There're numerous attributes about the Avanti portable dryer model, D-110-1 and some not so great. First, the unit is very light weight (40 lbs) which makes it very portable. I purchased a dryer venting box for inside venting, but found I didn't need it. This unit doesn't put off much heat or moisture(less than a small pot of boiling water) or lint, since it has duel filters(more on these later). The amount of heat is much less than a full size dryer yet gets the clothes dry in a gentle but fairly decent time frame. It helps to dry, similar materials together, keeping in mind jeans will take a bit longer. Clothes come out wrinkle free, and not burning hot like larger dryers, which means much less damage to your clothes. It's a fairly impressive dryer. Never over-fill the dryer, clothes will not dry in a timely fashion. The dryer does not have a dryer signal to alert you upon completion of the cycle. But it does have Hot, Warm and Air Only cycle plus a cool down setting to keep your clothes from wrinkling if you don't get to it right away. All the bells and whistles my full size had.

Upon initial install the unit gave a horrible screeching sound, I pulled the back off and discovered the belt(very thin one) was not on properly, made adjustment. It appeared to be fixed but soon after unit once again would squeak and squeal, making it impossible to be in the room when it was running. Four months into use, the noise went away on it's own.

The dryers filter system is somewhat daunting but it does serve a purpose to keep lint out of your house, if you choose indoor venting. There are several layers of filters and one that will need to be replaced after some time is a wool like material that after five months of use. I've had a difficult time finding replacements. I've searched the web, to make sure I had extra parts on hand like extra belts since the one that drives the unit is very thin. I've not found any parts houses that carry Avanti parts and the manual does not provide buyers with a parts list or schematic. Making parts identification difficult. I did find a similar "filter" material at the fabric store and made my own, and they seem to work better. I discovered the Avanti filter is the same as the Haier HLP140E portable dryer filter.

All in all I really love the convenience and appearance of the Avanti dryer. And hope they have better availability for parts and filters in the future. I took off one star for the noise and poor parts availability.

UPDATE: 12/28/11, After locating a parts (blowout) list, for this dryer. I made an attempt to order extra replacement parts, via Avanti. Ordering the parts from the number in the included catalog was straight forward, but after a month of waiting for "in-stock" parts I called once again to check the status, and got the run around. I waited another two weeks, and still no parts. When I called the third time, I was told they "just" were put into stock that moment, and they would "expedite" the shipment. While I was not impressed with the Parts availability from the start, I was really let down by the delay and run-around the parts department gave me. I even lessened the amount of filters and belts I ordered to assure quicker delivery, since the parts department informed me of the total number they had in stock. I think, I'll buy my filters and parts via Haier rather than Avanti, since they are the exact same part, but different makers. Avanti needs better service badly.

Those of you needing Filter replacement, here are the part numbers and description of each filter.
There are actually three "filters"
1. Small one at the door latch, called "air inlet filter"
Part # GYJ42.2-4
2. The tighter mesh screen inside the plastic circle, called "filter"
Part # GYJ42.5-5
3. Wool like fabric against the tub on back wall. called, "filter of inner tub"
Part # GYJ42.5-6


There're numerous attributes about the Avanti portable dryer model, D-110-1 and some not so great. First, the unit is very light weight (40 lbs) which makes it very portable. I purchased a dryer venting box for inside venting, but found I didn't need it. This unit doesn't put off much heat or moisture(less than a small pot of boiling water) or lint, since it has duel filters(more on these later). The amount of heat is much less than a full size dryer yet gets the clothes dry in a gentle but fairly decent time frame. It helps to dry, similar materials together, keeping in mind jeans will take a bit longer. Clothes come out wrinkle free, and not burning hot like larger dryers, which means much less damage to your clothes. It's a fairly impressive dryer. Never over-fill the dryer, clothes will not dry in a timely fashion. The dryer does not have a dryer signal to alert you upon completion of the cycle. But it does have Hot, Warm and Air Only cycle plus a cool down setting to keep your clothes from wrinkling if you don't get to it right away. All the bells and whistles my full size had.

Upon initial install the unit gave a horrible screeching sound, I pulled the back off and discovered the belt(very thin one) was not on properly, made adjustment. It appeared to be fixed but soon after unit once again would squeak and squeal, making it impossible to be in the room when it was running. Four months into use, the noise went away on it's own.

The dryers filter system is somewhat daunting but it does serve a purpose to keep lint out of your house, if you choose indoor venting. There are several layers of filters and one that will need to be replaced after some time is a wool like material that after five months of use. I've had a difficult time finding replacements. I've searched the web, to make sure I had extra parts on hand like extra belts since the one that drives the unit is very thin. I've not found any parts houses that carry Avanti parts and the manual does not provide buyers with a parts list or schematic. Making parts identification difficult. I did find a similar "filter" material at the fabric store and made my own, and they seem to work better. I discovered the Avanti filter is the same as the Haier HLP140E  portable dryer filter.

All in all I really love the convenience and appearance of the Avanti dryer. And hope they have better availability for parts and filters in the future. I took off one star for the noise and poor parts availability.

UPDATE: 12/28/11, After locating a parts (blowout) list, for this dryer. I made an attempt to order extra replacement parts, via Avanti. Ordering the parts from the number in the included catalog was straight forward, but after a month of waiting for "in-stock" parts I called once again to check the status, and got the run around. I waited another two weeks, and still no parts. When I called the third time, I was told they "just" were put into stock that moment, and they would "expedite" the shipment. While I was not impressed with the Parts availability from the start, I was really let down by the delay and run-around the parts department gave me. I even lessened the amount of filters and belts I ordered to assure quicker delivery, since the parts department informed me of the total number they had in stock. I think, I'll buy my filters and parts via Haier rather than Avanti, since they are the exact same part, but different makers. Avanti needs better service badly.

Those of you needing Filter replacement, here are the part numbers and description of each filter.
There are actually three "filters"
1. Small one at the door latch, called "air inlet filter"
Part # GYJ42.2-4
2. The tighter mesh screen inside the plastic circle, called "filter"
Part # GYJ42.5-5
3. Wool like fabric against the tub on back wall. called, "filter of inner tub"
Part # GYJ42.5-6


I love my Whirlpool Duet Sport WFW8300SW (3.4 capacity) Front Loading washer and I'd recommend it to everyone I know.  After several major brands turned into duds, Whirlpool and Kenmore are the only brands I trust for major appliances.

Features I love:

I don't have to guess the amount of water to use for the size of my load. This machine has an auto water level that adjusts to the size of the load. Since there is no agitator, my washer has increased in capacity. I can put more clothes in ...... up to 10 pairs of jeans!  This model will let me add a garment during the 1st 7 minutes of a cycle before the door remains locked. I can choose from 3 spin speeds, 3 water temps, and I can add an extra rinse. The 7 preset cycles seem good enough to me but I'm happy I can make adjustments if needed. I love the quietness of this washer. I actually enjoy the sound of the gentle tumbling in and out of the water. My laundry feels softer and smells better despite that I'm using just 1/3 the recommended amount of fabric softener. An added bonus is that I will get a $100 rebate from my water company for buying this water-saving machine. I wish I could justify buying the matching dryer but my old dryer runs perfectly. Maybe in the future............

Some things to consider if you're torn between top loading and front loading washers:

Top Load Washer Advantages:

They're cheaper.

Wash cycles are shorter.

You don't have to bend down to get your clothes out of the washer.

You can add an article of clothing at any time.

Top Load Disadvantages:

They use a lot of water, more energy to operate, and are hard on your clothes. The agitator is a brutal device that basically "beats" your clothes while drowning them. This is very hard on fabrics, particularly dark clothes, delicates and sweaters (I did see one top loader without an agitator but read that these machines do not achieve the greatest wash results).

They are LOUD and can become unbalanced fairly easily.

No ENERGY STAR models.

They house a lot more machinery, which can mean more repairs.

Front Load washer advantages:

Much less water used - 14 to 20 gallons vs. up to 44 gallons in top load machines. Front loading machine drums are on a horizontal axis. They only use enough water to cover approximately the lower third of the tub while your clothes are tumbled up and around, in and out of the water.

They use 67% less electricity and gas. They have less mechanical gear so they don't have to work as hard.

Gentler on your clothes.  The drum has no agitator so your clothes will not get whipped around and stretched.

Cleans better. The clothes are drawn through the water, not the water through the clothes.

The spin cycle is twice as fast as top loaders, which leads to less time in the dryer. So far I've noticed this results in 10-15 minutes less dryer time which equals more savings in energy. Also, there is now considerably less lint in the lint trap after each load.

Less water = less detergent, less softener, less bleach.

Not having an agitator gives 25-30% more space for larger loads.

Disadvantages:

Longer wash cycles.

Excessive soap suds can create problems for the machine. I am supposed to buy a special soap labeled HE - High efficiency. Apparently many major brands sell this detergent but I haven't purchased it yet. I have tons of regular detergent and simply use 2/3 less.

I have to bend down to put in and remove laundry.  (Whirlpool makes a matching pedestal with a drawer. Pricey, but it's an option.)

I can't soak laundry overnight since the water doesn't cover the clothes. I suppose I could soak in a bucket if needed.

I have to run the "clean" cycle with chlorine bleach once a month. It is important to do because mildew can occur due to the air-tight seal on the front door. I should leave the door ajar after each load but this could be dangerous with cats around.

Now it's up to you to decide.


I got my Eco-Egg because my small apartment has no washer or dryer hookups. I was looking for two things out of this product specifically- 1) compact size, and 2) ease of use. I loathe taking my clothes to the laundromat as it's often prohibitively expensive to do so and it rarely fits into my busy college and work schedule when I DO have the extra cash to clean all of my clothes.

Regarding the first of my criteria, COMPACT SIZE:

My apartment is very small. The amount of counter space near the sink (where the Eco-Egg is hooked up) as well as the amount of storage space throughout my home are both quite restricted. I needed a machine that would hold a decent load of laundry but would not take up much space. The Eco-Egg definitely hits the mark in this regard.

It was much larger in person than I had imagined based on the pictures, but once I had it put together and ready to run, I realized that it is actually surprisingly compact. It fits easily on my kitchen counter and when it is not in use, it can be stored elsewhere in my kitchen without being too obtrusive.

As for the second of my criteria, EASE OF USE:

I found the user's manual to be mostly unhelpful. There were no directions for how to assemble the machine (luckily, it was not difficult to figure out on my own) and the directions regarding use were just a little... off. They were not impossible to figure out (the machine is basically straightforward- hit ON, start a full cycle, leave machine alone, the end!) but they were not super helpful either. However, if we ignore the manual entirely, the machine itself is INSANELY EASY TO USE. I just dumped in a few small clothing items, added a tablespoon of detergent, and started the Egg up. It washed the load very quickly, and then even had a funnel attachment that I could add to keep water from dripping everywhere when I was wringing out the clothes.

The only thing that WAS NOT insanely easy to use was the water connection line-thing that attaches the egg to the sink. While it wasn't difficult to install, unhooking it for storage was trickier. I spilled water all over my floor before I realized that all the water had not been pumped out of the machine and tubes. Be careful disassembling for this reason!

As other reviews have noted, there is NO SPIN CYCLE, so clothes are very damp when they come out. Personally, I wring mine out as much as possible, and then hang them up to dry. Lightweight items like underwear and t-shirts dry in a few hours while heavier items like pants take much, much longer to air dry. My pants have been hanging for almost 24 hours now and are still a little damp, so make sure to wring clothes out thoroughly and to allow plenty of dry time (if you are air drying.)

I don't even care that some of my clothes are still damp the next day, though. They are much, MUCH cleaner than when I was hand washing them. They look and smell great! The Eco-Egg really washed them hard core! And it was surprisingly quiet as it did so.

Plus, at just over $100, I'm going to save a lot of money (and time!) that would have been spent at my hot, crowded, horrible neighborhood laundromat.

The Egg can hold a SMALL pile of laundry. Basically a few shirts and socks OR a pair of jeans and maybe a few pairs of underwear OR a hoodie and a few tank tops, etc. Really, it can launder one big item and a few small ones or a bunch of small ones with no big items. I had hoped my comforter might be able to make it in, but there's really no way.

Regardless, I'm pleased with this purchase and would certainly recommend this product to anyone looking for a small washer that is easy to use and to store.


I bought this set from Home Depot 2 weeks ago. My mom has the front load option, which I love, so I decided to give this set a try. I scoured reviews for a month before deciding, so it wasn't a quick decision. I tried to leave a less than stellar review at Home Depot, and I got an e-mail saying that my review was denied. I was careful not to mention other product names or retailers, and I pointed out the pros and cons of the set. Now it makes me wonder how many bad reviews this set ACTUALLY HAS, if they won't let you submit a bad one. I tried to submit it twice, denied both times. So, here I am.
Pros- Uses less water, so the dry time is shorter
Has a lot of wash options
Looks pretty
Cons- When I wash my husbands work clothes that smell like grease and sweat, they come out after washing smelling like grease and sweat. I read a review at Home Depot that mentioned this, but hoped it was just a picky consumer. Sadly, not so much. I have noticed that many items (our new comforter, dog blankets, etc) have had the same problem. Nothing comes out smelling cleaner or any better than when it went in.
The wash tub makes a loud metal on metal clunking sound when it moves. The tube rocks side to side to gauge load size and when it washes. Sometimes it sounds like there is broken metal inside.
You can't use those downy freshner pellets (the kind you add to the washer pre-wash). The clothes never get wet enough to rinse it out, and the result is you will have them melted and stuck to everything in the load. This makes no sense to me, as it goes through a wash cycle and a spin cycle and they never wash or rinse off. To me, this says a lot about how well it cleans clothes.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend this set. I paid almost $2k with the protection plan, and they are BY FAR not worth that much. Also, if you are buying from Home Depot, when they tell you that the protection plan is an extended warranty, IT'S NOT!! It starts the day of purchase, not when the manufacturers warranty ends, even if it takes 3 weeks to deliver them. The first year the set is covered by LG. So basically, Home Depot makes money for that first year of the extra protection plan for doing NOTHING. I would still recommend getting the extra protection plan, however. This set doesn't seem nearly stable enough to make it more than a year, if that long, without having problems. I just think it's shady that they make money for doing nothing the first year. The Home Depot plan covers exactly the same things as the LG manufacturer warranty, by the way.

**Update** 4/24/14. I have been using this set for several months. The point in using the HE set is it is supposed to use less water and detergent. It was recommended I only use 1 TBS of soap per load. LOL! Nope. I have to use a full cup or the clothes come out smelly and dirty. Because it uses so little water, you will end up having to use an extra rinse, sometimes 2, as the clothes will come out spotted with fabric softener. Having to rinse the load 3 times is hardly saving water!! As an added bonus?? The washer says it is uneven 4 out of 5 loads. According to the tub, a level AND the repairman it is level. I have to open the lid and rearrange what is inside sometimes 6 or 7 times trying to even it out before the washer will finish the cycle. It is not uncommon for a single load to take 3 hours to wash when this happens. The dryer has stained and ruined our comforter with what looks like black grease that won't come out. I have called Home Depot NUMEROUS times trying to do something about the wasted $2k for a washer and dryer that are horrible. The most they will do is send out a "tech" to see if the set has mechanical problems. DO NOT BUY THIS SET!!! For the money, you could by 2 sets of the old style washer with the agitator and I GUARANTEE you will be happier.


PURCHASED THIS UNIT IN DECEMBER 2012. THE FIRST TIME I USED THIS WASHER IT WAS CLEAR FROM WATCHING THROUGH THE CLEAR LID THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH WATER IN THE TUB TO ALLOW THE CLOTHES TO TURN OVER. i HAVE WATCHED THE ENTIRE WASH CYCLE OF THIS MACHINE MANY TIMES AND IT IS 95% CONSISTENTLY INSUFFICIENT WATER TO CLEAN PROPERLY. SOMETIMES THE SAME DRIP OF MUSTARD WILL BE THERE AFTER THE CYCLE COMPLETES. iT IS THE SAME WITH ALL OF THE OTHER HEAVILY SOILED ITEMS. i HAVE TRIED TO CLEAN ON OTHER CYCLE SETTINGS WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. TODAY I HAD MY THIRD VISIT FROM AN LG TECH. THE FIRST TIME THE INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN, AFTER BEING ON THE PHONE WITH THE LG FACTORY TECHNICAL CENTER, COMPLETING ELECTRONIOC OVER-THE-PHONE DIAGNOSTICS, CONCLUDED THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND ORDERED A CIRCUIT BOARD THAT CONTROLED THE LOAD SENSOR WHICH CONTROLS THE AMOUNT OF WATER ENTERING THE TUB. TWO WEEKS LATER THE PART ARRIVED AND WAS INSTALLED. WHEN I STARTED USING THE MACHINE AGAIN, THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE BETTER. WITHIN SEVERAL MONTHS IT WAS BACK TO LOW WATER ISSUES. A SECOND CALL TO LG SERIVCE PRODUCED ANOTHER INDEPENDENT TECH WHO CONCLUDED, WITH THE HELP OF THE LG FACTORY, THAT THE SENSOR ON THE MOTOR/PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. ONCE AGAIN A PART WAS ORDERED AND SOME WEEKS LATER THEY RETURNED TO INSTALL IT. SOME TIME PASSED AND THE MACHINE STOPPED CLEANING THE CLOTHES DUE TO LOW WATER. HOWEVER THIS LAST VISIT WAS DIFFERENT. THIS WAS NOT A LOCAL INDEPENDENT TECH LIKE THE OTHERS. THIS WAS AN 'OFFICIAL' LG TECH FROM OUT OF TOWN. HE DIDN'T CONDUCT ANY DIAGNOSTICS. HE WATCHED ALONG WITH ME THE SAME LOW WATER PROBLEM AS THE INDEPENDET TECHS AND HE SAW THE UNWASHED RESULTS OF MY LAST LOAD. HE HAD SEVERAL EXCUSES AS TO WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING, MOST OF WHICH HE BLAMED ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S ENERGY SAVING REGULATIONS. HE CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS "NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM" AND HE SUGGESTED USING THE "WATER PLUS" BUTTON WHICH IN MY CASE ADDS AN INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL WATER TO THE TUB. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT HIS 'SOLUTION' WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND THAT I INTENDED TO GET LG TO TAKE THE MACHINE BACK, HE SAID "LG WON'T TAKE THE MACHINE BACK".
I QUICKLY MADE A CALL TO LG FACTORY SERVICE CENTER AND SPOKE TO A SUPERVISOR BY THE NAME OF CALVIN WHO CONFIRMED WHAT THE TECH HAD OFFERED TO ME. ACCORDING TO LG, THERE IS NOTHING WROMNG WITH THE UNIT AND THEY WILL NOT TAKE IT BACK. I WILL BE DOING RESEARCH AS TO WHETHER OR NOT LEMON LAWS APPLY TO WASHING MACHINES.
MY ADVICE TO ANY POTENTIAL BUYERS OF LG PRODUCTS INCLUDING THIS ONE IS "BUYER BEWARE". THIS IS NOT AN HONORABLE COMPANY. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT OR ANY OF THE WATER SAVING TOP LOADING LG WASHERS THAT MAY USE THE SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS. BAD BAD BUSINESS.
PS:IF ANYTHING AS BENIGN AS A QUARTER FALLS OUT OF A PANTS POCKET, IT MAY MAKE SWISS CHEESE OUT OF A PERFECTLY GOOD (IN MY CASE NEW) PAIR OF BLUE JEANS (TWICE).


Fridge arrived well packaged with foam around entire unit inside cardboard box.  Box was skidded and banded so it wouldn't move and had a cardboard cone on top that said no stacking and prevented further stacking during shipment.

Fridge is being used in our finished basement where we have cabinets and countertop sunk back into wall.  Fridge sits neatly between 2 cabinets and underneath the countertop.  I have less than the 1/5" recommended space on both sides available for venting so I put a grille in the back wall to allow the fridge to draw cooling air from the unfinished storage space on the backside of the wall.  It is imperative to allow enough space around the unit for venting purposes or you will burn out the compressor prematurely.

Assembly was easy.  Just had to tighten some screws to get the handle on.  Had to adjust the leveling legs to get it to fit flush within undercounter cabinet space.  This was quick and easy.  I just had to initially loosen with some pliers and then turn by hand.  Rubber boots on legs helped avoid any scratching on my laminate flooring as I slid into place.  This is designed for can storage so it does not lend itself as nicely to beer and water bottles.  The shelving can be changed to different levels so I moved one of the shelves to allow a layer of standing bottles to go in while still having plenty of can storage.

After allowing to sit for a day (compressor oil needs to settle), I turned it on.  I set to lowest setting of 38F to see if and how quickly it would reach set point.  Cooled to set point, down from ambient temperature, within 1 hour .  Fluctuates regularly by +/- 1 or 2 degrees.  Stocked with 12 cans and bottles and it quickly came down to setpoint in under 20 minutes.  I imagine that if you packed with room temperature cans it might take an hour or so to come down to temperature.

The inside light is a fluorescent blue, similar to the controller lights, and is very stylish.  Light is either on all the time or off all the time.  It does not come on when you open the door.  I will likely only turn it on when entertaining since it is kind of cool looking.  The stainless steel door, handle and front return grille along with the glass door are very stylish.

The settings can quickly and easily be toggled between F and C.

The major reasons for picking this fridge when doing my research were;
- Correct size for my under counter installation
- Fully viewable glass door
- Large 148 can storage volume
- Front air intake to accommodate under counter installation
- SOUND, SOUND, SOUND

The reviews on this item mostly stated that the noise was low.  Since this was going into an area where we would be listening to music, entertaining, or most importantly watching tv/movies on our projector screen, I did not want an obtrusive noise cycling on and off.  Although not completely quiet, and how could it be since there is a compressor that needs to run, it is very quiet.  I am very happy with how little noise is coming off of this thing.  I might have heard it cycle on once during my 4 or 5 hours of watching football and I have no doubt it cycled more than that while I was down there.  With nothing else on in the room I can hear a low hum.

It is not the cheapest fridge ($649) in the marketplace but it met all of my criteria and was well worth the investment.  The only remaining question is the durability.  Has only been running for 1 week so we'll see how it holds up over time.

UPDATE 12/15/14: Over 1 year in and still working great.

UPDATE 3/10/17:  Over 3 years in and still working great.  Apparently I got the only good one ever made based on all the other reviews or I'm the only one that installed it correctly.


I owned the Electrolux EW23BC85KS counter depth french door refrigerator for four years.  I would think the issues apply to both wave and IQ touch models.

Short version of this review:
Do not buy this appliance.  If interested in another Electrolux refrigerator, I would be very wary if the ice maker is similar to the one in this unit. I had issues with the ice maker for 3 of the 4 years I owned this unit. The ice maker would leak and/or stop producing ice very often. The warranty company serviced it twice. The second time, they decided the unit was NOT REPAIRABLE and sent us a check for $3000 to replace it. I'll be honest here. I was relieved when they said that. My warranty expires in about 10 months and I was dreading have to pay for all of these repairs myself.

The good:
- No problems with the compressor. Freezer was always at 0F, fridge at 37F.

-There was what I called the "beer drawer" that kept at 33F. I thought that was fantastic. Beers and sodas were that much better.  However, refrigerators at a lower price point put this into a separate door below the french doors (look at the Samsung models) and are almost $1000 less.

- I really liked the ice that the machine produced. They were dome-shaped. The sliver-shaped ice that other machines made would tend to "bunch up" at your mouth when drinking a beverage, preventing the liquids from entering your mouth (I know this sound silly). But the dome-shaped ice from this fridge prevented that from happening.

- For it being only a 22.6 cu ft fridge, I found that it fit a lot of stuff. Maybe it was the placement of the shelves that we chose, but I didn't feel that it was "that small." I could fit 5 gallons of milk on the bottom left-hand side of the unit. I think that is really good for that size fridge!

- There was never any build-up of frost in the unit (expect for when the freezer door broke)

Now for the bad:
- After the 2nd year, the ice maker began having a leak. Water would drip down from the ice maker and out the dispenser. This would happen slowly, but about once/week, I would wake up in the morning to a puddle of water in the door dispenser.

- Around that same time, the ice maker began to have trouble producing ice. It would work great for about a week, and then it would just stop making ice, even though the tray was empty. I would turn off the ice maker entirely, wait about 8 hours and then turn it back on, and then it would create ice again.

- I got service for the ice maker problems last year. The tech fixed it, but it started to leak water into the dispenser after 6 months. This latest visit discovered that the ice maker (which is a separate unit) dislodged over time from the fridge wall - a common problem - which meant the cooler air from the fridge made its way into the ice maker - not good. As for the ice, a gear which churned it out broke - it was cheap plastic, and according to the knowledgeable service tech, very common.

And the ugly:
- "Something" happened to the freezer door. It no longer closes. I pulled out all the freezer trays, but I cannot see what the problem is. The service tech mentioned something happened in the back wall of the machine which caused the wall to bubble out, and dislocate the shelf. The door no longer seals. This resulted in a frost buildup inside the unit.

- At the same time, the ice maker started to only produce crushed ice into the dispenser, no matter the setting.

- We paid for the 4-year warranty on this appliance to cover repairs. After the technician came to check on it again last week, it was deemed "unfixable" and the warranty company sent me check to replace the unit.


I'm so ANGRY that GE would use this marketing/sales 'Gimmick' to justify TRIPPING the price of a good water filter just to STOP ALL COMPETITION!!!!  SHAMEFUL!
I own a new GE Profile Series refrigerator.  (PFE 28K..)  We enjoy the in-door water and ice dispenser with auto sensing and the display showing the Ozs. fill and, AT FIRST, the 'Countdown' timer for water filter replacement.  When the timer showed "Replace Water Filter" and "Days Remaining", I ASSUMED this was based on some quantifiable, diagnostic new feature built into the water filter..........  IT IS NOT !!!!!!!!
Is the filter good?  Yes, it is EXACTLY the same as the GE RPWF filter EXCEPT they put an RFID tag on the back!!!
What benefit does the RFID tag provide?
-Does it help the filter measure percent of filter contamination?  NO, IT DOES NOT!
-Perhaps it measures the pressure drop as the filter becomes more clogged, alerting the owner to the problem.  NO, IT DOES NOT!
-Does it show a potential failure of the filter media, alerting the owner?  NO, IT DOES NOT!
-How about leak detection, preventing water damage to the refrigerator?  IT DOES NOT!
Then WHY is the RFID tag on the back of each filter....?????
FOUR reasons:  1-Run a SIMPLE countdown timer (worth about 50 cents),  2-Turns on the "OVERDUE" light, REGARDLESS of the level of TRUE contamination of the filter.  3-Uses filter 'Serial number' identification to STOP the CUSTOMER from simply removing the RFID tag from the back of an old filter using the tag for a 'Non-RFID' tagged filter and PREVENTS the CUSTOMER from saving money!  4-MAIN REASON get the customer to PAY M-U-C-H more for each filter than it is worth and buy filters ONLY from GE!!!!  NO competition, a MONOPOLY!
----Imagine if the car companies did that!  You could ONLY buy tires from your local dealer for your make and model of car!

Is there a way around this SCAM?  YES.
1-Locate the 'Blank' filter by-pass plastic piece sent with your GE Profile Series refrigerator (found this from another reviewer noting there was an RFDI tag on the back of the by-pass).
2-Locate the label "BACK  This side must face inward" and peel it off.  (see the picture)
3-Remove the RFID tag under the label.
4-Open the water filter housing cover inside the refrigerator.
5-Place the RFID tag over the 'FCC'  label on the back inside the filter housing near the screw, hold in place by re-using the label you peeled off  the 'Blank' filter by-pass.  (see picture)
NOW you can install ANY water filter compatible with GE RPWF  (NOT 'E'), saving from $20 to $30+ each!!
--NOTE: 1-This fix will turn OFF the countdown feature but WILL leave ON the Oz. fill and 'Auto-Fill' features.  2-The front panel will now show "NOT FILTERING"  when you fill a container with water or ice (even though you installed a new filter).  This additional insult to the CUSTOMER can be simply overridden by: A) Removing the two screws (inside the upper opening of the dispenser in the door) holding the display on the door.  B) Removing the circuit board connectors  C) Removing the Torx screws holding the circuit board to the display.  D) Placing a small rectangular piece of black tape over the "NOT" word on the display.  (See Picture) E) Reassemble.

This 15 minute 'Scam Work Around' will save you from $20 to $30+ each time you replace the filter


The machine works great.
I would have given it 5 stars if not
for a few things....

I think for the price, it's a good deal, but there are some
major safety issues that you should note, especially if you have
kids running around wanting to get near it.

Safety Issue #1-
The claw has sharp pointed metal spikes that have no protection from fingers.
Warn kids to stay away or there will be no shaved ice. It's worked for me.
You can't be too careful with this thing.

You don't want to take ice out of the freezer and immediately use it.
Your ice will be too cold and brittle, and most likely crack the second you
try to use it in the machine.
They key is to "temper" the ice, meaning when you pull it out of the freezer,
let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. This really helps. Don't bring it outside in the heat.
It will not temper right, and the shaved ice will be mushy.
If you store ice in a cooler, that works too.
Leave it in the container it's frozen in while tempering.
Tempered ice has a nice clear glass-like appearance around the outer parts of the ice.
The middle will still be white/opaque.

Safety Issue #2-
I don't like that there's no included shield around the ice while it's spinning.
It has proved problematic because if your ice cracks and breaks off, it goes flying.
Ouch. It hurts when it lands on your foot. : /
If your face is anywhere near it, you are risking the obvious. Keep your face away from
the ice when it's spinning.

Safety Issue #3-
The Blade that shaves the ice has no shield either.
I'm not a moron, and know to be careful, but accidents happen,
and this seems like one that could easily happen at some point if
you get distracted.
Always start with no blade shaving the ice, and slowly twist the knob to
start the shaving.

Safety Issue #4-
The bottom portion is made of plastic, which doesn't
make a lot of sense. The rest of the machine is heavy metal.
I move it around my house for parties and driveway fun.
I'm worried that it will crack or break at some point while I'm carrying it,
or eventually crack under pressure from weight of the metal.
It's not that easy to just lift the part of the machine
that's metal. You have an exposed blade to watch out for.

There are many suggestions I've read in various places. They may or may not work, but thought
I'd pass along....

There are some theories on the best way to freeze ice:
-Some say add a tablespoon of sugar to each container you freeze. -Sticky sugar ice all over the machine? Not for me
-Some say to slowly freeze your ice at 30 degrees and leave it for 3 days without ever opening the freezer door.-Not practical for recreational user

I didn't use the included foot pedal on my first run.
It's kind of an art, and when you're building your mountain of fluff, it really
makes it more difficult to have to stop and start, pushing the on/off switch.
Taking your hand away from either holding the cup or molding the ice with your other hand
doesn't help your cause, trust me.
There's only 1 speed, and if you haven't mastered it, you'll see how much more difficult it is.

Overall, the machine works. It's not something you want kids around though.
With trial and error practice, you can replicate Hawaiian Shaved Ice.
Yes, the fluffy snow-like kind, but you have to practice.
Getting the blade at just the right spot on the
ice, and tempering, it works, but it might take you
a few tries to get it right, maybe more.
It's a fun challenge either way.

Watch some videos of the stores in Hawaii making
it. That is my ultimate goal. : )

True Hawaiian ice is fluffy snow-like with no trace gritty ice.
It melts in your mouth, and your syrup does not melt the ice when you pour it on,
nor does it end up in the bottom like a snow cone.

I hope this helps!


Not much to review here. It's a brass orifice.  The five stars is because I was able to get it on Amazon and install it myself, saving a bunch of money and time.  Allow me to also give one star to LG for not including what is probably a $1 item for them with my $1,100 dryer (as well as not making it easy to find the LP orifice part number in their documentation), and another one star to Home Depot for not stocking a necessary part for the dryer they sold me, especially in a store that is in close proximity to a large number of propane users.

Now to the installation in my DLGX8001. Before I received the orifice, I poked around on Youtube looking for how hard of a job this would be.  I ran across one video that looked like it would be a snap if you went in from the back by removing the dryer vent tube.  Let me tell you right now that having done this according to the instructions that came with the orifice, going in from the back would be a big mistake.  Getting the orifice off and replacing it would be doable, but the video did not discuss the requirement to screw down a vertical teflon screw. Trust me, you would never be able to loosen that screw from the rear.  I hope that was not a necessary step for his model, because he probably blew up his dryer if he didn't adjust it. There was also another video that made it look very easy, but what it didn't explicitly show was that they had removed the entire inner front panel and the drum, which made it very easy to get to the orifice and adjustment screw.

I decided to follow the instructions that came with the orifice, which were ALMOST correct.  There are two additional screws on the front panel that needed to be removed (it's obvious which ones).  I had no trouble following the directions. Be SURE you keep track of which screws go where, because there are two stainless screws that get exposed to water and they need to be put back in the right place.  Note to cat owners - do NOT place them neatly in order on the floor, then walk away and expect them to be where you left them.  Just sayin'...

The only trouble I had with this install is that there really is very little open space provided by the opening in the inner front panel for replacing the orifice and closing down the adjustment screw.  You will need a fairly short open end 10mm wrench for the orifice. I recommend tilting the dryer back to get your hand in there easier. Don't forget to use proper sealant on the threads (there was sealant on the old orifice's threads). I don't remember if the replacement orifice came with any sealant (I had some anyway that was approved for use with LPG).

Once the orifice is replaced, it's time for the really hard part. The large teflon screw is extremely hard to get any torque on with a screwdriver, and it is HARD to break loose if you can't get much torque on it (at least on my unit it was - it could depend on whether you get Hulk Hogan or a little old lady on the assembly line that day). I could not get sufficient torque on my stubby flat blade screwdriver because you essentially have to reach up through the opening to grab the handle and use a reverse grip. If you have a wide-bladed screwdriver with a short blade and long handle, you may be able to loosen it.  I ended up having to find a thin piece of steel about 2" by 1" that would fit in the slot, and I got a lot more torque by putting one side of it in the slot and turning.

So in summary, taking the unit apart and reassembling it is easy-peasy - replacing the orifice and turning the valve will probably occupy the majority of your time spent on this.


Got these as a christmas gift (opened early since my dad loves my cooking and wanted to make it easier for me since I cook for him).

The Good: Set it without anything in the pan other than a little oil and it'll get to that temp in 10 seconds or less as far as I can tell (with their pans, of course).  Deep frying is simple to do (not sure what everyone else is complaining about, and I'll explain later what I think their problem is).  Because of all involved, I can easily clean a counter top that's flat than a stove top after frying something.  Can take them anywhere you have power (cook something smelly outside to keep people inside happy and/or piss off that annoying neighbor that doesn't know how to cook anything but her garbage bags, from the smell of things, is a plus).  If you don't have a stove top, this is a must, and perfect for anyone in college.  Easy to clean everything.  Practically rinse it with scalding hot water right after you empty the contents and wipe dry with a clean towel and you're done (if you wash pans after every use, in stead of that, they're going to turn to crap no matter how good they are)

THE BAD: Nothing is perfect, had eggs stick to them twice on me, but after minor work with a plastic spatula they came off without any casualties, but that can happen on any non-stick since I had one before.  The temperature settings are never going to be that accurate when liquids/volume cooking is involved, as I consider calling it.  Pans can slide easily off of the surface if you lightly bump them (must be the technology, almost felt air hockey-ish when some olid was under the pan I didn't notice, while moving some food around.  The heavier the pan, the flimsier the handle seems to feel on the 16 inch we upgraded to. It doesn't feel like it'll come apart as much as it may bend if you hold it far back on the handle every time, but that's the largest frying pan I've owned, so who knows, could be me.  Last but not least, you will be confused on prep and cook time, because this will throw a major curve ball at you, at first. I was skeptical and burnt some oil a couple times on heat up time lol.

in Closing: People complain about the frying.  I deep fry in the saute pan or another I have like it.  So far, I got a great crispy (yet overcooked, due to my first deep frying attempt ever) chicken, since I bread with egg, flower x2.  Still tasted great.  Second time came out softer when I worked less on the flower and cooking time.  I also tried 350, which gave me a finished softer exterior, great for wings and pizza topping.  That's a 25 degree difference.  PEOPLE, wake up.  There's no way you're going to deep fry in anything in a timely manner unless it's an actual deep fryer.  Even then, they're not consistent (chalk up all those days you order wings and wonder why they aren't like last time...  yeah.  Those are industrial grade fryers too),
I feel the problem people are having with these, like any other cook set, is they expect it to cook for them.  Being a chef and a cook (as immature as I am in that field) is like being an artist, and no artist wants their canvas to paint for them.  Never leave what you're cooking, even if it's a pizza.  I stand there while deep frying and take out piece by piece.  If you want convenience... order out lol.

This rocks at steak/searing too, but I recommend using a black iron pan because it gives a different texture and flavor.  Ours works on it, but I heard it's not good to use, so I'm not sure if they have one themselves or not.  I haven't had to deal with customer service, been happy these past three weeks though, cooking too much to lose the weight I need lol


this is a perfect washer for a small apartment like I once had, or an ":emergency" washer for when you are waiting, as I am now to get my washer repaired.  I am waiting for a part on my automatic, and let me tell you, this little washer is the best back up emergency washer I have ever used.  I don't go to laundromats, i used to do my clothes by hand in the bathroom sink and suffer rashes from touching detergent, but I was bought this little washer, and I never had to do that again.  Realize, that it is NOT an automatic, nor is there a pump and it can be a pain in the rear to empty into buckets and fill with buckets, but it sure beats hand washing.  I currently use my panda daily, today i got the part for the waher and it was the wrong one, so i will probably use this every day in the back yard with a garden hose.  This is a very very antique kind of washer that washes things very very differently.  You use the same washwater for the entire laundry, just adding a dose of soap for each new load.  It does use very little water.  you can rinse it whie it spins if you want, or in the washtub, whichever you prefer.  it's no harder to use than a wringer washer, and it cleans very very well too, as you can agitate a load for 4 hours if that's what you choose to do.  Washing powder works much better than liquids in this, i use cheer.  But if you expect a washer that washes rinses and spins all by itself don't buy this washer.  When used correctly, they can be the best washers actually, but it's an eyesore to be flooding the backyard.  I will say this:  If this little washer broke, i'd definitely buy another one.  it's so light i can lift it with two fingers yet it pulverizes the hell out of dirt like the old washers did with washing powder,  It's very powerful, but it is shoddily made.  already i've broken a knob so i have to use a butterknife to make it spin, and I've broken the right side where i could run water where it spins.  They need a revisor to do the manual, whoever did it did not have good command of the english language.  They don't even mention putting in water on the right side, which is a spray and very effective rinse.  Mine broke, but the washer and spinner still works, as i'm using it daily for my laundry.  i start with whites and i agitate them a good hour in a half cup of cheer because i can only use cold water with the hose and i'm in maine and the cold water is very cold here.  DO THE TOWELS LAST or you will have lint all over your clothes.  oh yes, the lint trap broke after three uses.  As much as  i love my emergency washer, it is very shoddily made, so face it, it's not really for washing your clothes every day unless you have no alternative.  I have to give it four stars i think the fact that i can agitate for as long as i want warrants that, but i would not buy this unless the only alternative was the bathroom sink and your hands or a laundromat where they wash dirty diapers.  Shoddily made as it is, I will buy another one when it breaks.  Funny how some things are made so badly but we'd buy them again they deliver so much convienience.  Right now I'd be using the bathroom sink, honest to god if i didn't have this for back up.  I will NOT use bed bug infested laundromats where diapers and whatever else is washed at.  gross, and you don't know what diseases they had either.  For years handwashing did not bother me one bit, i did it every day, washed everything in the sink and hung it up inside, but i'd started to get hives from the soap powder being constantly on my hands, so i will not speak badly of this machine, just don't expect anything fancy at all


I live in an apartment complex where washer/dryer hookups are non-existent and you have to use their laundromat facilities; well, they recently raised the prices and it costs $6.75 to do one load of laundry from start to finish.  Thats highway robbery and doing laundry every month was costing me an arm and a leg; I decided getting a portable washer was the way to go and that itd pay for itself in the matter of months.  After doing a ton of research and watching a bunch of Youtube videos, I settled on this unit and Im so glad I did.  Yes, this sort of washing machine requires more work and babysitting than your traditional large washing machines but Im more than willing to put the effort in if it means not having to go to the laundromat and being able to do laundry in the comfort of my own home.  I truly love this machine and if it were to stop working on me Id buy a replacement without batting an eyelash.  Below is my start to finish routine that Ive found works best for me (the instructions that come with the machine aren't great at all); this may seem like a lot but once you get the routine down its not a big deal at all:

1. Hook all hoses up and start filling the machine with water (DO NOT fill past the lint catcher thats in the machine or you're going to have a big puddle on your floor).
2. Add a SMALL amount of detergent; Im talking like half of a teaspoons worth.  This machine produces a lot of suds and if you add too much detergent you're going to have to do a ton of rinse cycles.  I also add my scent boosting product at this time.
3. After adding the detergent I turn on the wash cycle just for 15-20 seconds to get the detergent to mix well with the water.
4. Add clothing.  This machine can hold a decent amount; I can wash 2-3 pairs of leggings and 2-3 shirts/blouses per load (depending on weight); I also wash my towels in this machine without a problem (I do one large towel and one hand towel per load).
5. Once the water is filled to the level of the lint catcher I put in the separate lint catcher that I bought here from Amazon (link below) because the built in lint catcher in this machine is totally and completely worthless.  The separate lint catcher floats on top of the water and catches a ton of lint (I have 2 cats, so this is a necessity).  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NR295FY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
6. Close the lid and set the timer (I usually do 5-12 minutes; all depends on how soiled the items are).
7. Once the wash cycle is done I turn the dial to drain and start loading the items into the spin dryer (I usually fit half a load at a time into the spin dryer) and spin them out for about a minute while the machine is draining the water; once the spin cycle is done I put the items back into the washer for the rinse cycle.
8. Start filling the washer with water again and add fabric softener.
9. Once the water is at the proper level I put the lint catcher back in and turn the washer on for another 5-12 minutes for the rinse cycle.
10. When the rinse cycle ends, turn the dial to drain and transfer the items to the spin dryer and spin dry for about 2 minutes or until water stops draining from the hose.
11. Take items out and hang up to dry fully; the spin dryer on this machine does such a great job of removing water that most items dry completely in 2-3 hours.
12. When Im done doing all laundry I lift the machine up onto my kitchen counter and turn the dial to drain to get all of the water out of the machine (you need gravity for this); the machine is really lightweight, so its not difficult to lift it.
13. Once all water is drained I use a paper towel to dry the inside of the washing & spin dryer tubs; then I leave the lids to both sections open overnight to make sure the machine gets to air dry properly.

Hope this information helps you!!


The facts:
Unit arrives in a well packaged box, the outer-box does indicate 'washing machine' on exterior. I know that previous reviews state that the box was generic and only displayed the brand name; there must have been a change as mine arrived with the brand name and 'washing machine' written on the outer-box.

Upon opening, the Panda sits sandwiched between two styrofoam pieces to insulate during shipment. Inside are some pamphlets concerning warranty and instruction literature.

Quoted to wash 6-7 lbs, and dry 3-4 lbs.

My experience:
Yes, the unit smells like plastic upon first using. The smell dissipates quickly after a couple uses, this has no affect on clothing smell.

The washer is a lot bigger than expected, the agitator is VERY powerful--clothing easy tangles with other items during wash. Using net-bags will just tangle the bags together, and in my experience it ruins the bags to the point where it breaks the threading. In most cases, when the net-bags are used, the zippers open and turn inside out. The washer works very well for small-regular items, things like jeans, shirts and sweaters. Larger items like towels, bedding and small-blankets are a different story.

Since the bigger items have less space to move about, towels and larger cloths tend to bundle up--only cleaning the outside. I usually stop mid cycle and turn the towels inside out to get an even wash.

The dryer extracts water very well. Although the specs say that it fits only 3-4 lbs worth of clothing, I've found that I can put all of the items from the washer into the dryer. On a normal cycle, this is what I wash: (size small)

-2 button ups
-1 t-shirt
-2 pairs of socks
-2 pairs of underwear

All of the items get a thorough washing and drying and usually takes around 20 minutes for a 'full cycle'.

Note worthy experiences:
-The lint trap works, but not as good as I would like. Lots of lint is left behind while being drained. Lint will show up when articles fully dry. I noticed that if I fill the drum 3/4 of water, the lint trap is able to capture more lint (but not all).

-I can wash queen size sheets, but duvets push the limit. Difficult to wash, even more difficult to fit into spin dryer.

-An iron or steamer is necessary, as most clothing will dry with wrinkles throughout.

-If too much soap was used, and suds did not fully drain, place a little fabric softener with water diffuses all of soap.

-Unit is not too loud, but I have it sitting in the foam board is shipped in on top of two towels. (Just so my neighbors don't complain.)

-In order for faster turn around times from each wash, I use a pre-filled bucket. (The hose that came with the unit, takes too much time and bottle necks each cycle.)

-My normal regime follows:
1. Wash
2. Drain
3. Spin
4. Wash @ 6 mins with fabric softener
5. Drain
6. Spin

I've had this unit for 3 months now and works very well with no problems. My only gripe is the lint issue, seems to get my nose itchy with the lint all over the apartment. Nothing too crazy though, I'm happy with this purchase.

Room for improvement that would earn 5 stars:
- Ability to change the agitate levels. Currently it only has one speed, and some articles need a more gentle cycle--so it would be nice to have a choice to have different levels of speed
- The timers aren't 'real'. What I mean by that, is that if I turn the dials to 10 minutes, but then decide it should rather be 5--the cycle will continue for the full 10 minutes.
- The water hose that hooks up to the faucet could use a better design or a reinforcement band to help it stay on--especially when hot water is used.
- Sometimes I find screws that fell off of the machine, but don't know where they came from. Everything still seems to work.


I purchased this Fridge in January, 2014, even after I read the reviews which were not good.  I thought, really how bad can this be....  This really needs to come with a Buyer Beware sticker.

For some reason I thought the warranty of this unit was for 2 years, it is not only 1.  We went 9 Months with out the water line hitched up.  It worked great and I loved it.  Finally we decided that the reason why we went with an in door ice machine and water dispenser was to use it.  So we finally hitched it up.  That was the worst mistake we could have made.  It started making Ice just fine and was fine for the 1st 3-4 months.  I went to one day to place ice in a glass and pushed the button to have the ice dispensed.  It made noise but then didn't work.  When we tried to pull out the tray that keeps the ice, it wouldn't move.  After forcing it and trying to get it dispense the ice, we were finally able to pull the tray out.  Low and behold to ice maker that was above it fell down into the ice and auger.  Once we pressed to button to get ice, it jammed and that was why we had an issue with pulling out the tray.  I called tech support, who was nice enough to sell me an extended service plan even though I was out of that window ($326 for 3 years) and they dispatched the local repair guy.  He came out and ordered and installed a new ice maker (valued at $400).  Problem solved, right.....

WRONG!

After the new ice machine was installed it worked great for another few months.  One day, it started to make noise from the fan inside.  I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it, and called for service.  The same repair person came back out to look at it, and found that it was freezing up inside.  He rescheduled to come back out, with help to tip the fridge and check the drain line for blockage.  He came out, snaked down through the drain line and didn't find anything.  2 weeks later, I had the same noise.  Called back and rescheduled another appointment.  This time it became progressively louder until it just shut down.  We thought yay, no more noise.  Everything was froze up and it wouldn't make ice anymore.  Not a problem we have enough ice right now, at least the noise had stopped.  Well, no noise, no cooling so everything that was froze up melted.  Right out the door and onto my carpeted rug!  Dumped the Ice to prevent more water from running out.  3 Days later, it started making ice again.  So here is the cycle we are in now...  3-4 days of making ice, Starts to get noisy on day 4, noise will progressively get louder day 5,6 & 7.  On day 8 it'll shut down, and defrost on day 9, 10, 11.  Day 12 the ice machine will kick back on and it will repeat the process.

Can you say fed up!

I have contacted tech support numerous times.  The local repair man doesn't know what is wrong with it, and has washed his hands with it.  So tech tried to get someone else to come "fix" it.  They were supposed to come this morning.  I got the call and was talking with the guy, to only find out they do not service anything another company has "fixed".  They were the only ones left to do the work.

I have made a complaint to Frigidaire.  They have now decided to replace the Fridge.  I have informed them, I do not want another Fridge, just my money back.

I am DONE with this aggravation!

So, Unless you want a big Headache and a Fridge that makes noise and doesn't make or keep Ice half the time.  Save your Money.  This Fridge is not worth the Price tag for something that doesn't work.

We are now looking to purchase a New Fridge, and guess what....

It will not be a Frigidaire!


I line dry my clothes, so four years ago I purchased a Charming Spinner for $230 and used it for three years. I was impressed with the stainless steel construction, both on the outside and the spinner basket. It seemed very sturdy.  I loved this spinner, because it drastically cut drying times from several hours to about two. That was why I was willing to put up with several flaws in its design. It was tall and narrow, so one load of wash made three loads in the spinner. Even after carefully following loading instructions, if the load wasn't balanced just right, it would not spin up to speed. I'd have to stop and reload everything. When it was balanced, the spinner shook and wobbled across the floor. It was also incredibly loud. It started off loud, it ran loud, and it braked with a horrible screeching sound. I put up with all of that because my clothes dried so much faster.

The fatal flaw was the locking mechanism. To turn the spinner on you slid a lever which locked the lid and started it spinning. To turn it off, you slowly moved the lever back, engaging the brake. Once the spinning slowed enough that you could slide it to the off position it would unlock. But the lock was plastic and got stuck often. I would pry it open, worried every time that I would break it. After three years I finally did. Why build a spinner out of materials meant to last a long time, but make a critical component out of plastic? I wasn't willing to replace it with that major flaw, so I spent over a year without a spin dryer.

After drying clothes in the house for the second winter in a row, I was frustrated with all day winter drying times.  I started looking at spinners again and found Laundry Alternative, which carried two spinners, the Spin Dryer with a design similar to the Charming Spinner, and the Nina Soft. Both sold for about $165 including shipping. I hesitated on the Nina Soft, though. The plastic construction concerned me, and the rpm was only 1800, compared to 3200 rpm of the other spinner. After watching what few videos I could find and asking questions by email which were answered promptly, I bought the Nina Soft Spin Dryer, and I'm very happy I did.

Every issue has been addressed in this design. First, it is a bit wider, making it easier to load. I follow the instructions for loading and have not once needed to reload it to balance the clothes. It holds more, so the same washer load can be spun in just two loads. The locking mechanism starts the spinner, but it is completely different from the other design. To start it you just close the lid. To stop it, you pull a latch. I can't believe how quiet this thing runs. I sometimes forget it's running because I can't hear it. It may shake just a bit as it spins up to speed (not always) but it does not wobble while running because the of its wider profile and the three large anti-slip feet it sits on. Because of how well it runs the plastic construction is not a problem. I can see this spinner lasting many more years than the other design.

My final concern about the Nina Soft was the lower rpm. It does not remove as much water as the higher rpm spinners I use the same washer and the same container to catch the water, so I can tell it removes only about half as much. Drying times are longer than they were with the spinner, but still significantly reduced over just line drying. In warmer weather they'll dry even faster.

Overall I am incredibly happy with the Nina Soft Spin Dryer. The improved design at such a good price far outweighs the fact that it removes less water. I would recommend it to anyone. I would also recommend buying it directly from Laundry Alternative. Their customer service is very responsive and shipping was fast.


I just got this little washer a week ago. I had read reviews (for days) before I finally decided to purchase it, and I'm glad I did.

I strongly suggest you watch this YouTube video on HE Top-Load Washers...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hD_iuwn9o. It will explain a lot about how these types of washers work. My mother had a Portable Kenmore washer back in the early 90's, and I was half expecting my new machine to be the same. Boy was I surprised. The first thing I noticed was that the tub didn't completely fill. This worried me at first, and I was really skeptical about how clean the cloths would actually get. Secondly, these machines have no agitator, which made me twice as skeptical. To my utter amazement though, the cloths came out clean and very well rung-out after the spin cycle. Lastly, the instruction manual for this machine SUCKS MONKEY PARTS. It's of NO value at all. So thank the heavens for people who write great reviews and make YouTube videos! If you want to watch a few, just keep in mind that this machine is the exact same model as the Magic Chef 1.6 cu ft. washer. The only difference is the brand name.

The greatest benefit to having this machine, besides not having to go to the laundromat anymore, is how quiet it is. I remember how loud my mother's portable was in the kitchen, and I was afraid my downstairs neighbors would hear it. I recall the spin cycle being especially loud on the older portables. They would literally wobble across the floor. You had to watch the thing to make sure it didn't find its way out the door and down the steps. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. This machine has a slight vibration, but nothing that would alert anyone to the fact that you are doing laundry directly above their heads.

If you are planning to get this machine, PLEASE read the review by Michael C. He suggests things that are essential to making this washer work properly. First, you will absolutely need a Y Splitter if you are running this from a kitchen sink. In all the YouTube videos I watched, no one ever mentioned the need for one. YOU WILL NEED IT. When I ran my first load, the washer kept pausing and I had no idea why. After watching it for a while, I realized that even though I selected "cold" for the wash cycle, and had only installed the "cold" hose, the machine kept trying to pull water from the absent "hot" hose, causing the frequent pauses. I'm not a patient person, so I immediately went to Home Depot to purchase a "Y Washing Machine Mixer Hose". They didn't have one in stock (I think it's an online only product), but they did have a "Metal Y Connector" in the Garden section. It works fabulously and was only $10.
(http://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-2-76-in-Metal-Y-Connector-9000/100178887?MERCH=REC-_-SearchPLPHorizontal1_rr-_-NA-_-100178887-_-N)

Another suggestion was getting the Teflon tape. You will need this if you don't want your entire kitchen to get sprayed. I found it at Walmart in the bathroom/faucet section for $0.97. I think they call it "Faucet threading tape". It's easy to miss, so look in the faucet section near the shower heads. Because I'd never used it before, I watched another video that explained how to put it on. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc6BOAF2M1E) This video explains how to apply the tape, how much to use, etc.

The load capacity will take some time to get used to, but I think I have the hang of it now. Coming from an old large capacity washer, I had to adjust to not having as much space. But, because this washer is so awesome, I totally don't mind splitting my load in half and just running two loads instead.

So now I am happily washing my cloths at home, in my kitchen. If you are thinking about getting this machine, stop thinking and DO IT.


My partner and I bought this washing machine because we live in a top-floor apartment with one coin-operated washer and dryer for all of the tenants to share.  We found out after move-in that everyone in the building operates on roughly the same schedule and we needed to time the wash cycle literally down to the minute for fear of annoying the neighbors and getting our clean clothes dumped on top of the dirty dryer.  When we consulted our lease and property manager, we were basically told that we could use something like this as long as it didn't cause any kind of leak and we didn't change any of the piping inside the walls (anything under a kitchen or bathroom cabinet was fair game).

We looked at the different sizes for this brand but opted for the 1.6 CF size because the wet clothes at the end fit perfectly in a portable dryer that we bought to go with it.  The dryer we got advertises that it can accommodate 9 lbs of wet laundry and the link/specs to that item can be found here: <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001SUDJIQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1>.  I find that this machine washes an entire work outfit (pair of pants, underwear, socks, long-sleeve shirt, undershirt) and 1-2 additional items depending on size/shape.

The washer comes with two standard water intake hoses and a faucet adapter (which fit our kitchen sink but not the bathroom sink).  As noted in other review, the machine gives an error message and you could risk burning out the motor if there isn't water pressure going to both intake ports (hot and cold).  If you are going to use the faucet adapter, make sure that it fits your sink and spend $10-15 on a Y-Connector so that you can use one hose/faucet with both ports.

The washer has about the same footprint as a square laundry basket or hamper.  For this reason, we ended up buying new water hoses with a 90-degree bend at one end so that we can back the machine up to the side of the bathroom sink.  There is only about a 1.5" gap with the new hoses and the top of the washer is just above counter level.  The drainage hose very conveniently hooks onto the left side of the machine if you are facing it and we just place it in the tub when we start a cycle.  Our bathroom sink drains very well (ie - no clogs) but it didn't drain fast enough for the machine and would have overflowed if we didn't switch the drainage to the tub.

In the end, we didn't want to sacrifice the convenience of a hard-wired washer so we actually cut the pipes under the sink and added compression t-connectors.  We then added another small length of 0.5" copper pipe and put on a washing machine shutoff valve similar to this one: <http://www.lowes.com/pd_135578-34146-WMVCOMP+1/2_0__>.  The pipes look and connect the same exact way they did before except there is a hookup on each side that can twist closed when we move out without needing to cap and solder anything.  With this setup the only difference between this and a full-size washer is that we have to remember to place the drain hose in the tub or else our bathroom will flood.  I do want to add as a disclaimer that you shouldn't attempt this unless you (1) have permission and (2) are comfortable enough with plumbing to do proper compression fits that won't leak.  If you haven't done it before, either stick with the faucet adapter or get someone with plumbing experience to help you with pipe hookup because a lot can go wrong.

According to the energy guide, this will cost $34/year to run assuming you wash 8 loads of laundry per week.  This is definitely cheaper than the coin-op machine I was using before.  I have also noticed that my tub needs less scrubbing to stay clean because the bleach water from the clothes does the work for me.


My front loading Frigidaire washer developed mold after several years of use, primarily because I didn't leave the door open for a day or two to dry out as recommended - my bad. I have an excellent mold killer developed after Katrina called MoldStat that can penetrate nearly anything (bleach can't kill mold in wood), but even that stuff could not get mold out of the rubber gasket. Last week after finding another buildup of mold due to debris clogging the drain ports in the gasket, I decided to replace it. I used to be an engineer, very mechanically inclined, but this job nearly got the best of me!

Big Mistake: I tried to replace the gasket without taking the top and front panels off after reading here that it could be done - it was a nightmare trying to get the lip of the new gasket over the metal flange inside the washer. After fighting it for an hour, I gave up, exhausted, with bloody hands and bruises.

My suggestions from experience:

1. After you tilt the washer to get to the bottom screws, leave it up on a couple scraps of 2 x 4's, makes everything easier to get to.

2. Remove the top and front panels! Gives you much better access to the gasket flange. Have a few scraps of lumber ready for when you remove the front panel - there is an electrical connector that will prevent you from setting the front panel on the ground with it tilted - carefully snip the tip of the wire tie holding the wire harness to the back of the front panel -it sticks out through the flange of the panel (do not attempt to snip it where it wraps around the wires!), then set the panel off to the side on the lumber.

3. Do not use dishwasher soap to lube the flange or gasket - made it so slippery I couldn't get a good grip on anything. I rinsed off the soap, dried out the gasket, then sprayed a garage door lube inside the gasket, let it dry overnight - provided lube inside the gasket without being slippery to the hands. Any sort of spray-on dry lubricant should work.

4. Reinstalling the inner spring that holds the gasket to the inner flange was beyond miserable - the two spacers that came with the gasket were too large, couldn't jam them in place to hold the spring at 12:00. Instead, I got some scrap wood ~ 3/8" thick, and used a C-clamp to hold the first piece of wood and spring in place at 12:00. Worked my way down both sides using additional pieces of wood and clamps until I got the spring to 7:00 and 2:00, at which point the clamps were preventing the spring from stretching any further, so I removed all the blocks/clamps except for the two at 7:00 and 2:00, then got the rest of the spring in place - was a huge struggle though - had to use every ounce of strength I had to stretch that sucker far enough and roll it over the flange. For some reason at this point the spacers actually fit, used them to slowly get the last bit of the spring installed a few inches at a time.

5. While it's apart, take the time to thoroughly clean the inside of the washer where the detergent/bleach dispenser resides, use cleaner of choice and an old toothbrush - found mold in there too - then reassemble/reinstall the panels. Use a wire tie on the right side wire harness you clipped off in step #2 to hold it in place and prevent it from rubbing on the panel.

BTW, this Frigidaire gasket ($81) is identical to another one sold here under the Kenmore brand for $71, which is the one I bought - part number is the same - "Kenmore Sears Washer Front Load Door Rubber seal gasket 134515300-KE". Gave it 5 stars because the product is fine, although the instructions leave a lot to be desired.


I just finished this repair job yesterday on a Maytag Bravos Quiet Series 300 washer. Here's a few tips to anyone attempting this repair:

1) Complete list of tools needed - putty knife (to depress spring clips), adjustable wrench (for lock nut and to use bearing tool), vice grips (to hold shaft when removing lock nut), pliers (to remove spring clamp on drain hose), 3/8" drive ratchet, 1/4" allen socket (for bolt holding rotor bell), 7/16" socket and extension (for bolt holding basket), 3/8 socket (for bolts holding stator), hammer (to knock out shaft and to use a punch when removing old bearings), phillips head screwdriver (remove screws holding the basket hub and to keep rotor bell from moving when bolting it back down) and finally a large paper clip or stiff wire (to clean out weep hole near inner bearing).

Optional but nice to have - LED headlight (always helps to have more light to see), a roll of shop towels (to soak up water and clean up parts), a block of wood (hit it instead of hitting the shaft during installation to prevent damage).

2) Rent the bearing installation tool online for ~$25 plus shipping back. You can futz around with attempting to make your own with a threaded rod and washers but why risk the bearings being set out of place and having to do the whole job over again to save a few bucks? Hitting the bearings with a hammer to install them also seems like a quick way to ruin them.

3) If your washer has this problem, replace the bearings sooner than later. My washer just started making the "jet engine" sound a few weeks ago. When I started this repair and looked at the factory installed bearings, I noticed that they were already significantly corroded. I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be to remove the bearings if I put off the repair for later. I also got lucky and did not have to use the jack trick to remove the basket.

4) The spring clips to remove the washer top are much stronger than expected. You'll need a stiff and strong putty knife to get them to budge.

5) Expect to set aside some time to clean up any mold that has accumulated underneath the wash plate cap, on the bottom of the wash plate, and finally the outer tub itself. It was quite disgusting to see all the black mold hidden in the nooks and crannies on the underside of the wash plate. You'll need some q-tips and some vigorous scrubbing in a sink to get rid of it. I use bleach with every load of whites and keep the washer top open when done washing and mold still accumulated in the washer over the years.

6) Set aside at least 24 hours for the Pliobond adhesive to cure before testing out the washer after the repair. Also be sure not to apply excess adhesive. It'll slowly settle near the shaft and that could risk the whole bed of adhesive ripping off in one piece when the shaft spins. It also helps to keep the area you are working in well-ventilated area when using the adhesive. Pliobond gives off quite a strong smell and isn't healthy to breathe in according to its MSDS.

7) Remove and inspect the drain trap in the inner tube while you have the basket off. I didn't find anything in mine but it only takes a few minutes to remove the cover (two 1/4" bolts that can be removed with a multibit screwdriver without a bit in it) and check.

8) When putting the washer back together, be sure to fasten the bolts and screws attaching the stator and basket hub in a criss-cross pattern like when you change a wheel on a car. This distributes the attachment force evenly. The Youtube videos of this repair show people attaching bolts on one side and that way risks parts being misaligned.

All in all, this is not a difficult repair, just a very tedious one. I now understand why labor costs on this repair are so high. If you're getting your spouse to do this repair, be sure to show a lot of appreciation when the repair is done.


Our old washing machine broke a couple of months ago; and, even though we could have fixed it, we decided it was time to go with a new front loader instead. The main reason we wanted front loading machines was because of the space savings when stacked. After a week of research, we settled on either this LG model or the comparable Samsung, based on reading pretty much every review we could find - we settled on the LG because of price.

Aside from the fact that these are extremely heavy compared to our old top loaders, the installation was fairly straight forward. The water hoses are a couple of feet longer than a typical washer hose (even other front loaders), which was great for us since we ended up stacking them a few feet from the water inputs. They are also very easy to setup and use.

At first we were a bit nervous about the height of the machines when stacked, but those fears were completely unfounded. I'm 5'9" and I can access both the washer and dryer with ease. The washer tub is actually tilted upward to make it easier to access when it's sitting on the floor instead of a stand. As a quick reference, if you're worried about the height, the bottom of the dryer opening sits at 54" when stacked, the center of the dryer control knob sits at 76", and the top of the dryer is at 79".

Aside from the obvious space savings, here are the things we've really liked about this washer:
1) It runs very quietly with no noticeable vibration. I was worried about this after reading reviews for other front loaders, but it hasn't been a problem at all - even with both the washer & dryer stacked and running at the same time.
2) It gets our clothes at least as clean as our old washer ever did; but it uses a lot less water to do it. (It's supposed to be easier on the clothes too, but I have no way to verify that.)
3) The controls are intuitive and easy to use.
4) We can fit an amazing amount in each load. Our old washer was a high capacity top loader, but this thing can probably clean almost twice as many clothes in each load. It is especially nice when it comes time to clean bedding that didn't even fit in the old washer.
5) I love the load sense feature. This is one of the things you should read the manual to figure out how to use; but it is definitely worth the effort. Basically, it tells you how much detergent you need to add in order to get the clothes clean for that particular load - I use it to tell me when the load is full by just adding clothes until it says I need the full amount of deterget:). It really does eliminate a lot of guess-work.

As usual, there are some things I wish I could change:
1) You can't use powder detergent with liquid bleach in the same load. You need to have either powder or liquid for both.
2) The controls don't remember settings, which can be a bit irritating since we use the same settings 95% of the time. Luckily they are easy to set, but you do need to reprogram it every time you turn it on.
3) The washer door only opens one way (the hinge is on the left), which is great if that's the way you need it to open. In our case, it opened the wrong way so we had to rearrange the room a bit. Fortunately, the long hoses made it possible to rearrange everything without a lot of extra effort or expense.

Another thing I had read about the front loaders was that the door needs to be left open between loads. I thought this would be a pain, but it really hasn't been a big deal at all. The manual doesn't actually recommend doing that; but says to periodically run a tub clean cycle (I think it says to do it every month) to eliminate any odor. I figure I'll leave the door open as well just to be safe.

Overall we are extremely pleased with these. I guess time will tell if they hold up as well as our old top loader did, but so far I'm pretty confident that they will. I highly recommend these if you're looking for a new washer and dryer.


I really like this ice maker for the one month I have had it.  I give it only 4 stars because I haven't had it long enough to have experienced any problems keeping it clean or to evaluate possible reliability problems.  So far it does what I wanted it to do.  I also agree with all previous comments.  The cubes are smaller than I would prefer and they do have holes in them.  But the unit is compact, reasonably attractive as an appliance and produces acceptable ice.  I haven't owned any previous stand alone ice makers but I find the quality of the ice acceptable as a substitute for the ice my refrigerator unit (no longer working) used to produce.  I would say the quantity of ice produced is adequate for either a couple or even a family of four.  Ideally you would store the ice made in a freezer and only use the IM200SS periodically.  It does make some noise when the compressor is operating so placing it in a bedroom might not be advisable.  But in a kitchen or living room it shouldn't matter.

UPDATE 11/17/2014  I've had this ice maker for a year now and I'm lowering the rating I give it from four stars to only two.  At the moment it is still making acceptable ice but there have been problems.  The first was that a brown scum would accumulate in the area under the ice bucket.  I assumed that some metallic part in the ice maker was rusting but it may be something else though I can't imagine what that would be.  I cleaned that tank.  Oddly the ice itself never seemed to be affected (no odd taste.) Then it began making ice that was too thick to eject into the bucket.  I turned it off and allowed it to reach room temperature and then only partly filled the water reserve tank.  That fixed that problem. Next the controller that limits the amount of water from the reserve each ice making cycle stopped working and all the water in the water reserve tank would flow into the tank under the ice bucket and flood the ice.  Not good.  Again I even more severely limited the amount of water I would put into the water reserve tank and also contrived to raise the ice bucket about an inch using small button magnets attached under the ice bucket to adjust the height.  This last so I could use more water and not have to refill the tank as often.  But about two months ago I discovered that the limiter problem has now cured itself (at least for the time being.)  Now only the brown scum and thick ice problems remain but they are only intermittent.  Still, on balance, I am glad I bought this system because the ice it makes has always been very good.  I appreciate that building an ice making machine this compact is challenging.  But no more than two stars for this one.

UPDATE  7/17/2017
The problem of keeping the unit clean became progressively more difficult.  The brown scum continued to appear and must be rust from some part of the system that should be made of stainless steel.  At times the residue in the bottom of the ice reservoir (that is, below the ice bucket) would take on an oily/slimy feel.  I just wish they had put more thought into the materials that were in contact with the water.  I finally sent the unit to the trash bin about a month ago.  In the preceding four months I was needing to clean the unit every two weeks or so.  And, although my taste buds aren't what they used to be, I believe I could detect an odd taste to the ice.  I started to worry whether I was doing damage to myself using the ice.  That together with the difficulty of keeping it clean led me to dispose of the unit.

Final conclusion - if you are willing to buy a new unit every couple of years this is the unit for you as initially I found the ice to be of high quality.  But I would hope for more from such an appliance, maybe five years between replacement.  So I've lowered the rating to (now) one star.


I fixed my own freezer!
Wish I had known this info before I did it, as I would have saved about fifty bucks.

If you have a freezer that *isn't freezing*, it is often because it isn't defrosting. (The frost buildup blocks the airflow past the cooling fins.)

#1  The Defrost Timer ( Frigidaire 297318010 Defrost Timer) is VERY likely to give out eventually. It is just a mechanical timer, so it has a small motor that can go bad or its metal contacts can get fouled by the normal arcing that happens as it switches from refrigerate to defrost mode and back. This is super easy to get to and replace from the back of the refrigerator/freezer. It's about ten to fifteen bucks, so it's a cheap easy fix. (To diagnose, look for the little dial that you can turn. If you turn it, it will click and the freezer should turn off, then turn it just a little more and it should turn back on. If that happens, the contacts are fine. (If it doesn't turn the freezer off and on, then the contacts are fouled - so replace the timer.) If the contacts are fine, next mark a line on the dial and move it to the 12 o'clock position. Wait a few hours and come back and check it. If it is still in the 12 o'clock position, then the motor on the timer is dead, and you need to replace it. If however the timer has turned to, say, 2 o'clock, then the timer is still good and it is very likely that there is a different cause for the freezer to have stopped.

#2  The Thermostat ( Frigidaire 297318010 Defrost Timer ) is located inside the freezer, behind the bottom back panel, near the heat exhanger that looks like a radiator. (On mine, it was at the upper left corner of the heat exchanger.) The thermostat is fairly easy to get to, and you can replace it for about ten bucks. (Especially if it looks bloated or like it came apart at all, just replace it.) To get to it, remove the shelves, and unscrew the panel. Pull the dial for the temperature selector straight off, and unclip the temp selector from the panel. There will likely be a LOT of ice behind it, if you haven't already defrosted the unit.  If you still have to defrost it, unplug the freezer and place a fan inside of it (up on a couple boards to  keep it out of the melting water). Leave the door open and the fan going for a couple hours and the ice will all be gone, easily, except for the water all over the floor... I'd defrost it in the garage, or outside if possible.

#3  The defrost heater / heating element ( Frigidaire 216730700 Defrost Heater for Freezer ) is located under the heat exchanger, and is attached with some thin aluminum strips. It shouldn't really go bad, so I'd try replacing the above two items first. But if they don't fix it... well here's another forty or fifty bucks to throw at fixing the problem. Be careful with the aluminum strips that hold the defrost heater in place, and you can re-use them. (If they break, do NOT use a non-aluminum wire to hold it in place, or you could ruin your freezer!)

Other diagnostics:  (I haven't done these, but they came up in my searches and fixes.)
  If the fan doesn't run inside, that's a fairly obvious thing to replace, and looks to be pretty easy. Be sure to cycle the defrost timer to check it.
  If there is just not enough cooling, but there is no frost buildup and the fan works, then the temperature selector might be the problem.
  If the compressor doesn't run, there is a capacitor that I've seen come up as a replacement part.
  If nothing works at all - no lights, no fan, no compressor, then you might have had a power surge that blew out the computer board.


Every once in a while you get a bad item but the one I got was flawed from the factory, flawed from amazon, and likely damaged by the previous owner (yeah, I ordered new).  The box arrived looking okay.  Some holes here or there but that isn't uncommon.  What wasn't normal was that the manufacturers seal had clearly been cut and the box re-taped with clear shipping tape.  Not a good start but hey, I don't need the tape, only what's inside.  When I opened the box the items inside seemed to be thrown in.  Another indication it had been previously "owned".  You get the point...maybe Amazon re-shipped a return?  I've had good luck with Amazon, everyone makes a mistake.  I'll ignore that...this review will be manufacturing quality since that was what I was concerned about when I was reading other's reviews.

Once out of the box, I inspected the item.  Even up close it's a great looking hood (design-wise).  The flow, the material...nice.  The workmanship and finish is where this hood really hits the dumpster.  The spot welds used to hold the thing together are minimal and have very little holding power.  The way they finish the edges removed too much material and created cracks in the edges where the material/welds were finished causing a weld to fail and then whatever filler (could just be weld) they use to fail as well (either too thin or too much stress as a result of the failed weld).  The result is a visible crack in the front left of the hood along a formed edge about an inch and a half long).  It's obvious that someone hand sands the corners.  The sand/scuff marks don't go with the grain of the stainless so it actually looks discolored as if you rubbed it too much in the wrong direction with a fine brillo pad.  Since both front corners are finished the same, you can see a noticeable difference in color form just a few feet away (so painfully obvious as you walk around in the kitchen because you always walk by it).  In more than one spot there are little subtle dents where the material had gone through the brake (how the edges are formed) or a result of handling.  These little dents don't look like customer abuse dents but more handling defects created during the manufacturing process (from experience from a past life ;) like one would expect from a piece of material that was adjusted before welding or clamped in a fixture when it was slightly out of shape.

The "filters" are nothing more than stainless sheets that have louvers cut into them in opposing directions.  Simple and effective i would guess but one of mine actually had a screw inside of it "floating around".  From the previous owner maybe...or the manufacturer?  All of the parts on the fllters are made from the same gauge material.  Because of how they fit into the hood itself, they'll likely need tweaking from time to time after washing because the tabs will likely get bent - all 3 of mine needed to be corrected just to put them in the first time.  Not a big deal I guess but I could see a tab breaking off over time.  Are replacements available?  Previous reviewers say it's tough.

Oh...even though the ad doesn't say it, it does have a squirrel cage blower assembly which is a good thing.

I get it, half the price of other hoods.  I can understand why some might say "awesome for the price" or "what a deal" but I'm guessing they got one that was more perfect than the one I got.  What I wonder, after inspecting one in person, is if there are quality issues with things I didn't even inspect like the blower assembly, electrical...I'm suspicious.  Just visually, the discoloring of the corners due to sanding/scuffing during the manufacturers finishing process isn't acceptable and the crack I can't live with.  The product looks nice and they've got the right idea.  I'd recommend spending just a little more money and improve their finishing process even if that means making it $50 more.  The price point would certainly allow it.


4-of-5 stars because the temperature control isn't as tight as it could be, and the leaking keg coupler.  Would have been 3 stars due to the CO2 leaking problem, but the customer service was great!

I decided to purchase this make and model for several reasons.  Reviews of other kegerators such as Danby and EdgeStar were commonly full of complaints about inability to get the temperature down below 40F, while beer should be stored at ~35F.  Since these residential keg coolers are only modifed food fridges, that makes sense.  However, the Kegco model had reviews where folks shared that they were able to get down to freezing with no problem.  Second, the inner dimensions should be large enough to store any size of keg, while others will not be wide enough to store kegs from Anheuser Busch or Miller.  I'm a craft beer fan so I won't probably ever touch the light beers, but I don't want my options limited.  I elected for the 309SS-2 because 1) this is going to be in my house so I wanted the nice look of the stainless steel door, 2) the ease of setting the temperature on the front, 3) the double tap will allow me to have two different beers on tap using two 1/6th-barrels so I can have keg beer and variety, and last but certainly not least 4)the super-chill mode to get a new keg cold faster.  The superchill was attractive because to me it implied that the compressor and cooling system were strong enough to take a heavy load for 24-hours without failing, which I found important because other brands failed under that condition.

I decided not to get more expensive brands based on simple economics.  Doing research in many areas, common issues with kegerators are foamyness on initial pour because the tower isn't cooled, sticking faucets, and poor temperature control.  Most people were able to solve these issues by making modifications on their own.  Initial foamyness on first pour = tower cooler $30-40, sticking faucets = replace with Perlick 525SS $50-60, poor temp control = external temperature monitor and control $80-100.  So for another $100 bucks I can get a perfect poor every time, and if I even want tighter temperature controls I can add that too.

The new unit shipped in about 10 days and was in good condition.  The instructions to setup the fridge weren't great, but all you are doing is putting on four casters and then mounting the tower with the included screws.  The fridge had all holes pre-drilled and treaded so all I needed was a screwdriver.  The CO2 system was daunting, but that will be for any kegerator.  I followed the setup instructions and ended up wasting two bottles of CO2 because one of the keg couplers was leaking.  I called up BeverageFactory and one of the technical service reps guided me through identifying the leak.  At this point I was VERY frustrated with losing $50 of CO2.  Within an hour a customer service rep from Beverage Factory called me and asked me to send a picture of the leaking part (bubbling soapy water) and he would send out a new keg coupler, AND they are sending a new cleaning kit to compensate for some of my losses.

The temperature control isn't that great.  While set at 36F the fridge moves between 30 and 38 using a seperate temperature measurement and a cup of water to calibrate the indeed when the device read 31F and below that the water started to freeze, which it did.  Not perfect temperature control, but I've not had any foamyness from freezing beer in the first 3 weeks of use, so I probably won't mess with it.  I did make my own tower cooler by simply looking up online and following utube videos.  It was easy enough and took parts from radioshack and my ace hardware helpful hardware man.  Within 30 minutes the beer poored perfectly every time because the tower was now cold.  I am going to order the new perlick faucets now.