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Kenmore Elite 41072 Washing Machine review: Kenmore's massive washing machine holds more

Kenmore used LG's mega-capacity WM8000HVA as inspiration for its 41072 Elite washing machine.

Megan Wollerton Former Senior Writer/Editor
3 min read

Rather than making its own fridges, ovens and washing machines, Sears-exclusive Kenmore products are essentially rejiggered versions of products from mainstream appliance manufacturers. This $1,650 Kenmore Elite 41072, for example, is a variation of the $1,600 LG WM8000HVA.

8.2

Kenmore Elite 41072 Washing Machine

The Good

The $1,650 Kenmore Elite 41072 washing machine has a 5.2-cubic-foot capacity, solid performance, and 14 different cleaning cycles.

The Bad

$1,650 is a lot to spend on a single laundry appliance. Fortunately, you can currently find it on sale for just under $1,000 at Sears.

The Bottom Line

Kenmore's 41072 performs well and can hold a lot more laundry than your standard front-load washer, making it a huge asset for larger families.

With a huge drum capacity, above-average cleaning power, easy-breezy controls, and an appealing aesthetic, the high-end 41072 is a smart purchase. That's especially true if your current standard-size washer can't keep up with your laundry needs. Bonus: It's available at Sears right now for just $990.

Kenmore's supersize washer warrants a closer look

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How much washer do you really need?

I can think of a few specific reasons to choose this washer over any of the other front-load models we've tested so far:

1. You have a large family and regularly attempt to shove your surplus of dirty clothes into an already over-stuffed washer.

2. You are a laundry procrastinator and often let two-plus weeks of discarded clothes collect in a precariously growing pile. (This is where I land the majority of the time.)

3. You both have a large family and are dealing with a perpetual clothes-mountain-type situation.

Of course, this is a recommendable luxury washer in its own right, but its 5.2-cubic-foot capacity has usurped the $1,499 5-cubic-foot Samsung WF50K7500AV AddWash as the largest front-load model we've reviewed to-date. It really is the 41072's main selling point, especially if you self-identify with one of the three categories I listed above.

Five-plus cubic feet of space is much more common among top-load models like Samsung's WA52J8700, so that's another route to consider taking if capacity is a main concern.

Here's a closer look at Kenmore's 41072 against its Samsung AddWash competition:

Comparing washing machines


Kenmore 41072Samsung WF50K7500AV
Price $1,650$1,500
Color finish White, metallic silver (for $1,750)Black stainless, white (for $1,400)
Capacity 5.2 cubic feet5 cubic feet
# of cycles 1414
Dimensions (width, height, depth) 29 x 40.8 x 33.9 inches27 x 38.75 x 34 inches
App NoYes, Android and iPhone

In addition to its impressive specs, the Kenmore 41072 boasts luxury style and has a very streamlined control panel, complete with a single knob for accessing all 14 cleaning cycles and buttons to the right for adjusting the temperature, spin speed, and soil level.

Keep in mind that this washer is about 2 inches wider than your standard 27-inch front-loader, so measure your doorways before you buy to make sure you can get the thing in your house -- and that it will fit in your laundry space.

Tackling stains

Kenmore's 41072 earned consistently high marks when it came to stain removal and overall gentleness. Take a look at this how we test washing machines post for all of the details on how we score washer performance.

Here's the abridged version: We run three identical normal cycles with normal soil, hot water, and a high spin. Each cycle contains stain strips saturated with sebum (skin oil), carbon (mineral oil), pig's blood, cocoa, and aged red wine, along with squares of fabric called "mechanical action strips" with holes arranged like the dots on a 5-die.

Afterward we use a reflectance colorimeter to compare the before-and-after saturation of each stain and arrive at a percent stain remaining score. We then use a ruler to count the number of attached, frayed threads on the mechanical action strips that measure at or over 2 millimeters. Lower numbers equal better performance scores both for the stain strips and for the mechanical action strips.

The 41072 had an average of 48 percent of stains remaining. By stain, that's:

  • Sebum: 47 percent
  • Carbon: 58 percent
  • Blood: 29 percent
  • Cocoa: 56 percent
  • Wine: 50 percent

This is a very good score, but it isn't quite as impressive as Samsung's high-end AddWash washing machine, which had only 46 percent stains remaining overall.

kenmore-41072-and-samsung-wf50k7500av-stain-strip-performance-grid.jpg
Enlarge Image
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Tyler Lizenby/CNET

Even with the solid stain removal score, Kenmore's 41072 was still fairly gentle on clothes with 253 attached, frayed threads at or over 2 millimeters. The AddWash by Samsung was noticeably tougher on clothes with 294 attached, frayed threads.

33 washing machines to revolutionize your laundry routine

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The verdict

The $1,650 Kenmore Elite 41072 washing machine is expensive for sure, but this premium cleaner is also among the largest front-loaders available today. Combine that with its ability to remove stains without being too tough on your clothes and the 41072 becomes very recommendable. Tack on the fact that it's currently on sale for $990 and this supersize washer will be hard for families with supersize laundry needs to ignore.

8.2

Kenmore Elite 41072 Washing Machine

Score Breakdown

Design 9Usability 9Features 9Performance 7