Best place to research appliances before purchase? (Which?, Consumer reports etc)

dellboy102

Thank you all for the replies, its all good advice.

FireFox, many thanks for your offer to run a search for me on Which for a dishwasher, reading the link you posted on how they test it looks like they allocate only 60% of the overall score on cleaning and drying.

Is it possible to see top 5 dishwashers based on categories? if so it would be great to see the top ranking dishwashers based only on the "cleaning and drying" category as that is my main priority.

Feel free to PM me if easier, thanks again for your help on this, its much appreciated

Fire_Fox

dellboy102 wrote: »

Thank you all for the replies, its all good advice.

FireFox, many thanks for your offer to run a search for me on Which for a dishwasher, reading the link you posted on how they test it looks like they allocate only 60% of the overall score on cleaning and drying.

Is it possible to see top 5 dishwashers based on categories? if so it would be great to see the top ranking dishwashers based only on the "cleaning and drying" category as that is my main priority.

Feel free to PM me if easier, thanks again for your help on this, its much appreciated

No problem.

Scrolling through the Best Buy table, loads score the full five stars for cleaning and the full five stars for drying. But there are exceptions with four or even three stars in one or other category.

Could we narrow the field: full size or slimline, freestanding integrated or semi-integrated, maximum budget? Then see which score five stars in both categories. Once we get a meaningful shortlist I can post the reviews of a few.

Apples v oranges
The cheapest BB is a Kenwood ~£230, five star cleaning three star drying.
The most expensive BB is a Miele ~£1450 :eek: five star cleaning and drying.
The cheapest BB with five star cleaning and drying is a slimline Belling ~£250.

These examples are likely of interest to three different buyers!

dellboy102

Ah yes course, it'll be a fullsize freestanding (non integrated) one I'm after, and Bosch branded as we've had good reliability out of our old appliances, Miele might be a bit too much but am still considering it, budget of up to £550, hopefully I can get a good perfomer for less

EssexExile

White goods are a minefield now, don't assume just because it has Bosch (or Siemens) written on it that it is made by Bosch in Germany. If you find a model that looks good in all the reviews don't assume that other models by the same company are as good.

My Bosch & my friends Siemens, which are the same, are made in Spain. They are quite good but not as good as my old Hotpoint it replaced, which was a copy of a German Bosch!

Fire_Fox

dellboy102 wrote: »

Ah yes course, it'll be a fullsize freestanding (non integrated) one I'm after, and Bosch branded as we've had good reliability out of our old appliances, Miele might be a bit too much but am still considering it, budget of up to £550, hopefully I can get a good perfomer for less

Bosch dishwashers ...

Full size, freestanding narrows the total field to eleven models.
Maximum budget £550 narrows to six models.

SMS25EI00G/01 76% overall ~£370, 5-star cleaning & drying

SMS46IW09G 74% overall ~£420, 5-star cleaning, 4-star drying

[STRIKE]SMS46MW00G/28 65% overall ~£460, 4 -star cleaning & drying[/STRIKE]

SMS46MW03G 75% overall ~£480, 5-star cleaning & drying

SMS67MW01G 80% overall ~£510, 5-star cleaning & drying

SMS46IW10G 76% overall ~£510, 5 star cleaning & drying

Fire_Fox

Bosch SMS25EI00G/01 Full Review, October 2017

"Overview

This dishwasher's eco program is so energy efficient that we have labelled it an Energy Saver. It does a great job of getting dishes clean and dry, while also being easy to use. All of this adds up to a worthy Best Buy.

What is it?

A full-sized, freestanding dishwasher from Bosch with 13 place settings. Full-sized machines typically hold between 12 and 15 place settings, so larger families may prefer a slightly larger capacity.

It has five programs to choose from, including eco, intensive, glass, quick and a pre-rinse option. There's no normal or auto program, to your go-to one for everyday cleaning will be the eco wash.

You can customise your program choice with the two optional extra functions. Extra Dry will increase the length of the drying stage, while the Vario Speed Plus button will reduce the length of the program at the expense of how well it cleans.

There's a delay-start function, which can be set in one-hour increments between one and 24 hours.

It comes with a two-year manufacturer warranty as standard.

What's it great at?

Cleaning and drying plates and cutlery are where this machine excels. It can cope with sticky, baked-on food (like the egg and oats we use in testing) with ease. Cutlery and glassware are almost all free of water marks.

The upper and lower racks are spacious, and very easy to load and unload. Items are well spaced, so you won't find yourself having to cram things in. Cutlery fits in a drawer above the upper rack and, while items are loaded in different directions so you have to follow the loading plan, there's plenty of space to make the process easier.

It's efficient with both water and energy - adding less than £40 a year to your energy bill - a definite bonus for those looking to make a saving, and help the planet.

Is there anything I should watch out for?

There aren't many programs to choose from with this dishwasher, and the eco program we used lasts nearly four hours. There is a quick program that reduces washing time to less than 30 minutes, but we didn't test the quality of cleaning and drying using this speedy option.

As with many dishwashers, this machine is noisy. There's noticeable whirring and a rhythmic rumbling during the wash cycle, so you may find it intrusive if you live in an open-plan home.

Is there anything else I should know?

You can adjust the height of the upper rack into three positions. In the upper position, large 28cm diameter plates will fit anywhere in the lower rack, but in the middle or lower positions, they will only fit at the far edges. Wine glasses will only fit in the upper rack when it's in the lowest position.

The program labels are nice and large, and you can read them easily. They're intuitively labelled, so you'll know which program you're choosing, and there's additional information about each program on the top of the door. The program duration is shown on the display screen.

Should I buy it?

Yes - if you're not looking to spend a lot, and make a saving in the long run, this is a great dishwasher."

Fire_Fox

:T :T :T :T :T

Bosch SMS25EI00G/01

Washing & drying
Overall result

Cleaning 5-star

Drying - plates & cutlery 5-star

Drying - plastic 4-star

Watermarks 4-star

Bosch SMS46IW09G

Washing & drying
Overall result

Cleaning 5-star

Drying - plates & cutlery 4-star

Drying - plastic 4-star

Watermarks 5-star

Bosch SMS46MW03G

Washing & drying
Overall result

Cleaning 5-star

Drying - plates & cutlery 5-star

Drying - plastic 4-star

Watermarks 4-star

Bosch SMS67MW01G

Washing & drying
Overall result

Cleaning 5-star

Drying - plates & cutlery 5-star

Drying - plastic 5-star

Watermarks 5-star

Bosch SMS46IW10G

Washing & drying
Overall result

Cleaning 5-star

Drying - plates & cutlery 5-star

Drying - plastic 4-star

Watermarks 5-star

:T :T :T :T :T

Fire_Fox

Bosch SMS67MW01G Full Review, June 2018

"Overview

This dishwasher aced every single one of our washing and drying tests. It can clean tough stains without breaking a sweat, and without being wasteful with energy or water.

What is it?

It's a full-sized, freestanding dishwasher from Bosch that comes with a two-year guarantee, an A+ energy rating and 14 place settings.

The auto program analyses how dirty dishes are and programs itself accordingly. There are seven further settings to choose from, including eco, quick, delicate and intensive washes.

There's also a silent wash, which could be a good option if you like to socialise in the kitchen and don't want to be disturbed.

You can also customise your program choices. Intensive Zone will target particularly dirty items (such as casserole dishes). Hygiene Plus will make the final rinse hotter, to help sterilise baby bottles, for example. Extra Dry will increase the drying time, while Vario Speed Plus will speed up the cycle if you're in a rush.

There's a delay timer for setting your dishwasher to run up to 24 hours ahead. And, unlike many other models, you can pick the exact minute you want it to start.

It also has a child lock to prevent any curious hands from opening the dishwasher, and anti-flood technology to reduce the chance of leaking.

There's a spray head for targeting larger items and, unusually, the rack for cups is in the lower basket.

What's it great at?

The cleaning is practically faultless; plates, cutlery and cups are left clear of tough stains and free of water marks.

It's also excellent at drying. All plates and cutlery are completely dry to touch, and even plastic containers, the most likely items to retain water, come out ready to go back in the cupboard.

The auto program is quite frugal with energy and water, but if you want to really save go for the eco program. It uses roughly 25% less energy and 40% less water compared with the auto program with our testing load - but also takes 50 minutes longer, lasting three hours, 15 minutes.

Bosch's quietest ever dishwasher doesn't run as silently as you might expect, but it's still a lot less noisy than many other models on the market. There are noticeable whirring sounds, but nothing that would disturb a conversation in the kitchen.

It's very easy to program this dishwasher. The controls are clearly labelled, with sensitive buttons that make a sound when they're selected. The display shows what stage your wash is in and how long is remaining, so you know how much time you have to do other jobs before you can put your crockery away.

Is there anything else I should know?

Loading this dishwasher could be easier. Glasses and saucers don't rest very well in the upper rack. The cutlery draw can be stiff to pull out, too. It can also be a tight fit for big items such as large plates - you'll need to put the upper tray in the highest position to squeeze them in.

The auto program, with our testing load, costs around £63 per year to run - about average. But the eco program will shave £16 off your energy bills, at £47 per year.

Should I buy it?

Yes. It's a brilliant dishwasher that scored well across the board."

Fire_Fox

Miele dishwashers .....

Miele G 4203 SC 78% overall ~£500

Washing & drying
Overall result

Cleaning 5-star

Drying - plates & cutlery 4-star

Drying - plastic 5-star

Watermarks 5-star

Siemens dishwashers ...

SN236W02IG 76% overall ~£480

Washing & drying
Overall result

Cleaning 5-star

Drying - plates & cutlery 4-star

Drying - plastic 4-star

Watermarks 5-star

Cheapest four Best Buys ....

Beko DEN59420DX 76% overall ~£350, 5-star cleaning & drying

Belling FDW150W 78% overall ~£360, 5-star cleaning & drying

Belling FDW150S 78% overall ~£375, 5-star cleaning & drying

Beko DEN59420DG 76% overall ~£400, 5-star cleaning & drying

Fire_Fox

EssexExile wrote: »

White goods are a minefield now, don't assume just because it has Bosch (or Siemens) written on it that it is made by Bosch in Germany. If you find a model that looks good in all the reviews don't assume that other models by the same company are as good.

My Bosch & my friends Siemens, which are the same, are made in Spain. They are quite good but not as good as my old Hotpoint it replaced, which was a copy of a German Bosch!

You prompted me to look at the lowest scoring Bosch dishwasher: SPV40C00GB 42% overall (Don't Buy) tested in May, 2012

"Which? verdict: One of the worst cleaners we've ever seen

What's it great at?

It's good at drying - including hard-to-dry plastic items - and it leaves hardly any watermarks on glasses at the end of the wash program.

Is there anything I should watch out for?

You won't fail to notice the poor job it does shifting food from plates as our tests found that this model is terrible at cleaning. Lots of the food from dirty dishes was left spread around the rest of the load, without being washed away. The eco program takes a long time to wash at nearly three hours.

<snip>

Should I buy it?

No - this model is terrible at cleaning - it's most important function."

:rotfl: