Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK Review
A washer dryer with a huge 11kg capacity
Verdict
With its massive 11kg wash capacity, the Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK shows that washer dryers can keep with developments in standalone washing machines. Good stain removal helps cement this washer dryer’s quality, but it is best run at higher capacities to keep running costs down. Tumble drying is good but, as with all washer dryers, expensive compared to a standalone machine. For households that can benefit from that massive capacity, this is a great washer-dryer.
Pros
- Huge capacity
- Low washing cycle costs (at higher capacities)
- Good stain removal
Cons
- Dry only mode a little confusing
Key Features
- CapacityTakes a huge 11kg of clothes for washing, and it can dry 7kg of wet clothes.
- Energy ratingA rated for washing but only D rated for drying.
Introduction
Washer dryers have always felt a little behind the curve, offering more basic washing options than separates and smaller overall capacities. The Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK puts that thought to bed, finally, with a washer dryer that can take a huge 11kg of washing and handle 7kg drying.
Good stain removal and a great range of wash programmes make this machine stand out, but it’s best run at higher capacities to make costs work.
Design and features
- Huge and deep drum
- Plenty of wash programmes
- Slightly confusing dry-only option
The Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK continues Hotpoint’s run of good-looking laundry machines. I’m a big fan of the smart control dial, which makes this washer dryer look smart and powerful.
Externally, this looks much like any other washer dryer, but my eyes were drawn to the capacity information. Taking an 11kg wash, the Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK is the joint largest machine that I’ve seen, alongside the Samsung WW11BGA046AE.
It can also take a useful 7kg of drying, which is joint top with the Indesit BDE107625XWUKN, which has a slightly smaller 10kg wash capacity.
To increase capacity, the Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK has a very deep drum that pushes right to the back of the cavity. There’s plenty of room inside to handle extra-large loads of washing or to take care of bigger items, such as duvets.
There are all of the wash programmes you’d expect, plus a Wool mode, a 20°C wash and, impressively at this price, Steam Refresh, which is great for revitalising clothes and an extra dose of hygiene.
There are some mixed wash and dry modes, too, although you can only load a maximum of 7kg of washing to use these. As with other Hotpoint washer dryers that I have reviewed, there’s no clearly labelled dedicated dry-only programme. Instead, the control buttons around the LCD must be used.
Alongside buttons to adjust the spin speed and temperature, the controls let me add tumble drying to any cycle, and there’s a dry-only button, which turns off the wash cycle. Having a clearly marked dry-only mode on the programme dial would be easier.
There are sensor drying modes for the Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK, with the normal extra, cupboard, hanging and iron dry modes available. Timed modes are available, which can be useful for finishing off a slightly damp item; it’s generally more efficient to let the tumble dryer stop when it has detected that clothes are dry enough.
As with all Hotpoint washing machines, there’s a swing-out detergent drawer, which is easy to open even in confined spaces. Compartments are clearly labelled and there’s a neat holder for the plastic divider that needs to be inserted if liquid detergent is to be used.
Performance
- Can be quite cheap to run at maximum loads
- Good wash performance
- Tumble drying can be expensive
I ran my normal set of tests, using my 5kg load of washing, which is representative of an average wash. Starting out with a Cotton 30°C wash, I found that this machine used quite a lot of water, and a chunk of energy, bringing the running cost for this cycle to 55p. That’s a little on the expensive side, although wash performance was good.
As you can see from the stain strips below, I use (from left to right), red wine, cooking oil, ketchup, orange juice, and gravy. All of the stains were wiped out, bar a faint hint of ketchup; nothing that a second go wouldn’t fix or a bit of stain remover.
My washing gained 40.49% of weight due to water retention, which is a little high; typically, I look for less than 40%.
Moving to the standard Eco 40-60 wash, the cost per cycle dropped to 38p, which is a fraction higher than the cost for the same cycle on the 8kg Hotpoint ActiveCare NDD8636DAUK washer dryer. This time, the test results were good, with the faint remains of the red wine stain and ketchup left behind. Given the lower running costs, I’d use this cycle more with lightly soiled items.
My clothes gained 38.37% in weight, which is a better result than with the Cotton 30°C wash.
I then ran the 20°C wash, which brought the cost per cycle down to 26p. Results were impressive, with just a bit of red wine and ketchup left behind. It’s good to wash some clothes at higher temperatures, but for many regularly soiled items, dropping down to 20°C is a good money saver.
My clothes gained 43.32% in weight on this cycle, which is a little on the high side.
This is an A-rated washing appliance, but to really get the cost savings, it needs to be loaded to full capacity. On the Eco 40-60 wash, a full 11kg cycle costs 51p to run. Given that the UK, on average, washes 1370kg of clothes per year, the Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK could complete this washing in 124.54 loads.
That works out to a running cost of £63.09 per year, which is less than for the Hotpoint ActiveCare NDD8636DAUK, which has a lower cost per full cycle, but the 8kg load means more cycles have to run per year.
Moving to the tumble dryer, and the Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK is a D-rated appliance. That’s standard for a washer dryer, as they use a condenser, rather than heat pump, and have to use cold water in the process.
Using the cupboard dry setting, my clothes came out slightly lighter than they went in, with the machine removing the water and some fibres. This counts as 100.82% removal in my tests, which is a little high, and I’d have liked the washer dryer to have stopped sooner. As a result, this cycle cost £1.16, which is very high.
Moving to hanging dry, and things were better. Here, the Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK removed 96.84% of water, which means the clothes were dry enough to put away. The cost of the cycle dropped to a more palatable 71p.
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Should you buy it?
You need a large capacity washer dryer: Taking 11kg of washing, this washer dryer is perfect for large homes or those that need to clean very big items.
You run smaller loads of washing: This machine is most efficient with larger loads, and those that wash smaller loads will find a smaller washing machine more efficient for their needs.
Final Thoughts
Washer dryers are all about compromises and accepting that drying costs are going to be higher than with a separate machine.
Still, for homes that don’t have space for separates, a good washer dryer is a brilliant machine of convenience. With the Hotpoint NDD11726DAUK you don’t have to compromise on washing capacity. Large families that have big loads will benefit from the 11kg drum. The best running costs are found when this machine is used towards that maximum capacity.
For smaller households or those that generally do smaller loads of washing, the Hotpoint ActiveCare NDD8636DAUK may prove a better buy.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every washer dryer we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use 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.
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
It can handle 11kg of washing and 7kg of drying.
No, it is controlled via the front panel only.
Trusted Reviews test data
Full specs
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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.