Happy Miele owner here. Have the 36 inch freezer on bottom. Love the layout and lighting and easy clean stainless. Mine is relatively new, so no longevity observations, though I know people who have had this fridge for a decade and are happy.

I’m interested to read what people have to say! We’re going through the same thing right now. Were tempted by thermador panel ready but at $8,000 plus cost of panels it seemed excessive for our kitchen. I like the BlueStar counter depth freestanding fridge but it’s new so i haven’t seen it in person and as mentioned on an earlier thread of mine it’s new this year- so a bit of a gamble.

You might look into Electrolux/Frigidare. They have a 36" counter-depth fridge.

You can also get a counter depth from Kitchen Aid, Whirlpool, Jenn Air, Samsung etc and it will be a fraction of what you are considering.

You might want to also consider a beverage fridge or an additional fridge in a basement or garage if you have a family. Counter depth can be limiting at the holidays.

I have had a 30" Fisher Paykel for about 10 years. The only negative for me is that the shelves are not really robust and will sag a bit if a lot of heavy things are placed in the center. My solution has been to shop more frequently and keep heavier items near the sides. I would consider their 36" integrated refrigerator if I were not in a position to purchase one with sturdier shelves.

BeverlyFLA is right about limited space in counter depth varieties. It hasn't been a problem for me.

We have a Jenn-Aire that ticks all those boxes

You've probably already thought of this but...Total depth of counter-depth refrigerators is about 30" deep--which is about 5" deeper than most counters. The box section only of a counter-depth refrigerator is about 24" to 25".

We love our Miele.

Thanks, everyone!

My husband is 6'8" and currently has to stoop pretty low to get into our current refrigerator. I'm liking the Liebherr at 80 inches tall and it's half the price of the Sub-Zero.

We're a family of 3 so we don't need a ton of storage.

Has anyone seen the Samsung Chef Collection refrigerators?

I stumbled upon them last night and it looks nice.

Samsung Chef Collection

we also have the Liebherr, 36" bottom freezer and love it.... nary a problem, so quiet, easy to clean. you can put milk on door b/c shelves are glass. produce does stay fresher longer with "bio-fresh" very pleased with purchase.

we did panel ready, not a SS fan. big savings over SZ and i really liked it better as well.

just make sure u can service for it if needed!! very important. if u are out in the country/sticks/boondocks, might be difficult.

Another vote for Liebherr here. Had a 60cm white one in Europe which I loved so bought a 30” ss one when we redid our kitchen almost four years ago. No issues, and love the non-plumbed ice maker. Two years ago bought a 24” for our lake house, and it’s fine, too.

Stacy, don’t know where you’re getting that 30” depth. The doors of the counter depth fridges do not protrude beyond the cabinets, so 24-25” total.

I keep reading reviews that the Liebherr is terrible at making ice. Is that for real?

I believe counter depth fridges protrude by the thickness of the door. Built in refrigerators are flush.

Not sure how fast other fridges make ice. The Liebherr non-plumbed ice maker may be slower, but we never run out. If you have a large family who drink sodas all day, that might be the case. What I love is we never have to worry about a water line leak.

latifolia...Stacy is correct. Counter-depth refrigerators are only counter-depth with regards to the refrigerator box, not the doors & handles. As Stacy stated above, the true depth is around 30", sometimes 31". With both standard and counter-depth refrigerators, the doors must stick out past all surrounding items to allow the doors to open fully. This includes adjacent walls, cabinets, counters, etc. If the refrigerator is next to a deep wall or anything else deeper than the refrigerator box, then 3" to 12" of filler or shallower cabinetry (no deeper than the ref box) is needed b/w the refrigerator and the deeper item. The amount of space needed depends on how deep that adjacent item is.

Built-in refrigerators, on the other hand, are designed to be close to flush with the surrounding cabinets and counter. They also tend to be taller than counter or standard-depth refrigerators so you usually cannot have storage above them.

Were tempted by thermador panel ready but at $8,000 plus cost of panels it seemed excessive for our kitchen.

The Bosch is basically the same as the Thermador and less money. I have the Bosch integrated with panels and so far am very happy with it.

Having the option for lots of storage for special occasions is worth a bit more expense. I've found I really don't "need" the cold water dispenser or even ice maker -- old fashioned ice cube trays work BUT … convenience.

Bluestar has a new 36 inch fridge (non-built in). Anyone have any info there?

I'm getting a Miele. I love the lights and know they make quality products. Many people love liebherr, but as someone mentioned, make sure what you get can be serviced. I have friends here who have replaced their Liebherrs because they can't get them serviced.

Burlington, whether the doors must stick out beyond framing etc, depends totally on the hinges used by the manufacturer. My KA has the cabinet frame almost totally covering the door - perhaps an inch sticks beyond the frame.

Buehl, lower cabinets are generally 24", 25 with countertop overhang. By definition, anything that sticks out further than that is not counter depth. The appliance manufacturer can call it what they want, but if the depth is more than 25", it's not counter depth. This makes a difference in a galley kitchen, or wherever you want/need it to protrude less. There are a number of manufacturers, including these:

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/B11CB50SSS.html

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/CS1640BX.html

I have a Liebherr, and it doesn't protrude beyond the cabinets, but it opens just fine.

This discussion is really helping me narrow things down. Thanks, everyone!

Do any of you know why the Blomberg and Bluestar 36-inch freestanding fridges both have exactly the same specs?

I thought Blomberg was made in Turkey and Bluestar was made in the US.

latifolia...actually, counters overhang by 1.5" in most cases, so figure 25.5" total depth. CD refrigerators are designed with the 25.5" in mind. When you figure air clearance, etc., the box sticks out right around 25.5" deep.

Liebherr has one of the very few CD refrigerators that are almost flush...but you pay for it!

Get a fridge that is a very standard size so that when you need to replace it in 10 or 15 years, you'll be able to find one that fits. Chances are it would be 20 years with a Sub-Zero. Also, check lead times to make sure that you get your fridge in time to move in. If you purchase from a local appliance dealer that has a repair department, they might be able to give you the most current information on reliability issues.

Has anyone considered or purchased the free standing BlueStar counter depth refrigerator which is new to the marketplace? My wife and I are considering this model because it is available in numerous colors and we need something in an off white. It also is in the same price range as most competitors models. Even the handles can be ordered in many different finishes.

Larry I’ve considered it! We saw the Blomberg in person and we loved it. You can also fully pull out the drawers with the doors open 90degrees according to the specs... could be helpful in some layouts. And we’ve had a hard time finding internal water dispenser and ice which they both have.

Here’s my earlier thread on it https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5375760/blomberg-vs-bluestar

I would also consider Bosch/Thermador depending on your price point. I own a 36" cabinet-depth Thermador, single door with a bottom freezer I like a lot. Have had zero problems with it. Also just spec'd the Bosch version (same, just lower price point) for a client's kitchen remodel. We checked out a LOT of options.

We considered the Bosch refrigerator, but it is manufactured in China. Not sure about Thermador.

sub-zero are pricey for sure, but there's a reason they're the industry leader have thousands of happy customers and last decades...are they worth the price tag? Debatable. But they can charge a premium because of their reputation I guess so I'd weigh that as well. I can't speak for their fridges but I love my Miele dishwasher, if the same quality extends to their refriegerators, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

Just had my Samsung fridge serviced today and I asked the repair guy (who services all brands) which 2 are the worst to purchase due to too many repairs and he said do NOT purchase SAMSUNG or LG. Highest rated in his line of work is WHIRLPOOL.

We ended up getting a great deal on a Liebherr CS2061. The appliance center ordered one for a customer who changed her mind after it arrived. It's still in the box and they wanted to unload it. SCORE!

What Luck! My Liebherr has been awesome, hope yours is too.

Excellent! Less good news here - DH dropped and broke one of our freezer drawers last night. He called Liebherr and they’re sending a new one. Their customer service is really good.