Founded in 1945, Sub-Zero Freezer Company has long been considered one of the best manufacturers in the industry. With outstanding cooling elements, forward-looking industrial and home designs and some of the most technologically-advanced materials on the planet, Sub-Zero refrigerators and freezers represent the vanguard in food preservation. No wonder so many people build their kitchens around Sub-Zero products rather than the other way around.

Sub-Zero's freezers offer a number of innovations you won't find anywhere else. Single-piece construction and magnetic seals do a better job of keeping foods cold than traditional rubber seals. Aluminum interior construction along with 18-gauge steel doors preserve the interior temperature--even when the power fails.

The company's groundbreaking line of refrigerators picks up where the freezers leave off. For one thing, Sub-Zero pioneered dual-construction refrigerator/freezer units; thus, most of their side-by-side models offer separate compressors for freezer and refrigerator, meaning you don't have to contend with arid, recycled freezer air drying out your fresh foods. The humidity controls are without peer, and special compartments such as the vegetable crispers offer microchip control to keep one's produce crisp and fresh.

Of course none of the above would be worth much if the designs themselves didn't integrate seamlessly into today's kitchens. Sub-Zero offers built-in appliances in countless wood and steel finishes, and most are customizable upon delivery. Other designs such as cabinet and drawer models disappear altogether into finish work.