Many consumers have come to love the Amana brand for both kitchen and laundry appliances. Amana has been manufacturing appliances in the US since the 1930s and their products are well-known for offering great value. They produce solid products with good basic features at very affordable prices. Some consumers just love them!
If you are in the market and doing your research on new washers, you may be looking for an Amana front load washer. As of this writing, Amana produces a 3.5 cubic foot top load washer and matching dryer, and a 4.3 cubic foot front load washing machine and matching dryer. When this blog was initially published, Amana did not produce front load models at all! This new model was released in late 2019 after the old model was discontinued in early 2019.
We'll review the current Amana front load washer and compare it to the discontinued model that preceded it, plus an entry-level Whirlpool front loader as well. Check out our washing machine buying guide for more information on buying a new clothes washer!
Table of Contents
The Amana NFW5800HW Front Load Washer - $799
This recently released model is similar to Amana's previous front load washer, the NFW5800DW, but it has been redesigned to look more like the Whirlpool washer lineup (Whirlpool owns Amana). It has Whirlpool's "What to Wash" and "How to Wash" intuitive controls, a stainless steel drum, and cycle status indicator lights with a digital time remaining display. It actually looks a lot like the alternative entry-level front load washer from Whirlpool we've reviewed in this article previously, the Whirlpool WFW560CHW.
This model incorporates a dispenser with compartments for bleach and fabric softener. It's Energy Star rated and uses HE detergent. The previous Amana model, the NFW5800DW, had fewer wash cycles (Normal, Delicates, Heavy Duty, Quick, and Cold Wash) and the only wash option besides drain/rinse and spin and a washer cleaning cycle was a Delay Wash option. This model has an Extra Rinse option and a Pre Soak option.
Pedestals are available, and this model is also stackable with the matching Amana NED5800HW electric dryer.
Cycles & Options:
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What to Wash: Regular, Delicates, Bulky Items, Whites, Colors, Towels
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How to Wash: Normal, Wrinkle Control, Heavy Duty, Sanitize with Oxi, Cold Wash, Quick
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5 Options: Extra Rinse, Pre Soak, Drain & Spin, Clean Washer with Affresh
- Other Options: Cycle Signal, Control Lock
Dimensions:
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Width: 27"
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Depth: 31.56"
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Height: 38.625"
The Discontinued NFW5800DW vs the New NFW5800HW
The old version of this Amana front load washer had...
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A direct drive motor
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A cycle selection dial, tap touch controls, and a digital time remaining display
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An Efficiency Monitor feature showing you which cycles and options were most efficient
Cycles & Options:
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7 Cycles: Normal, Delicates, Heavy Duty, Quick Wash, Cold Wash, Drain & Spin, Clean Washer
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Options: Delay Wash
Dimensions:
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Width: 27"
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Depth: 33.1"
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Height: 39.75"
Amana NFW5800DW - Discontinued
Here's a comparison of the control panels.
First: The discontinued NFW5800DW control panel.
Next: the new NFW5800HW control panel.
And here's the Whirlpool WFW560CHW control panel so you can see how similar they are:
So, at this point, if you see these models in the wild and one is on sale at a lower price, you could probably grab either one and expect similar performance.
Whirlpool's Budget-Friendly Front Load Washer
If you are focused on getting a front loading model at an affordable price, keep an eye out for this entry level front load washer from Amana's parent company Whirlpool, the Whirlpool WFW560CHW. This model is new for 2019 and is based on a best selling entry level model from previous years.
This Energy Star rated model is priced at $899 and has a 4.3 cubic foot capacity with a Smooth Wave stainless steel wash basket. The Precision Dispense feature releases detergent, fabric softener, and bleach automatically at the correct time in the cycle for the best results. Whirlpool's Intuitive Controls simplify the process of customizing the cycle and options to each load: first select "What to Wash" (for example, Delicates) and then select "How to Wash" (for example, Quick Wash).
This model is available at a similar price as the Amana front load washer and is a great option if the Amana model is not available or not on sale. As you can see, they have the same set of cycles and options and even the same dimensions.
Cycles & Options:
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What to Wash: Regular, Delicates, Bulky Items, Whites, Colors, Towels
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How to Wash: Normal, Wrinkle Control, Heavy Duty, Sanitize, Cold Wash, Quick Wash
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4 Options: Presoak, Extra Rinse, Drain & Spin, Clean Washer with Affresh
Dimensions:
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Width: 27"
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Depth: 31.5"
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Height: 38.625"
Click here to read over 35 real customer reviews of this product!
We hope this article provided you with information on the Amana front load washer you were aiming for as well as some alternatives. Are you considering the new Amana front load washer? Leave us a comment below - We'd love to hear from you!
Editor's Note: This blog was originally written in December of 2017 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy as of the publication date noted above.
