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Comment by publicola1990 | Hacker News Reader

publicola1990

There is lot of modern technology/appliances that Americans strangely refuse to adopt, induction cooktops and combination washer-dryer washing machines for example..

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Having used both induction cooktops and gas burners for years, you can pry my gas range knobs from my cold dead hands. Induction cooktops create a set of constrains on use that gas ranges don't have.

If not for anything else, since there is no combustion happening in the induction, it gives better air quality in your kitchen and house, and compared to an electric range there are other definite advantages as well.

Combination washer-dryers are not common anywhere because they are terrible. I live in Europe and bought a washer/dryer recently so researched the options. The main problems are (1) the dryer is half the capacity of the washer (2) double the complexity so lots of stuff can break down.

However your primary point might be correct - European windows are much better - how they can open sideways and from the top - I've never seen that in the states.

I am not getting that argument, there are machines that use the same single drum for washing and drying. Its widely popular in Asia for at least the past 30 years, and I don't think they are especially succeptible to maintanence issues or it wouldn't be so popular.

Also they eliminate the need to transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer, which is a major convenience.

Okay, point me to a machine available in Europe which has equal drying and washing capacities. It isn't about drum size, but what they are rated to be able to do.

This model, for example? https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/product-reviews/electric...

Your link doesn't mention it and I can't find the drying capacity for that machine with google.

It doesn't mention a separate drying capacity, but it is being done in the same drum. It can do 8kg washload and 8kg of spin drying is what I would assume.

I only have experience with one particular model during a long-term relocation, but I found that combination washer-dryer unit to be incredibly slow and small. It made sense for a small apartment, but given the choice I’ll take a full size washer and full size dryer anyway. I guess it’s only puzzling to me why small apartments rely on laundromats instead of adding combo units so day to day washing can be done without leaving home.

Despite the convenience of not having to move clothes from the washer to dryer?

These combination automatic washing machines are wildy popular in Asia, where seperate dryer appliances are virtually unheard of.

I'm thinking some of the push back against these machines might be from Appliance makers who would prefer customers buy 2 appliances instead of one.

Induction doesn't work for all pans, and require a 240v line run to your stove top. Combo washer/dryers take significantly longer to do laundry, since you can only have one load going at a time.

These are tradeoffs, and there's nothing strange about that. Personally, I have looked at getting both, but the cost and tradeoffs (given how my kitchen is already set up and the amount of laundry we do) just didn't make sense.

>Induction doesn't work for all pans, and require a 240v line run to your stove top

And most induction tops draw so much current that you need at least 2 phases, but optimally 3 phases installed.

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