I dunno. We’re talking about $10k+ fridges at this level. Another $1k for a known brand with great CS doesn’t seem like a big tariff.
$10K for a refrigerator? Madness.
Sixteen large for this one:
Sexy.
I got the old standard. Love it.
So, besides the cool aesthetic of the glass door, what makes a SZ better than a really high end Samsung, or other brand?
Reliability. That’s what you pay for.
We have Liebherr fridge… dual compressor… not sure if ti’s quite as expensive as a SZ, but similar…
it blows away the Kenmore Elite / High end Samsung/LG fridges… several reasons:
- build quality - high quality material. thin plastic/glass/metal but extremely durable. so more usable space
- Quiet operation, reliability (like Charlie mentioned)
- Most importantly it cools to a consistent temperature. there’s very little temp variation between top/bottom of the fridge, door/inside etc… the dual compressor helps immensely here. I suppose a $5500 samsung with 2 compressors could be as good on this point
- The freezer is freezing (duh) but not a lot of moisture/crappy ice stuck on your food… basically just keeps it frozen. not sure how this is done but it’s nice.
Liebherr is well-regarded in europe. They weren’t here when I went with my LG.
I like the look of a SZ - and no way we’re talking 10k for a box here right? 5-7500?
But, other than dual compressors - which I completely support - I fail to see how cold and colder are really beaten by this brand vs. others. Granted, according to the above post a Viking Unit comes with its own mechanic - so that’s a whole lot of fail…
I just bought a new GE Refrigerator. Cost me $1000. Replaces my previous refrigerator of the same type that lasted 15+ years and until recently worked fine except when the power went out. That’s $15,000 savings to spend on Scarecrow. I actually begged the salesman to give me a reason to spend the extra money on the big fancy refrigerator and he said there wasn’t one. I was not prepared to spend a few grand extra for higher quality drawer guides and similar useless stuff.
PS - If someone is too dumb to remember what is in the refrigerator so they need a glass front door, they should not be trusted with knives, a stove, and other dangerous cooking equipment.
I think people go for the glass door not to remind themselves what’s in the fridge, but for aesthetic purposes. i don’t know. i don’t have one, but i’m just sayin’… not sure it’s a dumb/intelligent factor… 
We’re talking about 48" built-ins, not freestanding fridges. Freestanding fridges are much cheaper. 48" built-ins start around ~$7500 at the low end. It’s not only the higher quality components but also the seamless look of a built-in. But, yeah, they’re crazy expensive.
…nevermind I looked them up
Believe me-if the house didnt already have the space for the 48 I wouldnt bother with it…but 48 it shall be.
Has anybody mentioned Sub Zero?
I may have to replace our Sub Zero soon. It’s 22 years old and the ice maker stopped working. Fortunately, Carrie has the recipe for ice and we have survived.
One thing about these 84" high puppies— we don’t have freight elevators in our building, and the geometry of the passenger elevators required four delivery guys (slight extra charge) to tilt/swing the 500+ lb 36" version into our elevator. The options were 1) pay $1,000 to have the compressor section on top removed/reinstalled or 2) have the fridge loaded on the greasy top of the elevator for about $900.
A 42" would have required a helicopter and window removal.
Major 1st-world problem, I know…
Our kitchenaid fridge performs flawlessly and was recommended by both our contractor and the appliance guy. Subzero got a lot of “well, if you really want it” and the appliance guy makes a lot more on Subzeros than Kitchenaid. Old subzeros are worth it, the new ones not so much was my takeaway. Of course, if status is your goal rather than reliability… Oh, and the repair tech who I got out needlessly as I hadn’t really read the stove manual was also a big fan of Kitchenaid. So, the dealer, installer and repair tech were all on the same page. That said, there are two adults in our house, one female adult and school is still out on the male’s maturity level so usage is less than a family. GE appliances may soon be absorbed by Electrolux (our washer and dryer). A lot of people like Sears appliances (Kenmore Elite) and they get good ratings in general especially the DWs.
Did you get a kitchenaid built in fridge? If so, it’s basically the same price as a subzero (minus 500-1k). If not, we’re not even talking about the same style of fridge. Built ins are in a whole different category than regular standing fridges. You pay way more for built ins because of aesthetics.
The new and old subzeros are exactly the same. They haven’t changed where they make them or how they make them.
Our repair guy says it’s worth repairing SZs until they structurally fall apart. I know that’s self-serving, but it costs me maybe $200/year to keep our 20 year old one alive, and that’s a heck of a lot cheaper than a new one.
slide in-our architect didn’t see the need for a built in. Looks fine to us. If Subzero works for you, go for it. At the end of the day, it is a fridge. Cool stuff stays cool and frozen stuff stays frozen. Temps are constant. Filtered water and ice are nice. Enough for me.