How much are true refrigerators, really? That’s the question every listing goes silent on. You saw a True unit in a kitchen photo, priced it, and every dealer page said “Call For a Price.” That silence feels like a warning, and most roundups average a $2,700 under counter box against a $19,000 side by side into one number that fits neither.
By the end, you’ll know what each True product class costs against the field covered in our roundup of refrigerator brands, plus what the dealer adds after the quote and whether the money is worth it.
How Much Are True Refrigerators
True refrigerators range from about $2,700 for an ADA compliant under counter unit to more than $19,000 for a 48 inch built in side by side. True Residential sells four distinct product classes at very different price points, and price depends entirely on which configuration fits your kitchen.Which True Refrigerator Are You Even Pricing?
Two separate brands hide inside one search term, and naming the right one first stops your pricing questions from moving.
Two very different True fridges share one search box
True Manufacturing Co., Inc., a family-owned, privately held company in O’Fallon, Missouri since 1945, built restaurant walk-ins for decades before its home line, True Residential, arrived in 2008. Searching “True refrigerator” is like searching “Jordan” and getting a sneaker and a country in one results page.
The “true freezer” mini fridge mixup wasting your afternoon
A $250 listing with “true freezer” in the title has nothing to do with True Manufacturing. Budget compacts use that phrase for a fully enclosed freezer section, and it alone drags irrelevant listings into your search. Check the model tag first.
The Price Ladder, Smallest Box to Biggest
True Residential’s price runs from about $2,700 to more than $19,000 across four product classes, per dealer listings, True’s own product pages, and retailer spec sheets.
| Product Class | Typical Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under counter, ADA | $2,700 to $3,500 | Standard height |
| Under counter, standard | $3,500 to $5,000 | Taller, more capacity |
| Column (each) | $9,800 to $11,000 | 20.3 cu. ft. at 30 inch |
| Side by side | $16,500 to $19,000 | 24.6 to 29.5 cu. ft. |
What under counter True units actually cost
Under counter units run $2,700 to $5,000, split by height. ADA models run $2,700 to $3,500; standard height trades that profile for more room at $3,500 to $5,000. True’s own page lists the 24-inch undercounter pricing directly: $4,399 in solid stainless at 5.8 cu. ft., $5,549 in color match, enough for a wet bar, not a main fridge.
Columns cost what a full kitchen of appliances costs
A single column runs $9,800 to $11,000, and most kitchens need two. A 30 inch column holds roughly 20.3 cu. ft., per Plesser’s listings, so a matched pair tops $19,000 before a panel or install fee.
How much are True refrigerators at the top of the line?
The full size side by side is the most expensive configuration, running $16,500 to $19,000 by width. The 42 inch holds 24.6 cu. ft. total; the 48 inch holds 29.5 cu. ft.
| Width | Capacity | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| 42 inch | 24.6 cu. ft. | $16,500 to $18,000 |
| 48 inch | 29.5 cu. ft. | $17,500 to $19,000 |
Where a realistic all in budget actually lands
The unit price isn’t the invoice. One real project priced a column plus a 24 inch unit, and the total ran past either sticker once panels and delivery got added.
- Add cabinet maker panels for panel-ready doors, sometimes a separate multi-thousand-dollar line
- Add delivery and installation before comparing this total to any other brand
Why Nobody Publishes a True Price Online
Prices vanish from retail sites because of minimum advertised price policy, not scarcity.
What “Call For a Price” is really telling you
“Call For a Price” means the dealer is barred from posting a number, not that the fridge is unavailable. Abt, Plesser’s, and AJ Madison all list True Residential models in stock while hiding the price field, and some dealers can only close a sale in showroom. The number exists; it just isn’t allowed on the page.
Open box and scratch and dent change the math
Outlet listings for True units have appeared thousands of dollars below retail, real money on a $19,000 fridge, including a 48 inch side by side well under normal price.
- Ask whether the full factory warranty transfers with the open box unit
- Inspect door alignment and the gasket seal before delivery
The three questions that get you a real quote
Getting a real number takes three specific questions.
- Ask for pricing by model number, not category
- Ask what installation, panels, and haul away add to that figure
- Ask who services this exact model in your zip code
The Costs That Land After the Sticker
The unit price is the smallest number on a True invoice once installation, panels, and service enter the picture.
| Cost Line | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Panels | Separate cabinet maker charge |
| Installation | About $500, per retailer quotes |
| Sealed-system repair, out of warranty | Runs into hundreds of dollars |
Installation on a built in is its own invoice
Built-in installation has been quoted around $500 by appliance retailers, before panel work. Panel-ready doors need custom panels from a cabinet maker, priced separately, so get that line item in writing before you sign.
Measuring for flush, not just for fit
A True built-in needs an exact cutout. AJ Madison’s 36 inch bottom-freezer model TR36RBFLSSA ships at 720 lbs and needs a standard 35 3/4 by 24 by 84 inch cutout on a dedicated 15-amp, 115V circuit.
- A 48 inch side by side runs about 30.5 inches deep
- Doorway and stairwell clearance decides delivery day, not the showroom floor
What repairs cost once coverage runs out
Sealed-system repairs on premium built-ins run into hundreds of dollars once the warranty lapses. Ask the dealer for their labor rate before that clock runs out. Parts availability matters more on a fifteen-year appliance than any spec.
What the Money Buys Inside the Cabinet
The premium buys commercial-grade cooling hardware in a residential cabinet, not just a stainless finish.
Commercial cooling hardware in a home sized box
Forced air refrigeration circulates cold air around the cabinet instead of letting it settle near the vents, the same way a box fan moves air around a room instead of one corner. Dual compressors and evaporators keep fresh food and freezer sides independent, so the fridge finds 37°F again minutes after a big grocery run.
Stainless interiors and why cleaning changes
True builds cabinet interiors in stainless steel rather than molded plastic, so a spill wipes clean without the seams where plastic traps odor. That choice adds weight and dollars to the sticker.
The warranty is the strongest number on the page
True Residential backs its units with three years of parts and labor on the full appliance, six years on the sealed system, and up to twelve years of sealed-system parts coverage on registered units. Full terms are published in the full True Residential limited warranty terms; registering within twelve months unlocks that longest tier.
Where Owners Say the Money Disappointed Them
Owner threads on Houzz surface complaints marketing pages skip, mostly around noise and service access.
Owners on Houzz calling their True units loud
One Houzz owner described their True beverage unit and drawers as very loud, and said they wouldn’t buy True again for that reason alone.
Commercial-grade fan motors move more air than a standard residential compressor, and you hear it in a quiet kitchen. Stand in front of a running unit at a showroom before you buy.
Finding someone who will service it
Buyers in major metros have reported no True units on display locally, and True has pointed some shoppers toward commercial technicians for service. Confirm a named local servicer before ordering.
The ethylene scrubber question nobody answers well
A Houzz shopper compared True against Sub-Zero and flagged that True lacks a dedicated ethylene scrubbing system, the feature that pulls ripening gas out of the air to slow spoilage. True’s response pointed to general air circulation, not a specific mechanism. Ask the dealer to explain it yourself.
True Versus Sub-Zero at This Price Point
Sub-Zero, a privately held, third-generation family company in Madison, Wisconsin that also makes Wolf and Cove, competes directly with True Residential at this price point. The two land close in size, not in price.
| Factor | True Residential | Sub-Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Interior material | All stainless | Mixed stainless and composite |
| Configuration | Side by side only | Side by side and French door |
| Price at 48 inch | $17,500 to $19,000 | About $6,000 less, per buyer reports |
Where the price gap between the two comes from
A Houzz buyer priced a comparable True unit about $6,000 above Sub-Zero at the same 48 inch size, a gap that traces to True’s all-stainless interior. It narrows in Sub-Zero’s Pro line, closer to True’s price than Classic.
Configuration limits you should know before falling in love
True’s full size units run side by side only, and Sub-Zero offers French door layouts True’s Pro line doesn’t.
- Choose a True column pair for French-door-style separation
- Expect column pricing, not side by side pricing, on that route
Who each brand honestly suits
Pick True Residential for an all-stainless, commercial-grade look, or Sub-Zero for French door layouts and a wider service network. Neither makes sense if a $3,000 counter-depth fridge already covers the household’s grocery volume. Check how Sub-Zero compares on capacity and layout first.
Is Commercial True Cheaper for a Home Kitchen?
A True commercial reach-in costs a fraction of a residential built-in, trading away cabinet integration and quiet operation.
| Model | Type | Listed New |
|---|---|---|
| True T-49 | Two-door reach-in | About $4,000 |
| True T-23 | Single-door reach-in | About $3,700 |
| 48 inch residential | Built-in | $17,500 to $19,000 |
A commercial reach in costs a fraction of residential
A T-49 lists near $4,000 new, about a quarter of a residential 48 inch side by side. Weighing that route? Compare Atosa’s commercial lineup before committing.
What you trade for that savings
Commercial reach-ins run louder and pull more power, built for casters, not cabinetry. Pull the decibel rating and annual kWh figure off the spec sheet before assuming the lower price is free.
Warranty and placement change the moment it enters a house
True’s warranty language directs commercial-application installs back to the factory, so a reach-in at home may not carry True Residential terms. Garage placement solves the noise, not the integration.
Conclusion
You came in expecting one price for “a True refrigerator” and found four product classes separated by more than $15,000, plus panels, installation, and service most listings never mention. Measure your cabinet opening’s width, depth, and height tonight, then email one authorized dealer a specific model number and ask for a quote that includes installation.
A twelve-year sealed-system warranty on a registered unit will likely outlast your kitchen’s next renovation, and that’s the part of the price that keeps paying you back long after the invoice is signed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are True refrigerators the same as True commercial refrigeration?
Same company, different lines. True Manufacturing has built commercial reach-ins and walk-ins since 1945; True Residential is the home line launched in 2008.
Why do dealers list True refrigerators as “Call For a Price”?
Minimum advertised price rules, not low stock. True enforces MAP so strictly that Abt, Plesser’s, and AJ Madison all hide the price field while showing the unit in stock.
How much is a True Residential undercounter refrigerator?
Expect $2,700 to $5,000, depending on height and door count. The 24 inch model lists at $4,399 in stainless on True’s own product page.
What does True’s warranty actually cover, and for how long?
Three years parts and labor on the full unit, six years on the sealed system, and up to twelve years sealed-system parts coverage if registered within twelve months.
Is a True refrigerator worth it compared to Sub-Zero at the same price?
Worth it for an all-stainless interior and commercial-grade cooling hardware. Skip it for a French door layout, since True’s full size units run side by side only.
Katie Lee has over 20 years of experience in the kitchen. She helps homeowners find the right appliances for their needs to sets up a perfect kitchen system. She also shares helpful tips and tricks for optimizing appliance performance.