I purchased my AEG just under six months ago as a replacement for my old Ariston machine. I will write my review in two parts. Firstly I will outline the practical benefits I have found during the time I have had my machine. Secondly I will list the technical details (this took me an hour of searching to find the original manual that came with it).
APPEARANCE: ------------------------ First of the washer-dryer is an integrated appliance. This means that the machine hides itself behind a cupboard door in your kitchen. I was fortunate enough to have two spare doors left from when my kitchen was installed. When purchasing integrated appliances it is worthwhile to find out the cost of doors and incorporate this into your budget. If you have to go back to your kitchen supplier or have doors matched from an alternative source, this can be a costly exercise. Apart from this the appliance has the same dimensions as any other standard free standing washing machine. The front of the machine has a clear LED display that displays the time left before the wash cycle is complete. however as this is an integrated product the display is hidden behind the door. Most noticeable is the very large load door. The opening at the front of the machine is considerably larger than normal. The advantages of this become very apparent when washing items such as duvets etc. I can now get double duvets into my washing machine with ease, unlike the wrestling match I used to have with the door of my old Ariston.
WASH PERFORMANCE: ----------------------------------- My AEG's washing performance is nothing less than outstanding. I used to find that if I put heavily stained garments into my old Ariston, quite often I would have to put them back into wash for a second time. With my AEG I don't have this problem. I had assumed that wash performance was purely down the detergent being used. However I am still using the same brand and type of detergent as before. This has proven that wash performance is undoubtedly a combination of both machine and detergent. Presumably this is why AEG were awarded an "A+" rating for this model.
PROGRAMMES: ------------------------- The actual programmes on the machine are very much of a muchness with any other machine. They include cottons, synthetics, wool etc.etc. What I have found very good is the "quick wash" programme. I did have this on my old Ariston and the programme used to take around 40 - 45 minutes to run. My AEG however does a quick wash in around 30 -35 minutes and does so with the exceptional results as the main wash programme.
SPIN PERFORMANCE: -------------------------------- I must admit when I purchased my machine, I didn't pay any attention at all to energy ratings . The spin on this model is rated at "B". I can only base my opinion on my experiences from old to new. The spinning results again I have found to be very good. When taking clothes from my AEG, they have far more water taken out of them than my old Ariston. Light polyester garments are in fact virtually dry at the end of the wash cycle. A useful feature of this machine is the variable spin. Most machines have a choice of only two speeds which are pre-determined by the wash programme selected. The ability to lower the spin speed I have found particularly useful when washing garments that have a tendency to crease easily.
DRYING PERFORMANCE: -------------------------------------- Drying times I have found to be very good, obviously this is helped by the amount of water taken out during the spinning cycle. The only real drawback with drying is the load capacity. Whilst clothes can be selected to both wash and dry in one cycle, this can only be done for half the standard load.
ENERGY FEATURES: -------------------------------- AEG use a feature they call "Fuzzy Logic". In essence this is very similar to energy saving features offered by Hotpoint, Zannusi and various other manufacturers under a variety of different names. Basically this is a more flexible approach to the traditional "Half Load" button. The machine calculates the amount of garments placed into the drum and then adjusts the amount of water intake accordingly. This is very useful if your water supply is metered. Because the water intake is adjusted accordingly, so is the amount of electricity used to heat the water up. Temperature is also adjustable, this again is a useful feature as most new detergents will produce the same wash results at lower temperatures. As a safeguard the temperature can only be adjusted down from that recommended for the programme selected. In other words if you have selected a woollens programme and accidentally left the temperature set to 95, the machine will over-ride this and revert to the recommended temperature for that particular programme. For anyone who has there electricity on a night tariff system (Economy 7) there is a delay timer incorporated. The machine can be loaded and set to do your selected wash programme, but the start time can be delayed for up to 12 hours in advance.
OVERALL OPINION: -------------------------------- I have now had my washer dryer approaching six months. During this time especially comparing it to my old machine, it has been nothing short of spectacular. Washing performance (which lets face it is what you buy a washer for) is excellent. The noise levels in particular when on a full spin are very quiet with none of the signs that it is going to vibrate itself to destruction like some machines. A little bit of trivial useless information I picked up from the salesman is that AEG are a sub-division of Mercedes-Benz. Although this is not exactly the sort of information you would use to look good in front of your friends, it does give you an idea of the pedigree and build quality behind the brand.
My opinion: A good long term investment.
TECHNICAL DATA: ================== 820(H) X 600(W) X 541(D) mm SPIN: 1400rpm (Category B) VARIABLE SPIN WASH: (category A+) 24 WASH PROGRAMMES QUICK WASH 30MINS ENERGY: (category C) WATER SUPPLY; COLD FILL ONLY WATER CAPACITY:49 Litres DRUM CAPACITY: 42 Litres VARIABLE TEMPERATURE WASH LOAD: 5Kg DRY LOAD: 2.5Kg FUZZY LOGIC WASHING DRYING: REVERSE ACTION / ANTI-CREASE 2 HEAT SETTINGS DRYING 12HR DELAY TIMER LED DISPALY END OF PROGRAMME AUDIBLE WARNING CHILD DOOR LOCK
More details
User's Manual
Good
Cleaning & Maintenance
Very easy
Safety
Very safe
How much did you pay?
£599.95
Any repairs?
NO
Special features?
Fuzzy logic energy saving
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
result and load flexibility. Advanced Fuzzy Logic can sense the water needed for each load, reducing energy, water and detergent consumptions, and provides a conven...
