Washing machines - which brand?

[Mañanarama]

My washing machine died today. I’m delighted because I hated it. It was an Indesit eco water balance thing that used a thimbleful of liquid unless I did a 4 hour wash. Slight exaggeration but you get the drift. Anyway, I need a new one asap.

Question 1: what brands are good/crap? The engineer said in his experience LG are the best. Can anyone with an LG tell me if there’s a short ish 40° or 60° cycle?

Question 2: it was silver. The matching tumble dryer is also silver but is 7 years old. There is a dearth of silver appliances, they’re nearly all white or dark grey/black. The rest of the kitchen is white so do I get a white washing machine or will it look weird with a silver tumble?

It’s frying my brain and my husband is getting irritated with me faffing about and showing him pictures so please help me make my mind up!! Budget £350-£450.

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If you’re short on time, here’s a summary of the best washing machines Mumsnetters are recommending on this thread:

• Best washing machine overall: Samsung WW90T554DAE ecoBubble 9kg Washing Machine, £429

• Best budget washing machine: Haier I Pro Series 3 9kg Washing Machine, £349

• Best washing machine built to last: Miele WED025 WCS 8kg Washing Machine, £899

• Best reliable washing machine: Bosch Series 4 WAN28250GB 8kg Washing Machine, £432

• Best 10kg washing machine: LG F4Y510WBLN1 10kg Washing Machine, £449

For a deeper dive into the top washing machines for all budgets, take a look at our round-up of the best washing machines, according to experts and Mumsnet users.

MNHQ

I've got very little complaint about the Hoover DP bought. It has short washes, large loads, you can select extra rinsing and it'll look fine as white.

They also come in silver in some models - AO has been the best retailer for me everytime.

We're on our second Hoover washer dryer, and to be honest I wouldn't have another one. The current one has developed the same dislike of some programmes as the previous one did, and just won't play ball. Only one programme will wash at 60 degrees (you do need that for towels and socks sometimes) and the spin speed on the lower temperature ones is too slow. You can get it to spin again, but I don't want to have to do that. I want to be able to tell the machine what I want it to do, and then for it to do just that.

Prior to that I think it was a Candy which was all right, and the one before that was a Zanussi which was great. But we are going back 20 odd years now.

I like Bosch, had them for many years.

I would go for Bosch if I’d had the money, but my Indesit has been great.

Agree AO are fab, fast delivery to the room and they’ll take away your old one.

Not brands but drum size. Mine died recently and I've replaced with a cheapo brand - but I've gone from a 7kg drum to a 9kg. Such a massive difference

If you buy through Boots Appliances it comes from AO at the same price as AO but you get Boots Advantage points.

I like my beko! Cheap as chips but decent features. When this does I'll probably get another one.

Totally agree about drum size. Current one was an 8kg and wouldn’t go smaller than that (previous one was only 6kg, huge difference!)

Will definitely look at this!

@Iwritethissittinginthekitchensink does your Indesit have this water balance feature? I’d consider getting another if it was minus that, it drove me mad just watching my barely splashed washing pootling around in there. I want to see lots of sloshy water and suds!

And what about the colour? Initially I wanted silver, to match the dryer, but the realised they’re quite rare these days. Argos, for example, had 91 white, 58 grey/black, and only 2 silver.

Kitchen units are white so should I get a white one? And maybe replace the tumble drier with white at some point? It will annoy me having them different colours, but I can’t continue on the silver quest forever.

I've got a Samsung eco bubble in white.

40 degree cotton wash is 1 hr 27 minutes. I'm really pleased with it.

It also has a spin and drain function which I really like as I use that before putting anything in the tumbledrier as it helps to speed up the drying.

Is the tumble dryer and washing machine directly next to/above each other? Even if you bought another silver Indesit washer, the colour might be slightly different now, plus the buttons would likely be in different places- therefore no longer identical.

You can search for silver ones on currys and other larger sites. IF you could still source your kitchen/utility doors, you could get an integrated/built in machine- then the colour wouldn't matter at all.

I recently spent weeks reviewing appliances due to a major renovation. Once you have narrowed down your choice of size, brand etc, check on review sites like reevoo.com. If you have a bluelight card, you get 10% off Marks electrical, 20% off Miele and £'s off from other sites.

There are also factory outlets for many stores offering discounts for ex-display or appliances with a minor scratch etc. I've had bosch in the past and had no complaints. I see they do some washing machines in silver too.

My last machine lasted 20+ years. Until it died, I never spent a penny on maintenance, and it was faultless. It was Miele and I've replaced with same brand.

In some ways, I preferred my old one. It had a 40 min 40deg wash for a start. New one has a quick wash, but it's only for a small load. I use the eco programme that uses more electricity but less water than my old machine. It also adds detergent automatically. I'm using the Miele stuff because I got six bottles free. I don't like using liquids and prefer powder in a cardboard box, but, it was free ... Now I've got used to just piling in dirty washing, closing the door and turning it on that I may keep using liquids. Miele sell refillable plastic containers in which you can add whatever you like - but two containers cost £50 which feels like a rip off. Needless to say, the bottles of Miele detergent are very expensive.

That aside, after two months, I'm really happy with it and hope it'll last as long as its predecessor.

I've got white but mine is in a utility/boot room so not really on display like it would be in a kitchen

I didn't want another Bosch after the last one was crap, but the one I have now is OK although had it a while. I only have it because of the drum size.

It was third time lucky. I would NOT buy from AO, they are lazy and don't care. Ordered a Beko for the drum size, they brought it in and then said they couldn't fit it as we had the wrong fittings on the pipes. Said they would leave it and I could get someone else to fit it. I told them what to do with it and got a refund.

They did the same to my elderly neighbour, she had to get someone else in.

I went elsewhere and ended up with a Samsung EcoBubble (not from choice, drum size again). It started moving across the room and shaking the walls, cupboards, surfaces and next door house. Men came back, fiddled about, left. It did the same things as before but moved into the middle of the kitchen while I was trying to turn it off. I rejected it and they took it away. The only other one with a large drum was the Bosch so I swapped it for that.

Apart from a Miele, it would be Bosch again I think. Middle range.

There is a narrow cupboard between them (with all the laundry stuff in it) everything else is white except the oven. And the fridge, but that’s a big American style one in an opposite corner.

Can’t get the cupboard doors any more so integrated is out.

I’m swaying towards white now and living with it until the tumble dryer breaks / or I see a bargain. I’d be sooo pissed off if I chose from the few silver washers and then the tumble packed up!

Anyone had a Samsung?

Miele here with auto dosing which is fab. I’d go white as your tumble dryer will probably pack up and most appliances are white. You could ask a carpenter to build you a matching door front? Or you can buy appliance paint and paint the tumble dryer white?

Another vote for Miele here. We just realized my mum's Miele - admittedly not from their budget range - turned 21 this month and still going strong 😀

I have an LG which yes it does come with a 20 min wash. But the eco wash cleans clothes just as well and uses less water and less electricity.

MIL had a Bosch which broke last year after 2 years just after the guarantee ran out. She now has a Samsung. It doesn't get my DS dirty food stained clothes as clean as my LG.

I have a LG 9kg machine. It doesn't fit a king size duvet. If you can afford 10kg then go for that.

I would buy the LG because of the 5 year guarantee.

Another vote for Miele. Cheaper end of the range starts around £520.

Had mine 2 years & so far the best machine I've ever had.

Have the choice of Miele pods or normal powder or liquid.

Honestly can't fault it.

On my second LG direct drive and really rate the brand. First one lasted 14 years with no trouble at all. This one has (never used) steam functions, a 30min wash and is very quiet generally - there’s also a silent wash but it takes forever. I particularly like the function where you can add a forgotten item late to the wash.

I've got a silver lg one and love it. I'll check the model for YoH in the morning