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Refrigerator Report: Liebherr Rolls Out a Stunner

1-25-liebherr.jpgFor all of us skinny-ass New Yorkers comes a new skinny-ass fridge from Liebherr: the Premium BioFresh No-Frost.

You may remember that this brand of European fridge was in our news last year as people discover this slim, stylish alternative to the fat, chunky Americans. In fact, we would go so far as to say that for the slim-set, the Liebherr is equivalent to the Viking range or the Sub-Zero of those in the over 12,000 square ft. set. If you want to go a little cheaper, ConServ is the less expensive clone.

Liebherr's newest, the Premium BioFresh No-Frost, is a tall elegant stainless steel affair with super-nice new detail: the handle opens the door with an old-fashioned locking mechanism (not just magnets) that gives you a real good feeling when you grip this thing in the middle of the night to reach for a baby bottle or a Corona.

Unfortunately, our tipster says she has only seen these units selling for over $4k at Gringers, so some of us may have to wait.

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Comments (32)

I was in Germany this past October and saw this fridge in real time at Saturn in Hannover. It's a BEAUTY and surprise! It fits everything you need. It appeared to be a bit taller than the American fridge's, but I may be wrong. I opened it and poked around a little, it's a real beauty inside and out.
~Holly
www.decor8.blogspot.com

posted by www.decor8.blogspot.com on 2006-01-25 12:18:50

The ConServ is available in stainless steel, and the two fridges have similar proportions. That's about it for comparisons. In other traits, the two fridges couldn't be more different. Also, the ConServe is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper.

Someone's going to tell me to lighten up, but sentences like "If you want to go a little cheaper, ConServ is the less expensive clone" make me wonder why I visit an apartment blog that writes copy like it's throwing around dishwater.

posted by John on 2006-01-25 13:07:25

Tell me more about the differences please John.
I genuinely want to know.

posted by jamie pup on 2006-01-25 14:24:25

Sorry, john, one moer thing: I'm not sure which one you prefer. Whether the Conserve is significantly cheaper because it is so much worse than the Liebherr or whether the Liebherr is not worth the premium over the Conserve.

As to comment that makes you wonder why you visit this blog, I think the reason why the clone comment was made is that, typically, when tall slim stainless steel fridges are discussed on AT, both the Conserve and the Liebherr consistently get brought up. You may know the significant differences but when it comes to fitting that kind of form factor(ed) fridge into a finite space (which is also typically why ppl ask about the two) then the two having similar dimensions and looks is a signifant factor. That's why they are discussed together.

I'm not going to tell you to lighten up but I would ask that you take into consideration the "history" of the discussion that these two brands have here on AT.

posted by jamie pup on 2006-01-25 14:42:42

If you are short on space, also consider an under the counter commercial fridge. Our kitchen at our last house was sooo tiny there was really not room for even a skinny fridge. We bought a Sub Zero commercial fridge that fit nicely under the counter and had some custom framing done so that it blended in beautifully and didn't look like a fridge had just been stuck into an empty space.

posted by Cari on 2006-01-25 17:03:55

I have the Conserv. It sells for around $900.
I needed a tall slim fridge, and a larger freezer. The Summit/Vestfrost people also make under the counter models - they are commercial units, as is the Conserv. Summit is up in the Bronx.

It is not auto-defrost, yet I am frost free since October
(although my summery ice addiction has not come into play)

As for the quality of writing . . . I read a lovely piece by Doris Lessing about the upholstery of a chair in the New Yorker a couple months ago. Yet . . . I keep popping back here for pithy hits of product, community, and home decor.
Go Figure.

posted by guido on 2006-01-25 19:58:07

Hi all -

I was just over in Singapore over the last week and happened upon an appliance store, so I decided to pop in. Lo and behold, they had a huge selection of 24" wide refrigerators - top freezer, bottom freezer, and even one where there was a freezer on top and bottom with a refrigerated section in the middle. I see these all the time in Asian and European countries (probably because space is at more of a premium in these countries?).

The one I was particularly interested in was the Panasonic NR-C373M three door bottom freezer model - the freezers are drawer types. (Mitsubishi also makes a similar model). The problem is, I can only find this on the Singapore (or some other asian)websites.

Does anyone know if it's possible to purchase anything like this here in the US? Or would this have to be imported? Is importing even possible? And how about the power conversion?

I'm so disappointed that the options here in NY are so limited.

posted by jerry on 2006-01-31 10:21:01

I'm looking for a very shallow frige, 14 inches or less in depth. This would probably be double door. Preferably not wider than 24 inches, but that's not as important as the depth. Preferably plain and retro style.

Advice welcomed!

posted by greenie on 2006-03-09 15:37:46

I am looking for a fridge I can integrate into my cabinetry and need a 30" design. Does anyone know of any alternatives to Sub Zero or Liebherr as I do not wish to pay over $3k for a fridge. I am also about to do my counters and like granite but would prefer a thinner counter. Does anyone have advice or experience on thin countertops and whether they are as fragile as they look or if they are durable for a kitchen.

Thanks

posted by Charles on 2006-03-17 13:40:55

Does the Liebherr or Conserv tall skinny model come in white? (Hate stainless.)

posted by sandy on 2006-06-20 14:55:04

I have one of these refergerator just arrived on monday July 3. I am still confirgering the inside, but so far is one of the best buy I've made. The price was 5K after shipping.

posted by Hal on 2006-07-04 20:20:12

I have one of these refrigerator just arrived on Monday July 3. I am still configuring the inside, but so far is one of the best buy I've made. The price was 5K after shipping.

posted by Hal on 2006-07-04 20:21:22

I have a 24" Liebherr referigerator (the same as the picture above) I have 2 problems with it.
1)I see small puddles of clear water in the referigerator it is not leakage from any food containers. I have set the temperature as per the guidelines in the manual.
2)Everytime after I have used the vegetable/fruit container and when I push it in, it comes out again, to the extent that if I haven't paid attention that it is out I have dented the referigerator door in the inside part.
Can somebody give me any answers if they have them.
Thank you

posted by shanaz meghji on 2006-07-25 22:14:33

OOPS RE: above issue, the referigerator is 30" and it is a Premium No Frost.

posted by shanaz on 2006-07-25 22:57:07


Does anyone know how to get the LG 469BSRA in North America? It is a UK model that has similar dimensions as the Liebherr, beautiful from the photos and much more stylish than the LG models for sale here. Has anyone tried to import a fridge from europe? Costs?

Ths Summit fridge is beautiful too, I'm not so keen on the manual defrost

These are the only 2 fridges that are in the same size-style class as the Liebherr.

posted by JOE on 2006-11-12 12:44:37

I saw this fridge in Chinatown. It is a store for high end kitchen appliances on Bowery. I don't remember how much it is for. But I do love the design and want one for my apt.

posted by Jan on 2006-12-26 11:36:29

I know you don't have to spend that much money for the built-in model of the 24" Liebherr because I bought it this summer for $2100 at Krups. You attach cabinet panels to the refrigerator and freezer doors (which proved to be a stumbling block for the cabinet guy but was finally worked out). This let me extend my tiny kitchen into the living room but nobody realizes there's a refrigerator there. Works great.

posted by felicity on 2006-12-26 12:18:33

shanaz-

I have a Liebherr (bought new in 2005) and was disturbed by water dripping on the back interior of the fridge. I thought this was a defect but was told by customer service that this is the normal cooling mechanism- the condensation collects in the back and drips down to a resevoir.

My fridge is set in flush with cabinetry on the left and right side. Because of this, when the door is open the cabinet frame does not allow it to open all the way, so if I open the produce drawer, if I am not careful, it scrapes against the rubber sealing gasket around the door. Not sure if this is the problem you are having. The only thing I can think of to prevent damage to the gasket is to be mindful each time to hold the door enough that the drawer can clear it. Either that or pull the fridge out more which would make it protrude beyond the cabinetry- not a good option.

Despite this problem, the fridge itself is great! Surpringly more capacity than it would appear and the only fridge that would not take over my kitchen (which is by no means small), given the limitations of the layout.

posted by Naomi on 2006-12-26 13:14:03

We purchased a Liebherr last month... and we could not be happier about it! Our thanks and gratitude to Apartment Therapy for the tip (an AT piece about a small kitchen in an apartment redo revealed the stunning refrigerator's manufacturer). We tracked down a supplier (Reo Appliances in Norwalk, CT) and in a few days our refrigerator was installed. And as if by magic, many of the aesthetic dilemmas or shortcomings in our kitchen (a 50s/mid-century modern with original cabinetry) somehow became resolved. The room suddenly had its presence restored. The down side? We felt compelled to complete the transformation with a new Bosch range and dishwasher. And no regrets whatsoever. When our country house refrigerator gives up the ghost, it will be replaced by a Liebherr. Until AT points us in the direction of an even better refrigerator, we will remain loyal Liebherr fans. It's not unlike having a David Smith sculpture in your kitchen. Add a Nigel Slater cookbook and you're in business.

posted by Peter on 2006-12-26 13:29:25

.


JOE wrote:
> Does anyone know how to get the LG 469BSRA in North America?

My wife and I bought a similar LG for our previous place. They make a similar refrigerator for the American market, but it does not have the front dispencer.

http://us.lge.com/products/model/detail/home%20appliances_refrigerators_bottom%20freezer_LRBP1031.jhtml


.

posted by chris (nyc) on 2006-12-27 02:30:04

To all stainless-steel-haters: www.elmirastoveworks.com

posted by Julien on 2006-12-27 15:39:05

Has anyone had problems with the Liebherr 24" refrigerator/ freezer combo ?? I.E : cracking noises, uneven cooling without ventilation fan being activated & cracking of plastic supports for door shelves( where the metal edge of the glass shelves enters the plastic end supports)???? Would be interested in other users feedback!

posted by lisa on 2007-01-13 19:22:33

Just saw a 24 " Liebherr at Elgot on the Eastside. They are selling it for $2600 but I got the sense that the price was jacked up because of the location. It's nice to look at and gives you the sense of the Subzero. It's perfect for a small apartment and has the height of the Subzero less an inch or two. I also saw it and the Northland 24" model at MCKB on 19th & Broadway. Finally, more choices for the few of us in NYC who cannot spend $5000 for the 27" Subzero.

posted by Bernie on 2007-01-27 17:45:53

For those who are concerned about price, Equator also makes a 24" for about $1000. I have only seen it online and not in person, but it I have not seen it mentioned on this site.

posted by Sher on 2007-01-30 17:49:10

i personally own the 24" equator conserve. this is my 2 cents.

pros:
it was a very reasonable price in comparison to simular models in terms of size and look. it does have beautful lines and fits almost seamlessly into the space. it's extremely energy efficient and really does have plenty of space.

cons:
quality and integrity of interior materials is very subpar. it does have glass shelves, but the plastic drawers feel as though they could crack and they scratch very easily. all of the drawers, including the freezer sit loosely inside...not in tracks.

conclusion...overall we are pretty happy with this model at this point....as it has met our needs. but,we are a bit concerned about how it will hold up. we also purchased a diswasher from the same company at the same time (04/06). it stopped working for some unknown reason. we have tried contacting the company for over a month now and have never been able to reach anyone.

posted by alana on 2007-02-02 22:56:47

Thanks for this discussion. A Liebherr 24" is sailing it's way to me at a total cost of $2,000 because I declined the ice maker. There are three things that made me choose this model: 1) it could be integrated with my cabinets, which other brands couldn't. This is an important factor in my studio apartment where the kitchen is very much part of the living space and I'm just not that into the industrial look, 2) I presume it will be more energy efficient as it uses two separate condenser motors and 3) I was promised that they are dead quiet motors, which is important to me because I'm not keen on motor noise all through the night.

posted by Tammy Blue on 2007-02-22 23:27:48

I would be interested in hearing the Conserv versus Liebherr debate. I am in the market for a slim line refrigerator and would love to hear from those that have either one.

posted by YaRoo on 2007-02-23 16:22:39

The heading: Liebherr rolls out a stunner...24" and BioFresh.

But there's something fishy. The model number is not listed! I have a new Liebherr brochure, and the CS1350 24" Premium No Frost does not have BioFresh! And, very curiously, while the other models are shown with the doors open, this model isn't.

I saw it at Home EXPO...no BioFresh, and 2 cheap looking vegetable/fruit bins.
The model in the brochure with BioFresh is shown as a 48" in three sections...but states the two 24" built in units are avail. separately. Trouble is, that means you get the BioFresh section and the freezer section, but the regular refrigerator section is full length w/o a freezer. I may not like just having the smallish BioFresh instead of a reg. fridge. Anyone find the price for the separate units?

If the mfg are reading this blog, my request would be for more than 2 biofresh drawers instead of large bins mixing all fruit and all veggies..and a deli drawer and spruce it up to look like the Thermador but add the freezer drawers-compartment. I want a "large" refrigerator design in a 24" space.

posted by colleen on 2007-03-07 20:44:21

Here is some info on the Liebherr vs conserv (equator) Summit= only the Liebherr offers an ice maker, liebherr has only one motor(compressor) that drives seperate controllers for the freezer/fridge, liebherr is all stainless (not just the front) and does not come in white in the USA, Liebherr is by far the most expensive, Liebherr has the dressed up interior - glass and chrome shelves with adjustable door shelves as well, liebherr has the best warranty.. I have the Liebherr, and have had nothing but probs. Shortly after getting - it began to beep indicaing a freezer temp rise of over 7 degrees. It got worse and was doing it several times a day. I had 5 visits from 4 different companies/techs - nothing fixed it. Finally, the company replaced the unit - I have had it about 4 weeks. Guess what - it is doing the exact same thing again. I have yet to hear back from the Liebherr service center. Hopefully, this will be fixed or replaced again with one that works. I am in a bad spot re size and this fits perfect. Hate the stainless - it is constantly crappy looking - would much rather have white. Ashame the Europ models from other makers are not sold in the US - competition would drive the price down. Based upon my current experieince - I would stay away from this very expensive unit. Also, if you have one - make sure you check the drain on the back inside wall of the fridge section - it is where wall ice drains down into the compressor and is evaporated away. It can clog with ice or mold and then you will have water in the fridge under the veg drawer. If you do not have this unit very level - you will also get spillage from the water collector on the compressor too - could be why some people are seeing puddles.

posted by GE on 2007-07-22 12:02:37
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I have a Liebherr 30" model 1651. Though the machine is a beauty if you are going with the looks alone dont be fooled. The machine has been repaired twice due to defects and it runs loud enough to hear from the next room (note the fridge is one month old.) In the past I have owned Sub Zeros and they rock. One thing to note, if you ever have to repair your built in Liehberr, good luck. You will have to pull out the trim around it to get it out. With the sub, you remove the secure then roll it out to maintain. Much better in my opinion. Yes the 24 inch is great but if you live in a small space your dreams will include the ever present hummmm of a loud compresor.

posted by WesNewYork on 2007-10-03 18:02:44
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i have had a summit for about a year now and to date i have not been able to get it working properly... it's very important that the fridge is completely level otherwise the fridge and the freezer both freeze everything solid (well, my experience anyways). finally i managed to get it level and now the fridge is totally the opposite - it does not stay cold at all - milk goes sour overnight, nothing stays. also their is liquid constantly leaking from the freezer into the fridge - weekly i have to clean out pools of water from every shelf and underneath the veggie drawer. repairmen have looked at it and cannot figure it out... does anyone have any thoughs :)?!! i should ditch this fridge for something else, but it's tough b/c it's such a beauty i am having trouble letting go!

posted by amandak on 2008-03-23 18:12:47
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An update to the post I have put above. After now having the fridge for the past 9 months its proved to be a major dissapointment again. This week will be my fourth service call on the product. They have now replaced two fans, compressor and fixed the coolant tube twice. Im surprised also that Liebherr America will not even respond to my questions, is this what they mean by "quality" in the brochure. Its sad since they have a good looking product, just can not work properly.

posted by WesNewYork on 2008-06-01 08:01:32
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