I loved mine, and it was 21 years old when I sold the house and downsized. I never had a problem with it. My neighbor's was not as good, and her repairman said it was because she didn't remove the grille and vacuum the coils on a regular basis. I would have bought another in a heartbeat, but our smaller condo kitchen didn't justify it.

They do make some without icemakers or water, but not something no bells and whistles, I don't think.

Thanks.. I should have searched before hand.. Ten thousand dollars? haha

Whats the second most reliable? haha

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2299625/is-sub-zero-fridge-worth-it

I am not sure if you are looking primarily for reliabilty I would go Subzero

Most people go with Subzero when they want something fully built in and true counter depth at 24". Or the overall budget for the house seems to dictate it.

Some pretty modest houses have Subzero here because it's one of the few full size refrigerators they can fit in the house. (There are some really small houses here.).

We found a used one for about a kilobuck. By far the best refrigerator I've ever had in terms of functional space. No extra plastic crap taking up the interior, just big wide-open spaces where I can fit almost anything. It's probably 30 years old (we've had it for 15) and trouble-free to this point. The compressor is designed to be servicable, unlike most more modern refrigerators where you have to throw them away when they break. I'm guessing it's an energy hog on the downside.

Bought a 632 the last day of 2007: had it delivered circa 2009; fired it up in place by 2011. Only mechanical repair so far was the condenser fan, which likely didn't like my deficient schedule for vacuuming out the mechanical volume.

This is a 48” model 632. Purchased in 2002. Only thing it has is an ice maker in the freezer. I vacuum the condenser every 3 months since I have 2 cats and a long hair dog. Takes about 10 minutes to clean. Running well no problems (as I knock on wood). I know they are expensive but if you look at what’s out there, nothing but problems. Have a friend who’s been in her home 12 years and is on her third refrigerator.

It's hard to project how a new one will perform, but overall they seem to last a long time, partly because they are so expensive, it is worth replacing parts and repairing if necessary. I have known people with SZ's more than 30 years old. But we sold a house with a 45 year old GE in it. (it would now be 53, and if they got rid of it they were crazy) . And it had never needed any sort of service whatsoever. However it was a very basic fridge with no modern features at all. I wish they still made very basic appliances like this. I think the energy hog reputation of old appliances like that is also highly exaggerated.

"I should have searched before hand.. Ten thousand dollars? haha"

Subzero refrigerators are extremely expensive. The least-expensive 36" stainless steel, side-by-side lists at $11,525 and the least-expensive French door is $12,955. Also, these refrigerators are designed to be built in, not just unboxed and plugged in as freestanding models are.

• Refrigerator Buying Guide
• Which Brands Make the Most Reliable Appliances? (hover mouse over icons in chart).
• How Long Will Your Appliances Last?

Well you can spend $7000 on a freestanding LG, now, too.

I think sometimes repair records and such can be misleading because people repair expensive appliances and replace less expensive appliances.

Like someone mentioned above, I have a friend who in on her third refrigerator in the same period of time that my old kitchen has had a single SubZero in it, so the amount of money invested in refrigerators between us may actually be very similar. Her refrigerators don't show up in repair records or service calls because their aren't any, she just gets a new one.

It really depends on your needs.. I'm single and a < $1K refrigerator is all I need. If it lasts me 6 years, I'm thousands ahead compared to buying a $10K SZ. If you have a large family and are picky about your refrigerator, a SZ might be worth it for you though. I don't mind paying double for quality like when I bought my speed queens.. But not TEN times as much lol

@palimpsest: "Well you can spend $7000 on a freestanding LG, now, too."

• LG LTCS20020S 30 Inch Freestanding Top Freezer Refrigerator ($795)
• LG LRFCS25D3S 33 Inch French Door Refrigerator ($1495)
• LG LRDCS2603S 33 Inch Bottom Freezer Refrigerator ($1615)
• LG LRSXS2706V 36 Inch Freestanding Side by Side Refrigerator ($1345)
• LG LRSXC2306V 36 Inch Freestanding Counter Depth Side by Side Refrigerator ($1445)

@palimpsest: "I have a friend who in on her third refrigerator in the same period of time that my old kitchen has had a single SubZero in it"

I have a Summit freestanding refrigerator is still running after 17 years. Anecdotes are anecdotes.

Right now I have a bottom of the barrel apartment size refrigerator that cost about $500, because it is 24" deep and it fits in the spot until I complete the renovation (a 20 odd year old fridge died). It will probably last a long time. But I am getting a 24" deep built in, not because of the reliability first, but because I need a shallow depth first, and I want built-in second. If I could get it cheaper I would.

I've got a 1987 subzero and its still going strong!

I have a KitchenAid/Whirlpool refrigerator (serial number 17th week [April 21-25] of 1997) that was relegated to garage-fridge duty in 2005 and has been purring along with no repairs (other than replacement of the freezer compartment light bulb) for the full duration of 25+ years. My parents have one that's 27 years.

This is an example of what I was talking about locally. There is a Subzero in this kitchen not because the kitchen is that great or the house is that fancy but probably because it's one of the few refrigerators that would fit in the kitchen, and possibly get in the front door. You are basically looking at the whole house here, there is a bit of an enclosed porch or something behind the viewer.

You can search around here at Houzz, but I definitely recall seeing posts that talked about an unusual number of repairs on SZ fridges. By all means consider it if you can afford it, though. The quality of the cooling cannot be beat. Other than than, it seems I recall seeing people talk a lot about avoiding Samsung refrigerators due to excessive repairs, but that was several years ago when I was researching for my own renovation, so quality records can definitely change from better to worse or vice versa in that length of time. Size is a big consideration. How tall do you want and how deep do you want will dictate a lot.

I just looked at a link someone posted earlier about Consumer Reports' evaluation of various appliance brands for reliability. I find it interesting that some brands that aren't the most desirable for design or quality features like LG and IKEA rank higher than other brands considered top-quality with more advanced design like Thermador, Bosch, Kitchenaid, Miele, and Monogram. When you look at a brand like Whirlpool, CR rates it low, but Whirlpool is generally known to be reliable and probably outsells the previous "top-quality' brands I mentioned. More users may mean more data which may mean lower ranking in some cases; I don't know. https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/who-makes-the-most-reliable-appliances/