Best Dryers

Many top-rated dryers have steam settings

In the past year, steam settings for removing odor and wrinkles have become an increasingly common feature on clothes dryers. Most of the best-rated dryers now include this feature, and the difference in price between steam and non-steam dryers has dropped to just $100 or so. However, experts are divided over just how essential a steam feature actually is: The editors of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute say it's useful for removing wrinkles, while the editors of ConsumerReports.org conclude it's good for freshening but useless against wrinkles. In this section, therefore, we cover both steam and non-steam dryers that offer a good mix of performance, features and value.

Although dryers from several different manufacturers earn positive reviews, we found the most recommendations overall for LG dryers. They're rated second highest (just behind Samsung) in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates owner satisfaction survey, with more than eight out of 10 owners saying they're happy with their new LG dryers. Several LG models, from a fairly basic $650 dryer to a $1,250 steam dryer, receive strong recommendations -- some from professional testers and some from consumers.

We found the best reviews overall for the LG DLEX5101W (*Est. $1,000) , a 7.3-cubic-foot electric dryer with a steam setting, 14 drying programs, five temperature levels, a moisture sensor and an electronic control panel. This dryer uses steam in two ways: The 20-minute SteamFresh cycle steams up to five garments at a time to remove odors and reduce wrinkles, while the SteamSanitary setting cleans items that can't be machine-washed, such as throw pillows and stuffed animals. Other features include an interior drum light, a drying rack, a reversible door (so the dryer can be installed on either side of the washer) and adjustable legs for leveling the dryer on an uneven floor. This dryer is available in white or graphite steel (as the DLEX5101V, which costs about $100 more); the matching washer is the top-loading LG WT5101HW (*Est. $950) , a Best Reviewed pick in our latest report on washing machines. The dryer's warranty covers parts and labor for one year.

The LG DLEX5101W electric dryer gets very good ratings in professional tests. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute editors say its steam cycle is good at getting wrinkles out, and in another independent review it earns top marks for its drying performance, capacity and noise level. Users at AJMadison.com and BestBuy.com back up these positive reviews. We found more than 70 user reviews for the LG DLEX5101W at these two sites, with average ratings between 4.7 and 4.8 stars out of a possible 5. Owners like this dryer's looks, capacity and drying performance. Many really like the steam cycle as well, although one user at BestBuy.com complains, "No matter what setting I choose, the clothes come out wrinkled." We saw a couple of complaints about defective machines and difficulty getting service from LG, but most owners have had no problems.

The LG DLGX5102W (*Est. $1,100) , the gas equivalent of this dryer, has all the same features as the electric version. It doesn't receive nearly as many comments from owners, but we did find five user reviews at Buzzillions.com that give it a perfect 5-star rating. Users rave about this gas dryer's features, including the steam setting and the drying rack, which one owner says is indispensable for drying athletic shoes. One user reports that towels come out softer when dried in this machine.

The LG DLE5001W electric dryer (*Est. $800) is very similar to the LG DLEX5101W. It has the same capacity, the same warranty and most of the same features, but it's available only in white and it lacks a steam setting. However, it performs exactly as well as its more expensive cousin in one independent test, and it receives about 30 enthusiastic reviews from users at HomeDepot.com. Owners praise the dryer's capacity and fast drying time, and they appreciate that the moisture sensor automatically shuts the machine off when clothes are dry. Only two reviews on HomeDepot.com are negative; one user reports two breakdowns over a six-month period, while the other complains that the dryer leaves clothes too wrinkled and static-laden.

We found fewer user reviews for the gas version of this dryer, the LG DLG5002W (*Est. $975) , but a Google search turned up about a dozen from sites such as BestBuy.com, HomeDepot.com and the LG website, where the washer is sold and reviewed by users. This gas dryer earns a perfect 5-star rating from owners at these sites, who praise its many settings and customizable features. Its quietness and large capacity are also appreciated. These two dryers can be paired with a top-loading washer, the LG WT5001CW (*Est. $825) .

Another well-reviewed clothes dryer from LG is the DLEX3875W (*Est. $1,175) . This 7.4-cubic-foot electric dryer is the companion dryer to the LG SteamWasher WM3875HWCA (*Est. $1,150) , the Best Reviewed front-loading washer in our report on washing machines. This steam dryer has most of the same features as the LG DLEX5101W, including the SteamFresh and SteamSanitary settings. It also has 12 additional drying programs, five temperature settings, a moisture sensor and electronic controls. The dryer comes in white or, for about $100 more, graphite steel (as the LG DLEX3875V). It's backed by a one-year warranty.

The LG DLEX3875W gets excellent scores in professional testing. It's rated excellent for capacity, drying performance and noise level, and rated very good for convenience. The dryer also earns an overall rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 from about 20 users at AJMadison.com. Owners say it's quiet and dries clothes quickly, although several mention that the controls are somewhat complicated. "There's a learning curve for all the features," says one user. Despite the profusion of features, a few owners would like to see even more. One wishes the steam cycle worked through a water line, rather than through a container that must be filled by hand. Another says the display is hard to read because it's not backlit, requiring "a flashlight and getting on the floor." Still, users seem to have few serious complaints about this dryer.

As is typical, the gas version of this dryer, the LG DLGX3876W (*Est $1,250), receives fewer comments from users. However, we found about 15 reviews drawn from an assortment of sites, including AJMadison.com, BestBuy.com and the manufacturer's website. The dryer earns an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from users, who say it's quiet, fast and easy to use. Several owners also say the steam works well for releasing wrinkles. One user is pleased that this machine uses "real steam," which is hot enough to kill dust mites, rather than just water sprayed onto the clothes during the drying cycle. A few users mention that the moisture sensor on this dryer isn't perfect; clothes sometimes come out still damp -- although as one observes, "I prefer that to dried to a crisp." Interestingly, we didn't see this problem mentioned with the electric version of the same dryer.

The Maytag 5000 Series Steam MEDE500VW electric dryer (*Est. $800) is one of the least expensive dryers we found that includes a steam setting. The steam can be used for refreshing clothes (releasing wrinkles and removing odors) or for sanitizing hard-to-wash items like pillows. Another feature of this dryer is wrinkle prevention, which keeps clothes tumbling without heat for up to two hours after they finish drying so they don't crease while waiting to be folded. The 7.2-cubic-foot dryer also includes nine drying cycles, five temperature settings, a moisture sensor, a reversible door, an interior light and a control lockout to prevent children from interfering with the dryer settings. This dryer is also available in gray (as the MEDE500WJ) for about $100 more. Maytag doesn't recommend a specific washer to go with this dryer, which comes with a one-year warranty.

The Maytag 5000 Series Steam MEDE500VW performs well in one professional test, with very good scores for drying performance, capacity and convenience, as well as excellent scores for noise level. The dryer also earns a recommendation from the editors of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute in their review of steam washers and dryers. They say this machine can dry a small load in less than 45 minutes and a large one in just more than an hour, and that the steam setting works well for removing wrinkles. They also praise the "uncluttered and easy-to-use control panel." However, they say Maytag's customer service can be hard to reach.

We found more than 30 user reviews for this dryer at HomeDepot.com, AJMadison.com and ConsumerReports.org, with average ratings of about 4.4 out of 5 stars. Owners generally say this machine is quiet and dries quickly, with a great selection of options. They're divided over the usefulness of the steam feature; one user says it can make clean but wrinkled pants fit to wear again, while another says, "I do not see a real use/advantage for the steam." An owner at AJMadison.com finds the feature useful but limited, saying it can handle only a few shirts dried alone, and the collars and button plackets must still be ironed. We saw a few complaints about this dryer's lint filter; one user says it doesn't catch lint effectively, and two complained that the gasket on it wears out quickly. However, the only truly negative reviews we found were from two owners whose machines were defective: One wouldn't work at all and the other malfunctioned with the steam cycle on, turning the laundry room into "a virtual steam bath" before quitting altogether.

The gas version of this dryer, the Maytag 5000 Series Steam MGDE500VW (*Est. $900) , gets fewer reviews from users, but they're more uniformly positive. In 14 reviews at Buzzillions.com, this dryer earns an average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5. Users say the machine is fast-drying, quiet, spacious and easy to use. One owner says, "There is plenty of room in this dryer for my king-size down-filled comforter -- which, by the way, dried in record time!" The only complaint we saw was that the moisture sensor occasionally leaves laundry still damp.

The Kenmore 6800 electric dryer (*Est. $800) doesn't include a steam setting, but it does feature a moisture sensor, a sanitize cycle, a wrinkle-prevention setting and an extra-large capacity of 7.5 cubic feet. One unique feature of this dryer is the heated drying rack, which can speed the drying of items that shouldn't be tumbled, such as shoes, hats and stuffed animals. This dryer is sold only in white and can be paired with the Kenmore 2800 top-loading washer (*Est. $800) . It's backed by a one-year warranty.

The Kenmore 6800 receives fewer user reviews than most electric dryers. At Sears.com (the only retail site that sells Kenmore appliances), we found only about a dozen reviews, with an average rating of 4 stars out of 5. Users say this machine is quiet and easy to use, with plenty of options. Most owners are also satisfied with its drying performance, although one says clothes still come out damp after two or three cycles. At the time of this report, the gas version of this dryer, the Kenmore 7800 (*Est. $900) , receives only two reviews and both of them are negative. Although users say the machine has a large capacity and good drying performance, both find that the automatic setting leaves clothes damp. One also says the lint filter clogs so quickly that it needs to be cleaned in the middle of every load just to prevent it from overflowing.

The Samsung DV520AEW/XAA (*Est. $1,200) is the most expensive dryer to earn a recommendation from our sources. This 7.5-cubic-foot steam dryer has 13 drying cycles, five temperature settings, a moisture sensor and a rust-resistant stainless-steel drum with an interior light. Other features include a door safety lock, a drying rack, a reversible door and an LCD screen. The dryer is also available in silver as the DV520AEP/XAA, which costs about $100 more. Either version can be stacked with the matching washer, the front-loading Samsung WF520ABW/XAA (*Est. $1,500) . Samsung's warranty covers the entire washer for one year and the control board for two years.

The Samsung DV520AEW/XAA performs very well in one professional test, earning top scores for drying performance, noise and capacity, as well as very good scores for convenience. The editors of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute praise its drying performance and wrinkle removal, and call it "very user-friendly," focusing specifically on the folding lint filter that "traps and empties neatly." However, we found only a handful of user reviews for this dryer -- five at the Samsung site and two at ConsumerReports.org -- and they're mixed. In general, owners praise the machine's quiet, efficient drying and its multitude of features, especially the steam setting, which users report is great for getting wrinkles out. Yet out of only seven reviews, two describe dryer breakdowns, one within a week of purchase and one after 18 months. Ratings for the gas dryer, the Samsung DV520AGW/XAA (*Est. $1,275) are hardly more encouraging. The one review we found at Buzzillions.com gives this dryer only 3 stars out of 5 overall, saying it's large and efficient but very noisy. For a dryer this expensive, this is hardly a ringing endorsement.