Shop Whirlpool Cabrio 4.8 Cu. 26-Cycle High-Efficiency Top-Loading Washer White at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee. The Cabrio washer will agitate for 15 seconds. If the washing machine does not agitate go to manual diagnostic mode: motor, agitate. The Cabrio Washer’s recirculation pump will energize for 10 seconds, spraying water back into the wash tub from the back left of the washer. If no water is being re-circulated go to manual diagnostic mode.
It's unlike any other washing machine we've seen, and it might attract some users who want wash customization but are intimidated by terms like 'Permanent Press' or 'Cold Wash.'
When it comes to cleaning performance, the WTW8500DC keeps up with other top loaders. A 5.3-cu.-ft. drum can easily hold two baskets of laundry, and a low-profile impeller keeps laundry moving during a wash so everything gets evenly clean.
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But while this model has sleek design and strong stain removal performance, it doesn't outperform cheaper Cabrios. Since the 8500 has a floor price of over a thousand dollars, it's only a good value if you love that new control panel.
For our review of this washer's matching dryer, the Whirlpool Cabrio WED8500DC, click here.
The Whirlpool Cabrio WTW8500DC is the first of its kind. With a control panel that tries to stem confusion, it asks What to Wash and How to Wash. On this page, we'll explain what the WTW8500DC washed in our labs and how it did. When it comes to reviewing washers, it's all about cleaning performance and efficiency.
To test stain removal we use controlled, pre-stained fabrics. These are place into an eight-pound test load to face the Whirlpool Cabrio WTW8500DC's wash cycles. When a cycle is finished, we remove them and analyze them under a photospectrometer.
Across the board and across different cycles, the WTW8500DC scored the best against blood and cocoa patches on stain strips. However, it fared slightly below average with sweat and oil. This isn't surprising since sebum and oil repel water.
When we looked at specific cycles, the Whites cycle with Extra Rinse earned the best results, but at 1 hour 18 minutes, it's also the longest cycle. All that extra time didn't result in proportionately more performance: When we set the soil level to three, the Mixed cycle took 1 hour 7 minutes, yet was only 0.5% less effective than Whites.
If you're in a hurry, the Mixed cycle set on Quick required just 34 minutes to complete. In exchange for that extra speed, stain removal performance will decrease by about 9%.
Controls that are too controlling
The Whirlpool WTW8500DC is based on an all-new design, and it sure is sleek. It has no straight lines or pointed corners. Everything is smooth and rounded. High-end details include the slam-proof lid, and—of course—that massive drum.
However, what grabs the eye first is the control panel. It's completely touch sensitive and divided into two sections: What to Wash and How to Wash. What to Wash offers up what we'd normally call cycle selections, such as Mixed, Casual, and Sheets. How To Wash contains options like Normal, Cold, and Quick.
Over the course of several weeks, we had three different reviewers work the WTW8500DC's control panel. We came to two major conclusions. The first is that the layout is well thought out. The second is that we hope it ends up on less expensive machines, since it isn't so outstanding as to warrant a four-figure pricetag.
Most washers cram wash options along the right side of the control panel. On this Cabrio, options like Soil Level and Spin Speed are given their own level, which makes them a little more accessible and invites users to customize a wash.
In fact, this interface would be perfect for a user who hasn't owned a washing machine before—the sort of person who would really like to follow the care labels on his or her laundry, but always found it impossible to do so at the laundromat. Alas, at over a thousand dollars, this washer might be out of the price range of first-time homebuyers.
Additionally, there's not much differentiation among the options: Look at the owner's manual, and you'll see that most extra options aren't recommended. If you're washing Mixed, Casuals, Whites, Delicates, or Sheets, the manual tells you to leave the cycle selector on Normal—and you don't need a fancy control panel for that.
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Cleans like a $600 washer
Performance-wise, the Whirlpool Cabrio WTW8500DC is an adequate top loader. Across all cycles it was particularly tough on blood and cocoa stains. The Mixed cycle set to Normal is long at 53 minutes, and when we ramped up the soil level to maximum, it extended the duration to 1 hour 7 minutes, but effectiveness increased dramatically.
Whirlpool Cabrio White Top-load Washer Wtw8500bw User Manual 2017
Although the cleaning performance is solid, it's no better than previous Cabrio models like the WTW8000BW. That washer is currently selling for less than $600.
The only real advantage the WTW8500DC has over other top loaders is its size. At 5.3 cubic feet, this Cabrio is much larger than previous designs. If you're looking past the control panel, the high-capacity drum is the most compelling justification for the high price.
For in-depth performance information, please visit the Science Page.
Based on average national energy costs and washer usage trends, we estimate the Whirlpool Cabrio WTW8500DC will cost about $57 a year to run. That's on the high side, but within reason for a top loader.
When a load of laundry comes out of the washer, it's wet. Just how wet determines how much work your dryer will have to do to get your clothes into a wearable state. On average, test loads emerged from the WTW8500DC retaining 59 percent of their weight in water. That means more work and energy use for your dryer. We'd like to see a number closer to 50 percent.
Interesting, but not for everyone
Strictly speaking, the Whirlpool Cabrio WTW8500DC is a fine top-loading washing machine, even though it doesn't improve on the stain removal performance of its predecessors. What the 8500 does offer is a new type of user interface, one that would've been icing on a cake for a high-end washer with great performance—or an inexpensive washer aimed at first-time buyers.
Unfortunately, this mid-tier top loader straddles those two worlds. In the future, we hope that this technology will migrate to either better or cheaper machines.
Meet the testers
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Senior Lab Technician at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
See all of Jonathan Chan's reviewsChecking our work.
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We use standardized and scientific testing methods to scrutinize every product and provide you with objectively accurate results. If you’ve found different results in your own research, email us and we’ll compare notes. If it looks substantial, we’ll gladly re-test a product to try and reproduce these results. After all, peer reviews are a critical part of any scientific process.