got this one. We ended up with the Whirlpool SxS with ice maker and water dispenser in the door. Couldn't be happier. It is 24cf and has plenty of room for all the food.

We got ours at HD on sale and added the 5yr extended warranty, something IMO is a must with new appliances these days. Last year the board went out and we had to call for service. Did not spend a dime even for a trip charge. Water filters are pricey though and should be changed every 6 months but with the warranty you get cash back if you mail in your receipt. Good luck with your decision.

No custom kitchen here, just an older builder spec home. We had a 1998 Amana side by side that was about 3 inches deeper than the current KA counter depth. While we could no longer find shallow standard units anymore 5 years back when replacing a dead fridge, I have been pleasantly surprised by the ease of moving from garage door into the kitchen area with the counter depth. If I did not have a garage fridge for pop, beer, wine, etc, it would be a tough go volumetrically for a family of 6.

Laundryvet

Personally having lived with both, I hate counter depth. There is no room in those units.

I am a lot older than most of you (I assume), but I am still planning to remodel my kitchen in our house and I am going back to a regular depth refrigerator.

I love to cook and bake. There is no room in the counter depth. Unless you can have an extra fridge in the basement or somewhere else, you will not have enough space for casseroles, sheet pans, large roasts such as turkey, etc.

You would have to have an extra fridge (full size) if you are a cook baker.

JMO, and it has nothing to do about cost.

Jane, I hear you. I have a built-in and really do like it and the way it opened up a too-tight high traffic area in my kitchen, but I can't put a baking sheet or some other large items in it. I often need to put one or two sheets in for slow rising dough or trays to hold until serving. The lack of depth can be an issue that even a larger width can't address. I'd be really limited without a full depth, but only modestly deep, fridge in my utility room (my utility room suffers from the same lack of aisle space).

I'm with Jane. I almost put in a 48" builtin in the new kitchen and changed it out at the last minute for a full depth 36". (Well, okay, I haven't actually purchased this new fridge and am still using the 33" full depth that has somehow made it through two remodels where it was slated for replacement but...)

Yeah, measure your hole and get the biggest fridge that fits. If you NEED the extra capacity, get standard full depth even if it sticks out and make sure the sides match.

They are very frustrating. After writing my post I started thinking about how many times I hated the fridge.

I have a friend who has one and loves it. But, she is not a cook, does not have little kids or a large family.

I remember trying to fit a few dozen egg cartons (baking for Christmas) and could not fit them in without removing so many jars and cartons. I had no where to put them and thankfully, my neighbor came to the rescue and took my 'stuff' and large ham to her house while I baked.

That is just one memory which comes to mind.

Please be careful before you purchase. Know what you will use it for, if you are a baker or entertain frequently, have a backup fridge at the ready.

Jane

Well my kitchen was a custom designed kitchen in my condo and I had a fridge that stuck out. I wanted the largest fridge possible and didn't want to spend for a built in since they are a heck of a lot more money for less space.

I sold my condo in May for the third highest price ever paid for a unit in our high end building (with the exception of the penthouses that are double the square footage) and the fridge sticking out didn't seem to bother the buyer at all. In fact, the kitchen is her favorite part of the condo and each time we see her (we are renting in the building now), she reminds us of how much she loves the kitchen.

The only reason to get a CD fridge is for aesthetics. If the look will bother you, go for the CD. If not, use a standard depth.

I would go with the counter depth. It makes such a difference aesthetically. Having said that consider getting a auxiliary drawer fridge for beverages only. We did this and don't miss the lack of space in the new fridge. We used to have a huge french door with a bottom freezer drawer with a ton of space. A lot of times I would just chuck stuff in there and not use it. I find with a side by side counter depth, I have to control what I buy for the freezer and use the food in a timely manner. Same with the fridge side, leftovers are neatly stored at eye level and I find if you can see the food, you are more likely to eat it and keep control of quantity.

We bought a standard depth fridge, but we made it approximately flush with the base cabinets by making two changes.

1) The fridge is against an exterior wall. We cut a venting hole into the wall that aligns with the exhaust vent from the fridge, put in a gasket, and pushed the fridge back directly to the wall. This saved us the 1" rear clearance requirement.

2) We put 3" spacers behind the base cabinets, so that counter on the refrigerator wall is 3" deeper than standard. I LOVE LOVE LOVE those deeper counters. We built it that way primarily to alleviate the aesthetics of a projecting fridge, but the benefit of the deeper counters is huge.