GE GTW720BSNWS Washing Machine Review

Shopping for a washing machine can be difficult because it’s hard to cut through the jargon and understand what features are relevant to you. If you’re a jeans-and-T-shirt person, a washer with steam might not be necessary. Some washers require a lot of micromanaging and feature-setting, while others are load-and-go. The GE GTW720BSNWS fits in with every crowd, combining useful features with intuitive controls to help easily make the most of them.

In short, this 4.8-cubic-foot top-loader with no pole agitator is easy to like. It features soft-close hinges, multiple rinse options, and a special spot in the dispenser for detergent pods—a useful feature with certain cycles.

About the GE GTW720BSNWS

• Dimensions: 27” x 46” x 27” (W x H x D)
• Capacity: 4.8 cu. ft.
• Wash cycles: Active Wear, Bulky Items, Casuals, Cold Wash, Colors/Normal, Delicates, Drain + Spin, Jeans, Quick Wash, Sanitize with Oxi, Towels & Sheets, Whites
• Warranty: One-year limited warranty, 10-year warranty on motor
• Accompanying dryer: GTD72EBSNWS

What we like

Normal and Deep Clean cycles impressed us

Washers have to wash. We subject every washer we test to a series of stains, ranging from oil to red wine. The Normal and Deep Clean cycles hit the mark, removing 70% and 74% of all stains, respectively. As we typically look for scores of 50-60%, numbers like these place the GTW720BSNWS in the top tier of top-loaders.

There are tons of clever features

We spent a few weeks getting to know this machine and it delighted us in plenty of ways. First, we liked the soft-close hinges and the fact the machine turns on when you lift the lid. That’s a pretty common feature, but nonetheless appreciated.

Another highlight was the fact that there are multiple rinse options. Extra Rinse and Deep Rinse ensure that fabric softener and other additives get washed away. Warm Rinse, which is unique to GE, adds a splash of warm water at the end of a cycle. If the thought of touching cold and wet laundry sounds unappealing, here’s the perfect solution.

Finally, we have the Deep Fill option. While under most circumstances, adding extra water to a cycle will actually make your laundry dirtier because it dilutes the detergent, sometimes you want to use more. We tested the Deep Fill option on the Deep Cleanse cycle. It raised the amount of water used from 20 gallons to over 40.

Stain Guide helps takes the guesswork out

If the internet is giving you conflicting information and you don't want to call your mom about how to deal with a wine stain, the GTW720BSNWS has you covered. This model as a Stain Guide located under the dial. Choose one of the common household stains—tomato, wine, blood, grass, or dirt—and the washer automatically selects the correct settings to deal with it.

What we don't like

Laundry comes out wetter than it should

We measure how wet the laundry is after every cycle since a good washer should be able to spin out excess water to help lower drying times. The GTW720BSNWS did not do that. During the Normal cycle, the laundry that went in came out with an extra 70% more weight. (Typically, we expect washers to add no more than 50% of our test laundry’s weight.) Not only does that vastly increase drying times, but waterlogged laundry is difficult to handle.

The Tide Pods dispenser is hit or miss

Detergent pods can’t go in most dispensers since their exteriors don’t always dissolve or wash away completely. GE tried to get around the problem by creating a special container in the dispenser with extra-wide drainage. On cycles that used warm or hot water, the pod completely dissolved and mixed in with our test laundry. However, when we did a Delicates cycle or a cold-water wash, which is increasingly popular, the coating of our detergent pod got stuck in the dispenser, creating a mess. The user manual suggests removing the tray if you experience this.

Warranty

GE covers the GTW720BSNWS with a pretty robust warranty: A one-year warranty protects the entire unit along with a 10-year warranty for the motor.

What are users saying?

We tested the GE GTW720BSNWS pretty early in its lifecycle. On the Home Depot website, out of the 279 reviews, consumers give it 4.2 out of 5 stars. On GE’s own site, there are 193 reviews and it rates a 4.3 out of 5. Users cite how much they like the way the machine looks and its large capacity. Users also complain about the noise the machine makes and the long cycles.

Should you buy this washer?

Yes. The GE GTW720BSNWS is a solid washer. It now ranks at the top of both our roundups of the best top-load washers and the best top-load washers under $1,000 that we've ever tested. If you’re looking to replace or upgrade an old GE top-loader, the GTW720BSNWS is widely available and will stay on the market for a while.