Verdict

With generally low running costs and excellent stain removal, even at low temperatures, the Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 is a good choice for those wanting a low-priced washing machine with a large-capacity drum (11kg). Offering app control via Wi-Fi and decent all-round performance, it's a good choice – although it's a little loud on spin and spin performance could be better.

Pros

• Large capacity
• App control
• Good stain removal at low temperatures
• Low running costs

Cons

• Quite loud on the spin cycle
• Mid-level spin performance

Candy might be known for its more budget washing machines, but here the company has pulled out the stops to offer a unit that looks altogether more expensive. With its funky design, the Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 looks more stylish than much of its more expensive competition.

It’s packed full of features, too, with Wi-Fi app control, a super-fast wash and an A energy rating under the new system. A low price and big drum are welcome, but this washing machine is a little loud on its spin cycle.

Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 design – A fantastic futuristic look thanks to the button layout

• Feels tough and robust
• Button layout and design make this washing feel more expensive
• Transport bolts are fiddly to remove

Candy has taken a big step forward with the design of the RO14116DWMCBE-80. Rather than opting for a bog-standard layout, the company has built the control buttons onto the top of the porthole. There’s no particular advantage to them being there (aside from the slight benefit of being able to see them clearly without having to bend down), but it makes the washing machine look much cooler. As does the black finish.

Above the controls is an LCD panel showing the current wash time remaining and any options you’ve selected. There’s then a standard programme selector dial for choosing the wash mode.

In general, build quality feels good; this washing machine doesn’t have the lightweight feel of some previous Candy models. The porthole door opens up wide to give access to the spacious 11kg drum inside, although it will collide with the detergent drawer if that’s open.

In terms of setup, there’s only a little to do, which includes removing the transport bolts at the rear of the appliance. These are a faff to get out, and the plastic part of the bolts dropped inside the machine as I unscrewed them. That meant that I had to remove the rear panel to get the bolts out. Sure, this is a one-off job – and one that’s likely to be tackled by those who deliver the appliance – but it proved frustrating nonetheless.

As mentioned, there’s a standard pull-out detergent drawer that can take washing liquid or powder, fabric softener and pre-wash liquid.

Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 features – Tonnes of programmes and a Wi-Fi option

• Programme icons can be hard to decipher
• The app is basic but potentially useful on some occasions

The Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 uses icons, rather than text, on its programme selector. They can be tricky to decipher by glance alone, although selecting one displays text on the LCD screen, so you can see what you’ve selected. Even so, you’ll probably want to have the manual to hand while you familiarise yourself with the washing machine.

All of the standard wash cycles are present on this model, alongside a few neat extras, including a Wool/Hand Wash option and a Special ‘39 wash cycle that cleans your clothes in just 39 minutes. For the latter, you can use half of the machine’s capacity and it’s designed for clothes with light soiling – your average weekly wash that you want ready quickly.

For each programme, you can override the spin speed and temperature, and you can set the stain level of the clothes, letting you adjust the wash intensity to deal with lighter- or heavier-soiled clothing. There’s also a handy Steam button, which is good for hygiene and removing odours from clothes; it also reduces the amount of ironing that needs to be done.

As well as using the control panel, there’s the Candy Simply-Fi app. Connecting the Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 to Wi-Fi was straightforward. Once connected, Simply-Fi can be used to remote control the washing machine, provided it’s set to the Wi-Fi mode; if it’s not, you can start a clean from the control panel and the app will show you the current status.

Although the app is a little basic and a touch clunky, it still proved useful. First, you get a more detailed overview of what each programme does. Second, if you want to have your clothes ready for when you return home, you can start a remote wash once you’re ready – assuming you’ve pre-loaded the washing machine before you left home.

You also get a few special programmes, including one to sanitise face masks and for sportswear and technical jackets. It’s worth hooking up the app just to see what’s available; the special programmes may come in use from time to time.

As handy as the app is, it does have a few odd features. First, if you’ve added a tumble dryer already, you can’t add a washer/dryer; add a washer/dryer and you can’t add a tumble dryer or washing machine. It’s unlikely you’d need to in one home, but if you have a second home or rental place, you can’t add all of your devices to one account.

Hooking up the app means that you can use the Alexa and Google Assistant skills to control the machine with your voice. It can be handy to see how long’s left on a washing cycle, but trying to select a wash programme with voice isn’t that easy.

Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 performance – Low running costs and very good stain removal

• Impressive stain removal and low temperatures
• Low running costs
• Gets quite loud on the spin cycle

To see how well the Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 washes, I put it through a series of tests. First, I started out with a regular wash, using the 30ºC cottons programme. Here, the washing machine used just 0.489kWh of power and 42.1-litres of water. That compares well to other machines at this price – although spend more and you can get more efficient washing machines still, with the likes of the Samsung WW9800T.

At the end of the wash, the spin cycle left the clothes 44.63% heavier than when dry, showing a mid-level spin performance. Typically, I’d expect weight gain to be around the mid-30s.

With my washing machine tests, I use a stain strip of (left to right) red wine, cooking oil, ketchup, orange juice and gravy. At the end of the wash, most of the stains had gone. There was a small outline of the red wine stain remaining, although you’d find it hard to spot. The machine struggled somewhat with the ketchup stain, with a noticeable block left behind.

Next, I moved to the Eco 40-60 wash. Here, the Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 used 0.26kWh of power and a similar 42.1-litres of water. Again, that’s very good for the price and shows that this washing machine is super-efficient.

At the end of the cleaning cycle, the washing machine left the clothes 43.33% heavier than when dry: another mid-level performance. Stain removal here was as good as you can get, with most largely gone; only the faint outline of the red wine stain remained.

Getting the clothes out at the end of the wash was easy enough, but several items had become stuck around the drum, even hanging upside down. I wonder if this was the reason they retained more water, as clothes didn’t go back to tumbling after the spin cycle.

In general use, noise levels were recorded at 56.4dB when washing, which is pretty quiet – but this went up to a loud 70.5dB on the spin. Not only that, but it’s important to have this washing machine levelled – the spin cycle can cause it to bounce around a bit.

Rated A under the new label, the Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 sits in the top category for efficiency. To get a level playing field, I work out the cost per cycle, using the energy and water consumption figures provided, assuming a full load. Here, each cycle costs a reasonable 25p – and you’d have to spend considerably more to see these costs drop further.

Next, I work out average yearly costs, based on the UK average of 274 washes per year. First, I work out the total weight of washing that would entail, assuming high (6kg per load), medium (4.5kg) and low (3kg) loads. Next, I consider the number of washes this machine would need to do all of that washing, assuming full loads.

In this regard, the Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 would need 149.45 loads to complete the 6kg scenario. Running costs work out at £37.48 for high use, £28.11 for medium and £18.74 for low use. That’s super-competitive, although the 10kg Hoover H-Wash 500 is a little cheaper to run still.

Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 conclusion

Quality stain removal, even at low temperatures, and good running costs make the large-capacity Candy Rapidó RO14116DWMCBE-80 stand out. It’s impressive that at this price it offers Wi-Fi control, even if the app isn’t quite as streamlined as some rivals. Still, at this price, you can get the Hoover H-Wash 500 HWB 410AMC/1-80, which has a slightly smaller drum (10kg) and slightly lower running costs with a neater app. While the Candy is still very good, Hoover is probably the better buy for most people. If you’re after something else entirely, my guide to the best washing machines covers plenty of options.

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