Top Loading Washers/Dryers
A new generation of top-loading washers and dryers from GE are helping to lead the return to top-loader preferences
Although front-loading washers were all the rage for more than a decade, their popularity has declined in the last few years. According to sales-tracking firm TraQline, top loaders are currently outselling front-loaders by a margin of three to one—a big change from 2009, when just 45% of the washing machines sold were top loaders. The reason for the decline could be price, as the average front loader costs $200 more than the average top loader. Other possible explanations are that early front loaders didn’t clean as well as the top-loading machines they replaced and vibrated so badly during spin cycles that people complained of rattled china and units occasionally skittering across the room. As part of this resurgence in popularity, GE has launched a new line of top-loading washers and matching dryers. Most notable is the GTW485ASJ, which at 4.2 cu. ft. is the largest Energy Star–rated agitator washer on the market. The matching dryer, the GTD45EA (electric), boasts a capacity of 7.2 cu. ft. Each machine sells for $649. The gas-powered dryer, the GTD45EA/GASJ, sells for $749. Both dryers also are Energy Star rated.
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