It’s worth pointing out that in both tests, the countdown timer wasn’t particularly accurate. For the synthetic wash, I found that the last 2 minutes of the spin cycle took closer to 10 minutes to complete. Think of it as an indicator of time, rather than a hard-fast timer. Spin efficiency – Excellent, particularly when the washing machine can run at 16oorpm to leave clothes comparatively dry. There’s also a delay timer (in hours, from one to 24) and an options button that lets you select an extra rinse, the hygiene mode (for washes at 60ºC and above, this option maintains the same temperature throughout the entire wash), and an anti-crease easy-ironing mode. Basic as these controls are, they’re extremely simple to use and you shouldn’t need to turn to the manual too often. Spin efficiency – Excellent, particularly when the washing machine can run at 16oorpm to leave clothes comparatively dry. Rated A+++, the Candy Grand’O Vita GVS169DC3 should be efficient to use and run. To test, I started out with our standard wash at 30ºC. This cycle used 0.53kWh of power and a fairly frugal 29.4l of water.

Next to the programme dial, you’ll see the Smart Touch area with a picture of a smartphone. This is to enable NFC-enabled smartphones to transmit a programme from the Candy Simpli Fi app to washing machine. Only, it isn’t all NFC smartphones, since iPhones currently aren’t supported and you can only use an Android handset. This could be a reset failure, failure to complete a programme, or an issue with door opening waiting time. If water is still in the drum this will prevent the door from opening. The appliance is leakingThe detergent drawer is as you’d expect Candy Grand’O Vita GVS169DC3 performance – Impressive running costs and decent stain removal for the price

Examining our stain strip, we have – left to right in the image below – red wine, vegetable oil, tomato sauce, orange juice and gravy, all left to dry into the fabric. At the end of the wash cycle, all the stains had effectively been removed, bar a circle of the tough red wine test and a faint mark left of the ketchup. This is often an issue with the outlet pipe which may need re-aligning by a qualified plumber. Mid-cycle stopping

Thanks to the 1600rpm spin speed, our clothes retained 0.9kg of water, which works out at a decent 34.62% of their original weight. The washing machine’s energy label says that this machine has an A-rated spin cycle, and the tests confirm it. It’s useful to have such an efficient spin, since it means that your clothes spend less time drying or in a tumble dryer. Stain removal – Pretty good on the 30ºC wash, although the synthetic wash ended up folding the stain strip leaving a blob of ketchup behind. The easy iron function also ensures that this is a great choice for those on a busy schedule, whilst the economy wash will save you even more money. The KG detector also helps ensure that the right level of water is used with every wash. While this washing machine is certainly not quiet and does vibrate quite a lot, for the features you get on the price you pay, most overlook this and are very happy their choice. With smart connectivity and high load capacity, this is a modern machine for the modern family. To get some more in-depth running costs, I used the figures stated on the EU energy label, which assume 220 washes per year. This let me break-down the stated energy and water consumption figures to give us an average cost per wash, using average electricity and water costs.