Thinking outside the icebox: how we saved $1300.

TL;DR We bought office lounge equipment instead of a multifunction refrigerator.

Full story:

Admittedly this is a niche post. If you're a homeowner who'd like the convenience of a refrigerator with an ice maker and water dispenser but hates how expensive those combo fridges are, then this is for you.

We love all that functionality too, especially the ice maker part. We go through ice like crazy in summertime; ice is one of the ways we stay cool when it's 113 F (45 C) outdoors.

So when our old Brita pitcher wore out and we looked into stepping up to something built for heavier use, the most cost-effective solution for us turned out to be equipment that usually turns up in office lounges.

Here's the breakdown. Prices might be different in your region.

A 20 cu ft fridge with an ice maker and water dispenser starts at $1400 in this area.

A basic 20 cu ft fridge without ice maker or water dispenser starts at $500 here.

A standalone bottleless water cooler that looks like this sells for $200. Has three dispensers for hot, cold, and room temperature water.

A commercial ice maker like this sells for $300.

basic fridge + separate water cooler + separate ice maker = $1000

vs.

Combo fridge = $1400

Initial savings of buying separate components = $400

There are a few differences with buying separate components instead of getting them bundled. The most important heads-up is the water dispenser needs to be connected to the household plumbing. We did our own installation; that would cost something for someone who doesn't DIY. Also, space might be an issue. If floor space is scarce then countertop alternates exist for both types of item: a countertop bottleless water dispenser costs about $50 more; a countertop ice maker costs about $200 less and has a correspondingly smaller capacity.

On the bright side, this type of water dispenser has features the $1400 fridge doesn't. The standalone dispenser has three selections for hot water, room temperature water, and cold water. Fridges with water dispensers rarely have a hot water option–the most affordable combo fridge and hot water dispenser we price checked would have cost $3900, and that model didn't come with an ice maker. We're really not going to spend 4K on a fridge (lol). And the option to brew tea, etc. right out of the dispenser is why we went with this type of system instead of an under-sink filter.

At this point you may be thinking "Hey, you said you saved $1300. You've only added up $400 in savings. What gives?" You're right. Good point.

The other $900 savings happened when the old fridge wore out. After nearly a decade we were in the market for a fridge again. The good news is the water dispenser and the ice maker still worked fine, so our replacement fridge is another $500 model instead of a $1400 model.

Eventually the water dispenser and the ice maker will reach the end of their lives. When that day comes it will mean replacing one function instead of three.

One other note: we only use the ice maker for a few hours each week. We also have a deep freezer so we'll make a bunch of ice, and there's a shelf in the deep freezer for ice.

Our water dispenser is made by Avalon and our ice maker is made by Euhomy. There may be other brands that do a good job. Ours have worked well since the mid-2010s.

Obviously this particular combination of equipment isn't for everyone. For instance some people swear by electric kettles, which we've tried and which unfortunately don't heat up as quickly on North American home electrical wiring as they do on EU wiring. To each their own. Good on you if another solution suits your needs.

The point of this post is that bundling multiple functions into a refrigerator really skyrockets the price of the fridge. So if there's enough space in the kitchen to consider alternatives, it could save more than pocket change to split off those functions into separate machines.

(edited to fix a link)