Sub Zero Refrigerators

[Holly Moore]

My trusty 30" wide, brand X refrigerator of the last 24 years is showing signs of packing it in. Time to look for a replacement.

Sub Zero seemed like a nice place to start. I had heard good things about them. I thought a stainless steel Sub Zero would pair nicely with my even more trusty Garland Range. So I put in a call to ABC Discount Appliances across the river in Pennsaucken. They get most of my appliance business. The obvious question, "How much?"

$5,500 friggin dollars. That's how much. I knew Costco would deliver and install a Whirlpool for $500, so I had been thinking maybe $1500 for a Sub Zero. I was even willing to rationalize myself up to $2000. But $5,500? I don't think that even includes the optional ice maker.

What is it, beyond new-gained awe and respect from any foodies that happen through my door, that would make me even consider spending $5,500 for an ice box?

[winegeek]

Hi Holly,

Great idea until you actually factor in the cost. Have you checked out EBAY?. I buy alot of itmes from them, especailly electronics, and have saved thousands over the years.

[Varmint]

Holly, when I renovated my kitchen, I just put new stainless panels on my 18 year old SubZero refrigerator and 27 year old SubZero freezer. The freezer needed a new gasket, too.

Does that give you some idea of why they cost so much?

By the way, here's a picture:

[andiesenji]

Check these out. I was not happy with my sub-zs and got rid of them a few years ago.

At the time I was in the middle of a renovation and bought a Matag Wide by Side and a smaller refrigerator as a temporary measure until I could decide on what type I actually wanted.

Friends have purchased and are very happy with commercial units which cost much less than sub-zs. I even like the glass doors. I already have a huge upright freezer so only need a unit that is refrigerator only.

I will decide on the brand later but am leaning toward Traulson or True, although the Continental also has a lot going for it.

This vendor doesn't charge for freight - which can be a significant cost.

commercial reefers

I should add that the Thermador, Kitchenaid and Jenn-Air are all even more expensive than the Sub-Zs. GE has a 48 inch side by side for 5110. but the others are all around 6000.

The other thing I like about the commerical units is that in most the bottom shelves are much higher off the floor which is a great advantage for an old lady such as me.

Edited August 17, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[tsquare]

Holly, when I renovated my kitchen, I just put new stainless panels on my 18 year old SubZero refrigerator and 27 year old SubZero freezer.  The freezer needed a new gasket, too. 

Does that give you some idea of why they cost so much?

←

So? I bought a new Roper fridge for my house 12 years ago - still looks and works like new. Cost something like $300. Of course, it doesn't look cool, just a white box with a handle, but it keeps the food fresh, and it fit in the small space available.

Don't get me wrong, I would love a nice new stainless steel appliance packed kitchen (I really dislike cabinet faced appliances - what is the point?) but if you are looking for a financial justification, well, it just isn't there.

[JayBassin]

I've had 2 subzeros in 25 years. My wife hates them. In addition to high initial cost, they require frequent repair and the repairs are very expensive. Also, for such expensive machines, they lack some features that ought to be standard. For example, my current machine doesn't even have a light for the freezer drawer (bottom freezer drawer), and the shelves aren't stainless, and the door shelves are plastic! Problem is, the location of the fridge requires a built-in, and I can't move the location. On this machine, which is about 12 years old, I've had to make the following repairs:

Replace one compressor motor (comes with 2) (requied pulling machine out from wall--major hassle)

replace condenser pipes in back

Replace electronic solenoid that regulates one of the compressors

replace plastic meat-bin support

Replace condensation drip tube (requied pulling machine out from wall--major hassle)

I'm hoping this lasts long enough that other manufacturers put out true built-ins, so we won't have to buy another subzero. I really, really, really recommend against subzero because of the horrible repair requirements.

edited to add:

Oh, yeah: I forgot that I had to replace the ice-maker too! Also, you can turn off the icemaker only by removing the ice-cube tray. There's no latch or switch to turn it off, like I had 25 years ago in a Whirlpool!

Edited August 17, 2005 by JayBassin (log)

[Mayhaw Man]

I am going this way in my kitchen. These are sitting in crates in the bombed out hulk that I call a kitchen.

Kenmore Elite Fridge

Kenmore Elite Freezer

I am doing this for an assortment of reasons, budgeting and storage being the two main considerations. I hate side by sides, the upper lower units seemed damned inconvenient to me (I know that some of you love the drawer freezer, but it doesn't hold enough in most units and they become a mess, storage wise).

Anyway, Consumer Reports loved these, they have great warranties, and I have always had good luck with Sears appliances. So there. That's what I'm doing.

[vestadunning]

My mother (who loves good food but is the best bargain-shopper I know!) has two side-by-side units that she loves. They are stainless steel and at first glance everyone says "WOW, is that a Subzero?" She replies, "Nope, and I got them for $1100!" I know she got an extra-good deal by shopping around and getting floor models (she has phenomenal luck with that -- I need her luck). I'll find out the brand and model from her today and get back to you.

[phaelon56]

JayBassin is offering first hand evdiecne to support what Consumer Reports has been showing in their Repair History surveys for years - SubZero has an alarmingly high rate of repair relative to other brands.

But that gives us yet another compelling reason to buy one - peopel will know that you not only have enough money to throw around to buy the SZ but an even bigger wallet with which to fix it

[joiei]

The home I work in has True single door fridge and freezers. The freezer has had some problems with maintaining temperatures. There is also an older sz in the garage, but it is layed out in an awkward way. The Trues are deep and easy to work out of.

[vestadunning]

My mother's beautiful units are called Whirlpool Sidekicks.

http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison...S.html?mv_pc=br fridge

http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison...Q.html?mv_pc=br freezer.

She says they're great, and has only one complaint: While ice makers are available, there's no cold water from the door. But that's not that big a deal usually.

[russ parsons]

we've had subzeros in the test kitchen for decades. all i can say is, if you want one, buy one, but be sure you put the repair number on your speed dial and you may want to take out a second credit card just for that. i was talking to a guy who does high-end refrigerator/freezer repairs a couple of months ago and he said he'd be out of business if it weren't for sub-zeros. i've got a kenmore elite at my house ... about 10 years old now and i have not done one thing to it. amazingly reliable.

[Mayhaw Man]

i've got a kenmore elite at my house ... about 10 years old now and i have not done one thing to it. amazingly reliable.

←

We should start a club. Like a Miata club, only nerdier.

[Daddy-A]

JayBassin is offering first hand evdiecne to support what Consumer Reports has been showing in their Repair History surveys for years - SubZero has an alarmingly high rate of repair relative to other brands.

Yeah, that Consumer Report was a real black eye for Sub Zero ... and it happened not long after they took over Wolf, so the timing couldn't have been much worse.

Why do Sub Zero's cost so much? Why do Sony stereo components cost so much? It's all about price-point marketing. Sure, they could lower the price of a Sub Zero, but why woould they? They're still selling them like mad at their current price.

Other things to consider ... the dual compressor system means the fridge and the freezer aren't swapping air like they do in single compressor fridges. This means (supposedly) that food stays fresher longer. I've never tested this theory out, but my SZ rep has and swears by it!

Personally, other than the 650 or the 700, I find them too damn big!

But that gives us yet another compelling reason to buy one - peopel will know that you not only have enough money to throw around to buy the SZ but an even bigger wallet with which to fix it   

Now you know what a kitchen designer thinks when he finds out his client has just purchased 3 Subs for their kitchen!

A.

[rooftop1000]

my dear hubby the refridgeration and HVAC mechanic said get a Traulson

T

[a geek]

Subzero are decorative pieces which happen to be refridgerators. At the point we purchased our first, the Subzero was the only way to fully integrate the fridge into our built by hand kitchen- the guy who made our cabinets and stained them also made the wooden panels which covered the exterior of the Subzero, making it somewhat invisible in the room.

Subzeros are huge and do their job well. We've also needed to replace the fridge once and various parts over time (at high cost), and cannot recommend them unless the decorative characteristics require them.

[Holly Moore]

i've got a kenmore elite at my house ... about 10 years old now and i have not done one thing to it. amazingly reliable.

←

We should start a club. Like a Miata club, only nerdier.

←

Being eligible to join an exclusive club boasting Russ Parsons and Mayhaw Man strikes me as excellent criteria for selecting a refrigerator.

I sought out the Kenmore Elite. Alas Kenmore does not manufacture an Elite model for my puny 30" wide space. I am limited to a basic, unelite Kenmore. The helpful man from Kenmore product information assures me that, "Both have the same outstanding quality that consumers have come to expect from Kenmore." Off the record he confided that the only difference in the Elite version is a more natty design. Natty is not my middle name.

My fear though is that I will not qualify for membership if I do not knock out a wall to pick up the extra 6 1/2" required to fit an Elite model into my kitchen

Edited August 18, 2005 by Holly Moore (log)

[russ parsons]

you're way too good for us holly.

[Holly Moore]

As Frances Urquhart so often observed when pressed by the press in one of my favorite BBC dramas, House of Cards,

"You might well think that; I couldn't possibly comment."

[Mayhaw Man]

you're way too good for us holly.

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Exactly.

Brooks "Natty" Hamaker

[Ducky]

Well, just to be contrarian, we love our SZ's and have never had any problem with them whatsoever. None at all in over a decade.

[Jonathan Day]

Friends have purchased and are very happy with commercial units which cost much less than sub-zs.  I even like the glass doors.  I already have a huge upright freezer so only need a unit that is refrigerator only. 

I will decide on the brand later but am leaning toward Traulson or True, although the Continental also has a lot going for it.

...

The other thing I like about the commerical units is that in most the bottom shelves are much higher off the floor which is a great advantage for an old lady such as me.

←

We're on the edge of buying a new fridge. I had leaned toward commercial units, as they are far less fiddly than high-end home fridges. And, for the space and function you get, the prices are very good. You won't get built-in icemakers or filtered water fountains in the door, or piped in music when you open the butter bin, but (except for the ice makers) who needs those things?

BUT, my impression is that commercial units make a great deal of noise. Every commercial fridge I've been around in a restaurant or butcher shop has been extremely noisy, mostly because the compressors and motors aren't insulated for sound. I've heard of Traulsen models where you can mount the motor and compressor in a separate room or in the roof, so that it's away from the main fridge. Units avaiable in the UK don't offer that, and in any event we wouldn't have a place to hide a compressor.

A loud whine, day and night, would be a big drawback in a home fridge, at least for us. We'll probably end up with something like a Maytag side-by-side.

[Juanito]

Your concern regarding noise is well founded.

True and Traulsen, both mentioned in this thread, make fine units, but they are going to make noise. In a commercial kitchen, that's no big deal. In your house, I think you will find it annoying, to say the least.

And the heat. My God, the heat. These things throw a ton of it. So unless you're going all the way with a split system (compressors outside) I would advise against a commercial refrigerator in the home.

[Holly Moore]

Exactly.

Brooks "Natty" Hamaker

←

B. Natty it is if you ever get your Zydeco rap group going.

[Mayhaw Man]

The other thing to consider with the commercial units (I looked at them pretty hard, as I could get them pretty inexpensively, given that I live in New Orleans and we have a couple of really good used equipment dealers here) is the amount of heat that they throw off. The split units are great, but that means that there is that much more heat being given off. If you live somewhere that is generally cool, this might be an advantage, but if you live in a 100 year old, more or less uninsulated, house in the Gulf South of North America, more heat is not something that you need. Hell, we don't even bake in the Summer that often (not at all right now, as my kitchen is a train wreck under construction) and the additional heat from big commercial units would be intolerable.

I also looked at putting in a small walk in with a reach in front. Seriously. I have the space for it and it seemed like a good idea, but the energy cost was going to be out of site. It would have been neat though. Maybe on the next go round.

For those of you looking to go commercial, you might actually explore the option of used gear-many, many places go out of business before they can tear the stuff up and the leasing companies and equipment dealers have them "priced to move"