Ferrari of Washing Machines

I am not going to describe every singe feature of this machine; those are available on the Miele.com website. But I have some tips to give.

For anyone who is looking to spend $2000 or more on a washer should look no further than this Model. We were first considering the Steam Washer from LG. Thanks to the opinions on this website on all front load washers we ended up looking at the Miele. I am European so I know and trust this brand.

The machine has 9 standard wash programs (two less than the 4840 model) but honestly do you really need a “Jeans Cycle” or “Beach Towels” cycle – you can create your own Custom Cycles with the 4800 more than you’ll ever need. Also it does not have the LCD display to show you what you have selected – also money spent needlessly. The 4800 shows you what you have selected as well as it lights up each button so you know where it is at all times. But if you want 2 extra programs and the LCD display it will cost 500.00 more. Also if more programs become available a Miele technician can come to your home and upload them to your machine.

When we got our washer delivered it was a breeze to set up. However we could not get it to run an empty cycle (it is necessary to do that before the first use). So emailed Mile’s customer service letting them know what happened and I also called Corbeil Appliances and they actually delivered a new machine the next morning. Miele customer service called me back as well. So no complaints about customer service so far. There were zero problems with the second machine.

As I said I am European and I am accustomed to front load washers so it was not really a big deal (except the price) getting one of them. But when we ran the empty cycle I was really amazed with how quiet it ran. At first I thought it is because there is no laundry in the machine and that it will probably be a lot noisier when I actually have some laundry in it and that it would be noisy when it starts spinning. I was wrong – even now after 6 weeks I still have to go right infont of the machine to hear whether it is running or not. Yes one can hear the spin cycle a little bit but it is nothing compared to our old washer which was a top load Beaumark. I can now leave my laundry room door open at all times when watching TV.

It is good to know that the glass door is actually made of thick glass; the inside layer and the outer layer which helps in noise reduction as well. The outer part on doors of other brands I have looked at are all made of plastic or see through Plexiglas; no sure, but if you knock on it you will be able to tell it is not glass.

About the detergent dispenser – you may remove the bleach tray immediately – a Miele machine does not need bleach – if you use the sanitize cycle which heats up the water to 90 degrees Celsius your whites will be white – guaranteed! I had some socks that used to be white and after a while they turned into this funky colour – not grey nor yellow and after only one Sanitize cycle in my new Miele they were white again and without bleach!

Ensure you use European detergents (such as Persil). Preferably Powder over Liquid. European detergents are designed to work with such high temperatures. Yes they may initially seem more expensive (approx $40.00) but you need a minimal amount of it 125 ml of detergent per wash up to 150 if you have hard water. A box of that detergent goes a long way and you can rest assured that your washer will not suffer, smell or clog due to using inappropriate detergent. I have seen reviews where people complain to have mouldy smell coming from the machine – it will not happen if you wash your whites with the sanitize cycle every once in a while and use proper detergent – regular detergent that is being used for the North American Top Loaders is not designed for these machines.

I have also seen people complaining about the Miele machine ruining towels – that they are no longer fluffy. It is true, but only if they go through the high spin cycle. The Machine spins at 1400 rpm after all compared to 600 or 800 of the standard top loaders. The towels come out fairly dry after being spun at 1400 rpm for sure and if you hang them outside it is true that they will be a little crispier. But that can be resolved in two ways; wash the towels on a custom cycle with low spin or put them in the dryer – that will fluff them up again.

The drum is huge 4.0 cft and lots off laundry fits in – what I would previously do in 3-4 loads I now do laundry once a week and; two loads.

Seeing that it spins so high this also saves me half-an-hour per load in the dryer. With my old washer the 4 loads would use about 3-4 hours in the dryer I now have to run the dryer for no longer than 2 hours to get the same amount of laundry dried. I am looking forward to my energy bills this winter!