Whether you are remodeling or building a new house, it's inevitable to spend a considerable amount of money in building out the kitchen. Between cabinets, countertops, and appliances, you will have lots of choices. Of these, the most expensive item in your kitchen can easily be your refrigerator, especially so if you opt for a built-in refrigerator which will cost you at least 00 to start.
If you're building a new house, you can pick and choose which refrigerator to purchase. If you're remodeling - then unless you are gutting out your kitchen entirely, you will have to abide by the space you have in your kitchen already and buy a built-in refrigerator that fits right into that space, or do the construction necessary to accommodate your new appliance.
Built-in refrigerators are usually larger refrigerators as far as width goes that sit flush with the cabinetry in your kitchen, unlike standard refrigerators that almost always used to jut out a few inches, at least. With the popularity of built-in models, manufacturers now build a cabinet-depth standard refrigerator that has a depth of 28 inches, flush with the cabinets, compared to the standard 32 inches with most regular refrigerators - but the lack of depth also means there is less capacity inside the refrigerator. The custom look that a built-in refrigerator can create in your kitchen is worth the extra cost for many homeowners. When the paneling on the refrigerator is well-matched to the rest of your cabinets, it's not uncommon to enter a well-design built-in kitchen and not readily see where the built-in refrigerator is. With the price differential being a minimum of 00 or so, it may be worth your while to opt for the smaller standard cabinet-depth refrigerators; it depends entirely on what is more important to you.
Built-in refrigerators are available in various models: French-door, bottom-freezer, and side-by-side. Normally, built-in refrigerators used to host the same front paneling as your cabinetry, making them look like more cabinets rather than looking like a refrigerator. These days, however, stainless steel fronts are the trend, and many built-in refrigerators have this option. Unlike with washer/dryers, at the time of this article, Maytag is considered to make one of the most problematic refrigerator lines, built-in, or otherwise. Amongst the best-known and best-reviewed built-in refrigerators are Kitchen-Aid, Amana, Viking, Jenn-Air, Bosch, Sub-Zero (popular but reportedly prone to needing repairs often), Thermador, Fisher & Paykel, and GE.
So, other than the custom look of built-in refrigerators, are there any other advantages?
Yes!
Built-in refrigerators come in more shapes and size than standard refrigerators. You can find some that are up to a meter in width, shorter or taller than other standard refrigerators - but you can imagine that these models cost considerably more. The only option you don't have, usually, is depth choices as it has to match the depth of your cabinets to be considered a true built-in refrigerator. Otherwise, they truly are customizable to your kitchen and storage needs, and to the space that your kitchen allows - and add a lot to the value and ambiance of your kitchen by providing a sleek, seamless look that you will undoubtedly appreciate for many years to come.
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