Sub Zero Refrigerators

You guys are beyond nerds

You guys are beyond nerds

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And I plan on going even farther than that.

Originally Posted by visionology

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Same reason people buy granite, they just heard it was good and every upscale kitchen has it on HGTV, yet no one knows the properties that make granite any better or worse than any other material.
Engineer here. And actually, I do know the reasons why. Here are a few: There are others, but mainly it's the values that a rock lets you plug into those equations that matter. Oh, and if I could I'd get a subzero for two reasons: 1) Any funkiness in my fridge won't get into my ice because the systems are separate 2) All the messing around I do in the fridge won't affect (materially) the freezer temps. 3) I think the thing is probably better made 4) having the compressor and the intercoolers on top seems to make better sense to me. ~ H

^ Next level pwnage. +1.

Thanks. The funniest part was that I started the post prior to the 'beyond nerds' post above! I spent too long poking around trying to find a Drucker-Prager equation, not realizing that hey, wikipedia does have an article on everything. ~ H

God I love SF. Not only is there a discussion of five-figure fridges, but it nearly degenerates into name calling! I am inspired daily.

Originally Posted by Manton

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^^^ Eh, no. Give some of us a little credit for doing some research.
This does not extend to everyone. My parents bought 2 subzeros for their new house because the interior designer instructed them to. lol

Originally Posted by freshcutgrass

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Commercial use requires high standards of food safety and freshness, as well as being built well enough to withstand many years of hard usage.

features of the UR48DT

...better temperature and humidity/condensation controls, so food keeps fresher and longer.

...dual heavy duty compressors ( 1/3 & 1/6 hp high BTU's)...one for the freezer...one for the fridge. They are mounted on top of the unit for better performance (or can actually be remotely located if noise is an issue). This also allows full depth inside while only being 24" deep.

...the entire unit, inside and out, is all heavy gauge stainless steel, which improves food safety, cleaning and unit lifespan.

...drawers for meat and crispers are accessed directly without opening the main door, maintaining better temps and humidity.

...freezer works faster and gets colder, for better results with frozen foods.

...things like hinges & handles are so well built, they have lifetime warranties.

I could go on, but the point is it performs better, which actually translates into real world advantages in terms of what its job is...to keep food as fresh as possible, and do its job for a long time without having to be replaced or suffer breakdowns or require maintanance.

It's very high design and build quality means it will last a lot longer (a typical residential situation means essentially a lifetime). It isn't market-driven in terms of style, so it isn't something you replace because it's dated, even though it may still function fine (as in a lot of consumer appliances).

And yes, if pride of ownership is important to you, then it justifies it based on its performance merits and looks, rather than just brand marketing/looks.


Is there any objective evidence to support these claims of superior durability? Seems to me that half of Sub Zero owners complain about them breaking down. My own Aunt replaced her old-fashed frig with one, and it only took a month to leak over her new floor, causing big bucks in damage.

And I know this is irrelevant, but are there any Sub Zero owners out there who claim their food actually tastes better on account of it?

Originally Posted by pinchi22

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And I know this is irrelevant, but are there any Sub Zero owners out there who claim their food actually tastes better on account of it?
I can only compare to the basic GE fridges I had in previous apartments. There is no doubt that it refrigerates faster than those - i.e. when you come back from grocery shopping and fill it with tons of new stuff, a better performing fridge will bring everythign back to temperature much faster, while with another fridge, it may take a while. Second, it keeps better temperature when the door is open for a while (probably the same point but added benefit). Third, the components are better (the joints stick better, the baskets, drawers and doors inside are sturdier). Fourth, it has much more ample space inside (that's obviously a function of fridge size and I'm sure that there are plenty of other brands with large volume as well).

Our own SZ, we inherited when bought the apartment - I believe it was installed in 2002 (by hipsters) and shows no signs of fatigue.

My mom has dual sub zeros, they are awesome.

Seems to me that half of Sub Zero owners complain about them breaking down.

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One...you are asking me about objective evidence, yet the basis of your claim is based on your dubious imaginary knowledge of half of all Sub Zero fridges?????

Two...my post was specifically regarding the Traulsen, not Sub Zero.


But to answer your question...

Commercial use requires high standards of food safety and freshness, as well as being built well enough to withstand many years of hard usage

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They have a long track record in commercial applications. Do you doubt a commercial kitchen environment is tougher on the unit than a residential application?

...the entire unit, inside and out, is all heavy gauge stainless steel, which improves food safety, cleaning and unit lifespan.

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Heavy gauge stainless steel vs plastic. This seems pretty obvious to me.

I could go on, but the point is it performs better, which actually translates into real world advantages in terms of what its job is...to keep food as fresh as possible, and do its job for a long time without having to be replaced or suffer breakdowns or require maintanance.

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Track record and obvious design/parts superiority. Traulsen made its name in the commercial industry, which is based on performance, not curb appeal. They don't make "residential" units...some people just adapt them for residential use, and the UR48DT model happens to be quite good looking and most suited to a residential kitchen. Other manufacturers just make their residential-specific units look like commercial units, cause that's been the "in" thing to do.

As far as domestic/residential units go, Sub Zero is a superior product.

Our own SZ, we inherited when bought the apartment - I believe it was installed in 2002 (by hipsters) and shows no signs of fatigue.

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That's all very funny, but the real trick...is to know when to quit.

Originally Posted by randallr

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My mom has dual sub zeros, they are awesome.

She sounds like a MILF.

Originally Posted by freshcutgrass

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That's all very funny, but the real trick...is to know when to quit.

I had a friend in high school that had 16 or so brothers and sisters, and his family had a group of (IIRC) 8 Sub-Zeros along a wall in their home.

I don't think it's a question of whether they are better, but whether they're worth the incremental cost to the purchaser. It's a personal decision, and if it were me, I'd spend 10-11k on a range and then see how much money I had left for other things. If I had the money for a SZ, i'd get one. If I didn't, I wouldn't. I've used a range of fridges, from really ****** old ones that came with apartments i was renting to those new GE fridges with the freezer on bottom and fridge on top. They do a fairly good job, definitely better than fridges with the freezer on top, but they are still plastic, and plastic sucks.

And frankly, SZs are sexy. I'd not be ashamed to have one in my kitchen.