Miele Touchtronic W1203 Front Load Washer

We had originally purchased a large pair of Bosch washers and dryers. We had to re-sell them because the dryer was not ventable on the left (beware!) despite being told otherwise by a distributor's agent who sold them to us. They were also horrendously oversized for the space.

After the vent debacle, the owner of the high profile company who had sold us the Bosch was most apologetic and recommended her personal washer-dryer combo to us: the Miele Touchtronic. These units are small, effective, and exceedingly energy efficient. In fact I believe that they were the smallest possible high quality, energy efficient units that could be found at the time we were looking. The energy guide information states that it uses virtually the least amount of energy (127 kWh/year) compared to all similar models [range 133 kWh/year - 680 kWh/year]. They hold a lot more than they look like they hold. The washing units use very little water, soap, and electricity. They wash by taking a longer time with a gentle tossing action with a rotating drum - no rough spindle in the middle as with top loading machines that we used to have. (I even used to scrape up my hand on those spindles when pulling out washed clothes from those.) The long wash cycle is very quiet. Actually, the length of the wash times are on the lower-mid side of some of the other energy efficient competitor models.

The digital control panels are largely preprogrammed for convenience. So, if you choose "normal" or "delicates" it already pre-sets the temperature, spin, and other settings; however, you can easily push the buttons to change the settings I am a technopeasant and find the control panel easy to negotiate.

None of our clothes have ever been damaged or mangled with the Miele.

The major downside is that this unit is expensive. The spin cycle on max creates a hum that sounds like someone is using a handheld hair dryer on a very low setting, which isn't noticeable unless I happen to be immediately adjacent to the laundry area at that brief moment in time. The unit also requires easy installation of a 220 outlet box ("3-pronged kit") that accommodates both the washer and dryer, which cost us $236.

This washer works great, and is (uniquely) very quiet when operating. It's also space-efficient, which means the load capacity isn't the best. But if you're washing for a family of 2-4, it's definitely sufficient. The other thing about it is the button-dense console. Some people might find it overwhelming/unnecessary, but the flip side of that argument is that you can be very specific in the cycle you choose to wash your clothes. All in all, I enjoy this washer and would recommend it.