Under-Counter All-Refrigerator all

• U.L. Listed
• ETL Sanitary Approved (to NSF-7)
• All-refrigerator
• Fully automatic defrost
• Adjustable thermostat

You can easily buy one of these for under-counter mounting and assume that it will not require breathing space around the top. In fact, this refrigerator requires 5 centimeters (slightly over two inches) clearance above the top to allow the rear coil (yes, rear coil) to breathe. This means that there must be a ventilation gap somewhere around the top. If you're putting it under a counter top that has no gap around the top, back, or sides, you may require that gap over the front of the refrigerator (as you've often seen with cheap hotel refrigerators) -but don't stop now, read on.

There is one possible work-around that you may want to consider. Let's assume that the wall directly behind is not an exterior wall (and is not stuffed with insulation. You can cut a two-inch horizontal slot in the drywall just below the countertop, but above the coil, so that the coil heat can escape into the wall. If you can then vent that wall space between the studs at some equal or higher point, you should be okay. A slot can also be cut to the side and above. The key is that the vent slot must be higher than the coil and the heat must ultimately have a path to rise and escape rather than just building up in the wall. The wider the slot, of course, the better, assuming that the slot leads to vented space.

In summary, my one-star rating has nothing to do with whether this is a good reliable refrigerator. My concern is that this unit costs three times as much as a free-standing model, yet it requires coil ventilation. (I'm sure that Summit would say that this is a commercial model that isn't expected to be trimmed in flush.) I'm hoping that I'll forewarn prospective buyers to plan for ventilation before they buy, not afterward like I did.