Washing machines: buyer's guide

Barbara Chandler5 April 2012
The Weekender

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The market for automatic washing machines is huge, and making up your mind which one to buy can involve a week's research. The price difference is enormous: from less than £300 to more than £1,000 and modern technology is turning out more and more machines with special features, one of which might be just the job for you and your washing. Shop around on price, but ask whether quotes include VAT and delivery. John Lewis of Oxford Street guarantees lowest possible price with free delivery within a 25-mile radius of the store. Assistants are well-trained and there's an after-sales advice line for problems. The store gives an extra year's guarantee on top of the manufacturer's. BREAKDOWNS

Reliability is a major concern for most people and making a choice can seem a bit of a lucky dip. The May issue of Which? magazine carried a useful survey of reliability, brand by brand, based on reports from 15,000 Which? members at the end of last year. Overall, 19 per cent of machines up to six years old had needed to be repaired at some point. "But," said Which?, "brand by brand there are big differences. The least-reliable brands - Hoover, Philips and Ariston - have poor ratings with around a third needing repairs. Contrast this with the ratings for the better machines - Miele, Candy, Bosch and AEG - and it's clear the manufacturers at the bottom of the table need to make improvements." Zanussi and Indesit, which both make fairly low-cost machines, were reasonably reliable. ENERGY

"Save" is the admirable motto of today's machines, which use on average 60 per cent less water and 40 per cent less electricity than 10 years ago. Energy performance is graded from A to G, as are washing and spin-drying efficiency. In practice, a gratifyingly large number of machines achieve straight As, or at least As and Bs. To save maximum electricity, wait until you have a full load; if you like to wash little and often, then choose a machine with a half-load or economy programme.

An "auto half load" feature means the machine will adjust the water level according to the load size, courtesy of "fuzzy logic" (see below). Using a 40oC cycle takes a third less electricity than a 60oC one. Machines that offer time-delay programmes are handy as they allow you to delay your wash until electricity is on a cheaper rate.

TECHNOLOGY

"Fuzzy logic" is a term you may find in some makers' literature. Alternatively, machines may be described as "intelligent". They both mean that the machine adapts water to the volume and absorbency of the load. Some machines add an extra rinse if there is a lot of foam. Others can rebalance uneven loads. Indeed, a typical fuzzy logic machine will control the water intake, temperature settings, wash time, rinse performance and spin speed. The aim is to make the machine easier to use, yet still give the best results.

INNOVATION

The higher your machine's spin speed, the dryer clothes emerge: speed is up to 1,800rpm on the most sophisticated machine. A new extra-quiet machine could be useful if you live in a block of flats. The new "direct drive" motor system, for example, is quieter than the older belt and pulley and is also thought to be more reliable.

Different makers have different systems for spraying clothes with water and distributing detergent effectively for a better, shorter wash; Bosch's AquaSpa, for example, or Jetsystem by Zanussi.

Watch out for extra-large drums: the outside of the machine is still the usual 60cm wide. A standard drum takes 5kg of washing, but the new breed take 6kg, or even 7kg: good for duvets or loose covers. Useful for cramped spaces is a door that wide-opens nearly flat to 180 degrees, so it's much easier to load and unload. If space is a major problem, consider a "top loader", which is typically around 40cm wide.

NEW MODELS

Just coming into the shops is Hoover's new Vision machine with AAA performance rating and a new angled drum that makes it easier to load. Water consumption is ultra-low at 35 litres. You can open the door during the cycle to add forgotten garments. The finish is white (around £600) or aluminium (£700). The Family Six range has extra-large drums and quieter motors, and there is a new toploading range. Details: 01685 721222; www.hoover.co.uk

The Miele Novotronic with fuzzy logic has the unique FabriCare system. A patented drum has holes reduced from the normal 4,000 to fewer than 700; these are a concave hexagonal shape. A thin sheet of water between the load and drum cushions wear. Clothes are less tangled and water consumption and time are reduced. There's a special programme for hand-washable woollens and silks, and spin speeds up to 1,600rpm. John Lewis has it priced at £999 and Miele is offering a 10-year guarantee; more details from 01235 554455 or www.miele.co.uk.

A stainless-steel cladding gives Baumatic's Mega6SS a sleek look. It has an extralarge drum and 18 wash programmes (£499). An alternative comes in a dramatic black finish; details on 0118 933 6900 or www.baumatic.com.

The new Indesit Evolution range (AAA), with pleasing rounded styling, has a special Woolmark handwashing programme. Call 0870 0104309.

AEG claims the highest spin speed on the market for its new Oko-Lavamat 88840 (1,800rpm), so your clothes take less time to tumble dry. There's also a "fashion" programme for viscose fabrics and a "sensitive" programme for allergy-prone skins; details on 01753 872500 or at www.aeg.co.uk.

Whirlpool's 6th Sense range embodies the latest fuzzy logic and has capacious 6kg drums. Just dial your fabric and let the machine work out the rest. Programme options include "easy ironing" and "quick wash". Prices from around £350. Details: 0870 600 8989; www.whirlpool. co.uk.

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