Are there any condenser tumble dryers that only tumble for a couple of minutes?

[SJHay1]

Help please. I need a condenser tumble dryer that only goes on for a maximum of 5 minutes at a time as I like to hang up my damp clothes in the airing cupboard. Ideally I would like an old-fashioned manual setting but I'm guessing they don't make them like that any more. They all seem to have pre-set programmes. Is it possible to stop them mid-programme to pull out the clothes? Thanks in advance for any advice.

I have an air pump one and my last was a condenser, you can stop the program on them at any time, but 5 minutes isn’t going to get your clothes close to dry! They need at least an hour or 2 depending on load and program. My machine has a setting that will stop when clothes are slightly damp.

Ours is just a big standard Beko. It has four different dryness settings. The lowest one comes out a bit damp so I don't use that one butnit may work for you.

You can also open the door at any point and it just stops.

I’ve got a heat pump and can set it in 10 min increments. But it won’t have got warm in that time so won’t dry anything.

I don't think a couple of minutes is going to dry anything. I've still got an old vented tumble dryer and even a small load of socks and pants takes 20 - 30 minutes to dry. Condenser and heat pump dryers take much longer.

Thanks everyone, I may be unusual but I really don't want the clothes to dry. I hang them up very damp in a large well-aired airing cupboard and find that I don't need to iron at all. From your answers it looks like I can stop any programme at any time. So thank you!

We have a bog standard Siemens condenser. It has a programme called “shirts” which goes off after about 15 mins. The shirts are then hung up damp on hangers and air dried in a warm cupboard.

Have you tried just giving them an extra spin? Most machines have a spin only cycle...

Just looked and mine has an iron dry function which takes about 40 minutes, there’s moisture sensors in modern tumblers which stop the program at the desired level. 5 minutes will be less effective than an extra spin in the washer, it takes that long for the machine to heat up I think.

I have a Zanussi heat pump dryer with which you can set how dry you want your washing (fully, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 - see the sun symbols on the picture). Or you can select Time, and set it in 10 minute increments.

You can stop a tumble dryer at any time and open the door… you don’t have to wait the way you do with a washing machine. That said, if you only wanted to use it for 5 minutes per load then save your money; you don’t need a tumble dryer.

But if you want to hang them up very damp, why do you want to tumble them at all?

They come out of the washing machine very damp! And a bit less so if you give an extra spin.