Bosch SMS40C02GB Dishwasher:

About two years ago my dishwasher caught fire, for some reason it got stuck part way through a cycle and the pump broke resulting in it just heating up constantly for about an hour until I noticed it smoking! We hadn't managed to replace it but recently with planning my wedding and taking the necessary steps to get over PTSD I have really been longing for another dish washer to take some of the load of! My Dad suggested Freecycle and the day after posting a wanted ad I was offered a Bosch SMS40C02GB which was only two years old! I feel really lucky as it's an awesome Dishwasher.

I would have been happy with an ugly, scratched machine but the Bosch SMS40C02GB (henceforth referred to as "Dobbie") is really stylish and sleek. It has a plain white door with a little panel above it containing the dials etc. It's very unobtrusive and in my opinion would fit in in most kitchens.

Having had a look around online I have discovered to my utter delight that this dishwasher is A+ Energy rated, (A for washing, A for drying), and uses only 12 litres of water to do a full wash. It has an economy setting (same wash as the "normal" cycle but taking slightly longer with cooler water) and a half load option. The normal cycle takes 138 minutes, the eco wash a little longer and the "quick cycle" (suitable for lightly soiled dishes) takes just 35 minutes. There is also a pre-wash cycle but I have never felt the need to use it.

One of the best features is a LCD screen that tells you exactly how long is left on the cycle. I love this and although I have no doubt that the novelty will wear off soon enough it's useful for planning your time which at the moment is an amazing bonus. You can also set Dobbie off on a timer telling it to start in a number of hours which means I can load it up any time have it do the dishes when I want. This may not seem useful to start with but it means if I load it up in the middle of the night (trust me it happens) I can have it start in the morning so the noise doesn't annoy the neighbour below us. It would be also be good for people who get cheaper "off-peak" electricity.

It is widely advertised that this machine can take 12 place settings, not many of us will ever use it for 12 settings at once but it does take a couple of days worth of dishes for the two of us including all our mugs, glasses and pans. The racks inside are fairly standard with a removable cutlery holder and a handy "tray" for big knives at the top. It seems to be a sensible layout and is fairly similar to any other dishwasher I have used. The sprinkler arm is nice and high so you have plenty of clearance for larger plates.

Having mentioned noise before I want to point out that Dobbie is by no means noisy, he's not silent but he is a lot quieter than my last model and on a normal day with music/TV on I cannot hear him working despite being across a narrow hallway.

Choosing your cycle is easy-peasy using the dials on the top which are clearly labelled (brilliant news for us as we never got an instruction manual) and there is even a "reset" cycle which takes 3 seconds in case you set it off on the wrong cycle.

I could not be happier with the Dishwasher, it's well made, looks good, efficient, quiet and does the job well. You can pick them up online for around the £300 mark and I would be happy if I had paid this price!