Neff S54M45X5GB

Neff Dishwasher S54M45

When we recently replaced our kitchen we were faced with a couple of tricky decisions regarding our existing appliances. The fridge and cooker were no brainers because they were both well past their sell by dates (although I did get £50 for the fridge on eBay). The washing machine and dishwasher posed bigger problems. Both are Bosch and less than four years old and both appeared to be still in fine condition. ...
...with it.

Neff are a German manufacturer with a reputation for making good quality, reliable kitchen appliances and then retailing them at reasonable prices. They are mainly available through kitchen suppliers but are also available on line. Our kitchen supplier quoted us £450 for this one and we were unable to beat this so added it to the order.

Specifications ~
The S54M45 is a full size, fully integrated dishwasher. ... more

Neff Dishwasher S54M45

When we recently replaced our kitchen we were faced with a couple of tricky decisions regarding our existing appliances. The fridge and cooker were no brainers because they were both well past their sell by dates (although I did get £50 for the fridge on eBay). The washing machine and dishwasher posed bigger problems. Both are Bosch and less than four years old and both appeared to be still in fine condition. Ultimately we wanted both to be integrated but we decided to replace one now and change the other when it packed in. The washing machine was saved as it was a year older and the harder working so likely to fail first, I would also not feel happy selling it on. The dishwasher was a better bet for selling (it eventually went for nearly £100, again on good old eBay) so that was the one to make way.

Being an integrated appliance, looks were not a factor in choosing a new dishwasher but what was important was the quality of the machine and its usability. Our kitchen supplier suggested this model and after a check of the specs on line I was happy to go with it.

Neff are a German manufacturer with a reputation for making good quality, reliable kitchen appliances and then retailing them at reasonable prices. They are mainly available through kitchen suppliers but are also available on line. Our kitchen supplier quoted us £450 for this one and we were unable to beat this so added it to the order.

Specifications ~
The S54M45 is a full size, fully integrated dishwasher. This means it will fit a standard 600mm slot in your kitchen and there will be no external evidence of its presence. All controls are discretely sited on top of the door hidden behind the front panel.
Being an integrated model it is not quite as deep as a freestanding equivalent but there is still space for 12 international place settings (whatever they are).

It has a Triple A rating for washing, energy and drying which should come as no surprise as this is a standard expectation for such an appliance. It runs at a maximum noise level of 49dB and will consume 12 litres of water per cycle.
There are two stainless steel trays inside and facilities for holding cutlery, long knives and wine glasses as well as the usual cup and plate racks.
In use ~
The two racks are well designed, feel quite rugged and allow for a fair amount of configuration. Most of the plate holders / dividers can be adjusted or removed and this allows different sized items to be accommodated. This flexibility is definitely an advantage and allows a lot more items to be held than other inflexible layouts.

The racks themselves can be removed and adjusted easily. The top rack has a tray for holding long knives and wooden spoons etc and this is quite useful as they are not always easy to accommodate. However, this can fill up with just two or three items and does restrict access to cups below. All the parts: racks, handles and latches etc have a good solid feel to them and you don't get the impression that they will wear or weaken any time soon.

I have been impressed by the cleaning of this machine; everything I have thrown at it comes out spotless. Since having it installed two months ago it probably gets used most days and I've barely had to rinse or rewash anything.

There are four wash settings: Pre Rinse (18 mins), Quick Wash 45o (35 mins), Eco 50o (140 mins) and Auto Daily 55o - 60o (120 mins). The Pre Rinse does what it says, when it's finished everything is suitably wet but I'm not totally convinced of its effectiveness. It isn't long enough and doesn't get warm enough to effectively soak crusty dishes and as too much food debris blocks the system and impairs performance anyway it is better to give most dishes a quick rinse under the tap beforehand to remove any excess. The Quick Wash is pretty good at handling lightly soiled loads but is not really up to the job of coping with an evening meal's pots and pans.
The final two settings produce similar, excellent results and I tend to use the Eco setting on the presumption that the lower temperature will save a few pennies (and a few trees blah blah blah…) although as it is a significantly longer cycle this may be cancelled out somewhat. The noise level when running is never intrusive and doesn't rise above a steady thrum; just enough to let you know it's doing its stuff. When each cycle is complete an intermittent beep is emitted, rather annoyingly this will continue until you go and open the door but at ever longer intervals.

The control panel on the top edge of the door has a button for each setting as well as the on/off button. There is a display for time remaining and the option to set a time delay of between 1 - 19 hours; this is also shown on a display. Above the time remaining display are warning signs for when rinse aid and salt levels are running low. The practicality of all this is limited by the fact that the displays will be hidden once the door is closed rendering the time remaining readout largely redundant.

I had heard from a semi-formal source (the Siemens helpline) that Neff, Bosch and Siemens appliances are all made at the same factory by the same people and this is certainly borne out here. The Neff shares several obvious parts with our previous Bosch: cutlery racks and so on but most noticeably in the control panel where it has the same range of functions and displays. This being the case I would imagine most of the gubbins are shared as well.

I haven't had it anywhere near long enough to comment on its long term reliability, and if I did wait by then it would have been replaced anyway, but if the Bosch is anything to go by it should being giving us reliable service for several years to come.

I think this is a pretty good machine, I've certainly had no cause to question the decision to buy it so I'm happy to give it a good old fashioned Magpie Thumbs Up (that means it's a good thing, for those too young to remember the lovely Jenny Hanley). 

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