Frigidaire Affinity Washer 3.9 cu.ft $999
http://www.frigidaire.com/products/Laundry/Washers/FAFS4174NW.aspx

Frigidaire Affinity Dryer 7.0 cu.ft $999
http://www.frigidaire.com/products/Laundry/Washers/FAFS4174NW.aspx

Thanks georgect. we have stacked Fridgidaire front loaders right now in our condo & aside from aesthetic, they run strong.

Thanks for the tip. we'll revisit them as a brand.

Others?

If function is more important to you than matching "styling" (really, now, how much styling can be applied to a laundry appliance?), then go with a Whirlpool-manufactured dryer with a drop-down "hamper" front door. It is sold under various brand names, but Whirlpool and Sears Kenmore are the most prevalent. They have been in production forever, and any kinks or bugs in the design were eliminated years ago, and parts are readily available everywhere. Any repairman can service one (usually, the only service required is to replace the drive belt every decade or so) in his or her sleep.

For the washer, as others will attest, an in-washer water heater is a good feature, as is a dimpled drum (such as the Miele "honeycomb" drum or the Samsung "diamond" drum) that minimizes fibers of the clothing from being pulled through the drainage holes during the high-speed spin operation.

The link below is one example of the kind of dryer mentioned above; it is an electric dryer, but a similar model exists that heats with gas; there are also versions with more advanced moisture sensing technology, but that marginal improvement comes at a high dollar price.

Here is a link that might be useful: A simple but functional dryer

@herring_maven - THANKS FOR THE FEEDBACK.
I'm still trying to get my head around this "in-washer water heater."

Not sure what that does or how much $ it adds.

pbx2: "I'm still trying to get my head around this 'in-washer water heater.' Not sure what that does or how much $ it adds."

Most of us have our hot water heaters set to deliver water at about 120 degrees F.; anything hotter than that may be uncomfortable in the shower or the bathtub. If the washing machine lacks any mechanism to boost the water temperature, then 120 degrees would be the hottest wash temperature that the washer could achieve.

All, or almost all, DISHwashers have internal heating coils to boost water temperatures, because hotter temperatures are needed to remove some kinds of food residuals from pots and dishes. So, too, there are certain laundry tasks where you may want the water temperature to get up to 140 or 150 degrees; for those times, only a washing machine with an internal heater will perform the task.