Love this washer (and the dryer)

We live in a 95-year old house, on a block and pad foundation. After a major remodel 5 years ago, our laundry room is on the second floor. I wanted to get a stacked washer and dryer to save space. I wanted to have a lot of capacity, to wash comforters and sleeping bags. I also wanted to save energy and water. I thought the Duet would work, but held off because of the vibration issues I read about (we're talking old house NOT on a concrete slab, second floor). Then I thought the Duet Sport would be the one, but was worried that it wouldn't handle my husband and sons' sleeping bags.

We got the Epic washer in January (got the Epic dryer in December, when the old one died), and I've used the washer for almost a month. The units are stacked, and I was able to put an Elfa set of drawers where the washer used to be.

The Epic washer and dryer have exceeded my expectations in just about every way. There is almost no vibration when it spins, no matter if it's spinning our queen-size comforter or a few vintage embroidered place mats and napkins. I used the hand-wash cycle for the linens, and the machine swishing looked to be about as gentle as hand washing. I'm going to try my cashmere sweaters next.

All our clothes look cleaner, and I do fewer loads because the washer handles more per load with no trouble. The detergent/bleach/fabric softener tray is easy to use (although I still can't figure out how to use Oxi-Clean powder with liquid Tide). The dispenser is self-cleaning, and it really stays clean, so I don't worry about soap in the rinse water. The washer has a spin and hold cycle, so if you can't get the clothes into the dryer right away, they won't get too wrinkled by being stuck after spinning to the drum of the washer. The extra rinse feature is great (didn't have one on the old washer). All of the controls are easy to figure out, and the quick start instruction sheet is clear and easy to understand, and comes in English, French and Spanish.

One thing that has increased the usefulness of the laundry room as a storage area is that the humidity level when the washer is going is now a lot lower. I guess that's the difference between sealed and open washer tubs. (We live in Houston where it's humid, so if you live in a dry climate, you may not like this feature.) I leave the washer door open for about a half and hour after I'm done washing, and haven't had a problem with mold or mildew.

Maybe I'm still in love with the Epic after a month because I had an old, primitive washer and dryer for so long. However, these machines are thoughtfully designed, and the features work the way they are designed to work. I'm really impressed.