Dacor vs. Sub-Zero Refrigerator Columns (Reviews / Ratings)

Buying a premium refrigerator used to be easy. Sub-Zero was considered the best and Thermador was considered a very good value brand. Liebherr, Viking, and GE have options, but together the 3 comprise a very small part of the market. 

You will have two new exciting options in the near feature. Jenn-Air introduced their new product at The Architectural Digest Show in New York with Nas the rap artist, no less.

Dacor, with the backing of the giant Samsung, has already introduced their new integrated products.

So in this article, we will look at the new Dacor products, and then compare Dacor to Sub-Zero.

You will know whether Dacor's products are worth considering and whether the more established Sub-Zero is still considered the best.

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Dacor

You may not know this, but Dacor was the first oven with pure convection as well as the first oven to also be placed under a countertop. Dacor was also the first with the downdraft and the first Wi-Fi range.

They were recently an American family-owned company struggling to keep up with the better established, bigger competitors like Miele, Wolf, and Thermador.

In 2016, they sold out to Samsung. This event has sent a jolt into the premium appliance business. 

Samsung is already the number 1 brand in the US by sales and is known for their technology, which is sorely lacking in this niche.

To be transparent: We do not currently sell Dacor at Yale.

Dacor 36" Refrigerator Column DRR36980LAP - $7,859

Features:

• Remote View- has 2 cameras inside the refrigerator is Wi-Fi will able to see what is in your refrigerator from your phone.
• Push to Open- you touch the door the refrigerator will open. You need not touch the handle. If nobody touches the door after a new second the door will close automatically.
• Internal water dispenser on the left wall of the refrigerator. It does a water filter.
• Steel Cool interior. The refrigerator has stainless fully wrapped throughout. It retains the cold in the refrigerator.
• Interior illuminated by 3DLighting
• Accepts wood panels and handles
• You can purchase stainless steel or granite steel panels.
• The doors are not reversible. They are hinged specifically.
• Digital Temperature Control- Choose the perfect temperature for the fridge with exact numbers in Fahrenheit or Celsius. 
• Sabbath Mode- is a feature that disables portions of the lights, features, and controls in accordance with observance of the weekly Sabbath and high holidays.
• Food preservation with dedicated evaporator and compressor that gives you precise cooling throughout the refrigerator.
• True Flush installation will fully integrate into your kitchen cabinets
• Fresh Zone drawer- it is a stainless-steel drawer that has adjustable temperature setting for any types of fish, meat chilled drinks, or deli. You can also defrost items in that same space.
• Hidden control panel -the control panel allows you to set the ideal temperature while throughout the refrigerator. The controls are on the drawer which is about waist high.
• Shelving- tempered Spill-Proof Glass with Metal Trim
• 21.5 cubic foot capacity

Dacor 36" Freezer Column DRZ36980LAP - $8,059

Features:

• Dual ice maker- makes standard ice cubes and it makes cocktail ice cubes. Cocktail ice cubes are good for mix drinks while you are entertaining.
• Steel Cool interior. The freezer has stainless fully wrapped throughout. It retains the cold in the freezer.
• Interior illuminated by 3D Lighting
• Push to Open- you touch the door the freezer will open. You need not to touch the handle. If nobody touches the door after a new second the door will close automatically.
• Sabbath Mode- is a feature that disables portions of the lights, features, and controls in accordance with observance of the weekly Sabbath and high holidays.
• IQ Remote Diagnostics- Using Wi-Fi
• Accepts wood panels and handles
• You can purchase stainless steel or granite steel panels.
• Quick freezer – a feature you quickly freeze things coming home for supermarket meats and ice cream.
• 21.5 cubic foot capacity

Sub-Zero

Sub-Zero is a classic Midwestern, family-owned American company. It was started in a garage and blossomed from there.

Sub-Zero was also the first in almost every refrigerator category and feature. They were the first with counter depth refrigerators, integrated refrigerators, twin compressor refrigerators, and almost anything else decent in refrigeration.

Their mantra is to "keep food fresher longer" and the refrigerator is built that way from the vacuum seal to open the refrigerator to the magnets sealing the crisper bin.

Sub-Zero

Sub-Zero Refrigerator Column IC-36R - $7,340

Features:

• The doors are not reversible. They are hinged specifically.
• You can order the refrigerator with internal water dispenser or not.
• It comes with internal water filter for the water and ice maker or just the ice maker.
• Nano-Coated Spill-Proof Shelving - there is micro-thin coating on each perimeter shelf so if you spill water, juice, or soda it will stay on the shelve for easy to clean up.
• Air purification system- inspired by NASA it has an air scrubber to kill all ethylene gas, bacteria, mold, odors, and viruses in the refrigerator that keeps your fruits and vegetables fresher longer.
• Smart-Touch Controls is which is small control board which Interactive like an I-Pad controlling setting for the temperature, the lighting or the sabbath mode.
• Soft LED lights that you can control the brightness in the refrigerator.
• Accepts stainless steel and wood panels and handles.
• Uniform fits- you can put multiple units together and they will fit perfectly together.
• 21.4 cubic foot capacity

Sub-Zero Freezer Column IC-36FI - $7,630

Features:

• The doors are not reversible. They are hinged specifically.
• Accepts stainless steel and wood panels and handles.
• Soft LED lights that you can control the brightness in the refrigerator.
• Ice maker- that makes crescent-shaped ice cubes and add the feature of "max ice" that gives an additional 30 percent more ice in a 24-hour period.
• Water Filtration - reduce suspended particles, chemical pollutants, viruses, and bacteria. The filter is made to last 750 gallons of water or one year of use.
• Smart-Touch Controls is which is small control board which Interactive like an I-Pad controlling setting for the temperature, the lighting or the sabbath mode.
• 20.5 Cubic foot capacity
• Uniform fits- you can put multiple units together and they will fit perfectly together

Comparison of the Two Brands

This is a very different comparison.

Dacor has the better technology. Seeing the inside of your refrigerator from the grocery store will mean you won't forget buying that mustard.

However, the refrigerator is way more than that. Its stainless interior will absorb cold better than plastic. Like Thermador, they have the push to open door. If you have your hands full, pushing is better than pulling.

You also do not need cabinet hardware for a truly minimalist look (kind of cool).

Sub-Zeros' value proposition is about the freshness of food not user-driven technology.

Their door has a vacuum seal. Unlike Dacor, it is tougher to open, so outside air cannot infiltrate the refrigerator as much.

Their air purification system scrubs gases off spoiling foods as well as stopping cross-contamination.

The drawers are magnetic to close properly to keep air inside the crispers and not allow outside air from the refrigerator to enter.

These features are designed to keep food fresher for a longer period of time.

You will love the shelves. They are covered in nano-technology to reduce the spread of spills.

Have you ever cleaned the spill of juice in a refrigerator? Months later, you are still cleaning hardened juice droplets.

Dacor vs. Sub-Zero

Both are great choices. Dacor has the better technology. Sub-Zero has better freshness storage. In the future, these brands could produce the two best products and determine how we use a refrigerator.

Samsung always evolves in product development and it's no wonder Dacor has the better technology. Sub-Zero has always been the leader and innovator in premium refrigeration.

It will be interesting to see how they compete in the future.

Additional Resources

Get the Yale Counter Depth Refrigerator Buying Guide with features, specs, and inside tips to all the brands like Sub-Zero, Thermador, Viking, Miele, Gaggenau, Liebherr, and more. Well over 310,000 people have read a Yale Guide.

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