Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN Review
Cheap to buy, cheap to run
Verdict
Aside from the 30°C wash, I found the Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN washing machine cheap to run and capable of quality stain removal. With its low purchase price and some high-end features, such as steam for hygiene, the Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN is a great choice for those that want a large washing machine and don’t want to pay a fortune for the privilege.
Pros
- Low cost
- Good running costs
- Quality stain removal
Cons
- Cotton 30°C cycle slightly expensive
Availability
- UKRRP: £377
Key Features
- CapacityTakes up to 9kg of dry clothes – enough for most families.
- Energy ratingA-rated for the maximum efficiency.
Introduction
If there’s one thing that Hotpoint has mastered, it’s creating straightforward washing machines that clean well, don’t cost a fortune, and have cheap running costs.
The Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN is no different: this 9kg washing machine is large enough for most families, costs under £400 and is A-rated. What more could you want?
Design and features
- Lots of wash programmes
- Straightforward to use
- Decent capacity
Smart looking, the Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN looks more expensive than its price would suggest. Looks aren’t everything, so it’s good to see that this washing machine follows up with the goods to deliver a quality wash.
There are a lot of cycles on this machine, taking in all the standard washes, plus special wash programmes for bed & bath, wool, delicates and a 30-minute wash to quickly clean up to 4.5kg of normally soiled clothing.
Steam is an option that I don’t normally see at this price. It’s a great addition, either for refreshing musty-smelling clothes, or of injecting a dose of hygiene into a wash. Neatly, the washes that support adding steam have an icon next to them.
Once a cycle has been selected, the LCD shows the estimated amount of time for the cycle to complete, although this will change during the wash, depending on the load that you put in. For each wash, the temperature and spin speed can be adjusted, plus there’s an option to decrease cycle time to save resources (useful if clothes aren’t that dirty and just need a regular wash).
There’s a swivel-out detergent drawer on this machine, which is quite handy, as it can open in confined spaces easily. The outer compartment is for detergent, and has a slide-in divider for when using liquid.
The 9kg drum is plenty big enough for most households, easily taking a week’s worth of washing. Once fully loaded up, the Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN can be started.
During the first few minutes of the cycle, before the drum is filled with water, the machine can be paused and washing added: handy for when I suddenly spotted that I’d left a sock on the floor.
Performance
- Low running costs
- Good stain removal
I ran the Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN through my normal set of tests to see how well it cleans, and how cheap it is to run. I started out with the 30°C Cotton wash. Water usage here was relatively high, which pushed the cycle cost to 54p, assuming a unit cost of 34p per kWh for a 5kg wash load. That’s a little high, but stain removal was at least good.
Putting my stain strip into the wash, my stains are (left to right), red wine, cooking oil, ketchup, orange juice and gravy. As the stain strip came out slightly twisted, there were flakes of ketchup stain that hadn’t been removed very well; however, the other stains were gone bar the tough red wine stain.
Spin performance was also just OK, with my clothes gaining 44.72% of weight through water retention. Ideally, I would like this figure to be 40% or lower.
Moving on to my Eco 40-60 wash, I found that this washing machine started to earn its A-rating. Here, the cost per cycle dropped to just 30p, a good degree cheaper than the similarly-priced Indesit BWE101685XWUKN. Water retention dropped to 40.08%: a far better result, although even less would have been better.
Stain removal was also very good. A few flakes of ketchup stain were visible, but the red wine stain is largely gone, and the other stains show no trace left.
Dropping down to the 20°C wash, running costs fell to 28p for a 5kg load of washing. That’s a useful saving if you’ve got lightly soiled clothes that don’t need a higher-temperature wash.
To compare machines on an equal footing, I take the average washing done in the UK, which is 1370kg. Here, this 9kg machine could do this in 152.22 loads. Given that the Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN costs 45p to run a full 9kg wash load on the Eco 40-60 load, that brings the yearly running cost to £69.07. You have to spend a lot more on a washing machine to get much lower costs.
In normal use the washing machine is hard to hear, jumping up to a relatively quiet 64.6dB on its spin cycle.
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Should you buy it?
You want low running cost with a low purchase price:
This washing machine isn’t expensive to buy and it’s quite cheap to run.
You want smart features or more capacity:
A larger washing machine or ones with additional features can be had if you’ve got a bit more cash to spend.
Final Thoughts
Finding running costs this low – and extras such as steam at such a low price – immediately makes the Hotpoint NM11946WCAUKN stand out from the competition. Its stain removal is good, too.
If you’re on a relatively tight budget, this is a great all-round washing machine. If you’ve got a bit more cash and want lower running costs or a larger machine, check out my guide to the best washing machines.
How we test
We test every washing machine 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. Smart washing machines only.
We test each machine with the same stains to see which ones are best at cleaning.
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FAQs
This machine can take up to 9kg of dry washing, which is enough for most families and even bigger items, such as duvets.
No, it is controlled via the front panel only.
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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.
