“The Samsung 9100 Series washer offers useful features, a quiet run cycle and a beautiful design – and enough capacity for the entire family’s dirty laundry.”
- Gorgeous modern design
- Automatic dispenser with four compartments
- Handy wash delay and self-cleaning features
- Massive capacity
- Impressively quiet spin cycle
- No true integrated smart features
- No way to adjust or shut off the cycle-end alert
Technological innovations are heating up in the home appliance space, and one of the places that’s getting some love at last is the laundry room. We’re just starting to see washing machines that can talk to your phone, letting you control and monitor cycles from the far reaches of your home. The Samsung 9100 Series washer won’t do that, but it’s packed with enough techy goodness to make your washroom the envy of the block. Plus, it’s really, really ridiculously good looking.
The envy of washers everywhere
The great thing about washers and dryers is that they don’t necessarily need to be beautiful: They’re almost always concealed behind closed doors. Yet you may find yourself wishing you had hookups in the foyer when you lay eyes on the 9100 series washer, the partner to Samsung’s DV56H9100GG/A2 dryer. This stunning front-loader features a shimmery, dark-gray finish (Samsung calls it “onyx”) with chrome-colored accents and sleek lines, with a nice flat work surface as a top. A tinted convex door lends to the stylish and futuristic look.
Above the door you have a soap drawer, which is split into three useful compartments: pre-wash, detergent, and bleach / softener. The machine automatically releases each soap at the appropriate time in the cycle.
In the center of the top front panel is a sizable control knob, which features a flashing blue LED to indicate the chosen function. As for cycles, there are 15 presets from which to choose, from normal and quick wash to towels, deep steam, and even “sanitize.”
Finally, there’s a four-inch LED display surrounded by additional feature buttons, with the power and start/pause keys located to the right. The latter are slightly bubbled out and give nice tactile feedback when pressed.
Family-friendly features galore
The Samsung 9100 is a sturdy washer, with a massive, 5.6 cubic foot capacity that can handle an entire family’s laundry. It provides nearly every feature a bustling family could hope for too, including deep steam for removing stains, eco cold for energy-saving everyday washing, and an allergen cycle that’s optimized to remove dust mites, pet dander and more.
You may find yourself wishing you had hookups in the foyer when you lay eyes on the 9100 series.
There’s also a My Cycle feature that lets you save a custom one-button wash setting, and you can program the washer to start at a later time with the Delay End feature. Here, you set a countdown timer of up to 24 hours to specify when a load should start. Plus, there’s a Child Lock function that automatically locks the door and prevents the washer from being activated on accident.
And of course, you’ve got to love the Self Clean+ feature, which removes any mold or bacteria that may occur inside the machine. The 9100 washer reminds you to activate this feature after every 40 loads.
Although the Samsung 9100 doesn’t include Wi-Fi or any integrated app, there is a bit of “smart” functionality with the Smart Care app. The app, which is available for both iOS and Android, uses your phone’s camera to analyze an error code from the machine’s display, and then provides you with countermeasures for troubleshooting any problems. We didn’t have any errors with our test unit, but can see how this app could be a nice time saver.
The sound of silence
If you install this washer yourself — and we don’t recommend that you do — make sure to follow the instructions to the letter. We didn’t and were rewarded with a spin cycle that sounded like a helicopter taking off inside the office. Once we corrected our error (shipping bolts, a common mistake), the 9100 washer rewarded us with one of the quietest spin cycles we’ve ever heard. It’s not silent, but the sound isn’t bothersome one room over with the door shut. In fact, we found the white noise rather soothing.
A load of towels came out spot free and smelling as fresh as a spring morning.
When it comes to the dirty work, the 9100 washer is up to the task. A load of towels came out spot free and smelling as fresh as a spring morning after about an hour-long cycle. Similarly, the unit treated our delicates delicately, and actually beat its own estimated 43 minute cycle time by a few minutes. A mixed load that included shirts, workout gear, and other assorted clothes came out clean as a whistle, including ground-in grime that seemed sure to doom a pair of work pants.
Conclusion
Sick of doing laundry for hours on end? The Samsung 9100 series washer can help. The extra large capacity rivals some commercial washing machines — and you won’t have to cart your clothes to a laundromat to take advantage. Plus, this unit comes packed with family-friendly features designed to make one little part of life easier. And we daresay you won’t get sick of looking at it, either.
But all this convenience and functionality comes at a price. The 9100 lists for $1,699, but you won’t pay that. You’ll pay double, roughly $3,400 because you’re going to want that matching steam dryer, too. What does a washer have in common with Lay’s potato chips? It seems no one can buy just one.
Highs
- Gorgeous modern design
- Automatic dispenser with four compartments
- Handy wash delay and self-cleaning features
- Massive capacity
- Impressively quiet spin cycle
Lows
- No true integrated smart features
- No way to adjust or shut off the cycle-end alert
