Counter depth fridge recommendations

[Joel Goodman]

I need a new counter depth side by side 2 door fridge (the old Jenn Air is 26 5/8" depth w/o handle - I could go a little deeper but not more than 28 5/8" max). I am looking for something quiet - ideally without an icemaker (if that's even possible today!). Anyone have any recent experience or recommendations?

[Adam Herman]

check out the fisher and Paykel line, a friend just picked up https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/RF170BPUX6.html for a kitchen I installed for them, it looks great and is perfect for their small kitchen. Not sure about the ice maker part. We have a used SubZero but have put about 2k into it to keep it going. total cost is still around 2500. Look for the scratch and dents on e-bay, you can usually find good deals on stuff with scuffs on the sides.

[Brian Henderson]

No real recommendations, I just looked over on the Lowes website and there are plenty without external icemakers so you should be okay there.

[Mike Circo]

I suggest staying away from Samsung. They may make good TVs and phones, but their refrigerators are bad. Google "Samsung Refrigerator Lawsuit" and you will find at least four separate class action lawsuits against them for various refrigerators. They have an inherent engineering flaw that has lingered for over 7 years. They won't fix the problem and keep grinding out flawed appliances.

I had to replace a 4 year old Samsung because it couldn't reliably be fixed within a reasonable cost.
FWIW... I have an LG now.

[Brian Henderson]

FWIW... I have an LG now.

As do I, which I'm very happy with. I had a Frigidaire before that and... not as happy.

[Matt Meiser]

We had a Frigidaire at our old house that was nice. Have an LG now that came with the house, wouldn't buy one again as it freezes stuff in the back, has a room temp display that reads 20 degrees off (common problem), has ridiculously expensive filters, crushes half the ice even if you don't ask, has drawers that don't work well, and on and on. And it's an expensive model!

[Stan Calow]

Counter depth seems to be hard to find, so you might be limited by where you have available to buy from. You want no ice maker at all? Maybe limited to the very low end of top freezer types.

We have a Kenmore side-by-side that is counter depth, but I believe it was made by Whirlpool.

[Jim Becker]

Ours is an LG and it's largely been a good refrigerator. The exception has been the ice maker which can be stubborn sometimes...but that's not unique to any one manufacturer. Ice makers are the bane of many!

Unfortunately, the choices for counter depth machines are limited. If it wasn't for the specific location we have to have ours in our kitchen, I'd have a normal depth refrigerator with more storage. But we cannot move it and deeper means we can't use the kitchen door. ;)

[Mike Circo]

Ice makers are the bane of many!
;)

Worth repeating!

[Joel Goodman]

So far I have found a high end Fisher Paykel w/o icemaker and otherwise I am told to get a fridge with the icemaker inside the freezer and just not hook it up. I am assured by the salesman that the fridge will not freak out if the icemaker is not connected. Anyone have an knowledge about this?

[Steve Eure]

I bought a Frigidaire Gallery 3 1/2 years ago. The fridge is nice, no complaints but the ice makers (one on top and one in the bottom) have been a constant pain in the backside. We have had the units replaced and had 4 service calls on the ice makers and 2 on the electronics in it. Unfortunately, Frigidaire wants $166 a year for extended warranty. I will never buy another.

[Bill McNiel]

Sub-Zero is close to top of the line and priced as such. That said, we have had ours for 36 years and it is still going strong. Have had some issues with the ice maker in the last three years. Face panel are easy to customize to blend with adjacent cabinetry.

[Lee DeRaud]

Ice makers are the bane of many!Eh? Ice makers tend to be more reliable than the refrigerators they're installed in. Ice dispensers, OTOH...

[Matt Meiser]

Just shut the ice maker off. Don't they all have that?

[julian abram]

Eh? Ice makers tend to be more reliable than the refrigerators they're installed in. Ice dispensers, OTOH...

Agreed big time! We have a late model Kenmore that will make ice like crazy but won't give the ice to you after it's made. I've given up on trying to keep the chute unclogged.

[Roger Nair]

When making your choice, be aware of clearance issues relating to hinge position and door thickness. Some hinges do not work with flush or near flush arrangements.

[Mike Cutler]

Joel

We have Sub Zero's.
Why did I pick them? Because they had no electronic microprocessor based controls. Same with all of our kitchen appliances.

I gotta agree with the ice makers and water dispensers. They're problems waiting to happen, and the tubing a source of bacteria, and algae growth.

[Mike Henderson]

Joel

We have Sub Zero's.
Why did I pick them? Because they had no electronic microprocessor based controls. Same with all of our kitchen appliances.

I gotta agree with the ice makers and water dispensers. They're problems waiting to happen, and the tubing a source of bacteria, and algae growth.

The Sub Zero we have has control "buttons" on a glass strip along the inside top of the refrigerator. Those must be monitored by a microprocessor because they seem to detect your finger on the glass - they don't move mechanically when you "press" one of the selections. But maybe you are referring to motor control by the microprocessor.

Mike

[Jerome Stanek]

Don't ever make or drink water from those dispensers if you don't use them foe a month. Had a real bad experience when we went back out to a house that had set for a month. Friend made coffee from one and we all got sick.

[Dave Sabo]

Older fridges had no computer boards, even Sub Zero. They were all mechanically run.

Today, that's nearly impossible find even on cheap units. Even many no name $100 dorm fridges have integrated circuits running the show.

Finding no ice maker is going to be a real challenge on a cabinet depth model. You'll need to look to a euro make such as Liebherr. They will be at the top of price range and the lower end of capacity.