Boston is an interesting city. Some of this towns most expensive real estate does not have much square footage for kitchens. Most manufacturers do not produce smaller equipment due to limited demand.
Often times, consumers have to settle for basic, less featured equipment. Then again...
This kitchen is the best of what is available in smaller sizes, 27" Sub-Zero, 24" Viking, Miele 18" dishwasher.
SubZero manufactured the first professional refrigerator back in the 50s. With the building boom in the last 20 years (deduct the last 2.5), every manufacturer produced these ultra high end refrigerators.
I have always defined a professional refrigerator simply as products with compressors on the top like a commercial refrigerator.
Here is what they look like and what to look for...
SubZero
Viking
Thermador (Bosch, Gaggenau, Miele have the same box with different interior)
Monogram
KitchenAid
Liebherr
The best of the bunch is still SubZero with 2 compressors, the best seal and temperature control. In 2009, they added an air scrubber to keep food fresher and an advanced water purifier as well. However, there are less expensive alternatives...Here are the best of the rest.
Bosch, Thermador, Miele, Gaggenau: This is an integrated refrigerator, which is really great looking with panels as it blends perfectly.
Liebherr: This German company is also the greenest and has some interesting configurations of products.
Viking: Bought Amana's tooling 10 years ago, and has finally righted the ship
Buying Tip:
1. Rebates: Even the venerable SubZero company has one when combined with their sister company Wolf...There is not a huge price spread between all of them and features have been replicated.
2. Panel Vs Stainless: Look at the product with both.
3. Repair: Insure there is service available....it is different than fixing a regular fridge.
4. Price shock? Consider a regular shallow (non top compressor) refrigerator and save $5,000 plus.
Wine storage has always fascinated me. When America discovered wine in the 90's, factories scrambled to find suitable products. Wine refrigerators seemingly popped out of nowhere, but essentially they were regular refrigerators with wine racks inside.
Its pretty sensible using existing products to satisfy a totally different market. It is, however, not practical to someone who appreciates wine. Wine is very different than most consumables. Because it is a living grape, wine needs to be stored properly. It will react to light, temperature, vibration and humidity. Any changes will alter the complexion and the taste.
The first company to address the category realistically was SubZero.
They thought about wine as part of the design of this product. There is a low E door with hidden lighting to block harmful UV light. There are two temperature units for red and white and a gasket to prevent crossover. The racks slide and the compressor is on rubber grommets to prevent vibration
Absent from a cave, this was the best unit until now.
The new Uline 2275 series...
The Uline has many of the same features. It is almost a carbon copy of the SubZero. I am unsure of the vibration difference, but there are certainly 2 products now worth considering.
So SubZero is now manufacturing integrated columns. It is similar to their current 700 series just as an all freezer or refrigerator.
Integrated columns allow independent placement, which is a fancy term for placing the fridge/freezer anywhere you want. It is also hidden...have a look at this kitchen...
Have a look now...
Thermador/Gaggenau and Miele columns are available in 24 and 18 inch widths.
At the bottom is the video for House Beautifuls "Kitchen of the Year" which is being shown outside Rockefeller Square.
How about a nice long post on how to do this differently?
Appliances...
Refrigerator: House Beautiful: JennAir JDB36NXFXRW Yale Beautiful: SubZero Bi-36
The House Beautiful (HB) is a one-compressor bottom mount. The Yale choice has two compressors and vacuum seal for evenness of temperature. SubZero also has an air scrubber, which scrubs the air keeping food fresher for a longer period of time. It is available in stainless or panelized as shown
Wall Oven: House Beautiful: JennAir JJW2830 Yale Beautiful: Miele MasterChef
Both have computers, but the Miele has multiple, advanced settings for almost every food imaginable, and is very simple to use.
Cooktop: House Beautiful: JennAir JED3536 Yale Beautiful: Thermador(or any induction cooktop) with a componentary downdraft unit
This is no contest. JennAir is a radiant with downdraft in the unit. We employ induction technology(faster, less heat retention, child safe, etc) with a more powerful and separate downdraft unit...You can almost pick any induction. I like the Thermador or Bosch with the powerful burner in the middle.
Sink: House beautiful: No idea Yale Beautiful: Majestic M33, M2433
Have to admit the island one with the flushing system was cool. Ok very cool, but spend your money elsewher. Island sinks are for veggies, etc...You dont need a flusher. Majestic is big, square with a 17 gauge and cheap.
Decorative Lighting: House beautiful: The German thing you can not buy in the US Yale Beautiful: Holtkotter
Kind of torn between a whimsical shaded light and an adjustable LED light...so why not both? BTW, ours are German as well, only you can buy them...here
Overall, the Yale Beautiful has a better, more functional set of appliances, sinks and lighting. Yet it is also more expensive.
How did we do?
Part 2, we will do it again only for way less money.
Hope everyone had a nice weekend. I was away in Kennebunckport and saw some blog worthy material. Last couple of years I have focused on renovating more cost effectively. This post will be a continuation....Have a look.
The SubZero 600 series. You have to love the vacuum seal, self sealing crispers and overall fit and finish of these units. Then again at around $11,000, these units should be pretty good.
We show them panelled. Stainless built-ins look like this together (different units than the 600 series).
At The Captain Lords Inn in Kennebunkport, there lies a pretty good alternative. The Frigidaire Commercial Series, complete with wheels at the bottom. Nice looking and under $3000 for the set.
I was born and raised in Needham (class of 82). Have to admit, I still love the town and its crazy loyal denizens. My Dad actually plunked down $24,000 to buy our house. Needless to say, its a little different today.
I travel on the road and see some pretty good contruction (
Have a look at what a skilled builder will buy for a very upscale house. They usually will allocate resources and dollars in the kitchen and bath areas (the iPhone doesn't do it justice).
Kitchen....You are looking at only half. Wolf range, Thermador fridge, Best Hood, Fisher Paykel dish-drawers
Wolf double ovens...
SubZero wine refrigerator.
Separate pantry area with sink and a dishdrawer.
Builders name is Mike Reddish....The guy builds a great home.
This woman can really cook, so lets look at her kitchen.
Perhaps the most interesting feature is the range and hood. Typically, people place a cooktop in the island and wall ovens on an adjacent wall. To save space, Sally has placed a Wolf 48" pro range in the island. You cannot use a range with a downdraft, so Sally opted for a custom hood and blower. I like this. She is also facing her guests at all times while cooking.
SubZero BI36U/O with panel.
Miele dishwasher....Miele has the silverware basket on the tops, so there actually is a ton of extra room for plates etc.
Every once in awhile, I look at keywords to understand what people want to read. NXR ranges and shallow depth refrigerators are the most popular topics by far. Dont quite fathom the popularity of NXR, but shallow depth is understandable.
Last week, we talked about the different types and benefits. Today it is the actual products.
SubZero BI36U/S overlay or stainless
Back in 2004, this was was the number 7 most popular selling refrigerator in the country...That is staggering. But that was also a different world. SubZero is a great refrigerator. They always have had two compressors, so the temperature stays more constant. They have self sealing crispers and a vacuum seal, so the outside air stays out.
Last year, they added an air scrubber, so food stays fresher longer as well as a water purifier. SubZero is still the best name for actual reselling a house (funny, we dont know the name of our shingles) and is still the aesthetic standard.
KitchenAid KFCS22EVMS
Its french door and its the largest. Its also reasonable for a shallow depth product.
But the most popular is......
Bosch B2230SNS
Sure, you dont like side by sides, but more people have purchased this unit than any other for 2 unrelated reasons....First, you like Bosch products, and this rounds out a Bosch kitchen. Bosch also incentivizes you to do so.
But at $1799 after rebate...This is one of the least expensive shallow depths in the industry.
SubZero is the best refrigerator in the market. Features include dual compressors, vacuum seal, an air scrubber and self sealing crispers. It is shallow depth so the unit will be flush to the cabinets. As I said, SubZero is the best, but then again at around $8000, it should be.
Lets look at alternatives...
Electrolux EW23BC71IS
For less than half the price at $3449, the Electrolux is a french door with an icemaker and has the same shallow depth look of a SubZero. Eliminate the icemaker and save $800. But still $2649 is a bit pricey.
Bosch B22CS30SNS
French doors are supposedly all the rage. Yet the Bosch side by side still outsells them in shallow depth. $1849 plus rebates is the reason. Look at this in a package for decent, affordable luxury.
Five years ago, if you asked me when SubZero would have a rebate, I would have said never. All cliches aside, upscale appliances follow the building and remodeling trends. When construction is booming, there is enough business for SubZero/Wolf, Viking, Miele and Thermador.
When there is not, these brands have to fight for market share. Rebates have become commonplace as a short term consumer incentive, because they can in theory be withdrawn with increasing business. Somehow, these rebates will probably be more prolonged, but that's an opinion...
Let me show you how to qualify for $2500 from SubZero/Wolf (it is the same company)
Buy a SubZero and a Wolf range or cooktop and wall oven and receive $1000
Add any major piece like this Wolf hood or SubZero wine cooler, and the rebate increases by $250 per piece.
What should you buy? It really depends on what is important to you. You could be flipping the unit, buying a dream kitchen or a simple replacement. I do not have an all encompassing favorite, but several likable brands.
I can also be convinced to like another product if the rebates warrant a conversation. These are appliances after all, not proprietary medical equipment.
My favs...
Best Brands: SubZero/Wolf
Owned by the same person, these brands are different and better than their many competitors. Refrigerator has two compressors, an air scrubber and a way better gasket to keep air out. The stove has a better simmer, two convection fans and fancy clock and timer.
Best Affordable Luxury: Bosch
For a brand that is recently incapable of a good manufacturing decision, Bosch has weathered the recession quite well. This company does not have a french door refrigerator or a stove under $1000. Bosch, however, survives on being stylishly different (different is good), eco-friendly and produces the best dishwasher on the market.
Best Value: Frigidaire
With the deep pockets of parent Electrolux, Frigidaire was the original manufacturer of stainless steel appliances. Their latest release of Gallery and Gallery Pro is intriguing and very affordable. Their french door will be out second quarter 2010, and will shake up that segment.
This site is tied in with Google Analytics. Yesterday, I was looking at keyword search details, and 7 out of the 10 reasons people look at our blog in the last 30 days is for shallow depth refrigeration, which may be a good reason for a post.
Quite honestly, shallow depth looks aesthetically cleaner in a kitchen, as the black or gray sides are not shown. The refrigerator is 24 inches deep, so it is also dimensionally similar to standard cabinets.
There are two types of shallow depth products: Regular (there is no official name for this) and integrated.
Regular shallow depth products are 24 inches deep plus the door. This is the largest segment of the shallow depth category. It includes SubZero, KitchenAid, GE among others...
Integrated fits within a 24 inch panel and is best for paneled applications. Best brands include: Thermador, Liebherr, Miele, Gaggenau and SubZero...
Our new site needs work, and it does have issues. We are working to address, but to clarify: All EnergyStar refrigerators for NSTAR and National Grid customers from GE, Frigidaire, Electrolux, SubZero, Thermador and Bosch have $169 instant rebates...Its a little confusing at the present time without question
Back in the ancient days, I was the trainer for the new salespeople (to be)...
Third Lesson: Do not use industry terms. This is a rule I violate every day on the ole blog...until today.
Let start with the many types of refrigeration. We have 130+ on display, so lets look at a few.
Top Mount: Fridge on bottom, freezer on top
Advantage: Inexpensive, great selection for smaller spaces Disadvantage: Stooping for vegetables, fruits, nothing over 21 cubic feet Best Brands: Frigidaire, GE
Bottom Mount: Fridge on top, freezer on bottom
Advantages: No stooping for fruits/veg, larger sizes available Disadvantages: Stooping for ice cream, pricier than the top mount Best Brands: GE, Amana
French Door: Side by side top with bottom freezer
Advantages: Its cool...face it, French is also great in an island scheme, because there is not one wide door Disadvantages: Pricier than a bottom freezer
Side By Side: Refrigerator on right freezer on left
Advantages: Organized storage, more freezer space(which can also be a disadvantage), smaller doors are better for islands Disadvantages: Poor lateral storage, not enough refrigeration Best Brands: Frigidaire, Bosch and GE
Shallow Depth: Can be any of the top configurations, only with the depth being 24 inches plus the door.
Advantages: Looks great in a kitchen Disadvantages: Pricier with less cubic footage
Professional: Compressor on the top, shallow depth, multiple configurations
Advantage: Impressive Disadvantage: Impressive price Best Brands: SubZero, Liehberr, Thermador
Integrated: Fits seamlessly inside a cabinet, cleanest look
Advantage: Freedom to place components where you wish...really the best look with expensive cabinetry Disadvantage: Most money per cubic foot Best Brands: Bosch, Thermador
Go away for a couple of weeks and see the store change. Maybe they are telling me something. Anyway have a look at a brand new line for Yale called Liebherr:
I actually really like this line. First, Liebherr is the Greenest appliance company in the world. They were the first company to eliminate CFCs in 1993, and have virtually eliminated hazardous substances out of their manufacturing process.
Liebherr also fills a niche of people who want a little better piece than a built in without having to pay for a SubZero. Look at their french door bottom mount and 48 inch combination side by side.
This is the biggest battle in cooking. Wolf, owned by SubZero, is the retooled newcomer vs the entrenched incumbant Viking. Viking at one time owned 50% share in the pro range market, but a funny thing happens when you spend your time opening culinary centers and hosting cooking tours. You become increasingly vulnerable to competition, especially from companies who plan well...
Viking woke up last year and launched a new range. Lets look at this versus the Wolf... But before, there are new products out as I look at this old post from the future. Have a look at the Pro Range buers guide
