Pros
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Huge 9.2 cu. ft. drum can fit large laundry loads
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Metallic slate finish looks high end
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Rapid Dry cycle is really speedy—14 minutes
Cons
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Normal cycle takes an hour and a half
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Sensor inaccurate
When we tested this model, we found that the more laundry we loaded into it, the better it did. The Bedding cycle took a no longer than the Normal cycle. (But as you'll read in a minute, we were expecting the Normal cycle to go a lot faster.)
The truly massive 9.2 cu.-ft. American-made dryer needs an equally massive laundry room, especially if you pair it with the companion washer, so measure before you purchase, not just your laundry room, but every door and hall along the way. Your space has to be large enough to admit a dryer that's 43 inches tall, 29 inches wide and 33.5 inches deep.
With 9.2 cu-ft. of space, this is a huge dryer. Make sure you can fit it through the door and that you have room for it in your laundry room. When you open the door, it's almost five feet wide.
Design features
A striking metallic slate finish gives this dryer a high-end look. (If prefer a white machine, you can select the MEDB955FW for about $100 less.) Aside from its mega-capacity and steam features, this dryer is actually pretty basic and easy to use.
The big, rectangular door makes it easy to load in wet laundry, and its whole top edge is a recessed handle, meaning that you can hold a basket of clothes in one arm, and open the door with the other. The magnetic closer lets you shut the door with one knee.
The big selector knob is easy to turn, and its gnurled texture gives it an interesting look and feel. It certainly gives you plenty of cycle choices, probably more than you’ll ever use. To get a load started, you have to hold the start button as it counts down from 3 seconds.
Once you open the door, you might notice that the dryer has an additional “fin” in the tub, which the manufacturer claims reduces wrinkles. But if you really want to reduce wrinkles, try the Wrinkle Control setting. It tumbles the laundry for extra time at the end of a cycle.
If there’s a group of settings you use frequently, you can press My Cycle to save them. Anytime you want, you can access them by tapping the button.
You can customize a cycle by selecting temperature, dry level, and wrinkle prevent. Once you have a group of settings, you can save them by pressing My Cycle.
We liked the lint trap’s location at the front of the machine—it’s very easy to reach—and its clamshell design traps small particles, and confines the lint inside until you open it.
The lint filter's clamshell design catches and holds link until you open it and reach in to remove it. The location at the front of the tub makes it easy to take out the filter for cleaning.
Performance
This dryer is meant for your largest laundry loads. Though it doesn’t sound intuitive, our tests showed that it can dry bulky comforters on the Bedding cycle in about the same hour and a half that it takes to dry a smaller Normal load. So, here, the more laundry, the better. The Rapid Dry cycle is really speedy, getting the clothes more than 94% dry in 14 minutes, and the Delicate cycle was done in a reasonable 45 minutes.
But don’t count on the timer. We found that the sensor was inaccurate. If you can load the dryer and just walk away till you hear the all-done signal, you’ll be happier than if you sit and watch the clock. Of course, you can always turn on the light and watch the laundry tumble for a while. It's relaxing, like meditation.
The tub light illuminates the interior of the huge dryer, so you can watch the laundry tumble.
What the owners say
This big dryer is a big hit with buyers, scoring 4.9 out of 5 stars on a couple of sites, including Home Depot. Nearly every review called out the dryer’s great capacity. The machine’s quiet operation and its steam features are also very popular with owners. Our editor brought his comforter from home to test it out, and he was impressed with how well it dried large items.
The bottom line
The dryer’s immense scale comes at a high price point, but it can be a big time saver for families that generate a lot of dirty clothes. It’s not fast on the normal cycle, but you can balance that with the convenience of getting so much laundry dry at once. This dryer exists just for that purpose.
Because it's made for generous laundry rooms, you’ll never be able to stack this hulking dryer or put it on a pedestal. But those are minor quibbles.
If you’re okay with spending over a thousand dollars on this dryer, and you’d like to compare it with a similar model before you buy, the LG DLEX9000 is another gigantic, pricey dryer—and that one scored a perfect 10.
Meet the testers
Cindy Bailen loves writing about major appliances and home design and has spent over 15 years immersed in that. In her spare time, Cindy hosts pledge programs for WGBH-TV in Boston and other public television stations.
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Checking our work.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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