My customers often ask me if Sub Zero refrigerators are worth the money. My answer is always the same: maybe. Let me explain…

If you’re talking about longevity, overall quality, and food preservation, my answer is always absolutely! And if the price fits your budget, it’s a no-brainer for me. I had one a few years ago and I can tell you my strawberries lasted up to two weeks (which was amazing considering my experience in the produce department!); cheese left on a plate (as an experiment) did not mold or crust after a month; and an open container of ice cream was still fresh after discovering it more than a month and a half later.

Sub Zero claims that a family can save up to $25 a week on food that goes bad thanks to the dual refrigeration system. I always thought that was an exaggerated claim until I got one and estimated that I was saving about $10 a week as a single. If you’re a Costco shopper who likes to buy things like the multi-pack of romaine lettuce and finds you can’t get past two heads before they go bad, the moister compartment Sub Zero provides will give you more time to finish. the letter packet.

One big advantage of having a dual cooling system like the one the Sub Zero has is longevity. The average life of a refrigerator today is approximately 10.5 years. Sub Zero’s average life cycle is 17 years. (Weather is a contributing factor. In the Pacific Northwest, where it’s colder than the southern US, refrigerators don’t have to work as hard due to a lower average temperature. It’s not uncommon to find refrigerators Sub Zero that last over 20 years here.) The reason for the longer life is largely due to the fact that it has two compressors. One cools the refrigerator while the other cools the freezer. Most other refrigerators have a single compressor that runs almost all the time. It doesn’t take much imagination to see that the dual system lasts longer.

The overall quality is great because these coolers are still largely built by hand and in the USA. They are a family owned business and take pride in their product.

So I hear you say, “Why does Consumer Reports show a higher repair rate?” Consumer Reports shows the service history of products under warranty. This is a bit of a downside for companies with a generous warranty like Sub Zero. Most companies offer a 1 year warranty on parts and labor with up to 5 years on parts. Sub Zero offers the strongest warranty in the industry – a full 2 ​​years on parts and labor and up to 12 years on the sealed system! The other thing CR doesn’t tell you is that many of the service calls have to do with improper installation (water/ice machine not working because installer didn’t turn on water valve, etc.) or even something as simple as a broken ice machine. Ice makers are the Achilles heel of the appliance world. As great as Sub Zero is, they use ice machines made by Whirlpool. There are not many ice machine manufacturers to choose from in the industry.

If you have a large family and are at the grocery store several times a week, don’t plan on being home for more than 7 years, or if you’re like a disguise of mine as you write your check pay for your Sub Zero proclaimed, “$8000.00 just to keep my beer cold,” you can do just as well for just under $2000, depending on your kitchen layout. However, if it fits the budget, I recommend buying a Sub Zero.