Look at the manuals online for the 240V washers you're interested in, and see if they list actual temperatures. You can't assume that 240V is a guarantee of really hot water these days.

The feature you're looking for is an on-board heater to raise water temperatures. In machines made for the US, this increased water temperature is used in cycles called sanitary or allergiene. Use of the heater in other machines depends on the cycle selected. I would look first at the Electrolux compact. As you mentioned, there's also one from LG (South Korean company), and one from Sears probably also made by LG. Personally, I would avoid GE. The manuals for the machines can be found online. Country of origin depends on the model.

Thanks suburbanmd and poppy214. I have already checked the manuals and they do not list any temperatures. Not even the Bosch one.

Lack of specific temperatures is the way of the future for most manufacturers buiilding for the North American market. It's the pursuit of the energy star rating and belief that most people don't care. Electrolux says it has the NSF rating. There are other recent threads that describe the certification process for allergy and sanitary cycles for specific temperatures. The claims for NSF certification have changed greatly with the introduction of the Tier III machines to the market.

We had a very long discussion recently about Mamapinky0's new Whirlpool Duet (not a compact). One conclusion is that a sanitary cycle is not a guarantee of hot water. It used to be that "sanitary with oxi" meant nothing temperature-wise, but "sanitary" alone did mean very hot. But now "sanitary" alone doesn't promise anything except killing germs. However, an allergen cycle conforming to NSF Protocol P351 is a guarantee of a temperature of 55C for at least three minutes.

The winner in this category, without shelling out the cash required for Miele or Asko, appears to be the Electrolux compact (or its bebadged version by Kenmore). The Bosch, while 240v, does not raise the temperature any higher than 150-160F, though it perhaps does so faster since it has a beefier heater.

Search the forum like this.

Thank you! Indeed there is a big discussion that I did not seem to find.

I'm expecting the delivery of the Electrolux compact washer sometime between tomorrow and the end of time. Probably closer to the latter. I'll let you know how it works out, if that time ever arrives. My money is on you getting yours before I get mine, however.

Unless you are getting an internal heater in your washer, the location of the washer in relation to your water heater will determine how hot your water gets. I have a compact Electrolux and I really like it but take note: the hot water heater is less than 2 feet away from the washing machine.

I will *never* buy a washer without internal heater! You can be attached to your water heater, but if you have a tank-style water heater and 4 people just had showers (!), the water in the washer will be cold no matter what :)

(we have a hot-water on demand boiler...but that's for another discussion!)

Actually, I think you should check that on this site as a number of people have had issues with the hot water on demand and the way some of the machines fill up.

LG washers (I think) pulse the water flow on/off for short bursts during fill, which doesn't mesh well with tankless water heaters that need a sustained flow to stay activated, and also is the source of the water hammer issue.