So – 15 years old. What is the drum size on that? What is the Energy rating?

What’s the embedded energy in manufacturing a washing machine? How does it compare to the energy used over its lifetime? How much energy is consumed in recycling the parts at the end of life (or does it just get dumped in the sea/a hole in the ground.

Washing machines definitely use less water than they used to (and corresponding less energy to heat it) but I’m not convinced there’s a huge amount to innovate in how well they actually wash. A lot of the improvement in the energy ratings seem to have been come from changing the programmes so that they do a lot more soaking a lot less moving the stuff around – which is why modern machines take 3-4 hours for a wash instead of 45 minutes. Put the machine on a ‘quick wash’ and you’ll find it’s so efficient.

The SIL has just replaced her Miele dishwasher. She inherited it from her mother who inherited it from an aunt – we reckon it was >25 years old when it died.

Another Miele fan although due to cost have a Bosch. The Miele design is ace far quieter than the cheaper options and as a result last.

Beko, Hotpoint etc. are noisy and nasty in comparison.

We are 2 weeks into Miele ownership after our 2 1/2yr old hoover machine , was just crap. All I can say is that on spin you can whisper a conversation at 1400 rpm, it doesn’t shake rattle or roll. The pump in the turtle tank is louder than it when running in the kitchen. It also dries clothes far better than the 1400rpm hoover did. They are almost dry, strangely. Was it worth paying extra ( in our case £575) ?. Totally, its a white good, but you do pay your money and hope we get a huge life out of it.