When I purchased my
GE Profile Harmony Washing Machine, I was contemplating getting the matching dryer. My poor husband... he had to deal with the fact that I weasled him into buying a nice washer (but honey... ours is broken and you do like clean clothing, right?) and then I was trying to talk him into getting the dryer as well. His argument of "Our dryer works FINE dear" only lasted so long before I wore him down and out. I think his final words were "Fine, do whatever you want."
I didn't care that I had to wear him down, I just cared that I won and the new
GE Profile Harmony Dryer was coming home as well.
It's a DRYER
So what makes up the
GE Profile Harmony Dryer? Essentially, it's an electric dryer that retails for around
$899 and is the direct match to the GE Profile Harmony Washing Machine. I say it retails for $899 but I didn't pay that much for it... I think we ended up paying around $500 for a slightly scratched model (including a four year in-home warranty), so it's definitely worth shopping around for.
Here are the product specs:
*White or dark platinum color
*7.3 cu ft capacity
*Stainless steel drum
*LCD touchscreen interface
*Corresponds with washing machine to offer a preset dryer cycle for your specific wash load
*Five heat selections
*Option of timed dry or sensor
*Cool-down portion of cycle tumbles clothing with cool air to reduce wrinkles
*"DuoDry" system dries all types of clothing
*Can create six custom cycles
*Multiple preset cycles
*Multiple dryness levels
*Upfront lint filter
*Multiple exhaust options
*Reversable door
*Plastic shoe insert
*Large size -- 43 1/4 in x 29 in x 27 in
*Warranty: 2 yr whole system, 5 yr drum/main control panel; 1 yr labor
Things I really, really like
I love things that are easy to use... I can't really talk about installation because my husband did it, but it seemed to go by fairly quickly. You must have a 240 V outlet and an exhaust port, but I would assume all laundry rooms have those. The only extra step you'd have to take in installing this dryer is hooking the USB cord to the washing machine, but that only takes a few seconds. It is fairly large, however, which on its own wouldn't be bad... but you might want to make sure this and its matching washer can fit in your room. They barely fit in mine!
As far as the ease of use goes, it's similar to the matching Harmony washer -- there is a learning curve. There are so many preset cycles on here that I have yet to even LOOK at them all... nevermind actually USE them. You can choose drying cycles according to fabric, garment type or special. I mean, there are actually cycles on here for drying sneakers and bras... heck, there's even a de-wrinkle cycle AND one for Dryel! Let's be honest -- I've never used half the cycles preset in this machine because I simply don't need them... but it's nice they're there. I haven't even bothered to create custom cycles (there are six you can create and save) because I simply don't need to.
In any case, using the dryer is as simply as punching a few buttons -- select either timed dry or sensor dry, select the dampness level (four levels), select the heat level (air dry, extra low, low, medium and high), input any options (extended tumble, signal, etc) -- throw your clothing in and hit start. The LCD screen is user-friendly and responsive to touch. The screen is bright and the words easy to read. The lint screen is located right in the front and is easy to clean. Reading the manual is essential to using this machine (at least using it efficiently)-- it is clear and concise with details on how to do everything from operate the machine and cleaning the lint filter to suggested maintenance and changing the dryer lightbulb. It also has instructions on how to reverse the door if needed, though I never bothered.
Other than that, the door is placed well -- I can put a laundry basket right below the opening and load it with no problems. There is a light inside that stays on when the door is open (nice reminder if you forget to close the door). The drum doesn't stain since it's stainless steel, so the inside of the dryer is a breeze to clean. The outside is easy as well -- just wipe it down with a damp cloth or a Clorox Wipe to remove the dust buildup.
So... how's the performance?... One of the reasons I craved a new dryer is the fact that my old one took over two hours to dry a load of laundry. I'm sure there was something wrong with it but I never gave in to the urge to call a repairman. This machine takes about an hour to dry a full load (and that's full by Harmony's huge capacity standards) -- it seems to get done only minutes after the washing machine finishes the next load, so laundry is much more efficient. I've even seen the difference in my electricity bills since we bought the new machine... not only can it dry more in one load, it dries it faster as well!
In my old dryer, the clothing would come out so horrifically wrinkled that the day after laundry day was iron everything day. Let me tell you, I don't mind cleaning... but if there's one thing I hate more than anything else in the world... it's ironing. It just seems so tedious and it's near impossible to do with a child harassing you (unlike, say, vacuuming). I varied the load size, temperature, dry times, EVERYTHING... but nothing worked. I dreaded laundry day because of the wrinkles (even wrinkle free shirts had them). But the BEST part about this dryer is the fact that 90% of the clothing comes out wrinkle-free!!! I say 90% because some of my husband's dress shirts still come out slightly wrinkled, but the damage is nowhere near what happened with my old dryer. I still can't get over the fact that my jeans don't come out of the dryer wrinkled. It's amazing.
Everything comes out dry, fluffy and smelling nice (thanks Bounce), with a nice soft feel to them. I really am impressed that the dryer manages to get every piece of clothing to a preset level of dryness. Sometimes, with my old washer, my jeans would be damp while the dark tshirts bone dry... but that doesn't happen with this machine. I can't recall one load of laundry where an item came out damp when everything else was dry. Also, I don't know if it can be attributed to the new washer and dryer but I swear my clothing is fluffier and softer than before. I'm not kidding.
I'm DONE...The end of cycle signal is nice and loud -- I can hear it across the house. Though, if you don't want this convenience... it's easy to change.
Hey baby... wanna... tumble around sometime? It really is an attractive dryer (isn't that sad to say?). Many of my guests love the lines and the way it looks modern yet classic. We have the white one, but I think the dark platinum looks sharp as well. This isn't just a dryer to be shoved in your garage... it's a dryer to display in a "laundry room." There is one small fault I have with the appearance, though if they fixed the fault... it would probably make for a less attractive machine... The top is curved, so I can't place anything on top of it... my laundry basket won't balance. But I'll sacrifice a little performance for appearance.
Rack 'em up! The plastic rack is easy to use and works well when drying "lay flat to dry" sweaters (on air dry), bras and sneakers. It's high quality and durable plastic, though I wouldn't recommend using it on high heat settings.
Things I really, really don't like
What did you say dear? I couldn't hear you over the pounding... Yeah, this this is LOUD. It's not "plane-landing-on-runway" loud, it's just LOUD. Banging, thumping, pounding, loud. The stainless steel drum (while nice to look at) amplifies everything that tumbles in the dryer. Jeans and towels aren't that bad, but when you wash anything with buttons (ie: Aidan's onesies or a pair of overalls), the racket is heard even through a closed door. They
claim to have a "supreme quiet insulation package," but that's just garbage. This is ten times louder than my previous dryer and I'm washing the exact same clothing.
Though the marriage seemed made in heaven... the washer and dryer eventually separated, citing failure to communicate... One of the "perks" about buying this dryer is the fact it's supposed to "communicate" with the matching GE Profile Harmony washer. Once you move the load from the washer to the dryer, the washing machine is supposed to tell the dryer which setting to use to best dry the specific load of laundry. Well, either my washing machine is speaking a different language or my dryer just simply doesn't care to listen... because I rarely find the settings to be correct. Dress shirts dried on high heat? Towels on medium? The temperature settings are all over the place, very rarely getting anything correct. It's not really that hard to change... but still... it's irritating that such a large selling point for the dryer doesn't work the way it should.
Less Dry, Moderately Dry? Is there any difference? Initially, I played around with the different "sensor" levels to see if I could save energy by lowering the drying time...but I couldn't really tell the difference between the less dry and the more dry settings. The damp was definitely damp and the dry was completely dry... but the two in the middle didn't seem to have any difference.
The GE Dimension... where time moves differently... While the Harmony washer's time is fairly accurate, the dryer's times are definitely not. The washer will send over the information and it'll say 20 minutes. Yeah right, 20 minutes my foot. You see, unlike the washing machine... that's just an estimate. At the end of the 20 minute cycle, the machine will "sense" the clothing and see if it needs more time... inevitably it will... so you're looking at an hour to dry a full load (or so).
Overall
The
GE Profile Harmony Dryer definitely has its share of positives and negatives... but to me, the problems I have with this dryer are mostly superficial. While the sound is extremely loud (problematic if you have a light sleeping child), the other issues are fairly minor. What I am looking for in a drier is one that's user-friendly and works well... and this machine delivers on both counts. It's easy to use, easy to clean, dries clothing quickly and eliminates wrinkles... I really can't see asking my dryer to do much more than that.
If you're buying the GE Profile washer, I would absolutely recommend buying this dryer. While the "communication" doesn't work well for me, at least it's available. Heck, I would even recommend this dryer to people not purchasing the matching washer... that's how impressed I am with its performance.
I give the
GE Profile Harmony Dryer Four Stars and a
Yes on the recommendation!
Pros:
*Large capacity
*Good warranty
*Dries clothing quickly
*Clothing comes out fluffier
*Easy to clean
*LCD interface is easy to use
*Manual is written well with a lot of good information
*Has a matching washing machine
*Clothing comes out virtually wrinkle-free
*So many dryer settings makes for easier laundry
*Rack works well for shoes and other flat-dry items
Cons:
*There is a bit of a learning curve with this machine
*It's so freakin loud
*The washer/dryer communication doesn't work too well
*There isn't a lot of difference in the different sensor readings
*Countdown clock is rarely accurate
*Retail price is expensive
