Can someone recommend a dishwasher please?

[Alliwantisaroomsomewhere]

Is a delay start feature a must or not really necessary?
Should I get the cheapest or pay a bit more? (I do not have cash to spare)
Would it be worth getting a second hand one, or not worth the effort and cost?

Thanks!

A delay feature is good if you have cheaper electricity at night. I think you get what you pay for with dishwashers. I can't really comment on second hand ones, perhaps someone else will be able to help.

We have a Miele which is not the cheapest but it has lasted 10 years & still going. I don't use delay start. We had a visit from a fire prevention officer and he said don't do the drying cycle at night.

My DH talked me into buying a Bosch dw which I begrudgingly shelled out nearly £400 for AND IT'S THE BEST BUY I'VE EVER MADE.

So would recommend you have a look at Bosch (which incidently is the same as Siemenns only cheaper)

Good luck

We also have a Miele and it has never broken down and is still going strong 11 years later.

To boil down all the arguments:

Get a Bosch, or a Miele if you can afford it.

Freestanding are better value than built-in, and much easier to install or replace.

This question somes up very frequently, if you do a search you will find lists of Which best buys.

Tell me your budget and I'll look one up.

John Lewis offers a 2-year guarantee as standard and sometimes has sale or clearance bargains. I got a Siemens DW there recently, it was reduced as last year's model. Siemens appliances are made by the same company as Bosch ones, they each own 50%. Both brands are very reliable.

Looking about about £250 max unless we can pay it off interest free over a few months, PigletJohn.

we had a Bosch for a few years but replaced it with a Miele when it broke and I find the Miele better. It's very quiet. I can't remember what we paid for it but it was about 3400-£500 manyyears back- think we have had it for 10 years now- and no problems ( fingers crossed.)

• that should be £400- £500.

AEG are also good but if your budget is £250 I don't think you can stretch to a Miele or AEG.

TBH I'd recommend you wear your marigolds and save up- friends of mine have replaced white goods at least twice whilst my Miele washing machine and dishwasher are still going as good as new.

looking at the Which Best Buys (lowest prices first). Percentages are points scored on test (higher is better)

Bosch
SMS40A02GB 77% £283

Beko
DFN 1000X One Touch 69% £300

Bosch
SMS65E12GB Exxcel 72% £395

John Lewis
JLDW 1221 75% £399

Thanks so much, everyone. i really appreciate the time and effort you took - esp you, Piglet!

you asked about second-hand ones.

you sometimes see them on ebay.

if it is a very reliable brand, and appears to be in good conditon, and the owners are selling it because they are moving house or have just refitted the kitchen, they can be worth having. They usually go very cheap because mosr people don't want the job of lifting one into the back of a hatchback, then out again when they get home (they are quite heavy, and usually some water leaks out when you tip them onto their backs). Two men can lift one, but wouldn't want to carry it far, or up stairs. I wouldn't buy one that was faulty.

You just have to give them £20 or so and they wil be pleased to save a trip to the tip.

My only advice is to find one with an acceptable cycle length. All the new ones are more energy efficient but do this by having wash cycles that go on for literally hours. I chose my neff because although a full cycle takes 2.5 hours, you can do it in half the time with one of the options. I find this really useful for, eg, Christmas day when the dishwasher is basically going all day. I hated my old one where you basically had to wait half a day for the thing to finish one load, meanwhile the kitchen is filling up with dirty pots and pans. And the quick wash facility was no solution because it's only good for glasses and cups. I realise I'm actually quite fanatical about this issue!

We just bought a Bosch one.

It's really silent. So quiet in fact that I keep opening it when it's on without realising

It has a fast cycle which takes 29 mins, a normal cycle which is about 2 hours (inc drying time obv) and an eco cycle of about 3 hours.

It was about £300 with £100 off just before christmas. Not sure of the model number.

this seems like a good buy?

Reviews say it is difficult to load wine glasses. Best I not get that one, then!

not on "Which"

but it might be a model number they made up just for Currys.

It's worth getting a Bosch catalogue so you can identify similar models. This is especially handy when they bring out a new model and the old one becomes "clearance"