Electrolux’s new washer premixes water and detergent for a better clean, even in cold H20

By Jenny McGrath January 19, 2016

electroluxs smartboost premixes water and detergent efls617stt efme617stt 13 152 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Do you add detergent to the washer before or after you load the clothes and fill the tub with water? It’s not really something you can control with front-loaders, though you get the option with top-loaders. But Electrolux wants to take the guesswork out of it and add the detergent at just the right time — namely, well before the water even comes in contact with clothes. At the 2016 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, the appliance maker showed off its SmartBoost technology, which premixes the water and detergent, making a cold-water wash just as effective as a hot one.

Select models coming in April 2016 will have a special compartment where the detergent, stain remover, and other additives get mixed together with water. It’s about a six-minute process, but Electrolux says the result is a faster, more effective clean. Digital Trends saw a demonstration of the machine at the company’s testing facility back in December, and the strips — soiled with blood, chocolate and other common stains — looked visibly cleaner than samples from a half-dozen other machines. Normally, you need a gadget called a spectrocolorimeter to see the differences, Electrolux’s engineers told me.

electroluxs smartboost premixes water and detergent efls617stt efme617stt hov ped 603

electroluxs smartboost premixes water and detergent electrolux new washer kbis 2016

electroluxs smartboost premixes water and detergent efls617stt dispenser a 603

Because the solution works just as well with cold water as hot, Electrolux says the 4.3-cubic-foot machine will be gentler on clothes, too. Its new Perfect Steam Washer with LuxCare Wash and SmartBoost ($1,099) could save 40 gallons of water a week compared to high-efficiency top load washers, according to the company.

Recommended Videos

Also coming to KBIS is the washer’s companion dryer, Perfect Steam Dryer with Instant Refresh ($1,099, also coming in April). It has some nifty features, too, like 8.0 cubic feet of capacity and a 15-minute fast-dry cycle. While neither the Perfect Steam Washer with LuxCare Wash ($999) nor the LuxCare Wash System ($899) comes with SmartBoost, both have the LuxCare feature, which Electrolux says is the result of improvements to its wash actions, temperature control, and smart load sensing.

The dryer pairs, the Perfect Steam Dryer with Instant Refresh and 8 cycles($999) and the Perfect Steam Dryer with 7 cycles ($899), have longer fast-dry times (18 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively). Both have the same 8.0-cubic-foot capacity, though. If those times are accurate, you can get a lot of clothes done in pretty short amount of time.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Jenny McGrath is a senior writer at Digital Trends covering the intersection of tech and the arts and the environment. Before…

Smart Home

Best standing desk deals: Plenty of options under $200

The CorLiving standing desk converter extended on a desktop.

Whether you’ve been shopping the best laptop deals or already have a laptop you enjoy, you’re going to need a comfortable place to do your work. Any of the best standing desks make a great option, and right now there are a lot of standing desks available at a discount. We’ve tracked down what we feel are today’s best standing desk deals and you can find them all below. For the times you’d prefer to sit you can also check out today’s best office chair deals, and if you’re looking for some savings to place on top of your desk check out all of the Dell laptop deals, Lenovo laptop deals, HP laptop deals, and MacBook deals going on right now.
MoNiBloom mobile work station — $54 $60 10% off

You can get into the standing desk game for dirt cheap with the MoNiBloom mobile work station. Its height is adjustable across a wide range and it has a thickened stainless steel frame for durability. This standing desk may be small and simple, but it's built to be sturdy and accommodate you in all kinds of different rooms. This is the perfect standing desk if you don’t have a stationary place you prefer to work, as it’s small enough to tuck into a closet and has wheels to easily maneuver from place to place.

Smart Home

Best espresso machine deals: Nespresso, De’Longhi, Breville

The Sboly coffee maker and espresso machine on a kitchen counter.

Every coffee lover should be checking out the current coffee maker deals, as there are a lot of different kinds of coffee makers currently seeing a discount. You’ll find Keurig deals and Nespresso deals out there, as well as some other espresso machine deals, which is what we’re focusing on here. Many of the best espresso machine deals are scattered across brands and retailers, so we’ve done all of the heavy lifting and pieced them all together for your shopping convenience below. So read onward for all of the details on how to save big on a new espresso machine, and if you’re looking for some additional savings for the kitchen check out the current air fryer deals, Instant Pot deals, oven deals, and refrigerator deals.
Sboly coffee maker and espresso machine — $49 $100 51% off

The Sboly coffee maker and espresso machine offers ultimate affordability when it comes to a quality morning beverage. It is a 3.5-Bar machine that can rapidly and professionally extract four shots of hot espresso in just two minutes. It’s compact and designed for any kitchen, and also goes well in the office, RV, and other smaller spaces. The Sboly coffee maker and espresso machine comes with a carafe and a scale for customizing between one and four cups of coffee.

Smart Home

Best Nespresso deals: cheap espresso machines starting at $119

Breville-Nespresso USA Nespresso Creatista Plus Coffee Espresso Machine

Keurig and Nespresso tend to stand out among coffee machines, with each brand generally offering some impressive savings on their coffee makers. There are several Keurig deals out there to shop, but here we’re taking a look at what the best Nespresso deals have to offer. Generally speaking you’ll find Nespresso among the best espresso machine deals and best coffee maker deals, and right now you’ll find Nespresso machines starting at just $137. We’ve got this Nespresso deal and several others listed below, so read onward for the details on how to save. And if you’d like to add some other appliances to your kitchen at a discount don’t miss out on everything that’s going on among the best air fryer deals, best Instant Pot deals, and best Ninja Foodi deals.
Nespresso Vertuo Next — $122 $179 32% off

Available with an aerator (sold separately) this model is the machine only, and it's ready to prepare single-serve espressos or coffees. It has a fast heat-up time, taking just 25 seconds. It's versatile too, with three brew sizes, including five and eight-ounce increments. It's an excellent way to brew gourmet-quality coffees at home, without the expensive price tags you'd pay at your average coffee shops. Give it a try if you haven't! You'll be pleasantly surprised.