If I ever write a parenting book, I will title it There’s Always More Clothes in the Dryer. No matter how much laundry we do, there’s always more to be done (especially with two little ones running around), and while it’s certainly not the most difficult of tasks, I often find it tedious and downright annoying.
However, as with many things in life, I’ve discovered that the right equipment, such as one of the best dryers, can make the task much more manageable. Enter the ASKO Tumble Dryer. ASKO is a Scandinavian company that has been building washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and other home appliances for over 70 years. Their goal is to create state-of-the-art appliances that are also easy on the environment.
The Tumble Dryer is a fantastic companion to the ASKO Steel Seal washing machine and shares the same gorgeous design, ease of use, and range of features. However, it also shares its high price tag and lack of smart connectivity. Still, is it worth adding to your home? Read on to find out more about my time with it.
ASKO W4114CW: Key specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 |
| Type | Vented |
| Capacity | 5.1 cubic feet |
| Drying Programs | 13 |
| Heat Settings | Auto |
| Noise Level | 59 dB |
| Sensor Drying? | Yes |
| Smart Features? | No |
| Energy Star? | No |
| Dimensions | H33 1/2 x W23 1/2 x D28 1/2 inches |
ASKO T411VDW Tumble Dryer: Price and availability
The ASKO Tumble Dryer T411VDW doesn’t come cheap at $1,499. For comparison, our current pick for the best premium dryer, the LG ThinQ 7.4-cu ft Stackable Vented Smart Electric Dryer, is $1,149, and every other dryer on our list of dryers is several hundred dollars less than the ASKO dryer. However, the high-quality design, ease of use, and range of features might make it worth the investment.
Right now, the best place to find it is either from Best Buy or by checking ASKO’s website to find a local dealer near you. It comes in white or titanium, so you can match your aesthetic.
The dryer is stackable with the Asko Steel Seal washing machine, so if you don’t have much space in your laundry room, it might be worth considering getting the pair to save space.
ASKO T411VDW: Setup
I received the ASKO Tumble Dryer and the Steel Seal W4114CW washing machine, and they arrived on a pallet. My wife and I had to wrestle them into the laundry room from the garage, which, thankfully, isn’t too far away. Unless you plan to pay someone else to move it, you will need help.
Installation is doable on your own, but it’s always a good idea to call a professional if you feel slightly uncomfortable. Best Buy offers installation for about $70, and your local dealer might also have installation options. You’ll have to contact them when purchasing to ask about it.
ASKO provided all the necessary tools for the installation, but the instructions were a bit vague in some parts, so just be aware of that before you start. This washer and dryer pair can be installed side-by-side or stacked, which is how we decided to do. ASKO has designed a few accessories they call “hidden helpers” that you can put between the washer and dryer to add functionality (see below).
To install the dryer on top of the washer, you’ll first need to attach the tipping guard that comes with the dryer. First, install the bracket on the back of the washer, then install the clip on the back of the dryer. When you place the dryer on top, make sure it’s level (you can adjust the four rubber feet as needed), then tilt it back gently, just enough to slide the clip into the bracket, and you’re done.
If you go the stackable route, ASKO has designed some accessories you can install between them to save even more space in your laundry room. We got the pull-out basket, but there’s also an ironing board, basket/shelf combo, and a drawer. To install the accessories, just set them on top of the washer and the dryer on top of the accessory. Whichever one you get will have the correct size tipping guard to accommodate the extra height.
We did use the pull-out basket to hold special items, dryer sheets, and such, but if we had the choice, we probably would have gone with something like the ironing board or the drawer.
You can also change the opening direction of the dryer door by simply swapping the hinge and latch placement.
One cool feature of the dryer is its “T-style” exhaust vent, which means you can connect the duct (not included) to either side or the back.
I only mention this side note because it impacted us: If you’re installing this in a house that was built before 1991, you might need to install a different electrical plug on the back of the dryer. The one that comes with it complies with the building codes from 1991, but our house was built in the '60s and still had the older connections.
You’ll need a 30 amp, 3-prong cord, which you can easily get from most hardware stores. Replacing it is quite easy; it took me about 5 minutes with a screwdriver.
ASKO T411VDW: Design
If you read my review of the ASKO Steal Seal washing machine, you’ll know I’m a big fan of this design. It’s sleek, rectangular, symmetrical, and very minimalistic. It doesn’t stand out, and the front-load design makes for easy access. One of my favorite things about it is that all the buttons are physical.
That may sound odd, but our previous Maytag dryer had these weird capacitive-style buttons that were hard to press. The buttons and the Tumble Dryer's scroll wheel are blissfully clicking and responsive.
The top right contains all the buttons and the thin, rectangular LCD display. The power button is in the center, next to the selector wheel. Underneath the display are more buttons for adjusting the settings for each of the 13 programs. The start/stop button is on the far right.
The buttons under the display let you adjust the dryness level, anti-crease duration, load size, drying temperature, drying time, and start delay. Keep in mind that not every program allows you to adjust every setting.
The dryer is pretty compact at 23 7/16 in. wide x 33 7/16 in. tall x 30 1/4 deep. One cool thing is that ASKO keeps the dimensions of all its units almost the same, so you don’t have to rebuild or redesign your laundry space when you're ready to upgrade to a new model.
Even though it’s compact, it still has a reasonably generous drum capacity of 38.3 gallons. It is a bit smaller than our previous top-loading Maytag dryer, but it isn’t small enough that we felt we were doing much more than we used to. It holds a fair amount of laundry. We don’t have a king-sized comforter to test, but we fit eight bath towels in there with no problem. The door opening is 12 1/2 inches, so it also opens comfortably wide.
SKO T411VDW: Performance
One of the biggest things that makes this dryer so easy to use is its lack of a touch screen or capacitive buttons. Simply turn it on, select the cycle, adjust settings, and press start. As with the washer, the child lock turns on automatically whenever you start a cycle. You can pause the cycle and power off the dryer, but once you restart it, it picks right back up where it left off.
Even though it’s smaller than our old dryer, we were perfectly happy with how much laundry we could fit into it. We didn’t feel like we were doing a significantly greater amount of laundry than we were before, which is nice. The drum was still large enough to dry heftier medium-sized loads without any trouble.
We tested as many programs as possible, and they all seemed to work as described. I was impressed by the Shirts program, which adjusts the rotation of the drum to prevent shirts, blouses, slacks, etc., from creasing. I threw a few wrinkled dress shirts in, and they came out ready to wear.
One thing to note is that this is a European-style dryer, which typically doesn't add as much heat to the drying cycle as American dryers do. So, when you pull things out, they might still feel a bit damp. Things are not necessarily wet; they’re just cooler than we might be used to.
The drying performance is solid; a typical load for us weighed 21.4 pounds from the washing machine and 17 pounds after the spin cycle in the dryer.
The dryer is also very quiet. We were pleased to discover that even with our laundry room door open, we could barely hear it. My decibel meter clocked it at about 59dB, about the noise on a quiet street.
We did notice that sometimes lint would get stuck to the rim about the edge of the dryer door. We’re not quite sure why, and it never really became a problem, but it’s just something we noticed. We couldn’t weigh the amount of lint it produced because we did not have a scale that could measure that light of weight, but our most granular scale showed it was less than half a gram.
The other thing to note is that there is no smart connectivity whatsoever. You can’t connect it to your phone, and there’s no sort of wireless connection at all. This didn’t bother us, but just something to note.
ASKO T411VDW: Maintenance
The only maintenance required for the dryer is to empty the lint filter on the bottom of the door after each cycle and clean off the rim of the door and the opening when it’s dirty. Easy peasy. Because it’s a vented dryer, there’s no water collected during drying, so there’s a reservoir to empty.
Would I buy the ASKO T411VDW Tumble Dryer?
| Attribute | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | manageable with the tools provided; instructions could be clearer; can be stacked on top of the washer; ability to change the door opening direction and the flexible exhaust vent options; older homes may require an electrical plug change | 8/10 |
| Drying Performance | solid drying performance, effectively handling medium-sized loads; European-style drying may leave clothes feeling cooler; Shirts program is particularly effective in reducing wrinkles | 8/10 |
| Moisture Sensor | adjusts drying time based on the load's moisture level; European-style drying may result in clothes feeling slightly damp | 7/10 |
| Noise Level | operates quietly, with noise levels around 59 dB | 9/10 |
| Maintenance | straightforward, primarily involving emptying the lint filter after each cycle and occasionally cleaning the door rim; vented design eliminates the need for a water reservoir | 8/10 |
Buy it if
Don't buy it if
How does the ASKO T411VDW Tumble Dryer compare?
The GE GFD55ESSNWW is our best pick for dryers in 2024, and for good reason. It’s got a large drum, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a ton of drying programs. And it’s about half the price of the ASKO dryer. It’s pretty big, however, and isn’t stackable.
If you need something reliable and get the job done, the Amana NED4655EW gets all the basics right and only costs a few hundred dollars. It doesn’t have any advanced features, so keep that in mind.
For those with a gas hookup for your dryer, the LG DLG6101W is an excellent choice. It’s inexpensive, quiet, and has a large drum. It’s more complicated to install, so you might need extra help.
How I tested the ASKO W4114CW
My wife and I used the ASKO T411VDW Tumble Dryer in our home for about six weeks. In that time, we did dozens of clothes, bedding, and towels using as many different programs as possible. I unboxed and installed the machine and tinkered with nearly every setting to get as accurate an assessment of it as possible.
Learn more about how we test.
