When our 14 year-old Maytag washer developed one too many quirks (such as filling then not agitating), my husband and I had to look for a new washer. We knew that a lot of new technology had been introduced since we last shopped for washing machines.
The Whirlpool Calypso washers had many reported problems. However, my sister has a Calypso washer and loves it, and she is not the least bit shy about letting you know if there is a problem. So we investigated these new Cabrio washers. We are not early adopters by nature but this is the second generation for Whirlpool so we decided to buy one.
The Cabrio is like the Calypso in that it is a top-loader machine but lacks the big agitator so it has greater capacity. The Whirlpool engineers studied what worked well in the Calypso and what didn't work. Apparently, they learned well because my Cabrio washer is great. Yes, it is a bit more complicated but that means the wash cycle can be tailored to what is in each load.
One difference between the Cabrio washer and a typical top-loader is that you need to use HE or high efficiency detergent. The HE detergent is more expensive than regular but you don't use much HE detergent for each load. In the end, the detergent costs are the same.
There are 14 different programmed cycles with options within each program. My suggestion is to copy the quick-start guide, laminate it and keep it next to the washer. That way you (and your laundry helpers) don't have to remember what each cycle does.
I've used all the cycles except for the wool cycle. Using the different cycles does help make laundry day go more smoothly. The towels/sheets cycle spins out more water out so that a load of towels dries in less than an hour.
The huge capacity means I do one load of jeans a week instead of two or three. I can wash our queen size quilt at home instead of having to drag it to a laundromat. The queen-size sheets are done in one load instead of two. The Cabrio washer also does a great job when my teenagers have only 4 t-shirts that just have to be washed today.
One special cycle is the clean washer cycle. You put in 1 cup of chlorine bleach but no clothes and let the machine clean itself. This has to be done only once a month. This avoids the mold that has been a big problem with front-load washers.
The Cabrio does make different noises than a traditional top-loader but nothing bad. It's different -- that's all. Our cat also finds the various noises very interesting. He will lay on top of the dryer and watch the action through the glass washer lid. The glass lid lets you see that the clothes do move around in the wash water. So I can testify that the clothes move from top to bottom, even without the central agitator. I call it the operator amusement feature.
The Cabrio does use much less water than a regular top-load washer. Our water softener monitors daily water use. I compared how much water we used with the old washer and with the new Cabrio. Yes, there has been a noticeable drop in our water usage. I figure we'll be using 75,000 to 100,000 gallons of water less each year with the new washer. No, it's not quite as efficient as a front-load washer but the Cabrio is also $300-500 cheaper than front-load washers with comparable capacity.
1 year update (11/2007) We've had the washer for a year now. No problems at all. I've washed sleeping bags, winter coats, and quilts without any problems. Because I can wash bigger loads, I've found that I also wash 2-3 fewer loads each week. This means the laundry is done a couple hours faster on wash day.
