Why You Can Trust CNET Electrolux EFME627UTT Dryer review: This dryer looks lovely, but it takes too long to dry your clothes
Electrolux's EFME627UTT dryer is pretty, but for that price it needs more than just good looks.
Electrolux's EFLS627UTT washing machine cleans fabric fantastically well. Sadly, the $1,349 Electrolux 627 series dryer, its counterpart, doesn't offer performance to match. While this dryer shares the same eye-catching looks, it's slow and underpowered, unfortunate drawbacks for a dryer in this price range.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The EFME627UTT packs plenty of special cycles and steam modes. For many of you, that and its excellent linemate might be enough to justify taking the plunge. However, if all you need is a standalone dryer, pass this machine up for a faster model. Depending on your budget, both the big $1,800 LG DLEX 9000 and $1,299 Kenmore 69133 fit that bill nicely.
Lovely to look at
Available in gray or white exteriors, the EFME627UTT is one spiffy-looking appliance. Like its predecessor the EFME617S Perfect Steam, the dryer has a big control knob that doubles as a display. Circular and framed by chrome trim, the knob's flat face is midnight black. Large white numbers along with smaller text here contrast the dark backdrop. The display glows brightly and it's easy to read, even from a distance.
The cycle dial doubles as a bright LED display.
To the left of the dial are labels for numerous cycle options with their own LED indicator. It has nine different cycle modes in all, each tailored to dry a wide range of fabric and clothing types. You can tackle everything from heavy comforters and blankets to towels, activewear and delicates. Internal sensors measure moisture levels inside the drum and calculate cycle length in real time. You also have the option to run cycles according to preset times.
The machine also comes with steam modes for refreshing and dewrinkling laundry items. Other settings you can tweak include cycle temperature and your desired dryness level. You can choose high sanitizing heat, or air-dry with just cool air. Likewise you can set it to run until the fabric is bone-dry, or purposely leave your clothes damp.
To the right of the dial are additional settings. The text labels are not backlit or illuminated in any way.
My only minor complaint with the EFME627UTT's controls are its tiny LED indicators. Their text labels aren't illuminated, only the LEDs themselves. That makes it hard to see and operate the dryer's controls in the dark. There's no dedicated key for a drum light, either. The light activates when you open the door, though.
The dryer door feels solid enough. You can also slam it shut if you like. That's not possible with some appliances I've reviewed. Case in point are the LG DLEX 5000 and DLEX 9000 dryers. Both machines have doors that rebound from their latches when you swing them closed with any force.
The drum on this dryer has a capacity of 8 cubic feet.
Behind the door is a roomy 8 cubic foot capacity drum. It's not as massive as the 9- or 9.2-cubic-foot capacity machines on the market ($1,800 LG DLEX 9000 and $1,400 Maytag MEDB955FC). Still, it has enough space to accept two wet loads at once from 4.5 cu. Ft. capacity washers or smaller.
Electrolux also sells pedestal accessories for the EFME627UTT for $299. They raise the machine so its drum is easier to reach plus double as extra storage.
Speed and power are a problem
It's painful to say, but while its companion EFLS627UTT washer does a fabulous job, this dryer falls short of the mark. In terms of speed and power, it places near the bottom of all the dryers we've tested to date. You should know that our tests record the amount of water a dryer can pull from wet fabric. They also log the time needed to complete this task. We strive to remove as many variables as possible during testing, including environmental conditions and test materials.
Like many modern clothes dryers, the Electrolux EFME627UTT has a moisture sensor system inside its drum. It's designed to detect humidity levels inside the drum in real time while a dryer cycle is active. The sensor and onboard software work to control the appliance on the fly, shortening or lengthening cycle time accordingly. Even so, the EFME627UTT took a long 51 minutes to complete our test cycles. In fact it hit the same minute count across three separate test runs.
That's a full 9 minutes longer than LG DLEX 5000 (42 minutes, 7.4 cu. ft.), and 10 minutes more than the LG DLEX 9000 (43 minutes, 9 cu. ft.). The Kenmore 69133 dryer, another 9-cubic-foot machine, required just 38 minutes (13 minutes less).
For the record, we chose the dryer's Normal cycle that's designed to process a range of fabric types. According to the manual that covers "everyday fabrics including cottons, linens and sheets." We also selected the dryer's "normal" temperature setting.
Dryers compared
| Dryer | Electrolux EFME627UTT | Kenmore 69133 | LG DLEX 5000 | LG DLEX 9000V | Samsung DV8750 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 8 cu. ft. | 8.8 cu. ft. | 7.4 cu. ft. | 9 cu. ft. | 7.4 cu. ft. |
| Cycle types | 9 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| Avg. cycle time | 51 min. | 38 min. | 42 min. | 43 min. | 38 min. |
| Avg. water amount removed | 5.3 pounds | 5.3 pounds | 5.6 pounds | 5.5 pounds | 5.6 pounds |
| Energy Star Certified | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Avg. power usage per year | 608 kWh | 608 kWh | 607 kWh | NA | 607 kWh |
| App | No | No | Yes, Android/iOS | Yes, Android/iOS | Yes, Android/iOS |
| Warranty | 1 year limited (parts, labor) | 1 year limited (parts, labor) | 1 year limited (parts, labor) | 1 year limited (parts, labor) | 1 year limited (parts, labor) |
Another key figure we calculate is a dryer's water evaporation rate. The number expresses the quantity of water on average a dryer removes from test loads of wet fabric over time. As expected the Electrolux EFME627UTT's sluggish cycles translated into weak drying power. Its evaporation rate came to just 0.103 pound per minute.
By comparison, the most powerful dryer we've tested to date is the $1,199 Samsung DV8750 (0.148 pound per minute). Right below that is the $649 Samsung DV7750 (0.143 pound per minute). Possibly because it uses similar if not identical hardware and software, the Electrolux EFME617S notched the exact same result (0.103 pound per minute)
WATER EVAPORATION RATE (IN POUNDS PER MINUTE)
Don't settle unless you want to
As it stands buying the $1,349 Electrolux EFME627UTT Dryer only makes sense on one condition. That's if you plan to also purchase its paired washer, the $1,349 Electrolux EFLS627UTT. This washing machine won our Editors' Choice Award. It's the best stain remover and fabric cleaner we've ever tested, too. That alone is enough to offset its dryer counterpart's slow cycles. It also helps that both machines share an attractive design.
If you simply need to replace an old clothes dryer then skip this unit. There are faster models out there. Some even have greater-capacity drums and connected abilities. The $1,800 LG DLEX 9000 and $1,299 Kenmore 69133 great choices. Both dryers come with huge 9 cu. ft. capacities, while the DLEX 9000 also links to home Wi-Fi and a mobile app. You can also save a little cash by getting the $1,500 LG DLEX that offers swift cycles plus smarts but less room (7.4 cu. ft.).