Washers & dryers: performance for less.(Product/service evaluation)

What a difference a year makes. Our latest tests found budget-friendly washers, including a $400 top-loader, that cleaned as well as the $1,500 front-loader at the top of our Ratings.

That's in stark contrast to the top-loading washers we tested last year, some of which were mediocre performers, as manufacturers struggled with new energy standards. Improvements include midwash soaking and more aggressive agitation. Two top-loaders, a $480 GE and a $400 Estate, also have short cycle times. But they still use more energy and water than front-loaders.

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More front-loaders are also hitting the market under the $1,000 mark as manufacturers widen their product lines. A $650 Frigidaire Gallery front-loader, a CR Best Buy, is efficient and gentle on your clothes.

Manufacturers are still pushing pricier models with features such as steam settings, fancy drums, sleeker styling, and even germ-fighting silver technology. But as we found in our tests of 20 front-and 22 top-load washers and 39 dryers, some of those extras aren't worth the money. Here are the details:

Steam settings on the rise. Three front-loaders, the Kenmore Elite HE5t Steam, Whirlpool Duet Steam, and LG Tromm SteamWasher, have steam modes that claim to boost cleaning, sanitize fabrics, and remove stains. Such settings did better at removing stains--the LG's, less so--but the models cleaned well even when we didn't use the steam.

We also tested the steam settings of Kenmore's and Whirlpool's matching dryers. Both use a water hookup and heat to get rid of wrinkles and odors, and they mostly did so with the shirts we tested. But the steam mode allows only up to four garments per load. Another wrinkle: At $1,100-plus, those dryers cost about twice as much as our Best Buys.