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Open-plan kitchen with pale blue cabinetry; a stainless Sub-Zero column refrigerator; a Wolf wall oven and microwave; and a wood island with three woven stools

Sub-Zero

Sub-Zero
Sub-Zero

Sub-Zero, established in 1945, is the refrigeration brand of Sub-Zero Group, the company behind Wolf cooking and Cove dishwashers. Its built-in refrigerators come in three series, Classic, Designer, and PRO, from wine storage and drawers to full-height columns.

What the Sub-Zero line covers

In the Sacramento region, Sub-Zero is sold at the DreamHome Appliance Group showroom in Roseville.

The Sub-Zero range covers built-in refrigeration in several forms. Full-height columns hold either fresh food or frozen food behind a single door, so a kitchen can set a refrigerator column and a freezer column wherever the layout calls for them. Integrated models accept custom cabinet panels and sit flush with the surrounding run, while the Classic built-ins keep the familiar stainless face and grille. The line also includes French-door and side-by-side built-ins, undercounter refrigerator and freezer drawers, and dedicated wine storage with separate temperature zones for reds and whites. Across the Classic, Designer, and Pro series, the common thread is refrigeration engineered as its own discipline rather than a compartment attached to a freezer.

Sub-Zero kitchens

The engineering behind it

The fact behind the brand is dual refrigeration. Each unit runs two separate cooling systems, one for the refrigerator and one for the freezer. Because the two air paths never mix, moist refrigerator air stays out of the freezer and dry freezer air stays out of the produce, which slows freezer burn and holds humidity where fresh food needs it. An air purification system based on technology first developed for NASA cycles the refrigerator air to reduce the ethylene gas that ripens and spoils produce. The result is a longer window before food loses its texture and flavor.

Sub-Zero rarely goes into a kitchen alone, and the full Sacramento line card shows the cooking and cleanup lines planned around it.

A short walk from the appliance desk, there is Sub-Zero refrigeration running at Design Gallery, the kitchen and bath showroom in the same Roseville building.

Sub-Zero series and categories

Sub-Zero organizes its refrigeration into three series:

  • Classic Series. The familiar stainless look. Configurations are column, French door, over-and-under, side-by-side, and wine storage, with panel-ready options. Sub-Zero lists its Split Climate cooling system and ClearSight LED lighting on this series.
  • Designer Series. Made to be panel ready and to blend with the surrounding cabinetry, in over-and-under, column, wine storage, and undercounter configurations.
  • PRO Series. Two widths, 36 and 48 inches, each with a solid or a glass door, fresh food above and a bottom freezer.

Across the series, the maker also sorts its refrigeration by type: side-by-side, over-and-under, French door, column freezer, column refrigeration, undercounter, wine storage, drawers, and ice makers.

Before you plan a Sub-Zero opening

Start with the series, because it sets the finish: the Designer Series is made to be panel ready, the Classic Series offers stainless or panel-ready models, and the PRO Series comes in 36 and 48 inch widths. Check the door and panel details for the model you choose, since a panel-ready unit needs a cabinet maker to build the front. Decide early whether fresh and frozen food sit in separate columns or in one over-and-under or French door unit, because that sets the width of the opening. Ask us for the model's installation guide from the maker, which lists the cutout and the spacing around the unit. Read the warranty documents on the Sub-Zero Group site for what is covered, since the terms are the maker's. For the full planning list, see our built-in refrigerator installation guide.

Where a Sub-Zero fits in a kitchen plan

Sub-Zero suits a kitchen planned around cabinetry, where the refrigeration is panelled to match the run: the Designer Series is panel ready, and the Classic Series offers panel-ready options. It also suits a household that wants fresh and frozen food in separate columns, and a bar or pantry that calls for undercounter drawers, wine storage, or an ice maker. For the maker's numbers and what to check before you decide, see a closer read of the Sub-Zero refrigerator review. Cabinet openings and rough-in are covered in our built-in refrigerator installation guide.

Also on our line card

At the DreamHome showrooms

Sub-Zero refrigeration is part of the line DreamHome Appliance Group supplies from the Roseville showroom.

Sub-Zero refrigerator questions

Who makes Sub-Zero refrigerators?

Sub-Zero Group, which also makes Wolf cooking and Cove dishwashers. It is headquartered in Wisconsin and says it has built refrigeration for more than 80 years.

Where are Sub-Zero refrigerators made?

Sub-Zero Group says its products are designed in its American innovation labs and built in its factories in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Arizona. If the plant behind one model matters to you, ask the Roseville team to look it up for that model.

How long do Sub-Zero refrigerators last?

Sub-Zero says its refrigerators can handle at least 20 years of everyday use. That is the maker's statement of design intent, not a warranty term. Read the warranty documents on the Sub-Zero Group site for what is covered.

What is the difference between the Sub-Zero Classic and Designer series?

The Classic Series has the familiar stainless look, with panel-ready options, in column, French door, over-and-under, side-by-side, and wine storage models; Sub-Zero lists its Split Climate cooling system and ClearSight LED lighting on it. The Designer Series is made to be panel ready, so it blends into the cabinetry, in over-and-under, column, wine storage, and undercounter models.

Does Sub-Zero make refrigerator drawers?

Yes. The maker lists drawers among its refrigeration types, including undercounter refrigerator drawers, alongside columns, French door, side-by-side and over-and-under models.

Where can I buy a Sub-Zero refrigerator?

Sub-Zero sells through showrooms and retailers, and the Sub-Zero Group locator on subzero-wolf.com lists them by address. In California, our Roseville showroom at 900 Sunrise Ave Suite B is a Sub-Zero dealer. Call (916) 900-0107 to plan the refrigeration, or browse Sub-Zero in our online store.

See Sub-Zero refrigeration running at the Roseville showroom.