In 2001, Whirlpool acquired the imploding Maytag company. Although the merger would prove incredibly challenging and expensive for Whirlpool, they were able to enter the french door refrigeration market.
French doors refrigerators are in effect a side by side refrigerator on a pull out freezer. Lucky for Whirlpool (and they were extremely unlucky in this deal), french doors have become popular for aesthetic and functional reasons. They look newer and cooler. The refrigerator is easier to open and the shorter doors are more appropriate with islands and peninsulas than one big door.
Whirlpool offers two french door counter depth models a 20 cubic foot and a taller 22 cubic foot model. They manufacture all these refrigerators on the same platform, so there is little or no difference between their labels Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Jenn-Air except for the handles.
So if the product is the same, how about the price?
20 Cubic Foot
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VS |
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Jenn-Air JFC2089WEM |
KitchenAid KBFS20EVMS |
22 Cubic Foot
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VS |
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|
Jenn-Air JFC2290VEM |
KitchenAid KBFS22EWMS |
If you are looking for just the refrigerator, presently (and this can change) Jenn-Air is the better value mostly because the rebates are larger on the same unit.
But what if you were buying a kitchen package? Do the refrigerator rebates become cancelled by larger rebates on the other side?
Let's see and compare two comparable packages:
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Jenn-Air Stainless Steel Kitchen Package $4,596 after $1,500 in rebates + $300 Yale Gift Card for plumbing and lighting |
KitchenAid Stainless Steel Kitchen Package $5,409 after $190 in rebates |
In fact, it seems to work the other way. The rebates are far larger on the better looking Jenn-Air series...FOR NOW. This can change quarterly. But for the next few months, Jenn-Air is the smarter purchase.
Read a Yale Buyers Guide and avoid overpaying for appliances, lighting and plumbing. Most popular:
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A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
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