Introduction

Front

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The {{product.name}} is essentially a white box with simple controls and an even simpler layout. Fashioned in a classic, albeit somewhat bland appearance, this little cube is sturdy and efficient in its design.

Controls

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Interior

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The interior lacks a stainless steel finish, so you'll want to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't start to rust.

The lint trap is easily the worst feature on this machine. Made of cheap, floppy plastic, it took about three loads of laundry for it to pick up enough lint to even have something to clean off. Perhaps it's because of the poor catching quality, but it's also very hard to clean. There's was never enough lint to peel back; rather, we had to brush our hands repeatedly back and forth across it to gradually clump together what little lint was there.

Sides

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Back

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Speed & Performance Overview

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The {{product.name}} may not look like much, but it certainly gets the job done. Remarkably consistent performance across almost all cycles resulted in very dry clothes. The bulky cycle, however, was just a bit disappointing.

Normal Cycle Performance

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The {{product.name}}'s manual states that the Optimized Dry under its Cottons options is the preferred setting for most loads of laundry. Our tests certainly don't dispute that statement: our laundry was completely dry after both runs through the machine. The cycles took about 59 minutes each, which is less time than many of the other machines we've tested, but nothing remarkably shorter than average.

Delicates Cycle Performance

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Clocking in at 1 hour and 5 minutes, the delicate cycle ran for an acceptable amount of time. Both of our test loads turned out completely dry, though temperatures ran a bit high. The {{product.name}} will certainly get the water out of your clothes, but it may also wear out the more fragile fabrics in the process. To keep clothes from throwing in the towel sooner than they should, you may want to check on them before the end of the cycle; the high heat may mean they're dry before the timer runs out.

Bulky Cycle Performance

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There is no high heat option on the {{product.name}}, so we used the the More Dry setting under Cottons with regular heat. While temperatures peaked at a higher degree than it did for the normal cycle, it ran for just 51 minutes. The wet comforter we used had only lost 84% of the added moisture. If you're drying larger items, or bigger loads of heavy fabrics like denim, you could spend more time than expected running two cycles to get things dry enough to use.

Quick Dry Cycle Performance

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The {{product.name}} performed very well during its Quick Cycle test. After 30 minutes on the Timed Dry setting on regular heat, clothes came out at 97% of their bone dry weight, a very impressive performance. Most machines aren't expected to get clothes nearly that dry in such a short amount of time, which means this model is very good for folks that need their clothes ready quickly.

Dry Cycles

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Limited cycle variation make this a good machine for people who don't agonize over sorting their laundry. With only three different settings in addition to a timed dry option, it's fast and upfront with what it offers. The lack of any sort of heavy duty or bulky option means it cut a few corners on the basics, though. If you have a desire to just toss your clothes in and let the appliance do its job without any sort of fiddling or confusion about what to do and when, this may be a good machine for you.

Customization

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Temperature selection is somewhat vague, with medium heat, regular heat, and low heat being the only choices. There's a fourth setting for no heat, used specifically on the Time Dry setting for fluffing wrinkled laundry. That's it, other than controlling the volume of the buzzer notification. The {{product.name}} is very much a bare bones machine - for only a bit more money you can easily find machines that have greater cycle variation, meaning you can have more apparent control over what's happening to your clothes.

Additional Drying Options

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The Wrinkle Care setting will rotate your clothes periodically after your load has finished so things don't settle into messy little balls. The manual states that if it's turned off, the dryer will simply stop running at the end of the regular cycle. Even though we had this feature turned off, the dryer still went into the Wrinkle Care mode.

Controls

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The controls are labeled with large, easy-to-read headings. The design is about as basic as you can get, but it also means you'll know exactly what to do for each load of laundry. For just a bit more money, though, you can easily find machines that offer a digital time display, a common feature on new models today that takes the guess work out of how much time you need to devote to doing laundry.

Door

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Like everything else about this machine, the door is very basic. Made of white, opaque metal, the door opens and shuts with minimal effort. The plastic handle doesn't feel all that smooth, though, and the door itself feels just the slightest bit flimsy.

Lint Trap

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The lint trap is easily the worst feature on this machine. Made of cheap, floppy plastic, it took about three loads of laundry for it to pick up enough lint to even have something to clean off. Perhaps it's because of the poor catching quality, but it's also very hard to clean. There's was never enough lint to peel back; rather, we had to brush our hands repeatedly back and forth across it to gradually clump together what little lint was there.

Comparison Overview

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For a difference of $30, a choice between these two machines can really be based on their performance. Neither are much to look at, but the extra $30 spent on the {{product.name}} delivered more efficient and effective drying almost across the board. If you find yourself spending most of the time in your laundry room with quilts and heavy towels, however, the Frigidaire FRQE7000LW may be for you.

Performance

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Overall, the {{product.brand.name}} managed to get clothes more dry. The normal cycles on both got clothes completely dry, but the {{product.brand.name}} took less time to do so. Also, the timed dry, which ran for 30 minutes on each, produced substantially dryer clothes in the {{product.brand.name}}. The delicate cycle managed to dry clothes completely in the {{product.brand.name}}, but got very hot, whereas the Frigidaire kept temperatures at a much more reasonable level but left clothes very damp. Finally, the closest we could get to a bulky cycle on the {{product.brand.name}} ran for less time than the specialized towel cycle on the Frigidaire, but it also left our test material more damp.

Customization & Features

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Neither model offers many bells or whistles. The Frigidaire has a few more preset drying cycles, and both allow you to select a generalized temperature level, but other than that, not much is going on here. Both models have an optional wrinkle release that will keep tumbling clothes after the cycle is done to prevent wrinkles.

Design

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Both dryers feel a bit flimsy with respect to their doors and lint traps, but a few small elements set these two units apart. The {{product.brand.name}} offers a control panel with larger labels, making it easier to read for folks who have trouble with smaller text. On the other hand, the Frigidaire can be stacked, unlike the {{product.brand.name}}. It also provides a window into the dryer, giving cat owners a chance to hypnotize their pets.

Comparison Overview

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The Whirlpool Cabrio WED7300XW is a slightly fancier machine for a more-than-slightly higher price than the {{product.name}}. With an MSRP of $789.99 as compared to the {{product.name}}'s $549.99, the frequently inferior performance and lack of any clear design superiority makes the Whirlpool a questionable buy, comparatively speaking.

Performance

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Customization & Features

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Despite costing a good deal more than the {{product.brand.name}}, the Whirlpool Cabrio doesn't offer much more in the way of special functions. It provides a few heavier options, as well as an eco-friendly cycle, but otherwise it's down to basics. It does allow you to select dryness as well as temperature levels, and the count down clock allows you to see how much time is left before your clothes are done. These are nice little perks, but perhaps not enough to merit an extra $250.

Design

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While it can't boast the highest end appearance on the market, the Whirlpool Cabrio is still further along the aesthetic scale than the {{product.brand.name}}. Admittedly, though, that's not exactly a difficult task. The Whirlpool, with its rounded corners, avoids looking like a clunky box. It also has a much sturdier door, and a far superior lint trap.

Comparison Overview

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From a high end dryer like the GE Profile Harmony PTDS850EMWW, you would expect high end performance. This wasn't always the case, though, when compared to the {{product.name}}. We found that the GE Profile didn't outshine the more modest model as thoroughly as you might anticipate. Greater cycle flexibility, a count down timer, and steam-related cycles may not be enough to justify an MSRP that's more than double that of its cheaper relative, the {{product.name}}

Performance

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Customization & Features

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The GE Profile offers all the basic cycles, in addition to several options involving its steaming function. In addition to selecting dryness levels and temperatures settings (including an option for anti-bacterial heat, good for families with small children), you can save a particular combination of settings as a customized cycle to suit your particular needs. It even comes with a drying rack for clothes that you don't want to hang up but may get damaged by tumbling. Aside from basic cycle options and modest temperature selections, none of these features appear on the {{product.brand.name}}.

Design

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The stainless steel interior and highlights on the GE Profile give this dryer much more visual flair than the {{product.brand.name}}. The sturdy, wide door is also a nice feature. However, many people don't seem to store dryers in visually prominent spots in their home, so visual flair can only carry the GE so far with respect to its higher price.

Conclusion

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It doesn't get much simpler than with the {{product.name}}. With its dull and somewhat flimsy design, it looks like an appliance from two generations ago, but don't let that fool you. The cheap-looking exterior and low MSRP of $549.99 hides a dryer that can compete with the best of them, churning out test results that were surprising in their efficiency and regularity.

While this model has only the bare bones of cycles, almost all of them deliver. The only real disappointment was the results for our bulky trial, which didn't quite get all the water out, but all other trials yielded dry fabrics every time. It can run a little hot on the delicate setting, so be sure to keep an eye on your more fragile clothes.

The control panel is easy to read, if a bit simplistic. You don't have a lot of control over what's going on during the cycle. Temperature can be adjusted, and dryness levels are only controlled in the sense that you can alter how long you leave your clothes in the machine. The lack of any sort of timer or clock means it's anyone's guess how long your clothes will be in there, at least until you get used to the different cycles.

You don't get much with the {{product.name}}, but what you do get certainly works. You can spend more on higher-end models and get a lower quality result, so don't write this one of just because it doesn't have flashing lights or a window in the door. If you're looking for a budget model that delivers on the goods, give this one some consideration.