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Surprise! Samsung's new washer has a secret hatch

Samsung's AddWash machine is supposed to make it easier than ever to add forgotten clothes to your washer midcycle.

Megan Wollerton Former Senior Writer/Editor
2 min read

BERLIN -- It's been an interesting year for washing machines in Samsung-land. At CES in January, the tech giant debuted a line of Activewash top-load washers, complete with sink compartments for hand-washing or presoaking select items. Now, the team is back on the quirky feature map with the all-new WW8500 AddWash, a front-load washing machine with a hidden clothes hatch (pictures to follow).

According to the official press release, Samsung surveyed a bunch of folks who said that they regularly forget to add some of their clothes to their washer, but feel uncomfortable stopping the cycle completely to throw in that errant towel or pair of socks.

Samsung wants to put an end to those concerns via a smaller, second door built in to the WW8500's main door. Here's how it's supposed to work: Press pause during a wash cycle and the hatch should swing open, allowing you to add anything from a sweater or jeans to extra laundry detergent or fabric softener. (And, the door is equipped with a child lock to avoid accidental/unsupervised openings.)

The WW8500 also has a companion Android and iOS app so you can check in on a cleaning cycle from your phone or tablet and even set custom alerts. That's a nice addition, but it's no longer a new feature in this appliance category; brands like LG , Haier , Bosch and Whirlpool have all recently unveiled app-enabled washers of their own.

Other key features of the WW8500 include SuperSpeed, which is supposed to speed up a regular cleaning cycle to "less than an hour" (although that seems pretty long to me); SpeedSpray, which is designed to distribute water quickly and efficiently; and EcoBubble, which mixes the detergent with water and air before it even hits the main washing machine compartment for a supposedly superior clean.

Samsung hasn't announced pricing or availability information for its new WW8500 AddWash washing machine just yet, so come back soon for updates. In the meantime, check out the rest of our IFA 2015 coverage.