The days of the space-hogging fridge may be numbered. The hitch: These designs currently come at a steep cost (that’s an understatement).
Sub-Zero, the brand best known for refrigerator drawers, offers under-the-counter options (and full-size fridges too) designed to be integrated into the kitchen cabinetry.
Summit’s 24-Inch-Wide Triple Drawer Refrigerator has all-stainless-steel construction that allows it to be used freestanding or built-in. It’s $1,732.50 with recessed handles (shown) and $1,843.20 with towel bar handles from AJ Madison.
One of the advantages of refrigerator drawers is that they’re cabinet-depth, so they can be tucked in unobtrusively, freeing up other parts of the kitchen.
A look inside a Monogram drawer; the compartments and temperatures are adjustable and some Monogram models work as both refrigerators and freezers.
The Viking Professional 5 Series 24-Inch, Double-Drawer Refrigerator is made of stainless steel inside and out; $3,164 from AJ Madison.
Under-counter refrigerator drawers incorporate well into kitchen islands.
Commercial refrigerator company True offers a residential set of two 24-inch Stainless Steel Under-Counter Refrigerator Drawers.
True drawers with overlay panels situated under a coffee station.
Marvel, the North American subsidiary of UK company Aga, makes 24-Inch Built-In Refrigerator Drawers with stainless steel interiors; $3,195.
A pair of Electrolux 24-Inch Refrigerator Drawers, tall enough to hold nine-inch bottles and wide enough for serving trays, is $3,099. Compact refrigerator drawers are also being used in bathrooms to store medications and beauty products.
U-Line, longtime makers of beverage refrigerators, offers 24-Inch Solid Refrigerator Drawers, $3,079, that hold up to 90 bottles or 142 cans; each drawer can be set to a temperature ranging from 34 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
New Zealand company Fisher & Paykel’s refrigerators win our prize for aesthetics (I own a counter-depth Fisher & Paykel ActiveSmart fridge that I love).
The brand’s CoolDrawer Multi-Temperature Refrigerator Drawer changes from refrigerator to freezer at the press of a button; $2,499 from AJ Madison.
Addendum: A number of under-counter fridges are being made for use in outdoor kitchens (picture a well-stocked barbecue). Finally, get more ideas on how to evaluate and choose your kitchen refrigerator in our Remodeling 101 Guide: Kitchen Refrigerators.