Hello AT,
We're re-doing our kitchen and are finding the fridge thing a challenge. We like the look of the Summit fridge (and the height), but need more storage -- we're hoping to get close to 20 CU FT of storage.
A dealer recently suggested the Fisher & Paykel Fridges to us - they are counter depth (unlike the 30" wide GE Profile stuff) but also not ginormously wide (31 1/8" compared to at least 36" for counter-depth stuff from GE and Jenn-Aire)...
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Consumer Reports is my purchasing bible; if they don't like it, I would investigate other options or at minimum purchase an extended warranty.
Aesthetically I think they look great, though!
view nycflatcats's profile
I would absolutely consider Fisher Paykel products. I can't say I have specified their refrigerator, but I have used their dishwashers for years on my projects. I have had no negative feedback on FP.
You may also want to consider Liebherr appliances
http://www.liebherr-appliances.com/products.htm
I'm a little unclear if you're saying that 30" is too small for you or not, I may not be understanding that.
view susan's profile
I almost got one for the same reasons as you but even though they claim it's counter depth it is NOT. It has to be at least 1-1/2" away from the wall to work properly (and not void the warranty) and even if it were flush against the wall it still sticks out. I thought somewhere I read that there is a real counter depth fridge out now that costs less than the subzero.
good luck!
view snot's profile
Mary, I just ordered a Vestfrost from Home Depot (24x24xtall) It's supposed to be super energy efficient (it doesn't have auto defrost) but for your situation (and commercial set ups) people get two, switch one of the doors and put them side by side, so you get a lot more space.)
I think people are pretty happy with them that have them (I think At has some previous info on them too.)
http://www.ecowise.com/product_info.php?cPath=188_42_84&products_id=83
view lisa2 in austin's profile
Not trying to hijack this post, but regarding the Vestfrost noted above, it's 2007, how is it that a manufacturer doesn't offer automatic defrost?
view Devyn's profile
Whatever Consumer Reports has to say about a product, read and read carefully. Just because a company makes a great dishwasher doesn't mean it makes a great refrigerator. As for selection, go to Expo (Div. of Home Depot) or another BIG appliance retailer. Viking, Leibherr, Kitchenaid, GE, Sub Zero plus several other companies all make some sort of counter depth refrigerator. If you have sticker shock, but still want the unit and have the time, find out when the store is having a floor model sale and pounce on it then. Most appliance stores have floor model sales once a year or so, allowing you to buy the unit for 30% or more off. I got my dishwasher that way.
view John H's profile
Devyn
Because manual defrost is the most energy efficient option for a fridge, and that is Vestfrost's focus - energy efficiency. This fridge is supposed to be nuttily efficient. I can't wait to see what it draws. Yeah, I'm boring that way.
view lisa2 in austin's profile
Oh, and they don't have ice makers either. It's a Danish company so that must not be a big deal for their consumers.
view lisa2 in austin's profile
We've had a Fisher & Paykel fridge for around 2 years now. We were seriously restricted in terms of size and needed to replace a 1960's fridge that came with our 1940's layout kitchen. This was the ONLY fridge we found that could fit into the space. When did everything get so big??
It does need to be pulled about an inch away from the back wall for ventilation, but still only protudes from the counter by a little bit. Nothing like the way a conventional fridge would.
Only have 2 complaints: 1) would have loved an ice dispenser and 2)the freezer has a door that needs to be opened and then bins that need to be pulled out. Both pretty minor complaints. Other than that, I think it's a great basic fridge and haven't had any problems.
Oh, if you want a pic of one in an actual setting, let me know.
One final thing. Consumer Reports is not perfect. A while back we were in the market for a new washing machine (yes, ALL of the appliances that came with our home were 20 years old or older) and I went to the store with my CR list in hand. I told him the one I wanted which was HIGHLY ranked by CR. The sales person told me I didn't want that. It was having a lot of problems and they were all being returned and suggested another less expensive more reliable model. So don't use CR as the final word. As with any type of research, you're best bet is to go to several different sources and use that to make a final decision.
Sorry, this ended up way too long....
view jennag's profile
I would love to see a pic of the fridge in action - could you send it to mizbrooklyn -at- gmail -dot- com (or post here if possible) ? And to clarify -- we need the fridge to be as close to 30" (or less) as possible. Our kitchen's not miniature, but we ARE in New York and do want to avoid one of thos 36" bohemoths! Thanks all - it's really helpful.
view marye's profile
We also have a FP fridge and LOVE it. As another person said it just barely protudes out and we consider it counter depth. Ours has the complete built in look and we could also send a picture. Our kitchen is quite small - but when we do get a big kitchen some day I love the double fridges next to each other. We get tons of compliments on our fridge and it works great and was an excellent price compared to other "counter depth" fridges. We have the Ikea high gloss white enamel cabinets and chose the white high glass w/ stainless steel handle FP fridge. Saving $'s on the fridge allowed us to buy the FP double drawer dishwasher!
view smallhousebiglife's profile
maybe it's the nature of stainless steel, but my fp fridge dings if i look at it crosseyed....makes me crazy every time i eat.
view newdad's profile
To echo, echo some comments...
I am about to install a Liebherr, though mine is a smaller model (the 1601). Also, you do need to leave space behind it in order to run the plug to the outlet, but if you are able to hide the plug in a cabinet above the fridge, you can manage to have it only stick out an extra inch (for the cord) to a counter depth of 25".
view Craig's profile
Fisher & Paykel is a New Zealand company (not a Danish one), popular in Australia & Europe, and one of the companies that pioneered the dish drawer dishwasher. (No, I don't work for the company, but I'm an American expat living in NZ and I love those dish drawers!).
New Zealand has a similar Consumer's Reports organisation, and their magazine is called Consumer. A quick check on the NZ magazine shows the F&P Elegance and Tasman are their top rated brands, though not side-by-side versions.
I think you could probably check the online version of the NZ Consumer magazine if you want more info.
Hope this is helpful!
view lauranz's profile
Deciding to depend on the information a salesperson gives you instead of Consumer Reports seems a little nonsensical. CR was created so that consumers could depend on scientific testing rather than a salesperson trying to make a sale. Agreed, that sales person could have truly believed everything he saidâbut he only had his experiences in his store to rely on. CR is the consumersâ bible for a very good reasonâ¦They know what they are talking about. (And when they make a rare colossal blunderâas they did recently regarding car seats, they admit it freely.)
view LauraE's profile
Vestfrost is Danish.
view lisa2 in austin's profile
We have a Fisher & Paykel fridge. It's terrific. As others have mentioned, we were able to push it back much further than our old one, making it counter depth. The freezer is compartmentalized, but we've found this a much better use of space. Oddly, though, it did not have an Energy Star rating, despite using less energy than similarly sized models with the rating. Despite this, our electric bill did drop.
view Donna-lynn's profile
I would offer the Liebherr CS1650 as another option if you were interested in one. Stainless, counter depth, two compressors, energy efficient, compartmentalized storage.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/495423278/in/set-72157600128826994/
One not on the F & P dishdrawer. I've been waiting to use mine for a long time. I haven't had a dw since I left my parents' house to go to college. I figured I'd do it right and get "green" dw detergent. I tried it on it's own and everything came out with a film on it. I tried it with rinse additive and things came out a little better. I switched to cascade and rinse and everything comes out spotless. Apparently it's the phosphates in the detergent that provide the alkalinity necessary to remove the film. Agggh! I can't win!
view art's profile
"One not on the F & P dishdrawer."
What the hell does that mean? Oh yeah,
"One note on the F & P dishdrawer."
view art's profile
Mary,
We have the Fisher Paykel fridge that you are considering buying. I couldn't recommend it more strongly. It is a great product. Granted, I am one person, and I am not Consumer Reports, but this is a great fridge. We have had it for almost a year and a half and have not had one reliability problem, nor any repair calls.
By the way, I do read Consumer Reports fairly regularly but don't use it all the time as the final decision point in my purchases. Seems like I've bought things they recommended and they haven't worked out and bought things they didn't recommend and have had no trouble at all. One is not exactly a large market test, of course. :)
Couple things to consider. First, the fridge is one of the most energy efficient products on the market. Second, it is pretty close to counter depth (although you have be careful because if you have a big molding on the floor running behind it, there is a protruding back part that will push the fridge out slightly from counter depth. Our solution was to remove the molding which was minor. Third, the cost is about half that of the Liebherr model (the FP is $1299 and the L is $3,200) if price matters. Fourth, the shelves are wide and not deep which really makes it easy to see everything (no more lost herbs in the back). Fifth, there is an alarm beep which lets you know if the door is open for too long. I find it useful but it can also be annoying when you are unpacking groceries--you have to keep closing the dor to reset it. :)
Cons to consider? Very few bells and whistles (it is why we liked it), such as ice maker, water on the door, clock, etc. In fact it is pretty spartan. Also, if you have your fridge near an island, check the measurements. The door swings wide and you won't be able to open it all the way if there is an island there. Finally, the door sometimes is hard to pull (unlike the Liebherr which has a really nice handle you pull which opens the door). Still very minor.
In short, I would absolutely buy this fridge again and plan on doing so when we move.
Hope that helps.
view jpf's profile
Oh, sorry. Forgot one more con. If you are into a freezer, the one for the Fisher Paykel is not huge. It's a question of use. Some prefer a large freezer, it didn't matter for us, but it could be an issue if you really need a larger freezer.
view jpf's profile
I have the FP fridge you are considering. We have had it for only a few months, but have not complaints.
We had a similar size consideration. Our kitchen is not huge and we really didn't need or want a monster fridge.
The fridge door needs to be offset from the front of the counters to leave room for it to swing open, but that's a minor issue.
The one feature I'm not crazy about is that the the freezer door need to be opened all the way to slide the drawers out.
good luck.
view dhenry's profile
I have to put in another plug for the FP fridge. We were also concerned at first about the CR ratings, but realized that there are few things they don't take into consideration that are really important to us like size and style. They don't say it is a lemon.
We haven't had any problems and in fact, I think I have raved to everyone at how awesome it is to have a fridge that keeps the produce crisp and fresh. We cook most meals at home and the fridge is always full of fresh and/or cooked food. It is plenty of space for us - we even use one of the freezer bins to hold our compost and we still have enough room.
We bought it through Levi (you can search for him on this site) and got it for just over $1000! Canât beat the price. One last thing â it is silver on the sides, rather than black, which was an added bonus for us.
You can check out a view of our fridge at The Kitchen:
http://kitchen.apartmenttherapy.com/food/kitchen-tours/kitchen-tour-rachels-clinton-hill-coincidence-022043
I would also be happy to answer any specific questions you might have about it.
view rachels's profile
for considerably more cubic feet for even less money, consider a True, which is a commercial brand.
click here for their website. find the model you like, then look at some of the restaurant supply stores on the bowery for a good deal. may even be able to find a used one for even cheaper.
we got a 2-door, 39 cubic foot model for about $1200. there are smaller 1 and 2 door models, some for under $1,000. you can get either stainless or glass-door fronts. they are slightly louder than residential models, but their design, , style, performance and capacity are far greater than anything i've seen.
our old sub-zero was $7,000 and about 1/3 the capacity. we've had this one for 2 years and never had a single problem.
view kelton's profile
I just bought a Fisher Paykel refrigerator after searching and finding it was the only one to fit in my space and not stick out too far. It was just delivered and looks and fits great, but I suppose only months from now will I know if New Zealand engineering is up to snuff! I would have preferred to get a french door-type Kenmore, but they all were all 31-34 inches deep. The FP is about 27. Plus, the guy at the store gave me a deal I couldn't refuse. It's not exactly counter deep, but I think it looks fine, and I have a lot more room than with my old refrigerator.
view MindyK's profile
Can anyone comment on the SUmmit FF1625SSIM, 15.9 cu. ft. refrigerator? I've never heard of Summit and although it will fit my kitchen needs perfectly (size-wise), I'm a little concerned about going with an unknown.
Also, are there any FP that are 30" wide? The smallest one I found was 31 7/8".
view cgn108's profile
I just bought the FP French Door model - love it, however, when we went to attach the water line, it seems to be a flimsy compression tube fitting. We live in a high rise (10 floors up) and just recently had an "incident" with our old fridge - needless to say the water damage in our unit and the one below was costly. If this were to happen when we were out - it could be devastating finacially. We are terrified to go with this system. Does anyone else have any experience with this?
view ruthi's profile