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annbecchina

refrigerator help please!

last year

I need to order a we are going to be at work panel ready 36inch fridge with freezer drawer on bottom.
Deciding between SZ integrated, Thermador (new one has two freezer drawers) and Gaggenau.

I really liked the build quality of the True and Bluestar but want a cabinet panel front.

The range will be corneFe 110 in dark navy blue so no plans to try and match it — which is why we want cabinet panel to the rest of the appliances. Anyone have recommendations or cautionary tales to share?

Comments (10)

  • last year

    Interesting that you mentioned Bluestar. They now offer a new column series for both refrigerators and freezers that you can order panel ready, stainless steel, or in custom colors. If you were interested in having your refrigerator match your range, you could actually have it custom matched if you so desired. Or you could panel them. As for the TRUE brand, they continue to not offer panel versions.

  • last year

    I have a 36" french door Gag on order. I've haunted the high-end showrooms for years, and I love how solid the interior compartments on the Gag are compared to probably every cheapy plastic inside crap on every other refrigerator made.


    Neighbor had a True, and it died quickly on him.

  • last year

    The Gaggenau RY492705 ($???) French door refrigerator is the Bosch Benchmark B36IT905NP ($8700) with modest interior differences including a different paint job.

  • last year

    SZ is the logical best choice.

  • last year

    SZ. Of course.

  • last year

    I would add to @wdccruise's excellent comments that the Bluestar and Bertazzoni refrigerators are both made by Midea, a huge Chinese appliances manufacturer. That is not to say they are poor quality. But you can buy Midea refrigerators under their own name at Lowe's. The 36" ones cost under $3,000.

    If the OP is at the price point of Bluestar, SZ, Thermador or Gaggenau, I would not choose Bluestar. Bluestar excels at manufacturing cooking appliances; they do not manufacture refrigerators. To me, the only reason not to choose an SZ refrigerator is the SZ price point. But that is not an issue with the OP, so my vote is for the SZ.

  • last year

    @Miranda33: "I would add to @wdccruise's excellent comments that the Bluestar and Bertazzoni refrigerators are both made by Midea..."

    However, the 36 Inch 19.4 cu. ft. Built-In French Door Panel Ready Refrigerator are either not sold under the Midea brand, not sold in the US, or not sold by Lowes.

  • last year

    The Bosch Benchmark that wdccruise mentions is not the same as the Gaggenau french door. Well, ok, I guess they are both french door refrigerators--so there is that.


    If you are doing integrated, why would you want handles? The Bosch has handles on the outside that scream "I am a refrigerator". The Gaggenau does not.


    The Bosch has the plastic inside compartment holders. The Gaggenau does not.


    I don't know what else is different, but those differences were enough for me. Perhaps those things don't matter to you for the price difference involved. Given that I am going to be looking and using this refrigerator mulitiple times every day, those differences mattered to me.

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    I would go with the SZ in this case.

    I do want to say that you can want fully integrated but also not mind that you can tell it's a refrigerator.