FROM WHICH?
All of our condenser Best Buys are made by premium appliance brands and have a maximum 6kg load size. They?re all sensor driers, whose sensor programs dried to perfection in our tests.
The highest-scoring drier, the Miele T4262C, has the most effective condenser in the test ? you won?t find yourself mopping down the walls when you?ve used it. It?s also the quietest condenser drier we?ve tested so far. The sensor programs work perfectly each time, although it?s a bit slower to dry some loads than other Best Buys. The only other drawback is that the heat exchanger is locked behind a hatch and a sealed compartment at the bottom of the drier. Happily, though, you?ll need to clean it only about five times a year. The door-mounted lint filter is the easy to clean and emptying the water bottle is a doddle too. You can adjust the standard programs to suit your drying loads and switch the end-of-program buzzer off if you find it irritating. This model costs £570 from Miller Brothers.
The Bosch WTL6307 Exxcel, £500 from Powerhouse, is a great all-rounder which dries swiftly and is easy to use. It has program-stage lights and a program-end buzzer (which you can turn off). There is a reduced-ironing program, designed to reduce creases by drying more gently, but this increases the drying time. And there?s also a short programme for items that need to be dried quickly, such as synthetic sportswear. The heat exchanger is tucked behind a panel that?s opened by pressing a button hidden behind the door ? a nice feature, which is easy to use once you?ve found it.
The AEG T56800, £400 from John Lewis, is best for those who hate ironing because it leaves fewer creases than our other Best Buys. The sensor worked perfectly in our tests, stopping drying at just the right time for ironing or popping in the cupboard. You can delay the start of drying by up to nine hours so that the noise won?t disturb you when it comes on. Among the wide range of programs you?ll find an ?intensive? one for drying thick textiles, such as towels, and ?sensitive? for drying the things you wear often. Convenient features include LEDs, which light up to tell you which stage of the drying cycle the machine has reached. And we particularly like its lint filter, which pops out at the press of a button, to make cleaning it a bit easier.
Three previous Best Buys have been discontinued in Autumn 2005, but they are definitely worth buying if you can find them in end-of-line sales.
The Siemens WTXL733 is technically the same drier as the Bosch WTL6307. The control panels have been jiggled about a bit to look different. And the Siemens also has a pollen filter that stops the drier sucking airborne pollen into the drum, where it could stick to your clothes. Find the last few for sale online for around £500.
The Miele T4652C, is another effective condenser and the most technologically advanced drier we?ve tested. The digital display panel lets you select a slew of unusual programs for drying outerwear, multi-layered fabrics and denim. And you can tweak most of the features ? you can delay the start time, choose an extra-loud buzzer, or lock the program settings so children can?t mess with them. It has only a 5kg maximum load, smaller than the other Best Buy condenser driers.
The AEG T57800 replaced the AEG T57760, which was a Best Buy in 2003. The changes are only cosmetic and this drier remains a good choice. It doesn?t suffer from any particular weak spots. You can choose a quick program if you are in a hurry and delay drying by up to 19 hours. A display panel tells you how much drying time remains, to help you organise your time better. It?s £570 at Miller Brothers and still widely available online.
If you don?t feel like splashing out so much money for our Best Buys, try the Zanussi-Electrolux TC 7102W, £200 from Currys. It takes about 30 minutes longer than the AEG T57800 to dry loads, so it?s not a Best Buy, but it outshines similarly priced models. It?s easy to use, releases little damp air, and dries evenly ? plus it?s one of the quietest driers on test. It isn?t a sensor model, but at this price you wouldn?t expect that on a condenser tumble drier.