ᐅ Freestanding or Built-in Refrigerator?

Created on: 21 Jan 2018 12:01
R
Roppo
Hello,

We are currently planning our kitchen and visiting various kitchen showrooms.
Every time we mention that we would like a refrigerator, freezer, and zero-degree zone all in one appliance, the salespeople grimace and say that there are only a very few models like that.

Over the weekend at MediaMarkt, we noticed that almost every freestanding fridge-freezer combination is equipped with a zero-degree compartment – this seems completely normal there.

This led us to wonder whether this is simply because these are built-in refrigerators, and freestanding ones might be somewhat more flexible? Of course, I am aware that I could research and buy any appliance myself to fit my preferences.
However, maybe there are real advantages or disadvantages to built-in combos?
I have already thought about this a bit, but I would be interested to hear your opinions and arguments on the topic!

A few details about our plans: We want an open farmhouse-style kitchen. The refrigerator will be located directly next to the tall cabinets (0 – 2.20m (7 ft 3 in)) and would either stand free at the end of the kitchen or be integrated into the tall cabinets. The kitchen starts to the right of the fridge, and to the left is soon the entrance door to the living room.

What are your thoughts?

Best regards,
Roppo
D
Deliverer
24 Jan 2018 21:46
I actually prefer regular cooktops. With flexible ones, I often find (at least in my experience) that the pan doesn’t sit perfectly, so only part of the flexible zone is active. Unfortunately, this time I had to choose a flexible cooktop because there was no built-in cooktop available without a flexible zone…

And I would rather have four real burners on an 80cm (31.5 inches) cooktop than layouts with four small burners plus a useless warming zone.
A
Aotearoa
25 Jan 2018 07:14
Knallkörper schrieb:
We also have the Neff TwistPad. As long as you don’t lose it, it’s by far the best cooktop control I know of.
Same here.
Great and never going back to anything without induction. Since moving into the house, the microwave and kettle have stayed in the basement....

You just have to be careful that the TwistPad doesn’t get caught on the baking tray and accidentally go into the oven [emoji87][emoji87]
=> 4 days without the cooktop, relying only on the Thermomix for 5 people [emoji87]

About the fridge:
We have a freestanding model integrated into the kitchen.
It’s 60cm (24 inches) wide and 180cm (71 inches) tall. It’s positioned centrally between two tall cabinets.
There’s a freezer compartment at the bottom with three drawers, and a larger fridge section above for 5 people.
It’s also wider than our old built-in fridge (and a bit cheaper and bigger as well).
W
winnetou78
25 Jan 2018 08:08
I have now used the mixture of flexible and regular.
Neff TBT5820N
Y
ypg
25 Jan 2018 14:36
Nordlys schrieb:
I can’t say anything about the stove, ours never gets that dirty…

Have you ever thought about why that is?

Your wife always cleans it! [emoji16]
N
Nordlys
25 Jan 2018 18:48
No, we use it very little. It’s as simple as that.
R
Roppo
25 Jan 2018 21:07
winnetou78 schrieb:
I went with a mix of a flexible cooktop and a standard oven.
Neff TBT5820N

Could someone please clarify for me what determines whether a cooktop and oven are compatible? You can buy proper sets or each appliance separately... But I’ve read several times that they have to match each other. How can I tell if they do? ^^