Need recommendations -Washer/Dryer

December 11, 2012 9:13 PM

Washer and Dryer recommendations needed

It is that time again -we need to buy a washer and dryer.We got some great recommendations here for a dishwasher (bought a Bosch and love it, thanks) and welcome your suggestions for a washer and dryer.

Here are some of our requirements, all recommendations would be great.

We prefer front loading and energy efficient if possible (but fine if with others if we can get a good machine that cleans well)
Please suggest Brand names and models (that would be helpful)
Any suggestions for ongoing deals in stores would be great
Our budget is around 1200.

posted by pakora1 to Home & Garden (16 answers total)

I don't believe I've ever heard a bad thing about a Miele. I've not had the pleasure of using one myself but yeah, the evidence seems pretty solid. But even with a Miele I'm not sure I'd go for something that claims to do washing and drying in a single unit, so you'll be springing for two units and that might push you a bit (or a lot) over the budget.

Just had a quick squiz on their website and I see that the cheapest one seems to be like two grand. LOL. Forget I said anything. I personally have a GE frontloader, it's fine (though the cycles can take a long time). I think they're much of a muchness really, as long as you get a good warranty.
posted by turgid dahlia 2 at 9:28 PM on December 11, 2012

I bought a new washing machine earlier this year, and after checking out CHOICE (a consumer advocacy sort of org here in Aus) they rated the Miele as their best one, but a Samsung machine as only fractionally less awesome (and over $1000 cheaper!). So I bought that. It seems fine, plus it plays me a little song when it's finished a load. Does all kinds of magical things (but you should keep in mind that my previous machine was a semi automatic with no exciting features at all), uses little power and water, is gentle, everything comes out looking lovely from the baby's stuff, to my husband's horrible oil drenched work gear. It has a really catchy name, something like Samsung EcoBubble WF057 something something.
posted by thylacinthine at 9:48 PM on December 11, 2012

The cheapest Bosch is probably out of the reckoning too.

I've been looking at the Frigidaire Affinity dryer, and it and its matching washer are well rated in this (new to me) complete geek-out of a site.
posted by holgate at 9:52 PM on December 11, 2012

I recommend LG front loading washer & dryers. I purchased a pair from a local appliance dealer in summer 2011 for about $1200-1300. The washer, in particular, is pretty sweet. The Energyguide for the washer I have estimates that it costs about 10$ to operate in terms of energy costs over one year. Consumer Reports rated LG as having one of the highest quality and reliability scores of all the washer/dryer appliance manufacturers, and the washer & dryer that I purchased was rated as a "best buy" by them. I have the LG WM2140CW washer and the DLG2241W dryer (gas) but it seems like they've both been discontinued.

Subjectively, I usually use "cold" (in the winter) and "tap cold" (in the summer) and even my coffee stained dishtowels get quite clean, so I am more than satisfied with the washer's performance.

I would suggest that you go to the library and look at the latest consumer reports buying guide and take a look at their recommendations. Appliance models are constantly being refreshed and updated (it seems) so my particular recommendation for a machine from Summer 2011 is very likely outdated at this point.

Also, as a side note, I would check out your local appliance dealer to compare their prices to the big box stores. While I paid slightly more than the usual big box places, I had a special situation that the delivery/installers for the big box stores couldn't handle but the local guys could.
posted by scalespace at 10:06 PM on December 11, 2012

One hint: you don't have to buy washers and dryers in matching sets. Dryers are dumb cylinders that spin around and get hot; washers are far more complicated. Especially when you get higher end, the matching dryer in a set just doesn't seem worth the matching cost to the washer. So spend more on the washer and get a cheaper dryer. If you need them to stack, if they're the same brand they'll still stack together.

We have a 4 year old LG washer and dryer and they've worked quite well.
posted by zsazsa at 10:17 PM on December 11, 2012 [2 favorites]

The Ariston front-loader (just washing machine) at the last place I lived did a great job on clothing, had a great and useful variety of options (just soak, just spin, ability to adjust the speeds of the spin very precisely, good delicates options, etc.) And apparently it's very water/energy efficient. However, each load took a long time. I never timed it exactly but definitely over an hour, perhaps 90 minutes. For comparison, current Frigidaire Affinity front-loader takes maybe 45 minutes per load.

The machine was tiny on the outside but I remember finding the manual online and the "example suggested load" seemed huge.
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:20 PM on December 11, 2012

We also have LG and have been very happy with them.
posted by Dansaman at 10:49 PM on December 11, 2012

We got an LG dryer & it's really nice. All stainless steel inside, doesn't tangle up or scorch the clothes like our old dryer did, has a steam mode to get wrinkles out, etc.
posted by w0mbat at 11:07 PM on December 11, 2012

It's only been a couple of months so I can't speak to longevity, but I just bought the LG WM3070HWA front-load washer and am entirely happy with it. Lots of great features such as a steam cycle, etc. Home Depot has it for $999 now but I managed to get a sale price that was substantially lower. Shop around.

Consumer Reports lets you pay for a one month membership if you want to research them online instead of going to the library.
posted by litlnemo at 1:09 AM on December 12, 2012

(Whispers)
LG. bought the washer new and got the dryer from a sears outlet for gently used. Both have been great for 5 years.
(I don't want them to overhear my comments and think they can start slacking off)
posted by schmoppa at 3:26 AM on December 12, 2012

We have a Samsung pair (not sure of model # but the washer is 3.6 cu ft with steam, and the dryer is the match). Got them at a Labor Day sale a couple of years ago for what you're looking to spend. My sister actually bought the same pair this Labor Day for about the same price after using ours when they stayed with us for a week. We rarely use the steam function, so ditching that option should save you some money.

We like that it has a wool cycle (nice for sweaters!) and a sanitize cycle, and everything in between. It also plays a song when your laundry is done, no buzzers.
posted by zooropa at 5:59 AM on December 12, 2012

Go to the Sears Outlet. Their website is phenominal. You can actually see what things are at what locations and the exact price.

Get the ones with the obvious cosmetic defects. That's why they're there. The pretty ones probably had some mechanical issues.

We bought our treadmill there for 25% of the list price. LOVE IT. It came with a 12-month warantee.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:46 AM on December 12, 2012

Seconding zooropa on ditching the steam option. I've concluded it's nothing more than a gimmick and a potential point of failure. We never use ours after finding that it substantially extended the wash without making any noticeable difference to how clean the laundry.

Look for a washer that lets you soak for a longer period - if you want to Oxy-soak your whites overnight, for example.
posted by Dragonness at 6:59 AM on December 12, 2012

I have a Frigidaire Affinity set. They work well but the dryer developed a problem (right after the warranty expired) that is shows a variety of error codes and will only operate on the low setting. Googling reveals that this is a known issue with these washers and dryers.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 8:38 AM on December 12, 2012 [1 favorite]

We bought this LG high-efficiency front loading washing machine a couple months ago, and it has been life changing (it is shocking how much all of the washing machines of my past have sucked in retrospect). My engineer husband has optimized his wash cycles and detergent and everything and loves it. I barely sort my laundry and wash everything on cold and also love it. We don't use the steam setting much now but may when we start washing cloth diapers - it does extend the wash cycle significantly, though. We upgraded the hoses to stainless steel so that there are no unpleasant surprises with busted rubber down the road.

We kept our old dryer because it does a decent job with moisture sensing, and it wasn't broken. An unexpected bonus of the new washer is that it spins so much more moisture out of the clothes than our old broken top loader/agitator version, so the drying cycles are even shorter now. I feel less wasteful for running the dryer now, which is a bonus because it's winter and I can't dry things outside. When/if the dryer bites the dust we'll get a cheap basic one from the nearby outlet store since the current no-frills one is totally fine.
posted by Maarika at 7:40 PM on December 12, 2012

Response by poster: Update

Thanks for all the great suggestions. We nearly went with the front loading LG but at the last minute realized we didnt have enough open space for this machine. As a result we bought top loading LG and a LG dryer. Both of these are great and cheaper too. As of now they are working great! We got some good reviews on Consumer Reports also for LG which featured in their top recommended ones.

Thanks again!
posted by pakora1 at 2:27 PM on December 24, 2012