Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E UK Review
A great value mid-range tumble dryer
Verdict
A great value mid-range tumble dryer, the Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E UK has some of the lowest running costs you can get. There are dryers with more options and better looks, but if you want something that gets all the basics right and doesn’t cost a fortune to run, this is an excellent choice.
Pros
- Cheap to run
- Good value
- Large capacity
Cons
- Sensor drying doesn’t cut off as early as on competitor machines
Availability
- UKRRP: £509
Key Features
- CapacityThis tumble dryer can take up to 9kg of wet clothes.
- EfficiencyThis tumble dryer has the highest A+++ rating.
Introduction
If efficiency and simplicity are at the top of your list for a new tumble dryer, the Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E UK should catch your eye.
This A+++ 9kg heat pump tumble dryer has very good running costs, a simple control panel – and it drys well, particularly on automatic settings.
Design and features
- Simple and straightforward control panel
- Lots of programmes
- Easy to maintain
Following the current Hotpoint design guidelines, the Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E UK is a smart-looking tumble dryer that looks like it means business, although the plain white front isn’t as attractive as the silver strip on the front of the Hotpoint H8 D93WB UK. As with other models in the line-up, Hotpoint doesn’t provide a mobile app for this model, instead giving all of the controls you need at the front.
I don’t mind this choice at all: smart apps are all well and good, but the majority of the time, I programme mine from the front panel.
Here, all of the available drying options are clearly labelled in English, with a useful quick-start guide that explains what each one does and its weight limit. As well as the normal options, some special programmes include wool, silk, duvets and even cuddly toys.
With a programme selected, the Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E UK shows the estimated run time on its screen. This will adjust as the cycle continues, as the tumble dryer senses how dry items are. Drying options include iron, hanging, cupboard and extra dry. There’s also a timed dry option starting at 30 minutes and going up in 10-minute increments.
It’s more efficient to let the tumble dryer turn off when it senses clothes are dry, but timed drying can be useful to finish off an item of clothing quickly.
There’s a Gentle option that reduces the heat levels used, but this machine misses out on the anti-tangle feature that the Whirlpool W6 D94WR UK has, and it doesn’t have the ‘More Cycles’ feature of the H8 either.
Active Care is available here, which continues to turn the drum occasionally and blow air until you empty the machine. It keeps clothes fresh if you can’t get to them as soon as a cycle has finished.
This is a 9kg tumble dryer, so has a large door and drum. Certainly, I found no issue loading his machine to its maximum capacity. It would be nice to have a light inside, though.
There are two filters on this model. The lint filter lifts out of the door and is a single-part unit, unlike the dual-part filter in the Whirlpool W6 D94WR UK. It’s not difficult to empty, but a little messier.
There’s a second bottom filter, which needs to be cleaned regularly, too. Unlike its stablemate, the Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E, this machine can’t auto clean this filter, so that’s one job you’ll have to do. To be fair, most tumble dryers require you to clean this filter yourself.
There’s a large water tank in a pull-out section, that should be emptied after every cycle. The Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E UK can also be plumbed in if you don’t want to do this job.
Performance
- Very efficient
- Cleans clothes to the limit
I tested the Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E UK with my standard set of washing. I started with the Eco cupboard dry option, which would cost around 27p to run for my test load of 5kg of (dry) washing. That’s very competitive.
I measured that the tumble dryer had removed 100% of water, possibly too much at this level: cupboard dry normally leaves a bit of moisture in the clothes.
Moving on to hanging dry, I found that my clothes had 98.42% of the water removed, which is more around the level that I’d expect from a cupboard dry option. Here, the running costs dropped to a healthy 18p for the cycle, which again is very good.
There’s a daily programme on this machine, which is for up to 2kg loads, so for quickly turning around small amounts of washing. This cost 16p to run and removed 104.6% of the water, so it took some fibres, too. At this kind of cycle price, it’s better to wait until you’ve got enough washing to justify a larger load, as it costs less than half to dry more than double the weight of clothes using the Eco programme.
Running costs are very good, as this is an A+++ machine. Running on the Eco setting, a full load will cost around 57p per cycle. If used on the UK average amount of tumble drying (960kg per year), 106.67 loads would be required, giving a yearly cost of £61.29. Again, that’s very competitive and only a little behind the Whirlpool W6 D94WR UK.
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Should you buy it?
All-round performance: If you want low running costs, a well-priced tumble dryer and high capacity drying, this one has everything you need.
Not the smartest: If you want more features, such as smart control and self-cleaning, you may want to look at an alternative.
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt that the Hotpoint NT M11 9X3E UK is a great tumble dryer that’s relatively cheap to run. It comes up against stiff competition, though. The 8kg Hotpoint H8 D93WB UK, is slightly more expensive to buy and costs more to run, but it looks smarter, has a few more cycles to choose from and is a little more gentle with clothes.
Spend a few hundred pounds more on the Whirlpool W6 D94WR UK and you get slightly lower running costs, a few more features, including anti-tangle, and double warranty (two years parts and labour, plus 10 years parts, versus one year parts and labour here, with the same 10-year parts warranty).
That all said, if you just want a well-priced tumble dryer with low running costs, it’s hard to fault this one. After something different? Check out my guide to the best tumble dryers.
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. Smart tumble dryers only
We test with the same sets of clothes for each machine, 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
No, this machine is controllable through the programme dial on the front.
This model can take up to 9kg of wet clothes.
Trusted Reviews test data
Full specs
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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.
