Should I panel my refrigerator? A kitchen isn’t a kitchen without appliances but before buying them, there are a few questions to consider. What company will you choose? Which fridge gives you the most storage space? How many functions does the oven have? One of the questions that have been asked more and more over the years is Stainless Steel or Panel Ready?
What does Panel Ready mean?
When an appliance is panel ready it means that you can attach a panel that matches the rest of your cabinetry to the front of the unit creating a more seamless look in your kitchen.
Here are some examples of Panel Ready appliances we’ve worked with at Bloomsbury:
So which one do you choose?
We’ve listed some of the Pro’s and Con’s of each to help make your decision a little bit easier.
Whether you go with Stainless Steel or Panel Ready appliances, it is always important to make sure the appliances work for you and your space.
Your Questions Answered…
Panel ready or overlay appliances are designed so that the kitchen appliance (refrigerator or dishwasher) fits right into your cabinets and its door is covered with a panel that matches your cabinetry. This gives a seamless look between your appliances and cabinets so that the eye doesn’t see the difference between the appliance and cabinet door. 
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Your typical dishwasher should last approximately 10 years with proper maintenance and regular cleaning. Higher end brands will last closer to 15 years and in some cases 20 years.
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Panel ready dishwashers are more readily available in the marketplace today with most brands offering this options. Bosch, Miele, Thermador, Kitchen Aid, Fisher & Paykel and GE are just some of the big brands that offer panel ready dishwashers. 
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My Bloomsbury kitchen is now nearly five years old, and it continues to be the joy of each day. The panel-ready appliances have worked well for us and give an understated coherence to the kitchen. The soapstone counters have worked out well too. Just wanted to let you know how very happy we’ve been with your design–when someone asked the other day what we would have done differently in the kitchen our answer was absolutely nothing.
Panel ready is great for a smaller kitchen where you don’t want to break up the space and make the kitchen look choppy so hiding the appliances can really make the space look more cohesive. On the other hand if you are building a huge kitchen you might not want to play “hide the appliances” and instead get beautiful ones. My kitchen is very large and we went with a glass door Sub-zero which I absolutely love. Retro look appliances are another great alternative not mentioned here.
While Stainless Steel and Panel Ready are the two hottest trends in appliances at the moment, we do agree – beautiful high end appliances and retro inspired appliances are a gorgeous option as well.