LG makes the washer rated #1 by Consumer Reports. (The validity of the Consumer Reports ranking is for another discussion and another day.) There is no question that LG makes a great washer. There is question as to the usefulness of some of the features they put into their machines. But these questions apply to all manufacturers, since it is difficult to separate the marketing from the engineering.

This thread at the GardenWeb forums offers some information from an actual owner of the machine.

Facts remain that LG washers are well-built, clean very well, offer tremendous washing capacity, are extremely efficient, and of course are very stylish appliances.

The uncertainty arises over the usefulness of the steam features on their upper-end washers. The SteamFresh feature is apparently useful for freshening a few garments (up to five) by injecting steam (no water) into the drum as the drum slowly tumbles. This is supposed to remove wrinkles and odors, and the feature apparently does that. The feature in question is the SteamWash feature which adds steam to an in-progress wash cycle. LG claims this feature "improves washing performance" and offers "higher water and energy efficiency".

Dubious claims aside, the LG SteamWasher is a high-performance machine with useful features. The only caveat to buying LG is the lack of service in some parts of the country. Check into that before you plunk down your dollars.