Hotpoint H8 D93WB UK Review
A great-value, high-performance tumble dryer
Verdict
The Hotpoint H8 D93WB UK focuses on what’s important: it gives you a wide range of cycles from its control panel, has low running costs, dries brilliantly, and it even cleans its secondary filter automatically. For the vast majority of users, this large 9kg dryer does everything you need splendidly.
Pros
- Cleans its secondary filter automatically
- Low running costs
- Excellent results
Cons
- Slightly cumbersome to access additional cycles
Availability
- UKRRP: £657
Key Features
- CapacityThis tumble dryer can take 9kg of wet clothing, making it ideal for larger loads or for bigger items.
Introduction
Particularly in this time of high energy costs, it’s important for any tumble dryer to be able to dry quickly, well and efficiently to keep running costs to a minimum.
That’s something that the Hotpoint H8 D93WB UK does, forgoing smart features to focus on getting the job done properly and well. With lots of programmes to choose from and low running costs, this is an excellent tumble dryer for all needs.
Design and Features
- Cleans its own filter
- Wide range of programmes
- Simple to use
I have to say that I like the direction Hotpoint has taken with its styling in recent years, and the H8 D93WB UK is no exception. This 9kg tumble dryer looks great due to the contrast between its white body and black controls. Neat and simple, it feels like a high-quality tumble dryer.
Rather than adding smart features, Hotpoint has focused on delivering everything you need via the front control panel. That makes sense in a lot of ways. I’ve got nothing against smart controls, but as washing needs to be loaded manually, it’s often easier to set programmes manually as well.
To that end, the H8 D93WB UK has a wide range of programmes, selectable via the dial on its front. This has all of the main settings (Eco Cottons, Synthetics, Wool, Silk and so on), plus an option for More Cycles.
Select the latter and you can pick from a range of specialist programmes that you won’t use as often, such as Microfibre, Down Jackets and Mats. It’s a little clunky cycling through the options on the LCD, but I’d take a bit of extra hassle for the wider range of programmes. Each programme has drum movements and temperature controlled to suit the items.
With a programme selected, the main screen shows the estimated drying time, although this changes during the cycle, as the H8 D93WB UK monitors what’s going on. You can override the dryness level by choosing between Extra Dry, Cupboard Dry, Hanging Dry or picking a fixed time. I don’t recommend the latter, as it’s more efficient to let the H8 D93WB UK’s sensor decide when it’s time for the cycle to end.
This is one of Hotpoint’s Gentle Power tumble dryers. Pick this option and, towards the end of the cycle when clothes no longer have a protective wet film, the drum movements are adjusted to protect clothes from wear and tear. This extends runtime, but if you have clothes that are more delicate, or you just want to take extra care, it’s well worth turning on this option.
There’s a 9kg capacity in this machine (wet weight), which is very large. This means that, on average, the machine is able to handle about 7kg of dry clothes – more than your average load. This capacity also makes this tumble dryer a good choice for larger items, such as towelling gowns and bed sheets.
There’s no light inside the drum, which is a shame, as it’s a bit difficult to see what you’re doing, unlike with the AEG T9DEB969C, for example.
Water is collected in the tank that pulls out from the front of the machine. It should be emptied after each cleaning cycle.
As with all tumble dryers, there’s a lint filter in the front of the door, which has to be removed and cleaned out at the end of each cycle. This is straightforward to do.
The H8 D93WB UK does have an additional trick: it uses water from the condenser unit to clean the secondary filter automatically, so you don’t have to. On other machines, this second filter has to be removed and vacuumed regularly, but there’s one less job to do here, which is great news.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)Performance
- Low running costs
- Dries quickly and reliably
To test the Hotpoint H8 D93WB UK, I put it through a variety of programmes. I started out with my standard 5kg load of washing, selected the Eco programme and set the dryer to Cupboard Dry. At the end of the cycle, it had used just 0.83kW of power, making for a running cost (at 34p per kWh) of just 28p.
I weighed the washing at the end of the cycle and 95.9% of the water had been removed, which is an excellent result: the clothes weren’t overdried, whereas there wasn’t enough remaining moisture to make the fabrics go musty.
Next, I tried the same combination on the Hanging Dry cycle. Here, energy use was similar at 0.81kW, also giving a running cost of 28p for the cycle. Water removal was 94.59%. Based on this, I’d stick with the standard Hanging Dry option.
There are some useful fast modes, too. For smaller loads, there’s the Daily option, which takes up to 2kg of clothes. Running this, I saw 100% of the water removed at a cost of just 11p for the cycle. When you only have one or two items you want to turn around quickly, this setting is a great choice.
There’s a Refresh cycle, which is best with smaller loads and uses cool air to revitalise clothing. For example, if you’ve had clothes packed away over winter and they’re a bit musty, this helps breathe new life into them. This mode costs just 1p to run and could save clothes from having to be rewashed.
If you have clothes with a strong odour on them, I suggest using a washing machine that has a Steam Refresh option instead. This will use more power, but the steam will neutralise bacteria and remove odours.
Tumble dryers become more efficient when used at maximum capacity. Here, on a full 9kg load, you can expect a cycle cost of 72p. Take the average amount of tumble drying per year (960kg) and the H8 D93WB UK can handle all of this in 106.67 loads, making for a yearly running cost of £76.89. That’s excellent value and shows that the H8 D93WB UK deserves its A++ rating.
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Should you buy it?
If you want low running costs, excellent results and the minimum amount of maintenance, this tumble dryer is for you.
If you want a smaller and cheaper tumble dryer because you don’t use one often, look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
In our guide to the best tumble dryers, you’ll find smaller and cheaper options and dryers with smart features. However, the Hotpoint H8 D93WB UK is an excellent choice for the vast majority of people: it’s efficient, it has lots of programmes and it self-cleans the second filter, making this appliance easy to look after.
How We Test
Unlike other sites, we test every tumble dryer we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
We test compatibility with the main smart systems (HomeKit, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTT and more) to see how easy each machine is to remote control – for smart tumble dryers only.
We test with the same sets of clothes for each machine and run through a cycle on our test washing machine, so we can compare energy costs and drying performance between tumble dryers.
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FAQs
This tumble dryer can take up to 9kg of wet washing.
No, it’s controlled via its front panel only.
Trusted Reviews Test Data
Full Specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
