As a Brit, what I can't understand in the US is the continued exclusive use of separate washers and dryers. Europe has shifted to a combined unit - I can't remember the last time I saw separates in the UK (outside of a laundromat that is).

It doesn't make any sense. I'd much rather have 2 combined units so that I could do 2 loads of washing in parallel, without having to shift loads around halfway through. I could stick my whites and lights in one, my dark colors in the other, start them both, and go out for the day knowing that both would be dry and ready to put away when I came home. Instead I have to wait around an hour for the first load to complete it's wash cycle before going out, and I know that when I come home, the second load will still be wet. What an unneccesary PITA.