Washing Machines
Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 2:59AM I have recently started to appreciate the design of my smartphone, tablet and desktop and in my head confined such thoughts to mobile devices. And then my wife and I went searching for a new washing machine.
This is hardly the most exciting of purchases, but we need a new one and as it happens an oven and a fridge as well because we are getting a new kitchen. What struck me was how I viewed these mundane objects and how I expected more from the design. Never before had I considered white good to require any design at all and was quite happy as long as they worked, but as I wondered around the store I was shocked at how some manufacturers are quite happy to make their products look completely dreadful while others seem to be making small steps in the right direction.
Take a look at these three examples-
To me the top one looks the best, the middle one is dreadful and the last one is average. I was surprised how long I spent just staring at the design of the controls while my wife quite logically looked at price, specs and the overall design. Is it just me or do you also believe that manufacturers of all products could do better when it comes to design?
All News
Reader Comments (12)
Same conclusion here on the three. I'm not surprised that Apple is "rumoured" to be designing TV's, they're pretty useless with all the buttons and menus. Touch screen on them would allow easy programming etc.
Did your wife understand all three - and does she have a different opinion on the order?
Top one is Bosch and the last one looks like an LG?
As to the middle one, it looks like someone trying far too hard to make it look cool...
Buy Bosch, they last and are not insanely expensive.... ;-)
Buy the cheapest with the basic controls. Bosch is not the quality machine it used to be and in fact is just a renamed cheapo brand ;-)
I definitely think the middle one is trying too hard. I'll bet the dial lights up in an animated manor during the process.
The bottom one looks good, but one of the dial settings alludes that it's got a clothes dryer function which from my experience adds to the cost but not as effective as a stand-alone unit.
So the top one would be consideration.
Of course, cost is a factor two, but model less so, particularly here in Australia where all washing machines are manufactured by to companies, despite the there being about 10 or so brands on the market.
I have no idea how to use washing machines. That sector could do with a UI revolution. But then, I don't know how to work the complicated setting on an iron, either! And no, I don't have servants, I just let someone else load the machine and I wear rumpled clothes.
Gavin re Bosch..
Based on our return and fault rates I would beg to differ but maybe Bosch in Australia is different to where you are?? Sometimes different regions get products made from different factories... They get returned less and have repairable parts which the cheaper ones generally do not (i.e. they are throw away products after a few years)..
My personal experience holds true to that too, I used to buy the cheapest dryers and every 2-3 years (if I was lucky) it would grind to a hault and I would replace it again.. My Bosch dryer has been running for 5 years (and my wife hates using the line so it runs at least daily) and is running like new still...
How difficult need a washing machine be? We tend to wash everything on the same setting, and just vary the time/temperature a bit. For us, at least, it need not be so complicated.
As for the ironing, I tend to do this, as I'm faster — it's far easier ironing my own stuff, though, as I just put the iron on the maximum temperature for everything. It's far more of a chore when you have to check what something can be ironed on...
I can relate to Neil's response, most washes are done with the same cycle (Quick Wash 30 min), although on occasion I will use; Delicates, Hand-wash, or Spin only when the load requires it.
Get the one with the remote control :-)
Miele for washer and dryer - might be expensive and not the best looking at the ball, but you will not need to consider repairs maintenance or replacement for at least 10 years, even after regular hard use.
Samsung for fridget - don't look the best, but it always amazes me how much you manage to fit in there compared to the rest, and their non-drip non-freeze over system really works (not like Bosch - grrrrrrr wish we had never sold our samsung fridge when we moved - could quite happily rip out the Bosch).
Tooo complex for me all those commands. And they now come with multimedia features?? Play and Pause?
I have LG at home as we care about the design and function.
Bosch and Miele are all rebadged indesits and manufactured in the same factory.
take the 3 photos by Shaun. Pull of white knob and replace with metal knob. transformation compete asking with twice the price tag.