How Panel-Ready Refrigerators Can Transform Your Kitchen
Tired of your refrigerator clashing with your kitchen’s aesthetic? It’s time to consider a panel-ready refrigerator. This sleek, customizable appliance can seamlessly blend into your cabinetry, creating a unified and sophisticated look. Imagine a kitchen where your fridge isn’t just a functional appliance, but a stylish design element.
Instead of a giant stainless steel block, a panel ready refrigerator brings a high-end look to your kitchen. These refrigerators blend seamlessly into a kitchen design with an exterior that matches the cabinets.
They come in many shapes, sizes, and styles including a panel ready counter depth refrigerator. Simply put: they are fridges with a customizable front. They’re also known as integrated or custom refrigerators.
Whatever you want to call them, Sweeten details some considerations when you are in the market for a panel ready refrigerator.
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Good-looking
Fridges typically came in white, stainless steel, or black. That changed with the panel ready refrigerator. The material and color of the front panels can be customized as well as the handles. Other appliances such as dishwashers can also be panel ready.
Resale value
If your home is high-end with semi or full custom kitchen cabinetry, future buyers will expect details like a panel ready refrigerator. Keeping those buyers happy keeps your home’s value high.
Simple if part of a kitchen redesign Sweeten brings homeowners an exceptional renovation experience by personally matching trusted general contractors to your project, while offering expert guidance and support—at no cost to you. It isn’t a big step to add a panel ready refrigerator if you’re already ordering custom cabinets. The cabinet maker will attach your chosen material and hardware to your fridge with minimal cost and effort.
Pre-made reduces cost
Panel ready fridges come with the option of pre-made panels in a variety of colors. This is also the same for hardware. Normally, this is an additional cost but it’s small compared to a cabinet maker. However, the choice is limited.
Expensive
Most refrigerators with a panel ready option are higher-end because this is a high-end process. A panel ready refrigerator will likely cost a few thousand dollars. Fitting that fridge with custom cabinetry and hardware could double the price. So, expect to pay at least $6,000 total. Added features such as an ice dispenser can increase the complexity of the design and cost of the custom cabinet front.
Limited depth selection
There is much to choose from with panel ready fridges including side-by-side and under-counter. However, they are often aren’t as deep as the deepest models. It’s typical for panel ready fridges to be about 24 inches deep so they are flush with the counter.
Costly to replace
If your fridge breaks that means heading back to your cabinet maker with the new fridge.
Hard to install
If your panel ready fridge is part of a bigger renovation, it won’t add too much to install. But if this is the only project, a cabinet maker will be needed to ensure the fridge fits snuggly into your existing cabinetry.
A note on appliance deliveries: If you’re on a tight timeline, Appliances Connection has over 10,000 items in stock and ready to ship. In-stock items can be delivered to NY/NJ within 2 days.
Find endless home renovation inspiration, detailed guides, and practical cost breakdowns from our blogs. You can also post your project on Sweeten today and get matched with our vetted general contractors and get estimates for free!
Panel-ready refrigerators seamlessly blend into your kitchen design, but their benefits go beyond aesthetics.
Pros
Renovate to live, Sweeten to thrive!
Cons
Best panel ready refrigerators
Fisher & Paykel RS36A80J1N
Samsung RF23A9675AP
Liebherr HC1540
Miele KS37472ID
Bertazzoni REF30PRL
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