Reviews on high end whirlpool side-by-side refrigerators and comparable kenmores?

I'm no pro when it comes to appliances. BlueCrew to the rescue?

Come on folks, let's see some more reviews! I think a lot of people rely on reviews written by other consumers. Please help out and write more reviews!

The Kenmore side-by-side models with shaved ice are made by Whirlpool. There are a couple new Kenmore models that are made by LG, but the vast majority of side-by-sides (except those two Kenmores, and the Kenmore PRO, which is Electrolux) are made by Whirlpool.

The shaved ice models have only been out for about 2 months, so there won't be many, if any, reviews. I've seen some people complain that they have to hold a container close to the dispenser for shaved ice (perhaps next generation models can have a slightly funneled shape for the ice dispenser?), but otherwise that's the only negative.

Whirlpool and Kenmore tend to have extremely high reliability rates. Kitchen-Aid is good for reliability, too.

And, of course, a Kenmore made by LG is not a Kenmore made by Whirlpool, any more than a Craftsman power tool made by TTI is not the same as a Craftsman power tool made by Chervon. Different manufacturers use different components made of different materials in different configurations. The Whirlpool and LG manufactured models are as similar as a Ford and a Chevy.

Thanks for your comments!  Ok, so the Kenmores with shaved ice are new... how about the whirlpools?  Can you help me fidn out what "last year's" comparible models may have been so I can look at those reviews?  I understand that there may ne issues that have been fixed in th newer models (or so one would hope!!) but it would be better than nothing!  Thank you!!!

We have 2 kenmores. The first is about 5-6 years old and we haven't had any problem with it as yet. It has ice and water through the door and adjustable shelves in the freezer and the frig side has glass shelves that are adjustable and 2 crisper drawers. A basic model for our basement kitchen. The 1 in our main kitchen is a kenmore elite. We have had it for 2-3 years. It has a pur filter on it and a ice maker with cubes or crushed and water. The frig side has 4 adjustable shelves with glass sliders on the frames and it also has 3 crispier drawers, 1 for lunch meats, 1 for fruits and 1 for vegges. and it is the new stainless that doesn't show marks. We love it.

Update - we bought the Kenmore 25.6 with shaved ice and crisper in door #5870.  Initial thoughts - loved having a side by side again which was much more organized again.  When the ice maker finishes making ice and tips to the ice bin it is VERY loud.  Shaved ice worked neat.  We LOVE the water dispensor - with measurement, flip out water dispensor for larger containers, and the pull out shelf to put the wider containers on.  We're happy to have seperate water and ice dispensors - no buttons to have to push to switch between.  The flat push pads to get ice and water instead of the levers are nice too.

Issues within 6 months - we had a power outage, which totally jammed up the shaved ice function and teh entire icemaker needed to be melted out since that compartment sits at the bottom of the ice bin... we should have read the manual is all.  The cool bin in the fridge has had mosture dripping from it... can't replicate consistently to figure out why.  Ice bin ice frosts and sticks to teh side, and the ice all sticks together, so we're having to beat up the ice in the ice bin every 2 weeks when we notice the ice dispensor can't work.... also, ice does not always make it from the ice maker to the bin and falls to the bottom of the freezer, in drawers, etc.

We had sears out abotu the ice dispensor and were told this is the worst design for an ice maker that has happened in a long time.  The ice is made IN the freezer, but the bin is in the door - the bin is too short, so sometimes ice can't fall into it... the fact that the ice bin is in teh door also means that everytime you open the freezer, you have much more of a chance of all the ice starting to melt, so that when the door closes again it all freezes together.  Also - it is good that we don't have the mechanical levers for the ice to be dispensed, the pads are electric, but even the short amount of time that it remains open sends warm air up to the ice bin above it to start melting.  In addition, when using the shaved ice, be sure that we change to regular ice and send a few ice cubes down the shoot so that any shaved ice remaining drops out.  We were shown a bulletin that explained issues with the ice shoot and were told that we need to remove all ice from the ice maker every 2 weeks, and melt anything remaining in the ice bin, and be sure that the shoot is cleared with a wooden spoon.  I said this amount of maintenace is rediculous!  We had a Whirlpool Gold side by side from 99-06 without any issues, but the ice bin was in the freezer... the tech said that's the difference, the ice bin shouldn't be in teh door even if it's space saving.... he suggested I find another fridge with that same old configuration to replace this with...

so I guess I need to ask again - what current fridge with freezer do you have, with a built in ice maker/dispensor that has been reliable for you?

I agree with you that reviews of the refrigerators you are looking at are nearly non-existent. I just ordered the Whirlpool GS6NHAX today. It should be delivered in a couple of weeks so I'll come back to this site in about a month and let you know what I think.

I just got Sears to replace my Kenmore Elite French door nightmare. I am looking to find which refrigerator to replace it with. My Kenmore was made by LG, so I'm scared to even think about getting another after a year of repairs and promises.

Any suggestions? Like the french door, stainless with icemaker thru the door.

My pick would be the GI7FVCXWY Whirlpool Latitude. At 27 cu. ft., the ENERGY STAR® qualified Latitude™ refrigerator features the most refrigeration space available for fresh food. The In-Door-Ice® ice dispensing system moves the ice bin to the door, creating room for an entire extra shelf within. Deeper door bins, crisper space and a hidden water filter also add to more usable refrigeration storage. The industry-first Measured Fill dispenses the exact amount of water in cups, liters or ounces.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04687313000P

http://www.whirlpool.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=1813

For unbiased reviews, go to http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/appliances/kitchen-appliances/refrigerators/index.htm

...and, regarding LG-built refrigerators...

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2010/01/lg-refrigerators-lose-energy-star-energy-department-district-court-ruling.html

WOW - thanks for sending that on - it was an AWFUL fridge, and this was the icing on the cake - I feel bad for anyone who still has one and has no choice but to deal with their lie about it's energy efficiency!