Sub-Zero Refrigerator
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Sub-Zero Refrigerator is a brand of residential refrigerator built in the USA. The company also manufactures kitchen appliances under the Wolf brand name.
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[edit] History
The Sub-Zero Freezer Company was founded in 1945, by Westye F. Bakke in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2000, they acquired the domestic appliance line of the Wolf Range Corporation[1], a California-based manufacturer of professional-style ranges, cooktops and grills for both home and commercial use.
Sub-Zero Inc. now sells the domestic line of ranges and ventilation equipment formerly made by Wolf Range Corporation under the brand name Wolf, while the original Wolf Range Corporation manufactures and sells cooking equipment solely for commercial use. The company's products compete with those made by Viking Range Corporation, Dacor, Thermador, GE Monogram, KitchenAid, Bosch and Miele.
[edit] Innovations
According to the official company history, Bakke invented the first free-standing freezer in 1943[2]. They also claim to have been the first to manufacture built-in refrigerators, beginning in the 1950s[3], and consequently many people still associate the look with Sub-Zero[citation needed]. Sub-Zero claims to be the only company to employ dual-refrigeration technology, which ostensibly "keep[s] fresh food fresher and preserve[s] frozen food longer"[4].
[edit] Appliance models
Sub-Zero manufactures two series of built-in refrigeration as well as wine storage and undercounter units. Each of the refrigerator models usually comes in three variations, namely stainless steel exterior in three finishes, or customizable exteriors in framed or overlay versions. The latter options allow the buyers to install kitchen cabinet panels on the door to match with the rest of the kitchen. Its refrigerators are designed with a 24" depth and can be installed flush with kitchen cabinets of the same standard depth to provide an integrated look. This kind of built-in refrigerator is usually wider than normal to compensate for the shallower depth in order to maintain acceptable storage volume.
The company currently has manufacturing locations in Madison, Wisconsin, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and Phoenix, Arizona.
