A built-in refrigerator is among the most stylish, one-of-a-kind appliances you can put in your kitchen. It’s a unique design feature and definite upgrade.
But let’s be honest: The price tag can be daunting. You may be wondering, “are built In refrigerators worth the money?”
In this article, I’m going to tell you what we like about built-ins, explain the two types, and walk you through our favorites.
I personally have one in my kitchen, and I love how it blends into the cabinets.
I’ll share some less expensive options with a similar look, plus a few reasons why a built-in refrigerator might not be the best choice for you.
I’ll also suggest a few tips to make your installation go smoother.
Table of Contents
Differences Between Built-in and Regular Fridge
Let’s start by taking a look at the differences between a built-in fridge and a regular fridge.
For one, they’re different sizes. Regular fridges measure 72 inches (6 feet) tall and under.
Built-in fridges are typically 84 inches, or 7 feet tall. The biggest regular fridges are 36 inches wide.
One-piece built-ins can be up to 48 inches wide, and you can create any size fridge you want using custom columns, which are all-fridge, all-freezer, or wine or beverage center units.
Built-ins are also designed to be counter depth so they either line up perfectly with your cabinets or stick out an inch or an inch and a half, aka look proud.
Regular fridges can be counter depth or standard depth, which sticks out much more from your cabinets.
Why are they different you ask?
Counterdepth typically means the sides of the fridge are hidden by the cabinets and the door protrudes past the cabinets so the hinge can clear the sides.
On a built in, the hinges typically allow for zero clearance which is what allows for the fully flush inset.
Finally, built-in fridges can have a regular stainless steel door or a panel-ready door. That means you can have a cabinet door installed to cover it so it blends into the rest of your kitchen.
Why Choose Built-in Fridge?
If you have the budget for it, we recommend a built-in fridge. Here’s why:
1. The design factor. That’s what motivated me. A commercial-style built-in fridge is an essential part of a pro-style kitchen. If you’re in my camp and want something softer than that industrial look, opt for a panel-ready one. There’s a quiet luxury to having your fridge blend into your kitchen cabinets.
2. The build quality. You can tell from the heavy-duty hinges, weighty doors, and smooth-gliding drawers that these fridges are made to last. They’re intended to be an investment; you won’t need a replacement anytime soon. You’ll find that they’re sturdy, straightforward to clean and repair, and great for food preservation.
3. The best warranties around. Sub-Zero, for instance, provides an all-inclusive warranty for two years, plus five years for its patented sealed system and a limited warranty of 12 years.
4. Resale value. Built-in fridges almost always get called out in real estate listings as part of a luxury kitchen. People know remodeling is expensive and frustrating. A great quality refrigerator tells them that you invested in your kitchen and they can move right in and enjoy it without any hassle.
Types of Built-in Refrigerators
Now I’m going to touch on the two types of built-in refrigerators: fridge-freezer combos and columns.
Fridge-freezer Combos
Built-in fridge-freezer combos come in all the typical configurations, except for the old-fashioned top freezer kind. You can pick from bottom freezer, side by side, and French door layouts.
Bottom freezer models typically come in 30- and 36-inch widths, but 24-inch models are also out there for apartments and smaller kitchens. I have a bottom freezer built-in with two freezer drawers, and I love having all my fresh food at eye level.
French door models, which typically come in 36- and 42-inch widths, are also really popular for a couple of reasons. The doors are narrower and great for tight spaces; they’re also lighter and a little easier to open. The 42-inch models are relatively new to the market, and they’re great if you love to entertain and want to fit wide platters in your fridge.
Side by side models have full-height fridge and freezer compartments, and the freezer is usually narrower. They give you tons of storage. The only downside is not being able to fit wide trays and having to bend down to reach some items.
There’s also the unique Sub Zero Pro series 36 and 48 inch refrigerators, which combine glass and steel door fridge and freezer compartments with drawers below.
Columns
Columns are standalone, fridges, freezers, and wine or beverage coolers. You can mix and match them with each other and with bottom freezer fridges for truly custom storage. They typically come in 18-, 24-, 30-inch and 36 inch widths.
Most Reliable Brands & Models
Now that you’ve got the basics, let’s take a look at some of our favorite brands and models.
Sub-Zero
First up, the timeless choice: Sub-Zero. It’s the luxury brand most people are familiar with and, frankly, want. A Sub-Zero fridge always gets a mention in real estate listings.
These titans are designed to last 20 years, and you really can’t go wrong if you choose one.
Its Classic series fridges come in 30-, 36-, 42-, and 48-inch widths and have either side-by-side fridge and freezer compartments or a bottom mount freezer drawer with a single door or French doors above.
These models have a commercial look and are available in stainless steel or panel ready. They are also counter-depth but you have the option to install them either proud or flush, but note if you do decide to go flush, you’ll need to make sure you design your cabinets to be 3 inches deeper to accommodate the depth of the fridge.
Bottom freezer models start at around $8,500. The 48-inch side-by-side built-in fridge comes in around $14K. We’re excited to see its new 42-inch French door model make its debut soon.
All have the dual compressor food preservation system that Sub Zero made an industry standard.
There’s one for the freezer, to keep it cold and dry—that helps prevent freezer burn. The other one keeps the air in the fridge moist and humid, so your produce lasts longer.
A NASA-designed filtration system also cleans the air every 20 minutes, getting rid of germs, odors, and other contaminants. And the door seal ensures the temperature inside never varies by more than a degree.
On the inside, you get bright interior LED lighting, adjustable spillproof shelves, and sturdy, full-extension drawers. On the outside, you get Sub-Zero’s famous commercial-style stainless steel finish and a design that complements a pro-style kitchen.
You can opt for an exterior water and ice dispenser, an internal water dispenser, or neither.
Looking for a more hidden, panel-ready look, or individual modules you can customize?
Sub-Zero’s Designer series bottom freezer and column refrigerators are for you.
GE Profile
Next, GE Profile. Its 42- and 48-inch built-in fridges start at a little under $9,000—still pricey, but lower than many competitors.
They’re classic side-by-side models with stainless steel doors and an external water and ice dispenser. The interior’s hard to beat.
You get spacious climate-controlled drawers for meat, produce, and citrus. The shelves are adjustable and spill proof, as are the wide door bins. That’s a LOT of storage for a big family’s worth of food.
And all GE Profile fridges have Wi-Fi, so you can adjust the temperatures right from your phone.
Cafe
We also like to recommend Cafe, a sister brand of GE Profile that gives you more finish options and is a level up in terms of design. Its fridges start right at $9,000.
To accent the stainless steel exterior, you can pick from brushed black, copper, or bronze pro-style handles. Bottom freezer models are 36 inches wide, and side-by-side models with or without an exterior water and ice dispenser come in 42- and 48-inch widths.
We really like the bright, theater-style interior LED lighting. All have WiFi.
Thermador
Thermador’s a great choice for lots of reasons, but its full kitchen package deals are a biggie.
Built-ins start around $9,500 for a 36-inch French door model and go up from there, especially as you start combining columns. But if you buy a cooking appliance and a fridge, you qualify for a free dishwasher and another free appliance—like a microwave drawer, built-in coffee, or a wine fridge.
It’s one of the best package deals around.
The freezers also have cool features like the Diamond Ice System Ice Maker, which crafts your ice into a diamond shape that’s designed to melt more slowly.
Miele
Miele true built-ins work in any style kitchen, and we’re huge fans of its stainless steel, which truly is fingerprint-resistant.
The steel finish also is the same across all Miele appliances, so everything in your kitchen matches perfectly.
We also love to point out Miele’s unique Push2Open technology. You just give the door a gentle push, and it opens.
You can get a really flush and seamless look with your cabinets with Miele—no handle required.
You also get a great automatic ice maker and Miele’s MasterFresh temperature and humidity system.
They start at around $8,500.
True
If you’re looking for a hefty commercial look and custom color, consider True.
True makes three different types of built-in refrigeration: side by side, bottom freezer, and stand alone refrigeration columns.
The bottom freezer model is 36 inches wide, and the side by side models come in either 42” or 48” widths.
The fridge doors on these models can be solid stainless steel or glass. And besides the standard stainless steel color, True has 9 custom colors and 6 hardware finishes to choose from.
The entire interior of the fridge is made out of stainless steel, even the control panel buttons.
It has solid, durable-feeling drawers and glass shelves. The drawers are soft close, as are the wire baskets in the freezer.
You’ll notice something missing in the freezer: the ice maker. This can be a deal breaker for a lot of people. But True says its focus is on reliability, and ice makers are the number one things to break.
WIth True, you’ll have fewer issues and more space in the freezer.
Fisher Paykel
There are also brands that help you get the built-in look for less. They may lack the hefty commercial build quality, but you’ll get the seamless look you’re after.
For instance, Fisher Paykel built-in (aka integrated) fridges start at around $4,000—about ⅓ the price of some other brands.
They’re also unique because they let you get the built-in look at lower heights, with fridge-freezer combo models that are 72, 80, and 84 inches tall.
The most affordable ones are 24 inches wide and quite compact, so they’re great for apartment living.
Single French door and bottom freezer units go up in size to 36 inches.
You can build a bigger fridge with columns, which come in 18-, 24, and 30 inch widths but only the full 84-inch height.
The company’s 11 series is its newest launch—these fridges are the most energy efficient and have a full stainless steel interior, which is great for food preservation, odor control, and easy cleaning.
Frigidaire
We also refer customers to Frigidaire’s pro columns. The 32-inch-wide all-fridge and all-freezer ring up at $4,099 each, and have stainless steel shelves and big, dark-tinted drawers and door bins.
You can also purchase an optional trim kit with a louvered grill that spans the width of both units giving you that pro-style look.
If you have the space, this setup gives you a ton of capacity at a relatively low price point.
Why Not Use Built-in Refrigerators?
Okay, now that I’ve gone over what built-in refrigerators are all about and shared the models we’re especially fond of, let’s talk about why you might not want to go with a built-in fridge.
We want you to love your kitchen, and you should have all the facts before you invest.
First, there’s the price. A standard fridge might cost around $3,000, but with a built-in you’re looking at roughly two or three times that on the lower end, and about 5 times that on the higher end.
It’s a big investment, and one of the most common questions we hear is, Is it worth it?
Our answer is that built-in fridges are more than an appliance; they’re a design feature of your home. You’ll enjoy how it looks and performs for decades, and it’ll factor positively into the resale value of your home.
In this as in all things, you get what you pay for.
Then there’s the fact that built-in refrigerators can’t fit in all spaces. You really need a tall ceiling for a true built-in, which is 84 inches tall. If you have lower ones, it might not be an option for you. You can get a similar look with a freestanding counter-depth fridge.
You might also be concerned about capacity. Will a built-in fridge hold as much as a standard depth fridge?
If you compare three 36-inch refrigerators—say a standard freestanding refrigerator, a freestanding counter-depth refrigerator, and a built-in refrigerator—the built-in has smallest capacity.
But built-ins give you easier access to your groceries, and they make up for their shallower depth with taller height and better in-door storage.
In a regular fridge, items can get lost behind each other, whereas in a built-in everything’s more front and center.
Still, if sheer capacity’s your biggest concern, you might not want a built-in unless you compensate by going with a much wider setup.
Before You Order a Built-in Refrigerator
Finally, if you’re planning to install a built-in fridge, there are a few things you should decide before you place your order.
1. Do you want a proud or flush installation? If you want your fridge to fit perfectly smoothly into your cabinets, ask if there are any adjustments you need to make with the door. For instance, Miele suggests that you buy a panel-ready fridge and a separate steel panel to get a completely flush install. You might also need to talk to your cabinet maker or contractor about adjusting the depth of the niche in your kitchen plans.
2. Do you want to see the grille at the top? Many built-ins, like the Sub-Zero classic series, have a commercial look with the exposed grille at the top. If you don’t like that, you’ll want to search for a design that’s easier to integrate, like the Sub-Zero Designer series or a Miele.
3. Watch out for the door width, especially on a 36-inch column or bottom freezer model. The door is a full 36 inches wide. If you have an island close by, it might not clear it. Be sure to plan accordingly. This actually was an issue for us when we moved into our Montclair showroom. Even we make mistakes sometimes!