It seems that all of Europe is moving away from vented dryers because they use more energy than modern heat-pump dryers. I was just trying to give a reason why Miele might have done away with offering condenser dryers in the US. I maybe should have said "It seems that all of Europe is moving away from vented dryers and traditional condenser dryers because they use more energy than modern heat-pump dryers." What you have heard about longer drying times, more heat output, higher energy usage etc. is true for all condenser dryers. Yes, "traditional" condenser dryers do use more energy... in comparison to the alternative the OP had in mind, which was a vented dryer. Seen as a whole, vented dryers get the worst energy efficiency rating according to the European Energy Label, though. Vented Dryer - C Rating Condenser Dryer - B rating Heat-Pump Dryer - up to A+++ Rating I will say that the system is a little biased because condenser dryers do blow a lot of hot, dry air into the room, which helps them to be seen as more energy efficient, while vented dryers suck heated air out of the house, which, in turn, increases heating costs for the home owner. Alex

I very well may be a minority here but...IMO appliances are researched and chosen based on certin criteria, whether they are a perfect match or even the same brand shouldn't be a high priority. its not a dining room set. Its often not even ever seen by guests..

Hey Cal. I would not say they are entirely synchronized, but pretty close. I tend to wash FULL loads unless it's a cycle that I shouldn't (delicates, f.ex) so I find that the dry time is almost always longer than the wash time. My wash time for Cottons Universal @ 115F is, IIRC, 65 minutes: that's with cold fill and three rinses. I find that the wash time is very close to the estimate at the beginning of the cycle. Contrast this to my previous machine that could easily add 30 minutes in additional balancing adjustments. I find my average dry time is around 70-80 minutes. I do an extended cool down and generally select lower-temp dry cycles (though even the low on a condenser is still HOT). The exception is the "Automatic" cycle. I *must* use this cycle for sheets and blankets because it does tons of auto reversing right from the very beginning. I was having a devil of a time with balled sheets until Larsi turned me on to this cycle. The only downside, of course, is that it's a much cooler cycle and runs long. Not uncommon for my heavy linen/cotton blend blanket to take 90+ minutes to dry. All that said, no regrets. Clothes come out wrinkle-free and looking cared for.

I am beyond surprised and happy that the Miele Little Giant condenser dryer dries much faster than the residential Miele condenser dryer. A large load of cottons (say roughly 12-14 shirts, 2-3 pairs of jeans or shorts, 10-12 pairs of underwear and 10-12 pairs of socks will dry in less than an hour, and this included my extended Cooling Down phase that I programmed. So, dry in 45ish mins! Large load of bath towels about an hour. CA King Sheets dried on delicate (very low heat) about 1:20 Remember the Little Giant was made and designed for Professional use, before they decided to allow residential customers to own one. Fast, efficient and brilliant. I could not be happier!!!