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Which condensing dryer is best?

15 years ago

What is the best condensing dryer that is now in the market in the US?

I would prefer a vented gas dryer, but that is not possible. Please do not rub it in by saying I should get a vented one. I can't.

I am not looking at a combo

My preferences are:

-Very large

-Fast (as possible for ventless)

-reliable (very importnant)

-can drain into a pipe - do not need to mess with a reservoir

I do not need lots of bells and whistles, I want something that gets things dry, does not burn them and is hassle free. Cheaper is better, but I am value minded not so much price minded. There is no clear recent side by side of all the brands so it is hard to find which ones are best. Any help and any stories are appreciated.

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Comments (3)

funkyamazon
15 years ago
Look at my postings in the thread about the Miele vs Bosch vs other machines. it's towards the top.

I've had 3 machines with condenser dryers. Equator- BAD. LG- ok (both combo units)
and my Bosch. It's great. Not cheap but tiny, efficient and needs very little water.

I'd highly recommend it. Just service them regularly and pay a bit more up front. The European ones are miles ahead of anything in this country. They've been at it for much longer.
theapplianceguru
15 years ago
I would definitely go with either a Miele or a Bosch. I agree that the European brands are leaps and bounds ahead of any other brands available. Miele is going to be a little nicer machine, but the Bosch is going to be less expensive while still getting a high quality unit.

The Guru has Spoken

Here is a link that might be useful: The Appliance Guru Reviews and Commentary
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@ czechchick2: Yeah, these washer/dryer combo units all use water to condense the steam during the drying cycle. Stand-alone units use air instead. @ vackeer: Well, it's nothing that you MUST do - it's like extra maintenance/care. Last time I did it was probably a year ago. Since then, the dryer has been run every week for, I guess, six hours. That's a lot of laundry. Considering this, there isn't really alot of build-up. The whole process of cleaning the dryer takes maybe an hour. Technically, dryer sheets should work even better in a condenser dryer as it constantly recirculates the scented air, rather than exhausting it and drawing in fresh air. I can't give you a real-life answer, though. I have never used Bounce or the like in our dryer as it's not sold over here. I could have it imported via eBay - but that'd cost me BIG bucks.
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The air that is sucked in through the front is blown through the condener and then dispersed inside the cabinet until it finds some way out - mostly through the slits in the back panel of the dryer. The air that actually dries the clothes (process air) never leaves the dryer. Increasing efficiency is only possible by keeping the filter and the condenser clean. You don't want the condenser to get clogged but it doesn't have to be sparkling, either... cleaning every couple of months is fine. The cooler the intake air, the faster the dryer will work.
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Miele, just like Bosch, has moved away for vented or air-condensing dryers in favor of heat pump units. There are only very few models left - even here. With that said... Do condenser dryers work? Most of Germany uses them, so: yes. Do they heat up the room? Depends on the room size etc. A condenser can blown out air of 120F or more for over an hour. Whether this is an advantage or disadvantages depends on the individual situation. Usually, any extra heat is welcome over here... but probably not in Florida, Texas, California etc. How long does a cycle take? Look at non-US manual to find cycle durations. Do they run hot? Between 120 and 170F - depends on the heat setting. I've also had American vented (properly vented) dryers nearly scorch my clothes, though. Do they work for a family? If they do any sort of rudimentary sorting and don't insist on washing all the clothes in one gigantic, rainbow-colored load: yes. Alex
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No issues at all with the T1 heat pump, nothing is exhausted to the air. There is very very little heat that is pumped out during a cycle which comes out the bottom of the dryer (if you have it stacked and have the drawer you will notice the contents of the drawer are slightly warm). From a lint perspective, when you scrape the two lint filters after a cycle some may go airborne (as with any dryer) but it's very little. I think you might have seen a Miele vented dryer that was vented inside into an 'indoor dryer vent trap'. These you have to fill with water to try to trap some lint from the exhaust and there will be lint all over your walls if you don't keep up with it.
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funkyamazon
15 years ago
I agree with the guru- if i wasn't so happy with the Bosch I'd get the Miele. My next one will likely be a Miele. They are very expensive though. Those little giants look amazing.

Mostly sticking with European is the way to go, as the guru said both are high quality, but you cannot ignore how bad some of the other ones are. Things to avoid- Equator- used to be made in Italy, now in USA- these are AWFUL. I had one, it was the devil to fix. LG seems ok, but I think European is better. I've heard mixed reviews about Asko (Sweden). The Splendide is the same as the Equator- most people hate them.

I've had condensers because I wanted them in a small closet, for space purposes. I've learned to love them. Yes they take longer, but wear and tear seems to be much less.

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