A brilliant machine for affordability and performance (Bosch WAE24162)

Member Name: severus_snape

Product:	Bosch WAE24162
Date:	14/09/06 (1405 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great design, ease of use, and good performance

Disadvantages: Annoying "beep" once finished, which doesn't stop for 5 minutes.

After moving into my first non-student house in June, it was time to by my own washing machine. There were so many options - should I buy online, or from a high street retailer, for example. When I did venture into my local Comet, there was machine after machine to choose from, and it was all rather confusing.

I'd remembered seeing a Bosch machine at a relative's house, a remembered it looking rather sleek and well designed. I investigated further, and was impressed by the look of all the Bosch machines on the market. The basic models didn't have LCD displays, but they had what seemed to be a full range of programmes, as well as extra settings.

I chose this model for several reasons. Firstly, it's rated A+ for energy, which not only saves me money on my electricity, but makes it more environmentally friendly than other, cheaper machines that were rated B or C. It's also rated A for Wash Grade, which made me confident that it would produce good results on all my laundry. It had a good load capacity of 6kg (ample room for a small family) and spins to 1200rpm - not massively fast, but still efficient.

I bought the machine from Comet.co.uk, at a cost of £250.00. This was the cheapest price I could find online, and was £30 cheaper than the instore price. It also came with free delivery, providing I was willing to wait nearly a week for it to arrive. When it did arrive, the installation was simple - consisting of the removal of four bolts (which help keep the drum steady during transit) and then the attaching of hose and water pipes. The machine is a cold water fill, which was simple enough.

I was very impressed with the range of programmes available - 15 altogether. There were cotton cycles for up to 6kg loads, at 40c, 60c, 60c + stain removal, and 90c; there's also an "easy care" cycle, at 30c, 40c, and 60c, which is for loads up to 3kg. These programmes also act as a "quick wash" - around 30 minutes. The machine also has cycles for delicates, woolens, and a "freshen up / rinse" cycle, which is handy for clothes that have been stored for some time and just need a quick rinse.

Finally, there are four extra options: "prewash", for stains; "wash plus" for the cottons cycle, which increases the wash time of a cycle to concentrate on heavy loads; "reduced ironing" which lowers the spin speed, and provides a gentle rinse to reduce creases; and also an "aqua plus" cycle, which provides an extra rinse. The spin speed can be altered for any cycle, at 200rpm intervals, and a four part display shows which part of the cycle the washing is currently at: wash, rinse, spin, and end.

The only down side I've found to this machine is that, once a cycle has finished, the machine emmits three long beeps, rather like a microwave. It does this every 30 seconds for about 3 minutes, which means that if you're within hearing distance but can't get to the machine to turn it off, then it's a real nusience. This option can, I think, be turned off, but I've not yet figured out how.

On the whole, an excellent machine which offers good performance and efficiency.

Summary: Great machine for someone on a budget, with impressive features too

Reliability:
Ease of use:
Design:
Cleaning/Maintenance:
Quality: