Thank you very much, louder5, and you too, 1_ohio_bald_eagle. A friend needs a 24" range (the electric model, though–no gas here) with convection and the blomberg and Verona are the only ones available that size. Yes, bald eagle, we expect that service will be a serious problem, but it would be a serious problem for anything but the super cheap GE coil models, too. We're in an area where very few brands have authorized surface, which is odd, because there are plenty of Big Corporate Name families who have very expensive vacation homes nearby. But I guess Molteni goes to you wherever you are. Sorry for the semi-OT, johnnytoobad, but the repair problem is a very valid point, so maybe it's a good thing I detoured a bit.

The Bosch washer has a three-prong NEMA 6-15P plug that fits into a 6-15R outlet - 208 or 240 volt, 15 amp, with two horizontal slots in a row (both hot) and a round ground hole. If your Asko dryer outlet looks like the upper one in this pic (the lower outlet is the more familiar 120v), it should work. The dryer probably has a large 208/240 volt, 30 amp plug at the end of a thick cable, intended to power a large 27" or wider American electric dryer. Most of the smaller 24" wide dryers draw less than 15 amps, but are often supplied with a 30 amp plug anyway (either 3 or 4 prong, often owner swappable) with internal fusing at 15 amps because such wall outlets are common in American laundry rooms. Since the dryer draws less than 15 amps, a 240 volt/15 amp outlet on the back of the dryer allows a 240V/15A washer to plug into the dryer, and the dryer to plug into a 240V/30A outlet thus powering both machines.

I believe Speed Queen is called Huebsch or something like that in Canada. I have a SQ dryer and like it a lot, but I don't think it would fit in your space. I think you have to evaluate each brand by product. I understand GE makes a decent refrigerator, but I wouldn't recommend them for laundry equipment: poor build quality and even poorer customer service. I learned this the hard way. Whirlpool makes a fine vented dryer; my last dryer was a whirlpool. It was 11 when it went to live with another family who could make the needed repairs themselves. You probably already know that whirlpool and maytag are the same company: whirlpool. I go for functionality in my appliances. Washer and dryer are different brands and both are appliance white so they sort of "match." Good luck in your search.

I understand your frustration over 2 inches and sympathize. I had a wall reconstructed with the studs sideways just to give me 2 extra inches and I have a bathroom closet that does not have any sheetrock inside, I used thin bead-board paneling just for the little bit of extra space. You might want to take the dryer down and see if you can have a hard, smooth, flat vent put in the original vents place. The metal vent should have less depth than the plastic tubing. For fire safety and efficiency it is usually recommend that the corrugated flexible aluminum and plastic vents be replaced with smooth metal vents. If you still need a little more room for the door I would consider removing the sheetrock if it is an interior wall and pushing the dryer back into the wall cavity. Good luck with however you solve this problem.