Built-In Refrigerators

Built-in and counter-depth refrigerators look nice, but are expensive

Consumers building a new house or remodeling their kitchens might be interested in a built-in refrigerator designed to sit nearly flush with standard cabinets. Some feature stainless-steel fronts, while others have front panels customized to match kitchen cabinetry. Either way, the custom look will take a big bite out of your budget; built-in refrigerators start at about $5,000.

Because they must be custom-made, built-in fridges aren't generally sold through large retail outlets such as Sears or Home Depot and reviews are scarce. This makes it hard to find the owner feedback needed to get a clear picture of a model's reliability. In evaluating built-ins, we relied mainly on professional tests, backed up by a bare handful of user reviews and, in some cases, overall opinions of a brand as a whole gleaned from user surveys and discussions.

Professional reviewers give high marks to the Miele KF1901Vi (*Est. $7,900) . It's described as a very good refrigerator overall, with excellent scores for noise and temperature performance. This bottom-freezer built-in is Energy Star-rated, and is available with either a stainless-steel front or a custom panel to match the buyer's cabinets. At 18.3 cubic feet, it's smaller than most but offers several features to make the most of the space, including adjustable shelves, temperature- and humidity-controlled drawers, and halogen lighting. Its electronic controls include a special feature that allows the user to optimize fridge settings for the food being stored, rather than setting temperature and humidity levels directly. The refrigerator can even link through Wi-Fi to Miele's service center, which promises to notify the owner if any problems are detected.

Despite these perks, the few reviews we found for this high-end model at AJMadison.com were mixed. While two of the four owners love the Miele's looks, quietness and versatility, another says the fridge died after just three months, couldn't be fixed and had to be replaced with an identical model -- which also malfunctioned after one year. For such an expensive refrigerator, this is hardly an impressive track record. Moreover, Miele's one-year warranty applies only to products that are both purchased and installed by its authorized agents, and all repairs must be performed by certified Miele agents, as well.

Owners seem to be more enthusiastic about Sub-Zero integrated refrigerators. This brand earns the best ratings for overall satisfaction in the annual appliance survey by J.D. Power and Associates, with top scores in every category except price. In one professional review, the 21-cubic-foot, bottom-freezer BI-36US (*Est. $7,700) receives excellent scores for temperature control but mediocre ratings for noise level and energy efficiency. The one user review we found enthusiastically praises the refrigerator's performance and design, and insists that "we would never buy anything else," but that's hardly enough to give an overall picture of user opinion.

This model is Energy Star-rated and includes such features as an ice maker, adjustable glass shelves, two refrigerator temperature zones, and a wide array of storage bins and compartments. Available in either stainless-steel or wood finishes, Sub-Zero's integrated refrigerators come with a detailed warranty that covers the entire fridge for two years; the compressor, condenser, evaporator and connecting tubes for five; and the sealed system for 12.

While built-in refrigerators are certainly attractive, it's possible to get a similar look for thousands less by opting for a cabinet-depth fridge. These are freestanding models like the ones discussed earlier, but with a shallower depth of about 28 inches; most standard refrigerators measure about 33 inches deep. The trade-off is that most have relatively low capacities for their width, normally 36 inches. Bottom-freezer, French-door and side-by-side models are available, but there are few of each and reliability problems seem to be especially commonplace.

The 21.8-cubic-foot Jenn-Air JFC2290VEP ($2,800) is a cabinet-depth French-door refrigerator that earns excellent scores for temperature control, and very good ratings for energy efficiency and low noise in professional tests. It's available in black, white, stainless steel and an unusual oiled bronze finish. It doesn't include a through-the-door water and ice dispenser, but does feature adjustable, spill-proof glass shelves; electronic controls with LED display; humidity-controlled crispers; and a door alarm. It's also Energy Star-rated. We found just a handful of reviews for this refrigerator at retail site ABT.com, but all of them are strongly positive. Users love the fridge's design, energy efficiency and versatile organization, and not one had any serious complaints. The Jenn-Air JFC2290VEP has a limited one-year warranty covering parts and labor.

If you want a side-by-side cabinet-depth refrigerator, the 21.7-cubic-foot Bosch B22CS50SNW (*Est. $2,200) has a nice array of features. It includes separate evaporators for the fridge and freezer compartments to prevent the transfer of odors, an open-door alarm, through-the-door filtered water and ice dispensers, several bins and compartments, and adjustable glass shelving. It's Energy Star-rated and comes in white, black and stainless steel for about $100 extra. In professional tests, it gets good marks for temperature control and efficiency, and it's very quiet.

Owner reviews for this refrigerator are mixed. While a few praise its sleek design and quiet operation, we found several complaints about its reliability. Problems with the ice maker appear to be most common, but we also saw more than one report of complete failure within the first year of purchase. Bosch's customer service gets low marks as well, with one user at Viewpoints.com saying, "they couldn't have been ruder and less helpful." Bosch's warranty covers parts and labor on all refrigerators for one year, with non-electronic parts covered for an additional year and electronic parts for five years total.