are there any good integrated tumble dryers?

happyhappyshopper

Hi all, am hoping some of you can give me some urgent advice ..

We have a new kitchen being fitted next week and all appliances ordered bar a replacement for our previous condenser dryer (a brilliant zanussi freestanding one).

We are looking either to get a vented built-in tumble dryer (ideally £220 to £300) or spending a bit more (maybe £400-£500) on a built-in condenser dryer.

So far so good, and ive tracked down the other appliances at great prices.

Searching online though i cant find any built-in tumble dryers with good reviews eg Which? have no built-in Best Buys and say they can only recommend the built in £850 Miele condenser dryer, which is outside my budget. I havent seen any glowing reviews of built-in dryers from ordinary customers online either.

The Baumatic BT1 model at £229 is affordable but ive read only poor reviews online for it .. based on difficulty fitting it, noise levels and the fact that the vent at the front cant be hidden.

Does anyone have experience of this one, or can offer any advice/experiences on finding a decent built-in dryer?

many thanks!

fishing-girl

just had kitchen fitted this week, i also wanted a built in dryer,and found non.so went for a traditional dryer with a special hinge system to make it look built in.

http://www.diy-kitchens.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=485&cat=MISCELLANEOUS+HINGES&websess=88764515269143

because the normal dryer is a little deeper than a built in,all the cupboards were brought forward to be inline. we used a 650mm deep work surface to allow for the extra depth.
it all took a little extra planning, but it looks great and i got the dryer i wanted. we also did this for the washing machine aswell Cheaper than built in and more choice.
hope this helps.

happyhappyshopper

Thanks for the quick reply. Unfortunately its too late for us to redesign worktop depths etc now. I think we'll still need to find a decent built-in tumble dryer or else an integrated condenser dryer that doesnt break the bank - does anyone have any suggestions?

Meepster

In a word - no. ALL integrated tumble driers are quite poor when compared to free standing. They have smaller load capacities, use more energy and tend to break quite often. If you MUST have one, I'd suggest getting a Caple, as they are very cheap and it won't hurt as much when you have to get a new one in a couple of years...

happyhappyshopper

mwilletts wrote: »

In a word - no. ALL integrated tumble driers are quite poor when compared to free standing. They have smaller load capacities, use more energy and tend to break quite often. If you MUST have one, I'd suggest getting a Caple, as they are very cheap and it won't hurt as much when you have to get a new one in a couple of years...

thanks for that.

i still cant believe companies like bosch and zanussi with good reputations for build quality dont make built-in tumble dryers - is everyone supposed to buy a washer-dryer for their fitted kitchens instead, or have a separate utility room for freestanding appliances?

mrsheenpearl60

sadly all the above comments are correct, theres precious few integrated dryers about. Anything by Miele is going to be brilliant, but expensive. Boxing in a freestanding one is a simpler solution than you'd think, altho you may need to change your door sizes and depths. Buying a washer dryer is way more expensive than a normal washing machine and the dryer wont work that well. Getiing a Caple or a Baumatic will leave you with a worse machine but there isnt much to a dryer and if you end up having to get another one a couple of years down the line at least you havent shelled out much.

Out of curiosity, i kno uv placed your order and its beeing delivered, but whos supplying the kitchen?? some retailers can send in new panels/or doors if the fitter asks for them which may cure ur problems with boxing in a free standing??

happyhappyshopper

mrsheenpearl60 wrote: »

sadly all the above comments are correct, theres precious few integrated dryers about. Anything by Miele is going to be brilliant, but expensive. Boxing in a freestanding one is a simpler solution than you'd think, altho you may need to change your door sizes and depths. Buying a washer dryer is way more expensive than a normal washing machine and the dryer wont work that well. Getiing a Caple or a Baumatic will leave you with a worse machine but there isnt much to a dryer and if you end up having to get another one a couple of years down the line at least you havent shelled out much.

Out of curiosity, i kno uv placed your order and its beeing delivered, but whos supplying the kitchen?? some retailers can send in new panels/or doors if the fitter asks for them which may cure ur problems with boxing in a free standing??

Thanks for that. The kitchen is from Howdens, and im sure youre right that they will have immediate stock in their warehouse (one of the advantages of using them).

Im not sure whether we can squeeze in our freestanding condenser into the design now, but ill be sure to ask our fitter when he comes out.