The Laundress Blog

THE LAUNDRESS GIVEAWAY...

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Tell us about your machine and the first 15 people get a

FREE Machine Cleaner.
(Only valid to US clients, post your comments with a valid e-mail address)

We are always getting recommendation requests for washer/dryer units. I asked Ted, a long time Laundress client and laundry enthusiast about his washing machine......needless to say, I'm jealous! -Gwen

Gwen - As for washers - I could go on forever, but I will try to spare you. To cut to the chase, I love my Asko W6761 (5 years old) and wouldn't part with it for the world. It is a European-style front loader with its own built-in heater. It has only a cold-water fill, and it heats the wash water from cold through various stages to the final temperature. This so-called "profile wash" enables enzymes to work at the optimal temperature for each kind of stain, then holds at the final temperature for a minimum of 20 minutes. A warm wash (40°C) with The Laundress detergents provides unbelievable results with my daughter's play clothes... Grass, grime, food stains, etc., just disappear. The machine also rinses up to seven times, removing every last trace of detergent residue (but not The Laundress lovely scent!). Since I have a whole house water softener, the extra rinses are especially important, as it takes longer for the foam to go away in soft water. Finally, it is superb at extraction, so the clothes are nearly dry when you take them out. Also, the Asko is amazing at removing lint. They did a feature on this once in Consumer Reports - washed some black shirts with linty towels, etc. - and the contrast between the Asko and everything else was incredible.

That said, these washers are not for everyone. First, they run on 220v, which many Americans do not have in their laundry rooms. There are other non-standard requirements, such as a shorter drain standpipe. And although Asko used to get very high scores in almost every area from Consumer Reports (when they still rated this style of machine), they were always downgraded for "capacity". These are 5kg machines (11 pounds) - which is fine for me, but they will not hold a king size comforter. Also, the cycle times are long, up to 2 hours, so to save all your wash for one day is impractical.

Finally - although they have a great warranty of 3 years parts and labor - one would need to be very sure there was good service in their area. The service in Los Angeles has been superb, but I would call Asko customer service about other cities before buying. Oh, and did I mention these are expensive? Currently over $3000 for washer and dryer together.

Here is the link to the current model (W6903).

This is not to be confused with Asko's "XXL Laundry Series" which is built especially for the American market. That model (WL6511) runs on 110V and holds a king-size duvet, but it cannot do a profile wash and its vibration is terrible, according to CU.
Unfortunately, Asko's only real competition, Miele, has pulled its 220V European machines from America, and now only sells its version of an American machine, which was also down rated for vibration.

Most of the upscale new front loaders (Speed Queen, Duet, LG, etc.) have a heating element, but note that they cannot do a European-style profile wash.
They depend on hot-water fills and can temporarily boost temperatures from around 50°C to 70°C, but could not for instance maintain a long 40°C wash cycle.

For more information on current upscale front loaders, I would refer customers to Consumer Reports. They update their ratings every few months (latest in Feb. '09, where they top-rated the Samsung WF448AA for $1500).