I hated my front loader for the simple reason it did not have a pause or soak option. Also it was loud. I hope you are able to find what you are looking for. I love Whirlpools.

I couldn’t be happier with this: Electrolux EFLS627

I'm going to step in and say that people who want to use new equipment to do things the old way will often be disappointed.

Modern front loader cycles, as with modern dishwasher cycles, are longer. Cleaning performance is also considerably better and durability of the items being cleaned is longer. With whatever kind of machine, if you want your items clean, allow it the time to do so and don't be in a hurry. Follow the recommended water temperatures on the items being cleaned. You may be surprised to find that few things, other than delicates, synthetics and stretchy items, call for cold water.

Soaking isn't necessary with a good detergent and a machine that cleans well. Select a prewash for a double dosage of clean water and detergent for dirtier items. I've had a European style front loader for 20 years. Kids' dirty clothes from play and sports, cleanup from pet messes, wine stains, you name it, all can be well cleaned with normal cycles and no soaking or pausing.

We've found the old practice of "laundry day" isn't suitable to follow and that's fine. We wash many small loads and usually not sequentially. We separate the items by fabric type, color and temperature required. Our main washer is relatively small but even when there were kids in the house, it was more than large enough for properly sorted loads. For us, uber-high capacity isn't required.

Sammy --- Looks great, but is too deep for my space. How important to you is the steam option?

(I'm also reeling at $1K *each* for washer and dryer.)

Elmer, But I love to soak certain items. I do not need a lecture on how to do MY laundry.

Elmer -- I could easily live without the Soak function, as I could use the adjacent laundry tub. I want the Pause option to add an item or (rarely) more detergent. Most of our laundry is lightly soiled cotton. Cold is for wool; mostly sweaters.

I still recommend taking your requests to a Ferguson, they are happy to help you get the appliances you need. They have very good customer service and access to a much wider range of products that the "big box" stores.

" I do not need a lecture on how to do MY laundry."

If you think my expressing a different opinion, and explaining why, is a lecture, I guess that's your reaction. The essence of what I said is that new equipment works better than the old stuff and shouldn't be expected to do things in the old ways that were necessary when washers didn't wash well.

"Elmer -- I could easily live without the Soak function, as I could use
the adjacent laundry tub. I want the Pause option to add an item or
(rarely) more detergent."

My more expensive German washer can't be opened once started. It hasn't been a problem. My cheapo Samsung has a little mini-door in the main door that looks like this, that you can open and add things if desired in the middle of a cycle. The machine pauses when the little door is opened.

Speed Queen makes a front load washer that will actually fit in my old house. Very narrow doorways prevent me from having modern types of front loaders as they have become huge and I can't get them in here. I would classify a SQ front loader as almost full size, by today's standards. A bit pricey though. I used to have Fridgedaire FLers, only because they too fit in the house. These two are similar in load size capacity.

My Samsung doesn't have the "add wash" feature. Looks like about $780 for that one. I use granular detergent, some times. Mine, a much bigger model, is super quiet and has a quick wash feature. Takes 25 minutes and yes...really clean clothes! I would assume the smaller models also have this? I'd check first.

Elmer -- Hey! I like the Little Door for Late Arrivals! How do you like that Samsung?

SEA SEA -- I know the SQ top loaders are highly rated. Same story for the FL's?

I started this thinking I'd replace a washer and spend about $900. Now it's looking like $2K for a pair of any brand.

It washes very well and operates quietly. No complaints, we're pleased with it. It's 4.5 cubic feet in size, substantially more capacity than we'd ever use but like most front loaders, it measures the load and automatically chooses the water level so that running it 3/4s empty isn't a problem. We just need to remember to be stingy with the detergent for most loads but we do that anyway since using too much makes the fabrics dingy. On ours you can add extra rinses to most cycles and we often use that.

As I think I said in the other thread, it's a solid performer but it doesn't compare to our Miele at our main home. It was also substantially cheaper to buy but that was our objective - to get something capable but on the low end of available price choices. We also bought a cheapo, non-matching bottom of the barrel gas dryer that was on sale and it works very well too.

The Samsung offers just a few temp choices and doesn't have an internal heater as the Miele does. (I think Miele may have changed its current models but our washer runs on 220 volts. It was easy for the electrician though because there was already a 220 supply on the wall for an electric dryer that we don't use as we have a gas dryer.). To do a load on hot or really warm in the Samsung, we run the hot water tap in the adjacent sink until full-on hot arrives.

I found an old email with a link to the Samsung model we have. As with most consumer product models, model designations are changed regularly and the one we bought is now shown to be "discontinued". I'm sure there are current models that are similar. Ask around to see how others with Samsungs like them.

Samsung High Efficiency washer

Chisue,

From what I've read on the laundry forum and elsewhere, the Speed Queen front loaders are higher rated than the top loaders. I own a SQ top loader, which also fits into my tiny door way house. Four+ years now and no issues. Amazing since I do enough laundry here to qualify as should be paid duty. I didn't know all the laundry forum folks when I made my purchase and went with the top loader. I might have gone with the front loader had I been aware of their high opinions of the SQ front loaders at the time. Be aware, there is no internal heater on a Speed Queen front load washer, if that is important to you. Would be worth the time spent to run a nearby hot water faucet to get the hot water flowing to that part of the house.

Edit to add: I wouldn't spend the money on a SQ dryer though, and I didn't. I happened to need a new dryer at the time of my purchase and went with a cheapie dryer that fit through my narrow doorways and fits in my small laundry area. Dryers are dryers. Nothing too special going on there, imo.

Chisue, you should cross post this in the laundry forum, that’s where I ended up getting the wealth of information I got. I have Electrolux (which I’d never heard of before that forum) as well and the steam function in the Dryer is what I use the most to fluff wrinkles out before I hang clothes up. After covid hit, I was glad I had the option to use a sanitize cycle for bedding & towels too especially when I was caring for my DH.