IKEA’s Nutid Fridge Wins The Cold War
Two stylish counter-depth refrigerators are practically identical, but one {IKEA’s Nutid S23} is $1,000 cheaper.
SPEND SMART | Whenever you see a drop dead gorgeous kitchen in a decorating magazine, there is a 99.9 percent chance it will feature a counter-depth refrigerator. “CD” fridges, as they are referred to, are the coveted look, even if they don’t always pack the cubic capacity punch of traditional freestanding models, which can extend eight inches beyond the depth of standard kitchen cabinets.
A CD fridge works particularly well in a narrow kitchen like mine where floor space is at a premium, which, as well as the look, is why I have a built-in one; ditto for Terri Brandmueller, who installed IKEA’s Nutid S23 side-by-side refrigerator/freezer in her new kitchen last year.
A good researcher and comparison shopper, Brandmueller looked at many counter-depth fridges before settling on the Nutid, but none of them offered the combined features and sex appeal of the Nutid for the price, a phenomenally low $1,749 for the stainless-steel model.
Doing The Math: The Nutid S23 Price Comparison
Like all IKEA appliances, the Nutid refrigerator is made by Whirlpool. When she checked Whirlpool refrigerators online, Brandmueller found that the company makes a CD side-by-side model that looks like a dead ringer for the Nutid but sells for a lot more. In fact, when she matched the two units feature for feature, the only differences she could find were the side panels (IKEA’s are black, Whirlpool’s are grey) and the handle (the IKEA Vinna handle is reminiscent of a Thermador or Viking one, and she prefers it to the Whirlpool issue).
A quick price check locally for the Whirlpool GC3SHAXV turned up prices ranging from $2,750 to $2,990—a minimum $1,000 difference. Plus IKEA throws in a five-year manufacturer’s extended warranty for free.
One other sweet thing about the IKEA Nutid S23 is that you won’t find the company name splashed across the front. You would not even know it was an IKEA product unless you looked inside and read the IKEA name next to the model number. A salesman I spoke with told me that the company purposely removed their logo from the front in a nod to designers who love the product but don’t want to look at a label. —C. Rule
See the Ikea Nutid S23 at www.ikea.ca; see the whirlpool GC3SHAXV at www.whirlpool.ca
Photo: Courtesy: IKEA Canada
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This is a nice looking and very good counter fit fridge. But there are one big issue: The water dispenser will drop quite some drops of water when you fill in a cup and remove the cup immediately (which is normally most people will do.). I should say a least 5 to 10 drops will flush down to the floor. After that, I will drop water every other 3 or 5 minutes (non-stop). Another short-coming is that the door shelf on the fridge side.