Introduction

We didn't have to schlep all the way to the Berlin Messe to see the latest and greatest Miele appliances. Considering that Miele has historically preferred incremental improvements to total redesigns, we could've avoided the crowds at IFA and simply spent some time at the department store just around the corner from our hotel, where a recently-arrived truckload of 24" Miele washer and dryer pairs were on display.

Still, we're glad we stopped by the gleaming fortress that is Miele's booth at IFA -- not for what we got to see, but for what we got to smell.

Miele has introduced a new option on their dryers that lightly perfumes the laundry inside. By placing a dispenser not unlike a Glade air freshener inside of the dryer's vent, the hot air passing through the dryer gently wafts one of three fragrances over the tumbling laundry. It leaves a very light scent without any of the build-up that dryer sheets can sometimes cause.

The perfume option debuts for the European market this year, and a Miele representative told us that we may someday see it on US-bound models as well. Of course, the American launch hasn't yet been confirmed and no date has been estimated. The representative also let us know that the updated lint traps with perfume dispensers won't fit in older Miele dryers.

To see how the feature works, we took a close look at the Miele Softtronic T 8867 WP, one of the pleasantly perfumed models that Miele had on display at IFA.