Column fridges are trending in 2021—should you have one?

Column fridges have previously been relegated to well-heeled, design savvy folk and those dedicated to perfecting food preservation, like chefs. But, over the last few years, these single-unit specialty columns have been on the rise in popularity among general consumers, especially those who have saved money from not vacationing in the last year and have decided to renovate their kitchens, instead.

What is a column fridge?

Unlike French-door, side-by-side, or bottom-mount fridges where refrigeration and freezing components are part of the same unit, column refrigerators—or refrigerator columns as they're also called—are single-purpose units that either cool or freeze.

Column fridges are typically built-in, but there are some on the market that are freestanding. They also come in standard widths like 18-inch, 24-inch, 30-inch, and 36-inch. You can choose to install units next to each other or at different places within your kitchen.

The latest and greatest column fridges

In April, Electrolux plans to launch its first new full kitchen suite since 2008, and included in the grouping is a single-door refrigerator that sports a smoky interior and state-of-the-features like TasteLock smart crispers technology and LuxCool cooling system.

While Electrolux’s target customer is all of the above—affluent and serious about food and design—she’s also, on average, 36 years old and interested in keeping food fresher for longer, wasting less.

In January at CES, Samsung also aimed to attract a more millennial consumer set when it introduced its stunning Bespoke collection to the U.S. for the first time. Bespoke’s interchangeable flat-panel design with recessed handles and a variety of bright colors syncs perfectly with a tall, narrow column fridge and its accompanying column freezer, no matter where they’re placed in the room.

And, in a pivot from the professional-style gas ranges it’s known for, luxury heritage brand BlueStar unveiled a line of commercial-style column fridges and freezers this month that can fully integrate into your cabinets or, say, match the exact color of your Benjamin Moore wall paint over stainless steel.

Other column fridge options for the kitchen innovator

Credit: BlueStar

Under $5,000

• Frigidaire Professional Single Door at AJ Madison for $2,899
• Gaggenau 400 Series Counter Depth at Appliances Connection for $4,849
• Miele Counter-depth Refrigerator Column at Appliances Connection for $4,999

Under $7,000

• Bosch Benchmark Counter-depth Refrigerator Column at Appliances Connection for $5,199
• Liebherr Monolith Series Smart Counter-depth Refrigerator Column for $5,599
• Fisher Paykel Counter-depth Refrigerator Column at Appliances Connection for $5,799
• Thermador Freedom Series Refrigerator Column at Appliances Connection for $6,599
• JennAir Panel Ready Built-in Smart Refrigerator Column at AJ Madison for $6,999

Under $10,000

• Monogram Panel Ready Smart Refrigerator Column at AJ Madison for $7,400
• Dacor Modernist Column Refrigerator at Appliances Connection for $7,898
• Viking 5 Series Counter-depth Refrigerator Column at Appliances Connection for $8,419
• Hestan Counter-depth Refrigerator Column at Appliances Connection for $9,249

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.