Kenmore Elite 41582 review: The Kenmore Elite 41582 has moderate success with stains

Electrolux's $1,099 EFLS617S is the current front-load washer to beat. With excellent stain removal and solid design, features and usability, it sets the bar high for other midrange front-loaders.

Kenmore's $1,100 Elite 41582 washing machine is roughly comparable to the EFLS617S in terms of features, but it falls behind in everything else. It isn't a bad washer -- it was actually inspired by the Twin-Wash-compatible LG WM4270HVA -- but I'd suggest looking at the competition before buying the front-load Kenmore Elite 41582.

Up close with the elite

The $1,100 Kenmore Elite 41582 offers more in terms of features than the $1,000 Kenmore 41393 I just reviewed. That means you'll get bonus cleaning cycles like Rugged and Small Load, as well as a steam setting.

On design, the 41582's white finish is fine, but you can get a more premium looking gray finish for an additional 100 bucks -- that's model number 41583. Overall, the washer is pretty intuitive and easy to use. At the same time, I wish the right side of the display looked less cluttered.

Here's a closer look at the Kenmore Elite 51582's specs versus the competition:

Comparing washing machines

	Kenmore Elite 41582	LG WM3575CV	Whirlpool WFW87HEDW	Electrolux EFLS617S
Price	$1,100	$1,100	$1,199	$1,099
Color finish	White, Metallic (model #41583 for $1,200)	Graphite Steel, White (for $1,000)	Chrome Shadow, White (for $1,099)	White, Titanium (for $1,199)
Capacity	4.5 cubic feet	4.5 cubic feet	4.3 cubic feet	4.4 cubic feet
# of cycles	14	12	10	9
Energy consumption	105 kWh/year	90 kWh/year	109 kWh/year	85 kWh/year
Dimensions (width, height, depth)	27 x 38.69 x 29.75 inches	27 x 38.69 x 29.75 inches	27 x 38.75 x 33.13 inches	27 x 38 x 31.5 inches
Warranty	1 year, limited	1 year, limited	1 year, limited	1 year, limited
Voltage rating	120V; 60Hz	120V; 60Hz	120V; 60Hz	120V; 60Hz
App	No	Yes, Android and iPhone	No	No

There are a lot more similarities than differences in the above chart, but the 41582 definitely has more cleaning cycles to offer than others in the same price range. This Kenmore model also works with Kenmore Connect, a troubleshooting feature similar to LG's Smart Diagnosis.

But instead of a related Android or iPhone app, the Kenmore version requires a call to customer service. Here's how it works:

• Call 1-800-4MY-HOME and get a customer service representative on the line.
• Make sure your washer is powered on.
• Press and hold the "Wash Temp" button until you see a "6" appear on the washer's digital display.
• When the washer starts to transmit dial-up internet-esque sounds, hold the phone close to the washer.
• The customer service representative will interpret the transmission and tell you what, if anything, is wrong with your washer.

LG's Smart Diagnosis feature is easier because it doesn't require a call to customer service, but at least Kenmore Connect keeps you from having to call a repair person to investigate an issue that could be resolved with a simple call.

Doing laundry

We use strips of fabric saturated with sebum (skin oil), carbon (mineral oil), blood, cocoa and red wine to measure stain removal. Then we arrive at an overall stain remaining score, as well as how each stain did individually. We rely on a wide range of sensors and a reflectance colorimeter to make these calculations -- find out more about how we test washers here.

Kenmore's Elite 41582 did OK here with a 48 percent stain-remaining score. By stain, that translates to:

• Sebum 50 percent stains remaining

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• Carbon 52 percent stains remaining
• Blood 29 percent stains remaining
• Cocoa 54 percent stains remaining
• Wine 54 percent stains remaining

Consider the Electrolux EFLS617S's 40 percent stain-remaining score, though, and the Elite 41582 just didn't do as well overall.

We also measure how tough or gentle a washer is on clothes. For that, we use separate fabric strips with pre-punched holes in the shape of a 5-die. After a wash cycle, frayed fibers appear inside each circle and we count each attached, frayed fiber that measures at or over 2 millimeters long. The higher the number, the more a washer's cleaning cycle damages clothes.

The 41582 did OK here, with 255 attached frayed fibers. But compare that to the Electrolux EFLS617S's 295-count and this Kenmore washer was gentler by comparison. We give stain removal more performance weight overall, but you should definitely keep this metric in mind if you're concerned about wear and tear.

That's a wrap

The $1,100 Kenmore Elite 41582 washing machine is a fine clothes cleaner. It can handle the basics of stain removal and it's pretty gentle on clothes. It also offers more features than your standard midrange front-loader -- a steam setting, speedy cleaning cycles and Kenmore Connect. The thing is, there are better washers out there for the same price. In particular, take a look at the Electrolux EFLS617S -- it nails every category.