Indesit BWE101685XWUKN Review
A low-cost washing machine with a large 10kg drum
Verdict
Although it’s not the cheapest washing machine to run, particularly when not used to full capacity, the Indesit BWE101685XWUKN has some useful cost-saving modes. More importantly, this 10kg washing machine is excellent value and it has excellent stain removal, making it a good choice for those on a tight budget that need a large capacity washing machine.
Pros
- Excellent stain removal
- Simple controls
- Great value
Cons
- Not the cheapest to run
Availability
- UKRRP: £339
Key Features
- CapacityThis washing machine has a 10kg capacity.
- Energy ratingA B-rated appliance, this washing machine is slightly more expensive to run than the competition, particularly when not run to maximum capacity; at maximum capacity, costs can drop.
Introduction
It’s not the cheapest to run, nor is it packed with the latest technology, but the Indesit BWE101685XWUKN is excellent value and has a large 10kg capacity.
Add in its quality stain removal, and this is a good washing machine for those that like to tackle big loads and don’t want to pay premium prices.
Design and features
- Very simple control panel
- Push & Go for daily care
- Large drum
With its curved top, the Indesit BWE101685XWUKN is a good-looking washing machine, which looks and feels far more expensive than it really is. It is also supremely easy to use.
Rather than a complicated control panel, there is a numbered selector dial, with the corresponding programmes written in English on the detergent drawer. There’s an entire set of wash cycles devoted to 30°C, to save money, plus all of the regular cycles you’d expect, and some specials including a 20°C wash, Wool cycle and a special cycle for duvets.
If you just want to quickly get through your washing, the Push & Go button runs a 30°C programme for up to 5kg, although it spins clothes at just 1000rpm.
Programme 11 (Rapid) is the only slightly confusing one. Select this, and there’s a dedicated button under the LCD for choosing the time: 20-minutes at 20°C, 45-minutes at 40°C or one hour at 60°C. Confusingly, each setting supports a different amount of washing: 2.5kg, 5.5kg and 10kg respectively.
For each wash programme, you can override the spin speed and temperature to suit your needs. The screen then shows the estimated wash time, although this is adjusted as the machine starts to wash.
There’s a standard pull-out detergent drawer on this model, which can take liquid or powdered detergent, plus fabric softener.
As a 10kg washing machine, there’s a large porthole door, which I found had plenty of room to load up, even with larger items, such as sheets.
Performance
- Excellent stain removal
- Not the cheapest to run
I ran my normal tests on this washing machine, starting with the Cotton 30°C wash. I used the dedicated programme for this, rather than opting for the Cotton 40°C and adjusting the temperature. With the dedicated programme, the wash cycle is slightly shorter.
That’s good for economy. I found that this wash cycle would cost around 36p for my test load, largely because energy use was so low. Impressively, cleaning performance is very good. Looking at the before and after images from my stain strip, you can see that most of the stains have gone, which are (left to right), red wine, orange juice, ketchup, oil and gravy.
The downside is that a relatively slow spin cycle meant that my clothes came out having gained 58.27% of their dry weight through water retention. This would mean longer drying times or more expensive tumble drying.
Next, I moved on to the Eco 40-60 wash. Here, running costs jumped slightly to around 40p for my 5kg load. Stain removal was impeccable, though, with most of the mess removed. In fact, I’d say that with a bit of stain remover on the red wine, this machine would be able to clean everything off.
On this cycle, my clothes gained 35.25% of weight, due to water retention. That’s a good show from the spin cycle, showing that it has removed a decent amount of water, which in turn would mean cheaper tumble drying costs or faster natural drying.
There’s a 20°C wash on this machine, too. This uses very little power, so my running cost dropped to just 29p for the wash cycle. My clothes came out having added 36% weight, which is a good result. For lightly soiled clothes, this cycle could be a good one.
Washing machines are best used at maximum capacity. Given that in the UK, on average, 1370kg of washing is done per year, the Indesit BWE101685XWUKN would be able clean all this washing in just 137 full loads. Given that a full load on the Eco 40-60 wash costs around 50p, that’s a decent running cost of £68.46.
It’s at smaller loads that this machine isn’t quite as efficient as its main competition. Opt for the Samsung WW90T684DLH, for example, and this washing machine costs around 36p for a 5kg Eco 40-60 wash.
I measured the spin cycle at a fairly loud 79.2dB, although there’s little cabinet shake, so vibration shouldn’t pass through kitchen cupboards.
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Should you buy it?
You want a large washing capacity on a budget: This washing machine is great value, particularly for a 10kg machine, and has excellent stain removal.
You want more programmes and lower running costs: This isn’t the cheapest washing machine to run, particularly at less than full capacity, and it doesn’t have the range of cycles of more expensive machines.
Final Thoughts
The Indesit BWE101685XWUKN isn’t the flashiest of washing machines, nor is the cheapest to run, particularly when not at maximum capacity. What it is good at is removing stains, and it does have lower temperature washes that can help keep running costs down. If you want a large capacity washing machine and don’t want to spend a fortune getting one, this is competitively priced. If you want more wash cycles and a few more features, then check out my guide to the best washing machines.
How we test
Unlike other sites, 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 10kg of washing, so will deal with large loads or bigger items.
No, it’s controlled from the front panel only.
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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.
