JennAir Appliances Review: Our Experience with JennAir Column Refrigerators

In this JennAir appliances review, we share why we chose their column refrigerator and freezer, the pros and cons, and if we think it’s worth the money.

While researching high-end refrigerators for our custom kitchen, we couldn’t find many JennAir reviews online.

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At the showroom, the JennAir column refrigerators with the sleek black interior instantly caught our eye and we ended up buying it for our custom home.

Continue reading for our review and personal experience with these products after over a year!

Who Makes JennAir Appliances?

JennAir is Whirlpool’s luxury kitchen appliance brand, ranked above KitchenAid. Before we started shopping for our new house, we hadn’t heard of them.

But after checking out a few showrooms, we found out they have certain high-end lines like Monogram and Sub-Zero.

RELATED POST: Our Honest Monogram Appliances Review: Is it Worth it?

How We Chose JennAir

We originally picked a Monogram Built-In Refrigerator and Freezer (ZISS480NNSS) to match our range and other Monogram appliances.

However, due to supply issues, there was no estimated ship date and we could potentially be waiting for a year or more. So, we were advised to look for another option.

During our appliance showroom visits, Tim was always drawn to the dark interior and LED accent lighting of the JennAir refrigerators and freezers.

Plus, we had already picked out a JennAir under-counter drink refrigerator, so getting a matching fridge and freezer just made sense.

Check out this post for more details on how we picked our kitchen appliances for our custom home build.

What We Bought: JennAir Appliance Model Numbers

Here are the exact model numbers of all the JennAir products we ordered:

• 30″ Panel-Ready Built-in Column Refrigerator (JBRFR30IGX)
• 24″ Panel-Ready Built-in Column Freezer (JBZFL24IGX)
• 30” Stainless Steel Panel Kit (JKCPR301GL)
• 24” Stainless Steel Panel Kit (JKCPL241GL)
• Join Kit (JAJ13HSS)
• 24″ Panel Ready Under Counter Glass Door Refrigerator (JUGFR242HX)

We purchased our JennAir kitchen appliances from Build With Ferguson but you can also check availability and price at Best Buy.

Column vs. Built-In Refrigerators and Freezers

During the appliance selection process for our custom home build, we learned the differences between column and built-in refrigerators and freezers. We had only heard of built-in appliances.

Built-In Refrigerators and Freezers

A Built-In unit is a refrigerator and freezer in one, that allows integration into the cabinetry for a custom and higher-end look.

Column Refrigerators and Freezers

Column refrigerators and freezers are individual, stand-alone units; a single refrigerator or freezer unit. This has a few advantages over built-in units.

Since the refrigerator and freezer are completely separate, you can place them in different locations in your kitchen.

It also allows more size customization since most column refrigerators and freezers come in 18”, 24”, 30”, and 36” widths.

Column units also have their own condenser, while most built-in units have a single compressor that’s shared between the refrigerator and freezer.

Separate compressors allow for the refrigerator and freezer to operate independently which is more energy efficient as each unit runs only when needed.

It should also allow foods to stay fresher for longer since the refrigerator and freezer can maintain optimal temps and humidity levels for each section.

We originally planned for a 48” built-in refrigerator/freezer but since we decided to get column units and we were still able to make blueprint changes, we increased our freezer from 18” to 24” (shown above) which greatly increased our freezer space!

When we saw the JennAir 18” column freezer in person, it looked pretty small inside and it started to worry us that it would be too small and not as functional in the long run. That led us to one size up – the 24” column freezer.

JennAir 18” vs. 24” Column Freezer Capacity

• Our originally selected Monogram 48″ built-in fridge had a freezer capacity of 11.44 cu ft.
• In comparison:
  • JennAir 18″ column freezer – 8 cu ft.
  • JennAir 24″ column freezer – 13 cu ft. (what we ended up picking!)

Pros: What We Like

1. Interior Aesthetics

We originally fell in love with the interior aesthetics of the units. JennAir is branding the dark panels as “Obsidian Interior”. All of the other luxury brands had either white or stainless steel interiors which didn’t seem as unique.

The JennAir units also have LED strips that frame the door opening. It’s supposed to remove shadows cast by traditional puck lights. It also allows better visibility of food that’s tucked behind or below other items.

It is just aesthetics and not necessarily functional, but we did find that the interior makes foods stand out more due to the high contrast.

We get compliments all the time from guests on how cool our fridge looks!

2. High-Quality Materials

From the very first time we interacted with the demo units in the showroom, we loved the premium materials used in both refrigerator and freezer units.

All shelves and drawers are made of metal and glass. The shelves are very sturdy, even when holding heavy items.

We were shocked to see other high-end brands have plastic drawers or panels. The only downside to metal drawer pulls is that the freezer drawers are extremely cold to the touch.

We also appreciated the soft-close drawers that are on both the refrigerator and freezer.

3. Interior Water Dispenser

We had issues with our previous refrigerators that had external water dispensers on the door, from freezing water lines to moldy spouts. We were also worried about water dripping and leaving watermarks on the stainless steel doors.

So we planned to have a reverse osmosis system with a faucet at our kitchen sink. But the JennAir refrigerator we picked includes an interior water dispenser which we came to love.

We were able to connect the same reverse osmosis system to the water lines to the refrigerator AND freezer which also has a built-in ice maker.

The internal water dispenser shuts off immediately after the button is released, preventing any drips.

4. Interior Customization Options

We like that there are many adjustment options for the shelves and door bins. Each shelf and bin can be moved up and down in inch increments. They can also easily be changed on the fly.

Cons: What We Dislike

1. Cost of Column Units

At just above $15,000 (for the column refrigerator, freezer, other required parts, and installation), it was much more than we wanted to spend on a refrigerator and freezer.

We were already having a hard time spending the $12,000 for the Monogram built-in fridge and freezer that we originally picked.

Luxury column refrigerators have a large price tag but we do find the quality to be exceptionally better than the average fridges we’ve had in the past.

2. Remote Access Feature

We haven’t used the remote access features at all. You’re able to change temperature settings, get alerts when the door is left open, and get filter change notifications.

Since moving in, we set both the refrigerator and freezer to the recommended temperatures and have left them alone.

3. Stainless Steel Panel Damage

Our 30” stainless steel panel on the refrigerator had a shallow but wide dent across the entire panel that would be visible at certain angles. We’re unsure if this damage happened to shipping or installation.

Luckily we had the appliance company replace it with a new panel at no extra charge.

The gauge of stainless steel used on the panels seems very thin, so we’re worried that any moderate impact will cause damage.

4. Availability Issues for the Undercounter Drink Refrigerator

At the time of purchasing, there were availability issues for the under-counter drink refrigerator we selected. It ended up taking around 3 months after we moved in for a unit to be delivered.

That unit ended up getting damaged in shipping and had to wait another month for a new unit to be installed.

Conclusion: JennAir Appliances Review

So, are JennAir appliances worth the price?

Overall, we’ve been very happy with the JennAir column refrigerator, freezer, and under-counter refrigerator that we bought!

We’ve been using them for over a year now and haven’t had any issues at all.

However, we’re not sure about the long-term reliability. We found that JennAir doesn’t have as long of a track record compared to Sub Zero, who have units that are known to last a long time.

If our units continue to run for years without any major issues, we’d say that they’re worth the steep price tag!

For now, we’re super happy with how our fridge turned out, and every time we open the door we’re still in awe of the striking black interior and LED lights that truly offer a unique experience.

We hope this post helped you in your search for a new kitchen appliance to buy. For more home inspiration, follow us on Instagram @vivandtim.home!

Check out this post for more details on how we picked our kitchen appliances for our custom home build.