Your experience re: Subzero integrated freeze drawers with ice maker?

last year

There are several old threads about SZ freezer drawers, but I would appreciate hearing about people’s experience with them, their function and reliability, in the last five years. We are leaning toward a 36” column integrated SZ fridge and don’t have space or the need for a full-height column freezer. I read somewhere that the SZ freezer drawers don’t perform well, although I don’t remember where I saw that. Has anyone had experience with the double SZ integrated freezer drawers in the last five years? Are there any other brands we should consider that are panel-ready and can be fully integrated in line with the cabinets without any protrusion? Thank you!

Featured Answer

lascatx

last year

If you are still looking, it appears the 3 main options would be SZ, Perlick and Summit. I'm sour on Perlick after a purchase maybe 18 years ago. My fridge drawers were great -- until they stopped chilling. The coil had a leak and repair would cost as much as the original unit even though the coil was under warranty. Perlick sent a new unit -- which would have been above and beyond, but I had custom panels that would not fit the new models -- and the new one only lasted 7-8 months before it had a coil leak. My calls and email went unreturned. I bought a $100 mini fridge and Home Depot and have been using it for years. Finally starting to look again and not sure I can bring myself to look at Perlick -- which appear to be priced higher than SZ. But they did install seamlessly with my cabinets. And they were amazing when they worked and I see them in bars and commercial applications.

I'm new to SZ -- just got a 48" fridge to replace my Thermador, but I've had Wolf double ovens and a range top for 18 years now. Everyone says SZ is the best for refrigeration (well, one article said second best after True), and I trust the company more right now than the others I've dealt with. They build to a life expectancy that is double most others.

I would look at both SZ and Perlick if you can -- any others those places have to show you, and pick the brains of the people in the related trades. See if you get a consensus.

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Comments (6)

PRO
mabsy
Original Author
last year
Yes, lascaux, we’ve been won over by the reviews and service reports from independent service providers, who say that SZ out performs any other refrigeration. Still not sure if the freezer drawers are up to the same performance as the full refrigerators, but that’s probably the direction we’ll take.
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lascatx
last year
I'm looking at the fridge drawers and have been surprised by how many fridge/freezer combinations there are. I'm leaning SZ, but Thermador is a little larger interior. I think my panels may fit SZ better.
HU-16168550092
last year
Historically, SZ can be counted on to provide parts and service for appliances they produce for decades. Thermador, as a division of Bosch, does not offer the same confidence. From my perspective and in most situations, the more I spend, the more longevity I would like out of something that I purchase. If you have ever had the experience of being told that something cannot be repaired because “those parts are no longer in production unfortunately“, you know the feeling of having been burned, especially from something that was priced at a luxury and premium price point.
PRO
mabsy
Original Author
last year
You are absolutely correct about the availability of parts from SZ/Wolf vs. Bosch. SZ/Wolf has told me that they guarantee parts will be available for anything they sell for 20 years from the date of manufacturing. A friend of mine had to buy a new Bosch dishwasher, when hers needed a part that was no longer available. It seems that most manufacturers discontinue parts too soon, thus needlessly sending appliances to landfills.
wdccruise
last year
" A friend of mine had to buy a new Bosch dishwasher, when hers needed a part that was no longer available."

Parts often appear to be unavailable but are superseded, a generic part is available, and/or a part can be found from a parts supplier, 3rd-party (e.g., on Amazon), or ebay. It pays to search.