The Bosch Group

The Bosch Group (that is, groups of companies) manufactures products in automotive industry, building technologies, and consumer products. They are a billion dollar revenue company with over 270 subsidiaries that makes most of its money in the automotive sector, but has a substantial presence in the home appliance sector through its stake in Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte which is a European company that focuses on appliances.

Although they are headquartered in Germany, they have a substantial North American presence in Michigan. Bosch is well-known for their high quality products that have the latest electronic bells-and-whistles for people who want a space-saving device but do not want to compromise on up-to-date technology and features. Bosch is not the only heavy weight foreign player in the appliance market - for example the LG stackable washer dryer is a serious contender in the field, offering relatively advanced ventless, combination units.

Compact Series

At the current time, Bosch makes 3 different kinds of compact washers and 4 different kinds of compact dryers. They are termed compact not only because they are smaller than other Bosch products, but also because they are all stackable with the purchase of a stacking kit. Note it is a mistake to think this is a mini washer dryer as each model is full-fledged for heavy home use. Both dryers and washers come in front-load configuration only. Taken together this implies that the Bosch appliances may be stacked in multiple ways. A washer may be stacked on another washer, and a dryer may be stacked on another dryer, or a dryer can be stacked on a washer which is the most standard configuration. The compact washers have model numbers WAS24460UC, WAS20160U, WFL2090UC. The two condensation dryers have model numbers WTE86300US and WTC82100US, and the two vented ones WTV76100US, WTV76100CN. In the following article we focus on the two lowest priced washer and dryer (WFL2090UC and WTV76100US respectively).

Bosch Washer (model no. WFL2090UC)

This Bosch washer is priced officially for retail at $1,049.00 but most certainly can be found for about $100-$200 less at major retailers such as Sears. The first notable aspect is that it is a major energy saver as it exceeds Federal Energy Star ratings by over 100%. That means on a per wash basis it uses only half of the energy amount designated by Energy Star program as "energy saving". Over an estimated year of use it should consume only 121 kilowatt-hours. In the U.S. average energy cost per kilowatt-hour is $0.12, which for Bosch translates to a cost of $144 only for a year's worth of use. The capacity is a bit small though at only 2.1 cubic feet, which is dwarfed by other stackables for example from GE at 2.7 cubic feet. It also has a gentle cycle for delicate items, something that is missing in some other stacked units.

Bosch Dryer (model no. WTV76100US)

This Bosch washer is priced officially for retail at $899.00 but can be found for a little over $700. It is known as a vented dryer so it must need an exhaust pipe to take the hot air away from laundry during the drying process. There is also a delicate mode for drying items that typically must only be dried on a hanging line (the old fashioned way!) In addition, this Bosch dryer has an extra tumbling setting that rocks the clothes in the tumbler without heat which helps remove wrinkles in clothing.

Summary

Bosch also makes a ventless washer dryer which relies on condensation run-off drying for apartments and homes that do not have vented laundry rooms. It is clear that both washer and dryer are on the pricey side, so presumably the consumer is paying for it in quality and features. The higher end washers ostensibly can detect the fabric weight and type in the load and set both water level and temperature for optimizing the wash. The higher end dryers have even lower heat options to dry very delicate items such as those made of wool. The verdict is Bosch stackable washer dryers are high quality, feature-rich and highly configurable but are more pricey when compared to competitor products. Being European keep in mind washer parts may not be as readily available.