Making House Episode 3: Refrigerators

Being the largest and most used appliance in a kitchen, the refrigerator can dominate a space. Most require special placement because they are too deep to fit alongside standard 24" counters or cabinets. The color of the refrigerator often dictates the color scheme of the entire kitchen. Placement is important because virtually every meal requires access to the refrigerator. For smaller spaces, it is fair to say that the kitchen is designed around the refrigerator. Ours being a small space, I'm giving careful consideration to the refrigerator selection.

I'm pretty particular when it comes to refrigerator design and function. I don't like to make ice, so I like to have an ice maker. I like my water to be filtered, but I don't like putting an attachment on the sink, so I like to have filtered water come through the refrigerator. Those two considerations pretty much dictate a side by side design - which is fine with me since freezer-on-top designs make it difficult for me to access the refrigerated section. Some freezer-on-bottom models are appealing but lack the ice and water features.

We do a lot of cooking and also store a lot of uncommon items (such as 20 kinds of Thai curry), so we need a pretty large refrigerator. We're looking at the 25 to 27 cubic foot range, which dictates a footprint of approximately 34 inches wide by 30 inches deep (plus a couple inches clearance in the back). I've elected to place the refrigerator at the end of our 24 (maybe 26) inch countertop, next to the other water-based appliances (sink, dishwasher, maybe washer/dryer), next to a 3 foot deep wall next to the 1/2 bath. Being next to the wall, I think this will minimize the disruptive effect of the refrigerator extending 6 inches beyond the countertop. Also, by hiding it in that corner of the kitchen, the rest of the kitchen will seem more open since there won't be any heavy appliances dominating the space. The disadvantage is that it will be relatively far from the stove.

We decided on a black-and-stainless look for the kitchen, with the black coming from the countertops and possibly the cabinets. The appliances will be stainless and black, including the refrigerator which will be stainless steel. With that in mind, we checked Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, and eBay for stainless steel refrigerators of the appropriate size. One note - the shopping goes a lot quicker if you already have the size, style (side by side), and finish (stainless) decided ahead of time.

So we've checked out a bunch of stainless, side-by-side refrigerators from Maytag, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Frigidaire and JennAir, among others. In terms of features they are pretty much identical: they keep food cold, have 2 big drawers and a small snack drawer, dispense water and ice, have gallon-sized door shelves, and have multiple temperature zones (usually 2). In terms of price, they range from about $1100 to almost $4000 (and more for commercial models). One other difference is that some use real stainless steel, while other have a "stainless" finish that is made from other materials but does not match real stainless steel. Since we are unwilling to commit to a single brand for all our appliances, it is important that everything have a true stainless steel finish to ensure that all appliances match.

Given the similarities in features and styling, as well as our positive experience with a $1000 Maytag side-by-side in our current house, we've decided to go with a $1200 model from Home Depot. I like the styling from KitchenAid a bit more, but couldn't figure what justified the extra $2500 in cost. Open it up and there are still 2 big drawers and a small one, and it's cold inside, etc. Perhaps it is intended for the consumer with unlimited funds who simply wants "the most expensive thing you got."

Buying at Home Depot (or Best Buy or Lowe's) is advantageous because of the generous credit offering: no interest for either 12 or 18 months, depending what the deal is when we close. Given the delay for delivery, we'll probably make this purchase the night that we close on the new house. Should be great! At that time I'll post the brand, model, cost and financing incentives.