family of four: two adults, two young, messy kids (5 & 6 yrs)
these units would be for a second floor installation.

what's really got me thinking of going with the electrolux are the steam features and short wash/dry times ...not to mention i can stack these. that's a big plus, since my laundry room isn't going to be as large as i'd hoped. also, electrolux says these units are suitable for second floor installs.

i'm interested in getting my whites WHITE and avoiding underarm stains (my husband's undershirts are disgusting). aside from kicking him out is there any way to achieve this with any of these units? i believe they are about the same in price, the miele washer is slightly higher while the electrolux dryer is lower. does the electrolux have a steam cycle in the washer or is it just the dryer?

i'm going to check these out at lowe's tonight but if anyone could help me try and decide i'd really appreciate it ...and do solemnly SWEAR to post reviews once i've done my laundry. thanks so very much!

My take from a short look at the Electrolux manual: 1) It doesn't say what temperatures it uses, other than the sanitary temperature; 2) The shorter wash cycles must come at some cost in cleaning effectiveness. 3) I don't see any mention of a comforter or bulky cycle.

Steam: I really don't understand this. I get white clohtes without steam and in many owners manuals it says that you won't even see it, so I don't know if you really get steam or it is spraying hot water and they are calling this steam cleaning in name only.

A machine which has a steam function for cleaning is pretty much providing an alternative way of making the water hotter. A machine with an internal heater that gets the water to the same temps as a "steam" machine will give pretty much the same results. Since a single machine typically doesn't give you the option of heating w/ steam vs. the internal water heater to the same temperature there is no real way of making a true comparison. However, as Jerrod6 said, even when you have "steam" you may not see any "steam". Even if you saw steam, a 1000 watt steam generator isn't all that powerful (and in fact generates the same amount of energy as a 1000 watt internal water heater). In the end, IMO, "steam" is a marketing gimmick to uplift the price manufacturers can charge for machines, but if they increase the temperature of the wash, they are providing net positive value vs. not having a way to increase the wash temperature. Sometimes they bundle features along with the steam so if you want those other features you have no choice but to buy the steam version. Cost aside, a "steam" machines only substantial negative is dependent on your water hardness and the details of how the manufacturer designed the machine. If the steam generator isn't automatically flushed, it will crust up with hardness minerals over time. Finding out this detail won't be easy short of finding a machine's service manual or taking the machine apart (I know the early LG's didn't flush, but don't know what's current with any steam brand). Internal water heaters potentially can suffer a similar fate, but over a much, much, much longer timeframe (if ever) as your not boiling off water to create steam (leaving the minerals behind) and the machine is always flushing the water through the machine where the heater resides.

Anyone else have anything to add here?

you'd be making a huge mistake if you're the least bit concerned with anything but price.

Electrolux's name has been around many years, but it's no where close to the company you knew in your youth. The vacuum co. is not even the same now, meaning it's a seperate firm that has absolutely nothing to do with the multinational appliance firm headquartered in Sweden.

In fact Electrolux is nothing more than a rebadger in the USA. They bought out Fridgedaire's domestic business and started adding E'lux stickers and pricing to them. They have nowhere near the engineering , commitment to quality, or service network that Miele does. Mile is still a closely held family firm that doesn't answer to Wall St. and doesn't change business structure every 4-5 years.

Mercedes Benz isn't what it used to be either, but I wouldn't turn one down (unless it was the C-class) if I could buy it for the same price as a Hyundai.

To use the dial knob, you have to push it in, and wait for it to pops out--only then can you grab hold of it to turn it. Sure it looks sleek pushed in--but it is too much trouble to push it in every time you need to use it. And way too much trouble push it in when you are finished with it. The machine should be ready to use when you are ready--you should not have to prepare the machine for take-off.

A fundamental in engineering design is style may influence design—but style must never dictate function.