When looking into products – really any product, the question that is often asked is “What’s the best?” or “What’s the best value?”. In many cases there’s a reasonable answer to these questions – however, in many others, there is no “best in all circumstances.” This is definitely true when it comes to Vacuum Cleaners. What’s the best will depend a lot on how you use it, personal preference (upright or canister is 50% preference I would say), how long you want it to last, and budget. However, within those constraints, there’s still the possibility to go for a glorified sweeper (best on bare floors, useless on carpet), a carpet cleaning machine (best on carpets, not good to useless on bare floors), or good on both (convertible in some way or adjustable).

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For our second in a series of home appliance reviews I discuss washers and dryer sets. Recently, I’ve been unlucky enough to need to replace my ageing Kenmore laundry set. There are a lot of changes in the last decade of laundry sets – starting with the entry of many new manufacturers. LG, Samsung, Haier, Hotpoint and on and on. The designs and features have changed significantly. The sets are not generally cheap, so some research seemed in order.

So I started doing research on current trends and vendors. After much research, I believe there are 3 options beyond just using a laundromat:

1. Traditional options available at Lowes etc.

In this case, I’d suggest looking at GE or Whirlpool, and going as cheap as possible. Expect the need to replace them in 5-8 years. Avoid Samsung, LG, and general electronics makers – these have a lot of extraneous features and seem to be a bit prone to breaking early. This can get quite costly, not to mention inconvenient. You’ll still be replacing a GE or Whirlpool more quickly than I think is reasonable; however, by shooting for a cheaper option, some inconvenience is inevitable. I would not get a front loader in this class – it’s going to be more likely to end up with odor problems, and it will be expensive. Do not get a High Efficiency (HE) top loader – go as classic for a top loader as possible, ideally for $300 each.

2. European High Efficiency

If you’re really interested in low water use for washing clothes, there’s no way to avoid a front loader. It’s important to understand that these work very differently from your traditional top loaders, and you need to follow all instructions, including one that is often overlooked: Leave the door open after a load so it dries out and doesn’t mould. Expect to spend an eye-watering amount of money; say, $2000 each for the washer and dryer. Miele is the top brand here, though you can take a step down and get a Bosch. This is really the only case where Bosch is the lowe-quality appliance I’ve found, but in the washer/dryer case, stick with Miele. The upside for these is that they use a LOT less water and detergent, but they take longer to do a load of laundry. They also tend to last 15+ years. Now that’s just Miele. If you get a Samsung front loader, you’re back at 3-5 years lifetime – not worth it.

3. Less well-known specialty company: Speed Queen.

Speed Queen was new to me. You may not have heard of it unless you’ve done this research or perhaps walked into a dealer by accident. They have been known for their use in laundromats, but in the Ithaca area, I’ve only seen other commercial brand laundry machines. They make more basic machines generally designed for serviceability, functionality, and long life. They are not efficient (well, not as efficient as their competitors), but they are traditional, simple and work well and quickly. They are also built like tanks. A Speed Queen top loader is like a 1980s Maytag. It’s designed to last 25 years and has a 5-year warranty on the electronic control models, which I recommend. You can do a standard load in the top loader in 30 minutes, which isfaster than my old Kenmore by 15 minutes, and much faster than most front loaders. The downside is still price – you’ll pay around $900 each for the washer and dryer top loads for the electronic controls. I’d wait for a sale and get the 9 series “top of the line,” but you can save a bit ($50-$100 each only) and go for the middle-of-the-road 8 series. They also have front loader designs, but those are in the same price range as the Miele. In that case, you need to decide if you need a heater in a front load and do some other calculations. Personally, $2000 to $2500 each for the washer and dryer is more than I’d like to spend. However, if you pay per gallon for water, it might make sense as the Speed Queen top loader is going to use ~100 gallons per load.

I got the Speed Queen 9 series. Some observations:Normal/Eco is Eco mode. Traditional Normal is “Heavy Duty.” Eco mode will lower the water temp and do a “spray rinse.” This can be OK if you don’t need total soap removal, don’t use fabric softener and have medium or lightly soiled clothes. Otherwise, “Heavy Duty” is the right setting. Note: ot = as hot as the hot water heater can manage;no mixing down the temp like most other top loaders. Warm is 50/50. And cold is cold. The 9 series does a full fill.

Some warnings

It’s best to put bleach in the tub, not the dispenser if you’re using bleach for a load – I found sometimes the dispenser would keep some bleach and it would get in the next load when you’re not expecting it.

The size is smallish – 3.4 cu ft. You can just do a queen size comforter. You’ll do 2 loads vs. a standard Kenmore or current size; forget about the enormous options in Lowes. However, check the actual weight loads – you can fit a lot more in some Samsungs than they can actually handle, and that can lead to issues.

The dryer is an old-style vented dryer if electric. The lint trap doesn’t come out, so you have to vacuum or scoop it out rather than pulling it and scraping it into the trash like I could on the Kenmore. I’ve heard reports that the dryer tends to overdry clothes, so if you’re worried, lean toward less dry and figure out the sweet spot.

Conclusion

It’s obvious I was pragmatic and went for longer life in the Speed Queen rather than the latest technology or features. For those who know me, this might seem against type; however, I don’t really think there’s a lot to doing laundry.Reliability and long life are more important to me, andI feel like most of the new features are no more than marketing fluff. I mean, steam drying? Let’s add water back to my clothes in the dryer – and I’m just not interested in paying for, and taking the time to replace laundry equipment every 5 years. I’d be happy having these Speed Queen models for 25 years, although using their load calculator on their website (10 loads a week), I realistically will “only” get 20 years. Still, I appreciate the simplicity, build quality, and warranty, and I do prefer to buy American if possible. I strongly recommend taking a look at their site ( and checking out your local dealer – Thayer if you’re in Ithaca.

I personally enjoy trying out various sorts of gadgets, both small and large appliances, so that I can figure out the good, bad, and ugly. It’s a New Year and today, I’m starting a new category (see tags on the side of the blog) with reviews of non-tech items Please stop by and check out the first welcome post (disclaimer: see the sticky regarding our blog’s product reviews.)

First-up:The NuWave Oven.

The NuWave Oven is sometimes available at membership stores at a great price. You can also check out Amazon for deals, or make a purchase at a reasonable full retail price direct from NuWave or other retail store. This toaster oven replacement is definitely worthwhile!

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