Our washing machine is on the blink so we are looking for a new one. Our current one is a bosch classic and has lasted 5 years in a hard water area. I'm not sure what to look for but I would like something pretty basic long lasting! DP has looked at a miele and a hotpoint but is a salesman's dream and almost parted with £700 on his lunchbreak yesterday
Does anyone have any recommendations or advice? Thanks!

We love our Bosch. If I was buying again it would be Bosch or Miele.

thanks slackrunner, I like our Bosch and my mum had a miele that lasted forever.

Washing machine manufactuerers have been ramming their prices up a lot in the last few months.

Our view is either buy a Miele and it will last 25 years of trouble free washing or buy the absolute cheapest machine you can get and expect to chuck it away after a few years. The in between solutions are the worst of both worlds.

Lived with the cheap as chips solution for the last 10 years and gone through 3 washing machines but now gone the whole hog and just ordered a Miele washer and a dryer which we hope will last until we die or are too old to care about washing anymore.

Miele. Recommended by washing machine repair man when last one broke.
Worth the money imo. Ours is regularly used and in it's fourth year with no problems. Previous two (other less expensive brands)lasted two years each.

Agree with ABetaDad. Miele are the only brand that aren't designed to die just out of guarantee. If that's too expensive, cheapies.

This site is ace for recommendations.

i'd second miele too..pricey, but great results- i found these lot as the best priced real life shop preferred to buy from non-web retailers, but with internet prices- (easier to deal with as a lot of website sellers had bad feedback on forums)

I've heard lots of bad things about Hotpoints. I had to buy a new one lately and looked into this in some depth. Went for John Lewis own brand in the end as they are as good as the market leaders (same manufacturer I believe) but cheaper. So if you don't want to fork out the extra for a Miele (we would have done but we are moving soon) I'd recommend John Lewis. I did have links but recently deleted them - sorry.

Have a look at comet auctions
My washer was nearly £200 cheaper than in the shop. It has a dent in it. I can live with that for a £200 discount. The dent is in the side so you don't see it anyway.

(My old zanussi was second hand and many years old when I got it and still lasted 10 years doing 3+ washes a week)

DO NOT TOUCH a Hotpoint! Have had nightmares with them in the past.

Miele is the way to go - Yes, they're expensive but they will last for 20+ years.

Like hairtwiddler we were also recommended to get a Miele by an engineer (when he came out to repair our Hotpoint for the 5th time in the first 6 months of its time with us!)