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  • Introduction

  • Front

  • Controls

  • Drawer

  • Interior

  • Sides

  • Back

  • Electricity Use

  • Water Use

  • Cost Per Wash

  • Yearly Running Cost

  • Washing Speed

  • Washing Performance

  • Normal/Permanent Press Cycle

  • Cotton/Whites Cycle

  • Delicate Cycle

  • Heavy Duty Cycle

  • Quick Wash Cycle

  • Dirt Removal

  • Clothes Wear

  • Water Retention

  • Washing Cycles

  • Customization

  • Additional Wash Options

  • Washing Options

  • Detergent Dispenser

  • Washer Door

  • Ease of Use

  • Controls

  • Efficiency

  • Performance

  • Features

  • Introduction
  • Front
  • Controls
  • Drawer
  • Interior
  • Sides
  • Back
  • Electricity Use
  • Water Use
  • Cost Per Wash
  • Yearly Running Cost
  • Washing Speed
  • Washing Performance
  • Normal/Permanent Press Cycle
  • Cotton/Whites Cycle
  • Delicate Cycle
  • Heavy Duty Cycle
  • Quick Wash Cycle
  • Dirt Removal
  • Clothes Wear
  • Water Retention
  • Washing Cycles
  • Customization
  • Additional Wash Options
  • Washing Options
  • Detergent Dispenser
  • Washer Door
  • Ease of Use
  • Controls
  • Efficiency
  • Performance
  • Features

Introduction

Though it has an MSRP of $849, we had no problem finding the {{product.name}} at several stores for as low as $629. For that price, it's a great entry-level front loader that'll keep saving you money for as long as you own it. If you're looking for quick washes and special features -- like a sanitize cycle -- keep shopping. You don't have to spend much more to get those options. But for basic all-around performance at a decent price, this Samsung does the trick.

Front

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Controls

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Drawer

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Interior

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The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Sides

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Olympus SZ-31MR iHS side views

Back

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Electricity Use

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The cost of electricity to run the wash cycles on the {{product.name}} is minimal. Since there's no internal hot water heater on this machine, yearly electricity costs should be just a few dollars on average.

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Water Use

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Each cycle on the {{product.name}} uses between seven and 14 gallons of water, which is very little. We've tested some washers that need more than 20 gallons for certain specialty cycles.

Cost Per Wash

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Across the board, individual washes should run between a nickel and a dime on this machine. It's one of the most efficient we've tested.

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Yearly Running Cost

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Assuming your water and electricity costs aren't too far off the US national average, a year of running the {{product.name}} should cost you $30.93. That's extremely low -- at least $5 less than many other front loaders, and more than $25 less than some top loaders we've tested.

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Washing Speed

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Washing Performance

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Normal/Permanent Press Cycle

With nearly an hour-long run time, this isn’t one of the fastest Normal cycles we’ve tested. It also failed to make a dent in oil-based stains, which we attribute to its relatively low water temperature. Overall, though, it did a good job getting out cocoa, wine and blood stains.

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Cotton/Whites Cycle

The Samsung WF210ANW has no dedicated Cottons or Whitest Whites cycle. Instead, we ran a Normal cycle and cranked up the temperature to its highest setting. The result was slightly better performance on oil-based stains, which — like tourists at Disney World — disappear when it gets really hot.

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Delicate Cycle

Though it did a good job keeping fabrics from fraying, the Samsung WF210ANW’s overall performance on the Delicates cycle disappointed. Most stains remained very visible. We’d recommend that users of this washer pre-treat stains on delicate items before washing.

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Heavy Duty Cycle

After more than an hour and a half, the Samsung WF210ANW’s Heavy Duty cycle was finally complete. For that extra time, it did a lot better job than the Normal cycle when it came to stain removal.

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Quick Wash Cycle

The Samsung WF210ANW’s Quick Wash cycle took just 28 minutes. It did a decent job shifting stains slightly closer to white, but we’d only recommend this cycle for refreshing already clean clothes.

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Dirt Removal

When it came to removing dirt and debris from a wash load, the Samsung WF210ANW struggled. Of the 25 grams of sand we added to each cycle, the washer only got about a third of it out.

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Clothes Wear

There was a great variation among cycles when it came to clothes wear testing on the Samsung WF210ANW. The Normal, Heavy Duty and Whitest Whites cycles were all pretty rough on the test fabric we use to determine fabric wear, leaving behind plenty of frayed threads. But this washer was very gentle when the cycle selector knob was turned to Delicates.

Water Retention

The Samsung WF210ANW did a great job spinning out excess water. That’s important, because the more wet load of laundry is, the more work it is for a dryer.

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Washing Cycles

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The {{product.name}} only has five wash cycles on offer, plus a no-detergent Rinse & Spin selection. There's no Whitest Whites cycle, let alone a Sanitize or Allergen option. All cycles rely on hot water from the tap, as this machine doesn't have an internal water heater.

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Customization

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Each cycle has four custom options for temperature and spin speed, plus three options for soil level. In the event that you want to save a custom program -- for instance, a cycle designed for Cottons or Whitest Whites -- you can save it on the "My Cycle" preset. The only special options available are an extra rinse and delayed start.

Additional Wash Options

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There are few special options available here -- only a delayed start and an extra rinse you can add onto a cycle. There's no option for a prewash or soak.

Washing Options

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Detergent Dispenser

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The detergent and bleach dispensers slide out of the washer's top left corner. Instead of taking up the whole corner, like on most front-loaders, the Samsung's drawer is just a small cubbyhole with a handle.

Washer Door

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The round door opening is large enough to fit in even large loads of laundry, and it opens and closes with ease. The door itself is solid glass with no plastic protector, so you can watch the clothes go round-and-round.

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Ease of Use

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This washer is only 3.5 cubic feet. That's larger than older top-loaders with pole agitators, but smaller than some of the higher capacity machines that start around 4.0 cubic feet. Still, the door opening is big enough that it's easy to load, and the control panel is slightly angled so you don't have to bend over too far to select a cycle.

Controls

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The main control is a cycle selector knob. Turn it, and a bright red LED will illuminate next to the name of the cycle you've chosen. It's extremely intuitive.

Efficiency

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This is one of the most efficient washers we've ever tested. On average, a year with the Samsung WF210ANW should cost no more than $31. That's considerably less than other machines we've tested.

Performance

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This washer does a good job getting out stains, but its lack of an internal hot water heater means that some oil-based stains just don't shift as much as they could with a warmer water temperature. It's gentle on fabrics on the Delicates cycle, but rough on others. Even the effectiveness of debris removal depends on which cycle you choose.

Features

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There really aren't any special features on the Samsung WF210ANW. The control panel is straightforward and allows for a modicum of cycle customization.

Meet the tester

Keith Barry

Keith Barry

Former Editor in Chief, Reviewed Home

@itskeithbarry

Keith was the Editor in Chief of Reviewed's appliance and automotive sites. His work has appeared in publications such as Wired, Car & Driver, and CityLab.

See all of Keith Barry's reviews

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