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  • Design & Usability

  • Performance & Features

  • Conclusion

  • Normal and Delicate Cycles

  • Quick and Bulky Cycles

  • Design & Usability
  • Performance & Features
  • Conclusion
  • Normal and Delicate Cycles
  • Quick and Bulky Cycles

Design & Usability

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Buttons, knobs, and pixels, oh my!

This dryer has a standard enamel finish that the manufacturer has dubbed "Island White." A smooth exterior that uses pop-out knobs and stainless trim gives this {{product.brand.name}} an elegant, modern look. The lack of a door handle polarized our lab staff. Thanks to a spring-loaded hinge, you can open the door just by pressing the handle area with your hip or knee, but it can sometimes be difficult to find the "sweet spot" that actually opens the door.

{{photo_gallery "Front Image", "Controls 1 Photo", "Controls 2 Photo", "Drawer Photo", "Lint Trap Photo", "Interior Photo", "Interior Detail Photo", "Sides Photo", "Sides Detail 1 Photo", "Side Detail 2 Photo", "Back Photo", "Back Detail Photo"}}

The cycle select lists the primary eleven options, but a twelfth serves as a "gateway" selection to customized cycles and a whole different list of choices—kind of like the UHF setting on an old TV. The knob moves with easy fluidity and pops in and out for when you need to use it, and the cycle symbols are lit with a blue glow when selected. If you're a fan of whimsical flourishes, keep an eye on the display while the dryer is working: tiny digital bubbles float up and away while your clothes tumble.

We suggest you give the manual a once-over.

The controls may look simple, but thanks to buttons that perform multiple functions and a whole hidden set of dryer cycles, we suggest you give the manual a once-over. The layout itself feels just fine; where it fails is in its attempt to cram more functionality into a smaller space. The four rectangular buttons that you use to select cycle options have no labels because their function changes depending on what's displayed on the digital monitor. You have to wait for the read-out to change whenever you press a button to alter something, and there is a slight lag.

Performance & Features

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Solid work and endless choices

Even if we found the control panel a bit hard to get the hang of, we can't argue with a machine that gets a normal load of clothes dry in under an hour at a reasonable temperature. And an effective Bulky cycle deserves the highest praise. The cycles stop just short of bone dry, which prevents wrinkles and makes ironing easier. You'd be hard pressed to find a machine this competent when it comes to getting clothes ready to wear.

{{ amazon name="Bounce Free Sheets 240 Count", asin="B003CP14R8", align="right" }} And that's just on the sensor-based cycles! Laundry micromanagers have a plethora of specialty programs and options to choose from. There are cycles that sanitize clothes for children, that dry pet beds and rubber-backed bath mats, and that handle loads comprised only of jeans. There's even a Kramer-approved cycle that heats up cold clothes.

In total, the {{product.brand.name}} offers seven different temperature settings and five dryness levels:, but you'll only be able to choose from among the ones that fit the specific load type. Drying time can only be adjusted for the Time Dry cycle, moving in 15 minute increments for a duration limit of an hour and a half. If you plumb the EWMED70JIW into your water supply, you also get steam cycles. And a drying rack is included for delicates that can't take a tumble.

Conclusion

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This dryer is downright luxurious

At its core, the Electrolux EWMED70JIW is a high-end dryer with superb performance. Even if it didn't come with a whopping 20 cycles, we'd still be impressed at how quickly it dried a normal load of laundry, how gently it dried delicates, and how effectively it dried a comforter. In fact, it's so good that we're willing to overlook a somewhat convoluted user interface and a polarizing press-to-open door.

Not everyone needs this kind of power and customizability. But if you're the type of person who irons pillowcases and starches collars, this is the dryer for you. {{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

See how this powerhouse, dazzling machine did on our drying tests. Our results show how the {{product.name}} fared with regard to water retention, temperature, and cycle duration.

Normal and Delicate Cycles

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Will the pretty pennies you spend on this Electrolux buy you great go-to cycles?

Peaking at just 143ºF, the Normal cycle was the hottest that we tested on the {{product.brand.name}}. Clothes came out perfectly dry in just under an hour. No surprises here, just standard drying performance.

The Delicate cycle reached a peak heat of only 113ºF. This is truly ideal for a Delicate load, as cooler temperatures are typically gentler on fabrics and don't cause as much fading or damage. The {{product.brand.name}} only got our clothes down to 98 percent of their bone dry weight, which is actually a good thing. If you're drying items that will have to be ironed afterwards, however, that extra bit of moisture can be helpful, and it sure beats overdrying.

Quick and Bulky Cycles

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Can this Electrolux handle quick work and bulky items?

The {{product.brand.name}}'s Fast Dry cycle didn't do a great job, and was the only cycle that really let us down. Clearly designed for smaller loads than the light, four pound batch that we used, this cycle ran for just 14 minutes and got clothes down to 58 percent of their bone dry weight. If you're hoping to dry small batches of clothes very quickly, you may need about twice as long to remove all excess moisture. Alternatively, you could just do a Timed Dry for the same length at a hotter temperature; Fast Dry peaked at just 113ºF, the same maximum heat as the Delicate cycle.

The Bulky test is usually where our dryers fail. No matter how good they do on every other cycle, the Bulky test proves to be too challenging. Not so for the {{product.brand.name}}: taking just over an hour and a half, our test comforter reached a 90 percent level of dryness. This is excellent, especially considering that temperatures peaked at only 129ºF. The center of our comforter only got to 99ºF, however, which explains that remaining 10 percent of moisture. If you don't mind going down and flipping your bulky items around during the drying process, this machine should definitely be able to take of the job.

Meet the testers

Virginia Barry

Virginia Barry

Former Managing Editor

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Virginia is a former Managing Editor at Reviewed.com. She has a background in English and journalism. Away from the office, Virginia passes time with dusty books & house cats.

See all of Virginia Barry's reviews
Matthew Zahnzinger

Matthew Zahnzinger

Logistics Manager & Staff Writer

@ReviewedHome

Matthew is a native of Brockton, MA and a graduate of Northeastern, where he earned a degree in English and Theatre. He has also studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and spends most of his free time pursuing a performance career in the greater Boston area.

See all of Matthew Zahnzinger's reviews

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