Built-in fridge with ice dispenser

[puntloos]

So we really love our american fridge-freezer with an ice and chilled water dispenser.. But we also love built-in things for that smooth look.

 

Anyone aware of a built-in freezer with external ice maker? Miele *used to* make a freezer (and you could match a fridge, as shown below) - the Mastercool F1472vi

 

 

FWIW, an internal icemaker where you'd have to open the freezer, probably open some drawer is nowhere near as good a solution, but perhaps a stand-alone icemaker could work, but feels somewhat redundant since it'd effectively be a tiny secondary freezer? Or?

Edited September 13, 2021 by puntloos

[Ferdinand]

LiebHerr do a plumbed in one.

 

https://blog.liebherr.com/appliances/au/liebherr-icemaker/

 

Worth a look.

 

No idea about built in freezers.

 

If you have a LiebHerr, you want Mrs Jones to see it.

[Pocster]

Anyone that has an ice maker in their fridge is a God . The clunk , clunk sound of ice into that G n T glass . Obviously we’re getting one . ?

[TonyT]

I will stick with the £1 bag of ice from the local shop and the ice tray.

hate plumbed in fridge freezers- too many leak and cause damage

[Pocster]

5 minutes ago, TonyT said:

I will stick with the £1 bag of ice from the local shop and the ice tray.

hate plumbed in fridge freezers- too many leak and cause damage

Plumbing’s easy peasy with Hep2o - even I do it leak free ?

[TonyT]

It’s the fridge appliance plumbing that always goes faulty, not my awesome pressure tested plumbing!

[saveasteading]

7 minutes ago, pocster said:

Plumbing’s easy peasy with Hep2o - even I do it leak free ?

I was going to say that!

Has been in for about 10 years and no problems with my plumbing, but on our second freezer...I think lime killed the ice-maker and there was no way to stop it.

(we have lime for g and t in our mains water.)

[Pocster]

6 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

I was going to say that!

Has been in for about 10 years and no problems with my plumbing, but on our second freezer...I think lime killed the ice-maker and there was no way to stop it.

(we have lime for g and t in our mains water.)

I see . That’s probably something I should consider ! . Can you not fit some kind of filter between freezer and water supply ?

[Pocster]

Seek and ye shall find 

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/liff-electrolytic-in-line-scale-inhibitor-15mm/91448?tc=UA7&ds_kid=92700055281954514&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=CjwKCAjw7fuJBhBdEiwA2lLMYe5uulYtJMr6ht1pAAUczyf1uBzDqVEzj7hZu5UgwF_XfOBWlmb3gxoCXK8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[saveasteading]

19 minutes ago, pocster said:

filter between freezer and water supply

I forgot: the fridge side has a water filter in it so that does not happen any longer.

I guess any decent make will have that now.

 

It is about £12 every 6 months for a filter (not the official one) but a lot cheaper than a new American fridge.

The water from the chiller tap tastes a bit sweeter too.

[Mr Punter]

I have created a dam out of mastic around the back and sides of my fridge so if the water / ice springs a leak I will see a puddle at the front, rather than have it track down and along between the engineered oak floor and the T & G chipboard.

[Dan F]

17 hours ago, puntloos said:

Anyone aware of a built-in freezer with external ice maker? Miele *used to* make a freezer (and you could match a fridge, as shown below) - the Mastercool F1472vi

 

Gaggenau do one:  https://www.gaggenau.com/gb/products-list/refrigeration/vario-400-series/freezer/RF463304 

 

AFAIK the Miele, Gaggenau, Liebherr are all the same base product.  (all made by Liebherr I think?)

 

I can see the external acess being very practical, expecially if it also crushes ice and provides water, it does impact the amount of space left in the freezer though.

[bassanclan]

After buying an American fridge freezer with ice and water dispenser i would never go back.

 

Also i would never consider a self top up one, needs to be plumbed in unless you are going to be right ontop of refills, but at parties etc it could be an issue.

 

Crushed ice isn't that great on my Samsung

[puntloos]

On 13/09/2021 at 14:39, Ferdinand said:

LiebHerr do a plumbed in one.

 

https://blog.liebherr.com/appliances/au/liebherr-icemaker/

 

Worth a look.

 

No idea about built in freezers.

 

If you have a LiebHerr, you want Mrs Jones to see it.

The crucial feature of the american ones is that you can get ice without opening the fridge, rummaging around in the ice bin etc.

 

[puntloos]

On 13/09/2021 at 21:40, bassanclan said:

After buying an American fridge freezer with ice and water dispenser i would never go back.

 

Also i would never consider a self top up one, needs to be plumbed in unless you are going to be right ontop of refills, but at parties etc it could be an issue.

 

Crushed ice isn't that great on my Samsung

Ha, I have the same, crushed ice is basically just angry non-crushed ice. It basically manages to crack the cubes somewhat but they are usually mostly intact. Weird. 

 

But yes, grabbing a glass, and having 0C water 10 secs later is awesome.

 

@dan f - nice find.. except.. https://www.perfecthomeimports.com/product/gaggenau-rf463304/ - this is the first one that mentions price.. only 11,000 EUR. ?

[puntloos]

This one looks pretty 'built in' even if it is freestanding. I wonder if the doors will actually open. That's the crucial challenge I think, doors that 'try' to expand beyond their footprint while you open. My samsung needs about an inch beyond their width when closed.

 

Ah - it's this one: https://mahajanelectronics.com/products/siemens-iq700-built-in-freezer-212-5-x-60-3-cm-fi24dp32 - Rs. 489,000 in gbp is about 4700gbp

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by puntloos

[Dan F]

Not sure that model is available in the UK. Its looks like the Gaggenau and probably has the same internals, just a cheaper bosch-branded version without all the stainless steel.

 

Fisher and Paykal do some reasonably priced built-in products with both water and ice.  But while there is a dispenser for water, the ice is still in a draw i think. 

 

We were initially looking at fridges with water dispensers, but in the end went with a zip tap.

Edited September 16, 2021 by Dan F

[puntloos]

On 16/09/2021 at 09:37, Dan F said:

Not sure that model is available in the UK. Its looks like the Gaggenau and probably has the same internals, just a cheaper bosch-branded version without all the stainless steel.

Yeah it's tough to get anywhere, weird. 

On 16/09/2021 at 09:37, Dan F said:

 

Fisher and Paykal do some reasonably priced built-in products with both water and ice.  But while there is a dispenser for water, the ice is still in a draw i think. 

 

We were initially looking at fridges with water dispensers, but in the end went with a zip tap.

It's interesting how you tend to live 'around' the various features a hous (& its appliances) have. Fully agree a zip tap does lots of chilledness etc, but in my current fridge I just grab a glass (stack of glasses right next to frige).. pop some ice, add some water, done in less than 10 seconds total. Instead, opening the fridge, grabbing some scoop of ice, scoop it in, then add the water. That's surely a whole 20 seconds!...

 

sooo yeah maybe I'm over optimising but it's really a nice thing to have ice+chilled right next to each other.

Edited September 21, 2021 by puntloos

[puntloos]

Revisiting this topic - instead of having a proper built-in fridge with icemaker - which seems to be unattainable - is there some elegant way one can get a standard freestanding american style fridge and 'convert' it into a built-in? Do built-in systems exists where you attach standard cabinet doors in front of it somehow? Or is that a lost cause? As anyone can see

 

 

 

looks a lot better than

 

[markc]

A built-in appliance is pretty much a free standing without the casing, however fridges and freezers need to loose heat so built ins tend to have larger evaporators because there is less air flow around them.

if you ensure the free movement of air then no reason why you can’t build in with a bit of thought and ingenuity to attach door panels etc.

[PeterW]

5 hours ago, puntloos said:

instead of having a proper built-in fridge with icemaker - which seems to be unattainable

Miele make one. Or do you want the dispenser out of the front ..? They are available but start at about £5k from what I can see and they are custom doors etc. 

 

https://www.miele.co.uk/e/built-in-freezer-fns-37492-ie-10845360-p

[puntloos]

5 hours ago, PeterW said:

Miele make one. Or do you want the dispenser out of the front ..? They are available but start at about £5k from what I can see and they are custom doors etc. 

 

https://www.miele.co.uk/e/built-in-freezer-fns-37492-ie-10845360-p

 

Well, perhaps I'm micro-optimizing but indeed the dispenser in front is important. My current fridge indeed allows a very quick walk-up, and walk away with chilled or chilled+cubes water in under 5 seconds. Opening the fridge door and trying to get an ice scoop etc is .. less elegant

 

Miele did have this one: https://vietnam.miele-importer.com/en/refrigeration-and-wine-conditioning-units-2497.htm?mat=09059290&name=F_1472_Vi (yes.. vietnam.. ha.. hard to find)

 

[Mr Punter]

You could buy a counter top or under counter ice making machine.  Then get a big integrated fridge and freezer.

[Adam2]

6 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

You could buy a counter top or under counter ice making machine.  Then get a big integrated fridge and freezer.

Yes we're considering this - will have a built in fridge in the kitchen but have an upright freezer and separate plumbed in ice maker in the pantry. Figured that it's a better compromise than trying (& failing) to get a built in that does ice. Probably also cheaper

[puntloos]

On 04/03/2022 at 15:53, Mr Punter said:

You could buy a counter top or under counter ice making machine.  Then get a big integrated fridge and freezer.

Hmm. It's worth considering. It feels somewhat stupid to have 2 devices that basically make ice. That said, an ice maker does take up a lot of space inside the fridge too.

17 hours ago, Adam2 said:

Yes we're considering this - will have a built in fridge in the kitchen but have an upright freezer and separate plumbed in ice maker in the pantry. Figured that it's a better compromise than trying (& failing) to get a built in that does ice. Probably also cheaper

Interesting. Do you have a shortlist of devices you're considering?