Not sure what the budget is....but I LOVE my Miele's.

No washer/dryer maven here, lmao!... but front loaders supposedly use less water, may wash 'better', and are generally more expensive. We use top loaders in both homes, as the CEO does a lot of hand dyeing of fabric for her art quilts, which a front loader can't do, they cost less, work well for our washing 'needs', etc.

If you are washing for a family of 4 or 5+, a front loader makes sense; if not a decent priced <$400 top loader will do most people fine, in my experience.

Front loaders, very trendy and pricey the past several years, are right up there with French door reefers, imo. Cute, but I don't freakin care...

If nat gas is available, that is better choice for dryer, but a dryer with a couple dozen settings is simply slicing and dicing in the 'features' chase game, imo.

I would skip the LEDs, etc; simple knobs and less gizmos are rec'd.

No Martha Stewart, but it is a mundane device that should last a decade, and get your stuff clean and dry; anything else they 'do' and with all sorts of whiz bang 'features', is bs, imo.
My 50Cts...
GL, The Ol'Retired Housemouse

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Ol'UncleMotor
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One more thing...if you are new to Front Loaders....

If you do get one, make sure you keep the door open, remove/slide out the soap dispenser tray after every use....

Do more *santizie* washes with bleach/very hot Water if the medium you are washing allows for it.

Front Loaders require a different mindset. It's just due to how it washes...
If you just close the door after a wash, between soap scum and a *humid environment*, it's prone to mold/etc buildup you don't ever See as it's the between the inner/outer drum.

Scary stuff eh.

Sad to say, but I think there are quite a bit of machines out there with mildew/mold unebenowest to the eye..

Front load washers also employ extractors which spin at 1000 RPM.
It extracts as much water as possible making the drying cycle quicker.
Not sure if top loader have this option.

Here's a recent rant/comparison which may or may not make a difference.
We have a small footprint Bosch W&D.

From My Front Porch To Yours: Washer & Dryer Comparison- Front Load Versus Top Load

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My opinion:

top loader washer
gas dryer

The fewer electronics the better, less repairs.

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You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

Just bought the cheapest Roper washer they sell at Lowes. It was rated off the charts on their website and Consumer Reports said Roper was the brand with the least repairs. I think Roper is owned by Whirlpool by the way.

IMO, it is just a washer/dryer. Don't get excited about it or feel like you need the latest greatest/tech with the most bells and whistles. All it does is wash/dry you clothes and nobody is really going to care how fancy your laundry room is.

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Profeshenal spellar

Am I the only one who loves side load washers simply because I can watch the clothes slosh around?!

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Like at the corner Laundromat?!