Maytag MHW8630HC Front-Load Washer Review

The MHW8630HC also comes with several add-on features that may make your life easier. For example, Fresh Hold, a 24-hour cycle that periodically rotates the drum to help prevent wet laundry from developing an odor so you can get to it on your own terms.

About the Maytag MHW8630HC

• Dimensions: 32 15/16” x 38 ⅝” x 27” (D x H x W)
• Capacity: 5 cu. ft.
• Cycle selection: Normal, Heavy Duty, Whites, Towels, Bulky Items, Delicates, Quick Wash, Wrinkle Control, Drain & Spin, Clean Washer with Affresh, Colors, Sanitize, Overnight Wash & Dry (12hr), Custom Cycle
• Warranty: One-year warranty on the whole unit, 10-year warranty on motor and drum

What we like

It handles stain removal like a champ

As far as our lab tests go, Maytag washers always do well on our cleaning tests, and the MHW8630HC is no exception. This front-loader has a feature called Extra Power, which adds a little extra oomph for a lot of extra clean.

The Heavy Duty cycle, with Extra Power activated, is one of the most powerful washes we’ve ever tested. In fact, if we judged this washer by the Heavy Duty cycle alone, the MHW8630HC would be tied for first place as our best washing machine.

It offers freedom and flexibility

The MHW8630HC has features that give you more flexibility when doing your laundry. Micromanagers will like that you can select among five spin speeds (including no spin), four soil levels, and five temperature settings.

For those who don’t separate out their clothes into colors and whites, a massive 5-cubic-foot drum also gives you the option to turn laundry day into laundry hour.

Finally, there are the Fresh Hold and the Overnight Wash & Dry options. Both work on the same principle.

With Fresh Hold, you can set the MHW8630HC to tumble laundry for up to 24 hours after a cycle has finished. Keeping the laundry moving prevents odors and excess wrinkles from forming, which allows you to get to laundering your clothes on your schedule, not the machine’s.

You can also wash and dry a shirt or two with the Overnight Wash & Dry. During testing, we successfully washed and dried a dress shirt and a washcloth, together.

It turns the temperature up—and up

This Maytag has its own internal heater.

On the Sanitize cycle, our sensors picked up temperatures of around 130°F. Combined with detergent and agitation, that is hot enough to kill 99.9% of common illness-causing bacteria like pneumonia. This is above and beyond what a washing machine normally does to bacteria and viruses. While most people don’t need a true sanitize, those households that use cloth diapers or have someone who is prone to illness will greatly appreciate it.

What we don’t like

You have to wait for the best clean

While the MHW8630HC put up some impressive stain removal numbers, we did have to wait for them.

With its Extra Power feature activated, the Heavy Duty cycle lasted for more than three hours.

This Maytag does have a 40-minute Normal cycle and a 15-minute Quick cycle. However, if you want the Extra Power for the best clean, you’ll need to tack on 15-minutes of extra time.

There is no place for powdered detergent

The MHW8630HC has an automatic detergent dispenser, which means you can place up to eight loads worth of liquid detergent into the drawer, and it will disperse the appropriate amount of soap based on the weight of the laundry in the drum.

This is all well and good, but we failed to find a place for powdered detergent or detergent pods. Sadly, both need to go directly into the drum.

Other washing machine models that have a similar automatic dispenser feature use a cartridge that can be removed so powdered detergent can be used.

What users are saying

Out of 378 user reviews between online retailer AJ Madison and Maytag’s own site, we get an average user rating of 4.2 stars out of 5. Users cite how much they like the quiet operation and powerful stain removal. Detractors talk about long cycle times and difficulty with the app.

Should you buy the Maytag MHW8630HC?

Yes, it’s a fine washer for a family.

The MHW8630HC lets you get to your laundry on your schedule. The Sanitize cycle kills bacteria on cloth diapers and blankets. The massive drum helps make sure you can fit all your laundry in, including comforters.

The MHW8630HC is on the expensive side, but you’re getting what you pay for.