I’ve done a lot of research on fridges and I’m plan on buying the KA counter depth French door.

This may have been covered in your other thread . . . due to energy efficiency standards, new stand alone refrigerators have an expected life span of about 8 years. It's my understanding that this is due to the redesign of the compressors and that the compressors run continuously.

My current refrigerator is 25 years old and runs like a champ. I'm in the middle of a remodel and learned just how short lived modern refrigerators are as I've looked for a more stylish and up to date refrigerator.

Built-ins like sub-zero, while more expensive are designed to go 20+ years. So depending upon how long you plan to stay in your house, if you can stretch your budget, economically it may be the way to go. Buy once rather than buy every 8 years or so.

Personally, I'm not sure many folks realizes the short life modern refrigerators have. Spending $2K-$5K every 8 years or so to replace a refrigerator seems crazy. Even crazier, I still have the Energy Usage sticker from my 25 year old refrigerator and it's no less energy efficient than new ones I've looked at.

Another thing to think about, Kitchenaid is a brand of the Whirlpool family. It shares many of the same internal components as the builder grade Whirlpool brand. What you get for the higher price is more stylish design not necessarily higher quality internal components. Also, on the side-by-sides that Whirlpool offers across all their brands, check the area around the top door hinges - you'll see the spray foam insulation oozing out of the case and sticking to the stainless. My local independent appliance dealer told me that they only see on the side-by-sides, not on French Door models.

Just some things to be aware of and think about as you make decisions.

Didn't see your other post.............you could save a lot of $$ if you don't buy a counter-depth fridge. So is building in a standard depth fridge not an option for you? See image below

Regards to compressors running continuously as a limiting factor on refrigerator service life ... I have a "regular" GE SxS nearing 16 years. It has a variable speed compressor that runs probably 90% of the time (and not during defrost). The compressor hasn't (yet) failed. The unit's controller board did (DIY repair) but that's far from equivalent to a failed compressor.

A new unit bought today may or may not be expected perform similarly.

Hi Beverly. I would only consider doing that for a refrigerator that doesn’t come in a counter depth option like that 5 door. If it does I’d rather just save myself the work and get the counter depth. This refrigerator is for the kitchen which can be seen from the dining room (we have another refrigerator in another room for food storage) so my focus for this one is making it look as nice as possible within the budget (ideal would be a built in) Do you know of any other companies that make built in refrigerators for 5k? I haven’t found a single one

And for some reason I can’t see your picture, probably my phone acting up

When we bought our current house, it had a 42" GE Monogram built in model. It was 14 yrs old when it went out. We replaced it with the KitchenAid KBSD602ESS00.

I have always preferred side by sides, so no issue there.

But this almost $10K KitchenAid is a piece of junk! The inside is so poorly designed, you cannot organize your food items in ANY order whatsoever! The design is SO bad it simply boggles my mind!

In our previous house, I had all new Whirlpool appliances, and I loved that fridge. So I really didn't concern myself with studying the interior design of this one before I bought it, since it is supposedly the higher end of the same company.

I do not know if the stand alone Kitchen Aids models are this bad, but I will never buy this brand of any appliance again!

(There are dozens of similar complaints on the KA website for the model I have. They know, but don't care!)

https://www.abt.com/category/654/Counter-Depth-Refrigerators.html

Here are at least 70 counter depth fridges that are less than $4900

Thanks Beverly! Also I was originally going to get a counter depth Samsung family hub but i was advised against it. Do you have any experience with those?

And hi Mary, I went to check out the reviews right now and you’re right, and not just for your model but for some of the other ones too, there are a ton of negative reviews on these. They’re rated highly in terms of stars but when I clicked on the reviews, there are many good reviews but also a surprising amount of negative ones. Thanks for the heads up!

HI Jacob I have the first refrigerator pictured the french door with bottom freezer(# 3) in counter depth. I've had it for almost 5 years now and am generally happy with it.

Pros - It is plenty big for my family of 4. The freezer holds more than I thought it would. It cleans up easily. I still really like the way it looks.

Cons - my freezer handle has a screw that comes loose and never quite tightens up properly. Been like that since I got it. The freezer drain clogged recently with food particles which caused the entire bottom to fill with ice. I was able to repair it myself in a matter of hours but something to consider .

Pro/Con - The stainless holds magnets which is nice for kids art photos etc, but I believe it also means the metal composition may not be as strong. (I have seen a few tiny "dots" of what I can only assume is rust where the doors meet but it wipes away and hasn't spread so not a real issue for me.

Overall I'm happy. FYI In our last house we had all LG and I had to replace the entire suite of appliances over the course of 10 years.

I have had the 5 door KA for 2 years. It is beautiful and the interior lighting is fantastic. Over the past 6 months we have been dealing with a condensation issue that causes moisture to build up around the condenser. This then causes the defrost to run continually. I have had a repair company out twice to remove the ice blockage. It happened again 2 weeks ago. I emptied the refrigerator for 5 days to let it thaw completely. It has been good for a week now. Pretty sad for a 3k refrigerator. But it does look great.

I have the side by side one and am very happy with it. I had a French door one in my last home and just really hated the freezer space. We did consider the 3 drawer model but at the time it was sold out everywhere and there was a 8 week wait for it to be available which we didn't have. Neo regrets with the side by side.

All the counter depth refrigerators have limited space inside. Depending on your usage...I would base my choice on your needs.

I put the French door KA model in my new build. Had one in my previous home as well with no problem. I did not do exterior water dispenser. (More stuff to break) I will say if it’s your only source of freezer space, that could be tough. Sounds like you have another frig for storage. Just replaced the water filter and that was $50. Also, depends on how much frig space you need in general. We are empty nesters... if you have 6 kids, it’s not going to cut it!

Jacob, verify the actual depth. It looks like it is 28", which is ~3" more than most countertops. Their description says counter-depth, which is misleading. Not saying don't choose it, but know that it will protrude.

I believe the kitchenaids are 26 point something inches in depth last time I checked, but my cabinetry for the fridge comes out a bit compared to the other cabinets. about 26 inches

But the 5 door is about 34 inches depth

Run don’t walk away from Kitchenaid. I’ve had nothing but trouble from day 1. now 5 years old.....Rust on the stainless, ice maker comes and goes and doesn’t work now at all, leaking issues probably from ice maker....ruined my wood floors, makes a lot of noise!!! don’t waste your money. I have a Samsung in my second home and paid much less and have had no problem....only 6 months but the KA was trouble from day 1.

What do you guys think of the family hub?

Melanie, is your model a built in?

We have had the French door KA for 7 years now. No problem at all. We made ours more built in looking by recessing and building around it. I will say we had people stay at our place while we were out of town and must have cleaned it with water because we came back to full on rust all over it. We were able to get rid of it and it has not appeared again, that was 4 years ago. Also we are a family of 3 who cooks from scratch and shop once a week and it’s plenty large enough.

Yale Appliance is always a good source for information on appliances. Checkout this Yale Appliance video and article on integrated refrigeration units which are different than built in units. They would be more in keeping with your budget although still more than $5K.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epKmg1-JaPM

https://blog.yaleappliance.com/the-5-best-integrated-refrigerators

Bosch has a selection of French door models. They have dual compressors and Bosch makes them. $2700+.

@dadoes - Your compressor design is over 16 years old. Sadly, they don't make 'em that way anymore. It's been a race to bottom in terms of all appliances. They are all about style and good looks. Durability doesn't seem to be a consideration anymore.

Boschboy, I had the same issue with my Whirlpool fridge, which also makes KA, that was going on 3 years old when I finally got it replaced. Mine was repaired about 8 times. They replaced just about every part there was to replace. I finally made enough of a stink by writing a complaint to corporate that they replaced the unit at no cost. They originally wanted to prorate it at the low cost of $970! The new model, which I've had for about 10 months, seems to be working fine.

Jacob, my sister has been very happy with her Frigidaire gallery french door fridge. Hers is 5 years old and she's never had any trouble with it.

The French door is very similar to my 5 year old KitchenAid counter depth. I have been very happy with it, interior is very roomy and efficient and I prefer the look without distractions on the exterior. I’m hoping to get another 5 years out of it.

The longevity question then is a moving target that never stands still ... so it's not a valid factor for choosing an appliance.

KitchenAid side by side Covid Shelter In Place capacity

Do you need a freezer with the fridge or could you do just a fridge column with a builtin kit like Electrolux or Fridgeadaire. I have done both in different kitchens I have designed I have the Fridgeadair all fridge all freezer columns with the kit mine are 13 yrs old not one issue and the pair is under 4K including the kit. MIne if course are counter depth.I do miss my Fridgeadaire columns from Sweden that we had in our old house they are now 20 yrs ols and still goinfg strong.

Have you looked at Fisher Paykel? Believe they even have a built in less than 5k.. :) And the other models all look nice.. though i don't have practical experience yet .. ANYONE?

We have a G. E. French Door in a slate color, bought it 3 months ago and love it. It was in the $5,000 dollar range.

I have a full size FD in our main home and bought a KA SxS counter depth for our vacation rental condo. No regrets. The KA FD Countdepth freezer was a total joke. I am over FD refrigerators anyway - the freezer section is always a mess.

What did you decide to purchase? Are you happy with your choice?