Amana is a home brand that believes in putting the ability in afford–ability. They deliberately produce affordable products set at prices that people can actually afford to pay. This above everything else is their stand out feature, and what has made them a household name.
In this article we will talk a little bit about Amana’s impressive background, then we will look at all the different strengths and weaknesses in their washing machines, before taking a look at what we think is one of the best washing machines that Amana has to offer. We will then end with a brief conclusion, and by this point, we promise you’ll feel very well informed.
But before we get into the nitty gritty, here’s a quick rundown of how we’ve scored them in a number of different factors. This should give you a good at-a-glance overview.
- Performance Rating 4/5
- Features Rating 1/5
- Ease of Use Rating 5/5
- Price Point Rating 5/5
- Overall Score 4/5
Background of Amana
Amana was founded in 1934 and named after the town where it was founded in Amana, Iowa.
They have seen a lot of innovation over the decades since, and I mean a lot, including many firsts. For example, they made the first upright freezer for the home in 1947, introduced the first side-by-side refrigerator in 1949, then the first bottom-freezer refrigerator in 1957.
They then diversified quite considerably in 1967 when they brought the first consumer microwave to market. And these are just some of the highlights.
For the remainder of the article we will now focus solely on their washing machine offering.
It is worth noting at this point that Amana now comes under the umbrella of the Whirlpool Corporation, which has a truly global reach. All Amana home appliances are now owned and manufactured by the Whirlpool Corporation.
Strengths of Amana Washing Machines
Affordable
What we really love about Amana washing machines is their super affordable price point. And it’s generally this makes them an easy sell and that keeps them well stocked with many major retailers.
For example, the most expensive washing machine in their offering at the time of writing this article is under $800, whilst at their cheaper end, the washing machines cost under $500! And that’s really something not to be sniffed at when competitors are regularly asking for well over $1000 for their machines!
Energy Star Ratings
Many Amana appliances, including their entire current washing machine range, have earned the Energy Star Label. In order to earn the label, Energy Star, the products have to be third-party certified based on testing in EPA recognized laboratories.
This label is a sign that the machine is considerably energy efficient, and also therefore a sign that the machine will not only save the customer money on their utility bills, but also that it will help to protect the environment and the climate.
Cleaning Ability
Now, this is the deal breaker.
We’re happy to report that Amana washing machines do exactly what they’re supposed to do and with your typical day to day light soil, such as sweat, on your household’s clothes and other fabrics, any dirt marks should come right off.
That said, if you think you have a mark on your clothes that might stain, we would still recommend that you treat the stain first before placing it in the washer. This is because Amana machines don’t have any special stain removal features.
Positive Reviews
As with any customer product reviews you will always see a mix of positive and negative views out there. We would say that customer reviews on Amana washing machines are quite positive on the whole, with a lot of praise for the large load capacity which is a big hit with larger households.
Ease of Use
This is another of Amana washing machines' star features. Without all the bells and whistles from the features you’d get on fancier machines, it makes using an Amana machine far more straightforward than when you’re trying to wrap your head around using their counterparts.
Besides very few washing machine users have ever utilized all of the features you can get on more fancier, more versatile machines.
Great Website
Amana’s website is very good and is packed with useful information about their products. There you will find not just downloadable owners manuals, but also care guides, energy guides, and installation instructions.
But that’s not all. Their website also houses a 411 strong FAQ section, a troubleshooter app with step by step guides to solve any of your Amana washing machine problems, and a section where you can register your machine for warranty and protection benefits.
Availability of Parts
You can find washing machine parts for Amana washing machines quite easily. They are available on both Amana’s own website and Amazon’s website for example.
Drawbacks of Amana Washing Machines
Lack of Features
As you may have noticed from other articles on this website, many home brand washing machines can come with some great extra features. But sadly this is somewhat lacking with Amana. But then you get you what you pay for.
Spin Speeds
It’s nice to have a washing machine that offers high spin speeds, since this means more water is removed from the clothes once washed and leads to quicker drying times. Most Amana washing machines will go up to 1000 RPM, they don’t seem to go any further which is a shame. But this could be deliberate to help meet its Energy Star requirements.
Small range
At the time of writing this article there were only 2, yes 2, models of washing machine available on Amana’s own website. With such a small range on offer, it is our hunch that this may be a sign that Amana is no longer focusing so much on their washing machines and is instead concentrating on further developing its other household appliance products. Especially now that Amana now comes under the umbrella of the Whirlpool Corporation.
Lack of Innovation
Despite Amana’s long history of innovation in household appliances, when it comes to their washing machines they seem to have cut their innovation short. Nowadays washing machines can come with built in wifi and work with your Alexa. But sadly it seems Amana is just not keeping up with the times.
Now that we’ve looked at the strengths and weaknesses of Amana washing machines in more general terms, let’s take a closer look at one of the machines that is out on the market at the moment.
Best Top Loading Amana Washing Machine
Amana NTW4516FW 3.5 Cu. Ft. White Top Load Washer with Dual Action Agitator
The thing we love the most about this Amana washing machine is, as you may well have guessed from what you’ve read here so far, is the affordable price point, which comes in at under $500, even if you were to buy it directly from Amana’s website!
This one is a top loader, with a large 3.5 cubic feet load capacity. This is big enough for laundry loads for a family of four say, or a family of 5 if some of the clothes are small.
It’s star feature (yes you do get one with this machine!) has got to be the dual action agitator. There are two pieces of this agitator which move independently to, as you may have guessed, agitate the clothes. The roll clothing through the bottom of the wash basket, and this serves to produce a more thorough, even cleaning of the laundry load.
And another thing we love about it is just how simple and straightforward it is to use. Somewhat of a signature facet for Amana washing machines.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t tweak it according to what laundry items you want to do or what you want from it. There are 8 different wash cycles, 5 different temperature settings, 2 different spin speeds, and you can set it for the level of soil, including heavy, regular, and delicate.
And for an even better clean you can make use of the machine’s deep water wash option, which adds the maximum amount of water for your laundry load, ensuring you get a really good clean
It also has a late lid lock, which means if you miss an item of clothing after the spin has started, you can still add it in late.
You’re also treated to a durable porcelain tub rather than a stainless steel drum. This helps to ensure that all your clothes stay snag free.
It’s also worth noting at this point that Amana also has a front loading washing machine in its current range, so if you like the sound of Amana washing machines, it may well be worth a look.
All in all, it’s a good machine that will serve you well and is certainly worth the money.
Conclusion
So, Amana machines come from a long line of innovative home appliance products, and with their focus on producing machines that are as affordable as possible, this is great news for consumers such as yourself.
We’re the first to admit that they don’t have quite as many fancy features as some of the other home brands out there at the moment, but they get the job done, and are really good value for money.