Budget is under $2000 for both at 4.0+ cf washer & 7.0+ cf for the dryer. & of course life span quality does matter. else steam & other bells & whistles are not really needed.

I know the holidays may yield some sales but am overwhelmed reading about the quality of the Koreans brands vs. the American big box brands (kenmore & whirlpool).

No Consumer Reports - so I am asking here from the experts for a little help.

Frigidaire Affinity Dryer 7.0 cu.ft $999
http://www.frigidaire.com/products/Laundry/Washers/FAFS4174NW.aspx

Thanks for the tip. we'll revisit them as a brand.

Others?

For the washer, as others will attest, an in-washer water heater is a good feature, as is a dimpled drum (such as the Miele "honeycomb" drum or the Samsung "diamond" drum) that minimizes fibers of the clothing from being pulled through the drainage holes during the high-speed spin operation.

The link below is one example of the kind of dryer mentioned above; it is an electric dryer, but a similar model exists that heats with gas; there are also versions with more advanced moisture sensing technology, but that marginal improvement comes at a high dollar price.

Not sure what that does or how much $ it adds.

Most of us have our hot water heaters set to deliver water at about 120 degrees F.; anything hotter than that may be uncomfortable in the shower or the bathtub. If the washing machine lacks any mechanism to boost the water temperature, then 120 degrees would be the hottest wash temperature that the washer could achieve.

All, or almost all, DISHwashers have internal heating coils to boost water temperatures, because hotter temperatures are needed to remove some kinds of food residuals from pots and dishes. So, too, there are certain laundry tasks where you may want the water temperature to get up to 140 or 150 degrees; for those times, only a washing machine with an internal heater will perform the task.