Software
Houzz Logo Print
webuser_872630964

Miele T1 - 160 vs 180? What's up with the door on the 160?

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

We are getting new appliances during our laundry room reno and have decided on the Miele W1/T1 combo. I've been using an Asko for 10 years so I'm used to compact front loaders etc. I'm a little nervous about the heat pump dryer but after reading reviews on here and elsewhere I think I'll be fine. My question is: should I go for the 160 or the 180? As far as I can tell the major difference between the two is that the 180 has an additional option (Soft Steam) and the door looks different. Sadly, the 180 is the only one whose door looks like the doors on the washers so I kind of want it but, it's so much more than the 160! I know that's a silly thing to care about but, I kind of do when I'm spending this much.

So: any other reason the 180 would be better than the 160? Is it worth the extra $400?

Comments (24)

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I would never go ventless except in a condo where venting is not allowed. I know nothing about heat pumps in cryers I have Bosch W and D they are very efficient and did not coat 2.5K each and the doors match as much as possible

  • 6 years ago

    I am set on the Miele, just trying to decide which dryer. By the way, these machines don't cost 2.5K each, although they are definitely more expensive than other washer/dryers.



  • 6 years ago

    I have the 180 with the glass door. I've probably used the soft steam feature once on some dress shirts. Most of my items don't have issues with wrinkles after being washed in the W1 so I haven't found a good use case for steam on the T1. The glass door is great, however they don't allow you to turn on the interior lighting once the cycle starts. One thing I like about the glass door is being able to see if anything is getting balled up in the dryer, like a large load of sheets, mattress pad, etc. Also good for checking on dress shirts drying. I just open the door and untangle anything and then restart the cycle, this really helps prevent wrinkling.

  • 6 years ago

    Good point about seeing into the dryer. What made you go for the 180 in the first place? Am I missing something else it offers over the 160?

  • 6 years ago

    When I purchased, they were only selling the 180 model, eventually they came out with the 160. I believe the only difference between the two models is soft steam and the glass door.

  • 6 years ago

    Patricia - doesn't Bosch only make ventless dryers? There don't seem to be great options for vented compact dryers.

  • 6 years ago

    As shown in this comparison chart, all three dryers are virtually the same (click 'All details' in the left-hand column) except for a few features. There doesn't seem to be much that would justify the $700 difference between the cheapest (TWB120WP) and most expensive (TWI180 WP).

  • 6 years ago

    yeah I've looked at the chart, just couldn't really believe it I guess! We want the 160 bc we will get the washer that is WiFi enabled and want our dryer to be as well. That seems to be the biggest difference between the 120 and the 160, but worth it for us. The next jump though seems really crazy. But I want my doors to match!!

  • 6 years ago

    Looks like $400 difference.

  • 6 years ago

    I know. $400 for a door (albeit the one I want) and one extra cycle? I'm wanting someone to talk me into it which is weird?

  • 6 years ago

    I've never found the glass door all that valuable unless my load is so small that I can see items are not tumbling, and instead just sticking to the drum, YKWIM .....in which case I either line dry those few items or add stuff to make it tumble. I never had a dryer with glass door until nine years ago and I somehow managed to survive, LOL, but it is a nice feature. If it won't break the bank, go for it.

  • 6 years ago

    we have the 180 and use the soft steam function regularly to refresh clothes


    Heat Pump is an established technology in Europe for a few years. very low heat output in use. We have ours in our Florida condo and never notice any uptick in room temp. Way different than a condenser technology which is hot

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    The miele heat pump dryer works great, it dries the clothes in a reasonable amount of time unlike typical ventless dryers. Our set is in the master bedroom closet so I paid the extra $ for the one with the glass door.


    The 120 model has a lot fewer cycle options than the other 2.

  • 6 years ago

    The steam refresh plus the glass might be what is causing the $400 increase. On my Miele 860 washer, it heats water with the heating element and creates steam that way. My natural gas dryer has a steam refresh option but it sprays water into hot air to create nothing but condensation. This kinda works the first time but real steam is not created, or if it is not a lot of it. So the extra cost might be the heating element required to create the steam, plus the glass in the door.

  • 6 years ago

    I guess I just really wish the dryers all had doors that match the washer doors. Why wouldn't they do that?!?!???

  • 6 years ago

    It is very common to have solid doors on dryers in Europe. We have the 180 dryer. Have never used the soft steam option. Got it simply for the glass door. I like to watch what’s happening inside. the glass for the door, water pumps and tubing for soft steam probably add a couple hundred dollars in parts. Someone has to assemble the glass door, etc. etc.


    We paid a lot for the Miele set, but it’s been great. We have had the washer since October 2018 and the Dryer since December 2018. Have 3600 hours on the washer. No problems. Dryer has 1600 hours on it. No problems.


    You will I’ll be happy with either model. WIFI is excellent. You get notices when cycles are done, when filters need to be cleaned, etc. if your a busy person (kids, tasks, etc.) the end of cycle alert is great. That alone is worth the fee for WIFI. I do wish Miele would expose more diagnostic info in the app. Hours of operation, fault codes, etc. I think it would be very helpful.


    Enjoy your new laundry machines!

  • 6 years ago

    If I had to do it again I would purchase the 180 with the glass door. I actually had to take the dryer glass door off to reverse it and wow is it heavy, doesn't surprise me that it costs more. Also I have to explore the softsteam more when I have time, but wondering if it might be good to offer a kind of quick freshen/sanitize for items like jackets in the winter where it might not be possible to wash them constantly. The steam does get very hot.

  • 5 years ago

    I am struggling with the same issue! So I am wondering what you decided to do and are you happy with the selection?

  • 5 years ago

    @Cindy

    If your struggling then you want the 180 and are trying to find ways to justify it.


    If you buy the 160 will it bother you? If yes, then is $400 more really that much over 5-10-15 years?


    If it didn’t bother you then you would buy the 160 and not even care.

  • 4 years ago

    How has the dryer performed for you? I keep seeing negative reviews of equivalents from Miele from Australian customers


    https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/miele-tdb130wp-heat-pump-dryer



  • 4 years ago

    There are two reviews on that site with negative experiences. it is hard to know what the cause was. Slow drying could be from poor spin and rhe clothes have a lot more residual moisture. Just a guess.


    Wr have had the TWI180 model dryer for two years now and around 4500 hours and no problems. Most loads are dry in around an hour. Towels a little longer.


    Mix fabric types can cause inconsistent drying. Heavy cottons (towels) and synthetics (light polyester) dry at very different rates. This can cause the machine to over or under dry items depending which items are rubbing against the metal paddles. The machine senses the dryness based on electrical conductivity. Dry items being less electrically conductive.


    Musty smells are from leaving water jn the pull out drawer or wet lint from the fluff filters sitting around full and picking up moisture if the ambient air has high humidity.


    If you actually use the appliances you should not have any problems. Wash enough clothes at once so the load is balanced and spins out at full speed. Clean the lint filters after every load like the manual states. Do those items abd the washer most likely wont be able to complete another load before the dryer is done.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I want to scream for having bought this washer and dryer when I redid my mud room. Thought they were so gorgeous. Lol. I wish I could go back in time and slap myself in the face. This dryer is THE WORST. It takes all day to dry a load of towels. ALL. DAY. When I’m busy I go to the laundromat to use the commercial gas dryer so they are dry in 28 minutes vs. THREE HOURS.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    @captainbravo

    If it is taking three hours to dry towels something is wrong. Make 100% sure your load spins at 1600rpm, or at least 1200 or above. Do a full load of towels. watch the final spin. I’m sure you know what a 1600 rpm spin looks and feels like. if you think it was less than 1600 rpm then do another drain and spin. Check the level on the washer. Make sure it is on a solid floor sonit can reach full spin.


    We do towels all the time and a full load takes 60-70 minutes TOPS to dry. If they are sopping wet then the T1 dryer is going to take longer than a vented dryer.