Your
dish wish come true
Getting
a dishwasher for the first time is like waking up from a nightmare.
You suddenly have all this free time, your hands don't have blisters
on them any more, and the sight of filthy dishes festering in the
sink is a thing of the past. However, not all dishwashers are the
same – this we found out after trying the Hotpoint Ultima Slimline
Dishwasher.
No,
this isn't slimline like the tonic you dribble into your gin to make
you feel a bit better about downing an entire bottle. No, the slim
name refers to the fact that Hotpoint have actually been listening to
customers about what they really want and need in a household
dishwasher. Traditionally these appliances were comparable in size to
washing machines and cookers, which was pretty unnecessary. In
reality even a large family needs only half the daily load of the
bigger machine, so Hotpoint went and chopped their dishwashers in
half. And so, the Hotpoint Ultima Slimline Dishwasher is only 45cm
wide.
That's
good, and we were also surprised at how light the thing is, requiring
just one of to carry it into Test Pit Towers to install it. Still,
despite those reduced dimensions and weight, it still boasts two
pull-out drawers on which you can load your crockery. The drawers are
also quite clever in that the prongs used to prop up plates can be
folded down, so you can fit larger items like pots and pans in there
too.
In
use, it is the simplest dishwasher any of us have ever seen. There
are nine programmes to choose from, each offering a different time or
thoroughness of wash, as well as noise and energy saving options.
That means that, should you just have few dishes to wash, you can
activate half load washing and even tell the Hotpoint Ultima Slimline
Dishwasher which drawer the dishes are on, so only that one gets the
attention. This saves water and electricity, which has worked toward
helping the machine earn an A+ energy efficiency rating.
The
timer display is also very handy, as it actively counts down how long
the cycle has to go, so you can plan your kitchen activities
accordingly. Other than that, when on it is relatively quite, doesn't
wobble or shake at all, and looks pretty nifty too. The quality of
the clean is great, with the longer hotter cycles producing the best
results – as you might have expected. There isn't a great deal more
to say – which is always a promising thing when dealing with an
appliance you use each and every day. Check it out.
£355
Visit
www.hotpoint.co.uk
