Hotpoint Hydroforce H8I HP42 L Dishwasher review: the "Tardis" appliance that's ideal for families

Price on writing: £424 | Buy now from Amazon

Our verdict

• Ease of use: 5/5

• Capacity: 4.5/5 

• Performance: 4/5

• Features: 5/5

• Noise: 5/5

Right from installation (which is usually no easy feat with an integrated dishwasher), through to day-to-day general use, I've been consistently impressed with how easy the Hotpoint Hydroforce H8I HP42 L Dishwasher has been to operate. While there are a whopping 10 programmes to choose between, during testing my go-to settings have been 'Eco', 'Auto Intensive' and 'Rapid', which all work brilliantly for my family.

However, the real highlight that makes this one of the best dishwashers is the incredible use of space. While it has a standard capacity of 14 place settings, the Maxi Space Tub and three adjustable racks make the space available stretch so much further – even after prepping a big meal I didn't struggle to load big pots and pans in. The only downside in this area is the upper cutlery tray, which I would have preferred to have been larger, instead of having both that and a cutlery basket at the bottom.

In terms of performance, I loved the cleaning power of the Hydroforce, but I do think the top rack could be improved – for best results, I found pots often needed a rinse before being placed there. It was fantastic at drying though; the door automatically opens at the end of the cycle, allowing steam to escape so crockery isn't left wet. It ran really quiet too, a bonus for families who don't want to be disturbed by a rumbling dishwasher.

How easy is the Hotpoint Hydroforce H8I HP42 L Dishwasher to set up?

It was my first time setting up a dishwasher all on my own. The instructions were super clear and easy to follow, so it was a great success.

During set up, I especially liked that there was a dishwasher salt volume guide based on location, so I could add the right initial amount for the hard water area I live in. There was a little crank that pushed the back legs up too, which I found genius! Because of this easy installation (and the included guide), I now feel confident with any dishwasher changes needed in the future.

However, if you're not very good with appliances or DIY, it's worth getting a professional to set it up, as integrated dishwashers can be far trickier to install than freestanding ones.

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How easy is the Hotpoint Hydroforce to use day-to-day? 

It's super easy to use; you just need to select the programme you want, then press the play button. I especially like the feature that tells you if you have closed the dishwasher and it is still in 'PAUSE' mode. With our previous dishwasher, we had no way of knowing if we had pressed the continue button or not.

There are 10 programmes in total: Eco, Auto Intensive, Auto Mixed, Auto Fast, Rapid, Delicates, Good Night, Sanitising, Soak, and Self Clean. It's a great range to choose from, though probably more than most people would need day-to-day. I tend to use the Rapid, Auto Intense and Eco settings the most.

I regularly use the Eco mode over night with the time delay, so the house gets the cheaper electric rate. This setting works perfectly for my family's needs, taking around three hours per cycle. I'm also a big fan of the Rapid mode – I use this if I forgot to put it on the night before.

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Performance: how well does the Hotpoint Hydroforce clean pots?

Overall, I'm impressed the cleaning power of the dishwasher; on the bottom rack, it performs really well on even heavily soiled pots. However, I think the top rack doesn’t get as much love, as the cutlery tray at the top usually still has food particles present after its wash. With this in mind, it's worth giving anything you're popping in the top rack a quick rinse before you place them in the dishwasher.

On a brighter note, I love that the door automatically opens at the end of the wash to let the heat out. This is a great little feature and helps pots dry off so they don't need a wipe over with a tea towel when you're unloading them.

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What is the Hydroforce H8I HP42 L Dishwasher's capacity like?

With 14 place settings, the Hydroforce is an ideal size for most families (14 tends to be a standard capacity on most full-sized dishwashers). However, this clever dishwasher has Maxi Space Tub technology, which claims to offer 10% more usable space than previous models, and a handy third rack to store smaller items like cups and bowls.

In my experience, the Maxi Space makes all the difference, and it's actually insane how big the capacity is. It's seems like a bit of a Tardis, for sure! We’ve had no issues after a big cook using lots of pans, and the adjustable flaps are great depending on what you need to use the space for.

My only small grumble here is that I wish the top cutlery tray fitted more in (pictured above); it covers about a third of the top rack, but I'd much prefer this to be larger so there's more space at the bottom where the cutlery basket is.

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How noisy is the Hydroforce H8I HP42 L Dishwasher?

At 42dB, this is a pleasingly quiet dishwasher. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the cycles too, as the whole thing is so quiet, whatever setting it's on.

There are dishwashers with a lower decibel number (for comparison, our overall best quiet dishwasher is 39dB), but I was very impressed with the noise levels from the Hydroforce and think it's quiet enough for most family homes.

How easy is the Hydroforce H8I HP42 L Dishwasher to maintain?

I've not needed to top the dishwasher salt up after the initial set up, but this is easy enough to do. There's a nifty alert that tells you when it's time for more though, which is a nice touch.

Does the Hotpoint Hydroforce Dishwasher offer good value for money?

Retailing at less than £450, the Hydro H8I HP42 L is a good, mid-range option. Sure, it might not have the cleaning power of a Miele (which you can pick up for an eye-watering £1,000+), but this is a decent, high-quality dishwasher that won't break the bank.

How we tested the Hydroforce H8I HP42 L Dishwasher

MNHQ tester Nino Stylianou put the Hydroforce dishwasher to the test in his home in London over the course of six weeks. Taking detailed notes on user-friendliness, efficiency, effectiveness and noise levels, he cross-compared it with his previous dishwasher, thoroughly testing out its range of features.

• Used at least five times a week

• Tested in a real family household

• Used for cleaning a variety of pots/pans/glasses etc.

About the editor

Natasha Gregson is a Senior Content Editor at Mumsnet, overseeing all home and kitchen product round-ups and reviews. With several years of editorial experience under her belt, she has also had work published in The i Paper, Stylist Magazine, Gransnet and Exposed Magazine.

Natasha knows only too well how invaluable a good dishwasher is, using her Beko daily to spruce up her pots and pans. She also manages all dishwasher content on Mumsnet and has edited several Mumsnet round-ups on the subject, including the best tabletop dishwashers, most energy-efficient dishwashers and the top dishwasher cleaners. 

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real people after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

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