GE Profile Harmony PTDS850EMWW Review

Introduction

Evaluating it on its own merits, the GE by LG is a pricey dryer (MSRP of $1199) whose cost is a little more palatable if you can find it on sale for under $850. It's got sharp looks, a good control panel with plenty of options, and just above-average results on our performance tests. If you need a high-capacity dryer with a steam function, this GE should suit you just fine. Otherwise, check out smaller, cheaper units with fewer features that dry clothes just as well—if not better.

Design & Usability

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Even technophobes will be able to handle this GE without too much trouble

To begin with, this is a non-stackable dryer meant to pair with a GE Profile Harmony top-loading washer. Is plain control panel makes features easy to access—even for technophobes. In fact, it's a better setup than LG has on its version of this dryer. There's still a button for every customizable feature, but most of them scroll through options so as not to clutter the panel. Our only complaint is that the font on the LED screen is a little small for anyone without 20/20 vision.

The {{product.model}}'s wide door swings open to provide easy access to its high-capacity interior. It's easy to load and unload, and feels sturdy on its hinges.

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Performance & Features

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Shining Delicate and Speed cycles

The {{product.model}} has a number of drying cycles on offer for every kind of laundry. Strangely, there's no "heavy duty" or "bulky" cycle. In addition to preset cycles, this machine lets you adjust temperature, time, and drying level. You can program in a custom cycle for reuse, too. Another notable feature is the removable steam feeder drawer, which can be refilled with water, rather like an iron. GE claims that adding steam to a wash can refresh clothes and reduce wrinkles and odors. There's also a drying rack for items that are not supposed to tumble.

Cycles varied from the dryer's own estimates of how long they'd take. The {{product.model}} did quite well on difficult cycles like Delicates and Speed Dry, but it had trouble getting standard loads all the way to dry on the Bulky and Normal cycles, quitting when some of the test load remained damp. If you buy this dryer, be prepared to throw some parts of each load back in for another round.

Conclusion

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Features and capacity outshine this dryer's performance

If you're looking for a high-capacity dryer with steam, a drying rack, and plenty of customizable cycles, the GE Profile Harmony {{product.model}} (MSRP: $1199) isn't a bad choice—especially if you can find it on sale for under $900.

It has great performance on Quick and Delicate cycles, but the Normal and Bulky tests both ended with damp test loads. Other cheaper dryers do a better job getting clothes dry, but they definitely don't have the capacity or features of this GE.

We also like the GE's control panel, which lets you choose from lots of options without the clutter of too many buttons or the confusion of multiple menus. We just wish the LED panel had more accurate estimates regarding cycle duration, and a larger font for those of us with glasses.

You could spend less money and buy a better dryer than this GE, but that would mean sacrificing some exciting extra features, including its cavernous interior.

Science Introduction

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The {{product.model}} did quite well on difficult cycles like Delicates and Speed Dry, but it had trouble on other cycles, quitting prematurely. Read on to see what our test results reveal.

Drying Performance

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Features and customizable extras are one thing, but we run tests to see whether dryers will remove water from laundry on basic cycles.

We expect a high-end dryer to nail its normal cycle. The {{product.model}} just couldn't do that, taking about an hour to leave our test load with a few damp towels in it. It returned our test load to 97 percent of its original bone-dry weight, and while that may sound good, it isn't—other machines remove every drop, and this one should too.

The bulky cycle test, which we ran using the Towels / Sheets cycle, was a disappointment as well, removing only 91 percent of moisture, but at least the Speed and Delicate cycles were able to remove almost all of the water on their respective tests, saving this GE a little face.

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Cycle Duration & Temperature Tests

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The Normal cycle was the first we tested, and it took an hour to finish up. This is about average—not real fast but not too slow. The temperature, on the other hand, was on the higher end of what we like to see, which is fine but not great—144.6ºF.

Though the Speed Dry cycle took about five minutes longer than the LED screen's estimate, it still managed to finish the work in 45 minutes, likely due to its fairly warm temperature of 139.5ºF.

Unfortunately, the Delicates cycle took a long time—almost 70 minutes—but peaked at a pretty gentle temperature of 125.7ºF, which makes things easier for soft fabrics.

Towels & Sheets, the cycle we used to test bulky cycle performance, was a disappointment too. On every test, the dryer took less time than the LED screen's original estimate, delivering a still damp load of laundry. You'd be better off putting your towels and bulky loads on the normal cycle.

The Bulky cycle got the hottest, at 155.2ºF, and it finished in less than an hour, but none of that is particularly exciting, given it didn't finish its job.

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