Stackable washer/dryer recommendations

Yes! I just did this a few months ago. I wanted Miele too but I ended up with a Samsung, which I love. Be aware of supply chain issues - you might have to wait a long time to get it. In August, I had to replace my giant stacking LG washer and gas dryer. It was 10 years old - the washer was broken for the 3rd time. Last time it had taken forever to even find someone who'd repair LGs, and this time the guy told me he couldn't fix it.  I wanted a more compact w/d, stackable, that had an electric dryer, not gas, and I specifically wanted heat pump technology on the dryer.  I had used heat pump dryers in Europe and I really liked how energy efficient they are, and a lot more environmentally friendly.  I was set on the Miele because my neighbor raved about her Miele w/d lasting 20+ years, and I do love my Miele vacuum. But the only appliance store I could find in the East Bay that even carries Miele washer dryers told me there would be an 8 month wait on the dryer, maybe longer. 

So I looked around and found two other heat pump dryers: Samsung or GE. The Samsung had decent reviews. I haven't had good luck with GE appliances so I didn't consider that one.  When I ordered the Samsung compact w/d stacking set in August from Home Depot I knew there was a 3 month wait for the heat pump model. But I really wanted a heat pump so we bit the bullet and hit the laundromat. After waiting 3 months, Home Depot informed me a few days before the scheduled delivery date that the model had been discontinued by Samsung and was no longer available. What!  At that point I almost bought a non-heat-pump dryer because we'd been shlepping to the laundromat for 3 months and I didn't want to wait anymore.  But the Samsung model turned up on Best Buy's website, so I ordered the set and crossed my fingers. They gave me a delivery date a few weeks in the future, not months. They delivered the washer right away and the dryer came a few weeks later, earlier than predicted.  

I love my Samsung heat pump dryer! It does not need to be vented because it's doing heat exchange, not blowing air over a heating element. It takes about twice as long as a traditional dryer but it's very quiet, doesn't heat up the room, and is much more energy efficient. The condensed water from the drying clothes can either go out through a hose using the same drain the washer uses or it can drain into a sort of shallow tank which you pull out after every load and empty -- you can pour onto your plants, so it's water-saving too (the water is clean - it just went through the rinse cycle!)  The washer is very efficient in spinning most of the water out of the clothes, further reducing the energy needed by the dryer.  Both the washer and dryer are very compact and stackable, and they have simple obvious controls and no unneeded bells and whistles like wifi. It was worth the wait.

If you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them!

I'm sorry to say they just don't make appliances to last any more. We've had to replace every single one of our appliances in the last few years, and none of them lasted longer than 10 years. Our dishwasher repair man told us that the new dishwashers last approx 5 years only! Planned obsolescence is a real thing, so just plan that your newest washer won't last as long as your 1980's model. Buy a good brand that has good reliability ratings (Consumer Reports ratings can be accessed for free if you have a library card), and pay for the longer term warranty. I really like my new appliances, they work really well, but it is a shame that they no longer last. As for where to buy them, we've had the best costumer service from Best Buy, but since there is a global supply chain issue, just buy from wherever actually has your model in stock and buy the warranty from the manufacturer. For what it's worth, we have LG washer and dryers and like them a lot.

We went with the LG washtower. We're a bit concerned about maintenance, as some reviews suggested that if one part breaks you need to fix/replace the whole unit. But so far we've very happy with it; we've had it about a year and a half and it's worked great under heavy-duty conditions (the unit is the same age as our toddler!) We also went all electric, so I feel slightly less guilty knowing that our solar helps offset the energy use. One minor issue is that the touchscreen to activate the washer has been buggy lately. You can work around that by using the app to turn it on and set the cycle--a feature we don't otherwise care about. We would've preferred manual knobs, but everything is connected to apps these days.

As for the old appliances we replaced, some stores like Best Buy offer a haul away option for a small fee.

Do not give up your old washer and dryer! Find a repairman. We moved, and I had a new washer for the first time. It is garbage. I researched and researched to look for a replacement but found no well-designed, high-quality new washers for sale. And by the way, my new HE washer uses much more water because it malfunctions. Old washers are worth their weight in gold!

I’ve heard great things about the Miele washer and dryer, but as another poster mentioned, they’re many months out for delivery. We will probably try them after our current washer dies.
 

We had an Electrolux washer that lasted 3 years before it was unrepairable. This time around we went with the LG which seems higher quality and washes the clothes better, but we’ll see if it makes it a reasonable amount of time. The LG makes it possible to access the drain pump filter - getting to that in the Electrolux required disassembling the whole machine. The fact that you can easily get to the thing most likely to fail in the LG gives me some hope.

We never buy stacking sets because the washing machines are such garbage. The dryers are garbage too, but they are simple machines and can usually be easily repaired. Our dryer is a cheap Frigidaire and has lasted 15 years through 3 washing machines with only minor DIY repairs using YouTube every few years.

We most recently bought from Airport Appliance. They were great - on time delivery, the install was done correctly (leveled the machine without me reminding them), took away the old appliance, nice and easy. They were the same price as everywhere else and carry all the brands - Miele, Electrolux, LG and several others.