Guest Blog by Aled.
IMMER BESSER! Miele have for a long time championed their brand motto of “Forever Better” and quite rightly so. Miele has certainly established itself as the go-to brand for maximum performance and build quality. It’s fair to say that Miele premium quality is usually accompanied by a higher price point than a lot of (seemingly) competing products. Whilst the cost is certainly justifiable in regards to what you get for your money, sometimes the budget doesn’t always stretch that far. For most people looking at a washing machine it’s normally due to an existing machine giving up the ghost and a completely unexpected time (let’s be honest there is never really an ideal time for a major item to break down but it’s usually at the same time as something else). So how can Miele offer something that is at a more competitive price point and still retain that Miele flair for quality? Well, this is where the Miele WDB020 steps in.
The WDB020 is Miele’s entry point washing machine and part of the W1 classic line. While its price point is still towards something you would spend on a mid- to high-spec machine from another brand, it’s a more attractive price when you consider that most Miele washing machines traditionally have a price point of up to and exceeding £1000. Better yet, this machine offers 7kg load with a 1400 spin. This machine may not look anything special on the outside but like most Miele machines it’s the inside that matters. Devoid of perhaps unnecessary features such as a fancy colour screen display or wireless connectivity this machine is a quiet testament (and boy is it quiet!) to simplicity and design.
On the front you have of all things….the door! (Exciting times ahead I think). In all seriousness, a surprising amount of thought goes into something as simple as the door. Its right hand hinge is like a badge of quality, serving as an indicator that this machine has been assembled in Germany. They are designed and tested by being opened and closed 60,000 times, half of which are done with more force as a “slam” test. Another feature is that Miele produce one of the few machines on the market that will allow you to manually open the door lock, granting you access the contents of the drum in a power cut. While I sincerely hope you may never have to use this feature, it’s handy to have their rather than have your clothes trapped behind an unresponsive electronic lock. That’s a lot of thought for just a door so imagine what goes into the rest.
Behind the door lies Miele’s patented honeycomb drum. This unique drum design is designed to cushion garments as they glide around the machine and offer improved drainage. The outside of the drum is just as smooth as the interior which they test after they are manufactured by running a silk cloth over it; if it catches, it gets remade. Why such effort? Well the last thing you want is your nice fluffy towel poking through the hole and snagging on a spiked punched bit of metal that’s rapidly rotating.
The WDB020 handles washing so delicately they can even wash a rose. Why? No real reason except to demonstrate that even a delicate flower can come out of that machine in the same condition it went in. This specialised drum is suspended in a cast iron cradle far more durable than the concrete ones found in other brands that crack and shake part. Most people I speak to replace their machines normally due to mechanical breakdown such as the bearings. The bearings in Miele washing machines are substantially larger and sealed (so no little flecks of oil from cheap bearings that break on white sheets). The cast iron cradle is supported by springs much larger, stronger and greater in number than other branded machines. Miele machines are designed and tested with 20 years use in mind, based along the lines of running 5 programs a week on an average of 2 hours a cycle and this still applies on this machine only though it’s a starting price point machine.
Above all this sits the detergent drawer and the controls. Well laid out with nice and clear black lettering highlighted against the bright lotus white finish. It’s easy to see what the programs and the current settings are. It has a simultaneous appeal of looking modern with the responsive touch panel whilst still retaining the classic Miele look with the core programs on a rotary dial.
Turning the dial to any of the programs switches the machine on with the display springing to life with a nice orange glow. It is bright enough to make it clear but not to the point that I’m bedazzled by glare in the morning before I have imbibed some form of caffeinated beverage. An added benefit is that you can increase and decrease the brightness to your personal taste as well.
An audible beep is emitted to confirm a selection has been pressed on the touch pad (which can be turned off) and confirmed selections will also increase in brightness as a visual aid. The predicted cycle time adjusts accordingly to reflect the length of the program chosen and what options have been changed.
As with all washing machines targeted to be environmentally friendly, wash times tend to run longer and whilst this enables the machine to give good thorough results and being cheaper to run sometimes you need to get something done quicker so a touch of the short button brings the cycle down.
There are plenty of programs to select from, ranging from everyday wash tasks to anti stain selection and standalone spin and drain. Most programs offer some form of customisation with the machine allowing you to adjust features such as temperature and spin speed. Don’t worry about putting the wrong combination of programs in for example you can’t accidentally set a high spin speed on a delicate program as the machine will switch off the touch button lights and disable certain selections when combined with different programs.
Wash results are great using a variety of detergents but the performance is even better when you use Miele’s unique cap dosing. In the detergent drawer is a compartment specifically designed to take a range of custom detergents and solutions offered by Miele. These capsules are designed to do more specialised jobs than most everyday supermarket detergents. Capsules are available as the following 6 special detergents (Sport, Down, Outdoor, Wool Care, Silk Care, Proofing agent), 3 softeners (Aqua, Nature, Cocoon) as well as a booster for stubborn soiling. Setup is easy: just choose your capsule, pop it in the dispenser compartment and press the relevant capsule button and you’re well on your way to amazing wash results. The detergent department drawer also has a patented self-cleaning system with water blasting away residue that tends to build up in most machines.
On the subject of cleaning and maintenance the machine rather handily prompts the user when it is time to do a maintenance cycle. Essentially a little cross lights up when it is time for the cycle to be performed. Maintenance washes are essentially a hot cycle done in the machine without any garments. This helps to kill the bacteria that builds up mainly due to us washing at lower temperatures and eliminate odours. Maintenance washes can also be paired with a cleaner such as Appliance Doctor washing machine cleaner to tackle the limescale that builds up at the same time, thus eliminating the needs to put soda crystals or Calgon in with every wash.
So, what does this washing machine offer the lucky owner? Well essentially a very good and straight forward easy to use machine that is built with an unusually high standard of build quality and capable of delivering excellent wash results. So: everything you would want a washing machine to be.
Buy online, use our Click & Collect service to collect in as little as one hour today*, rent for just £6pw* or ask your local store about a demonstration.
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