Regular readers will know that I don't often have a stab at particular companies or products, but I am driven to tell you that the Zanussi Electrolux Timeline ZSF 6160 is the biggest heap of rancid dingo shit I have ever had the misfortune to have to deal with.
My parents got a new dishwasher recently after the old one gave up the ghost. They did whatever anyone would do – they went to a shop, had a look at various anonymous white boxes, and made a choice. How were they to know what a steaming pile of crap it would be? Sure, the settings are great. Yah, wonderful. Economy. Well done. But you try actually filling the fucking thing with the results of a very nice Sunday roast, and frankly, you'd be cursing the stupid thing too.
Like most dishwashers, it has two trays. Top for glasses and small crockery, bottom one for all the big stuff. But the thing is, you try to put a glass in the top tray but there are no flat surfaces. It falls over. Put a bowl in, and the same thing happens. There are removable racks from which you can hang your glasses, but firstly they waste space, and secondly, the glasses don't fit.
The bottom tray has the cutlery basket in, but two thirds of our cutlery doesn't fit through the holes in the top. Only knives fit. Then you put plates in. But the prongs which hold the plates upright just don't. The plates fall against each other. You can't get a decent number of pans in either, and the prongs which hold them up just fall over at the slightest whim.
This dishwasher – the Zanussi Electrolux Timeline ZSF 6160, in case you missed it – was obviously designed by an idiot with shit for brains who had never done a stroke of washing up in his life (and I'm betting it is a 'he'). Patently the trays were designed by some tosswit who never thought to actually try to put a full load of real crockery in. I'm sure it all looked pretty in his nice designs, but you get it in a real kitchen, after real people have eaten real food on real crockery, and it fails miserably on all counts. It is, without doubt, complete shit and not worth tuppence.
But the question is, how would you know? When you are out buying a new dishwasher, you tend not to take a large box of crockery, pots and pans so you can try it out, but without doing that, how would you know it was crap? And, of course, my parents are far too nice to take it back from the small village shop from which they bought it.
So, if you're in the market for a dishwasher, avoid the Zanussi Electrolux Timeline ZSF 6160. It's a waste of money.
Worst dishwasher ever – the Zanussi Electrolux Timeline ZSF 6160
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You should research where it was actually designed, and send a copy of a Donald Norman book to the address (along with a copy of this post, of course).
Well – thank 'ee kindly for that. I am close to pursuading the other half that a dishwasher is preferrable to our stupid arguments about washing up, so I'll know what to avoid now.
And what is it about parents and being crap at sending things back? My mum ordered a fridge, and when it arrived it was the version with a freezer compartment rather than without – which she had asked for. Not a big deal except that combined with the stupid salad trays you can only use by removing the bottom shelf, you can only fit about a courgette, a piece of cheese and an egg in the whole damn thing.
Ah well – at least she could make a courgett fritatta.
Pandora
Oh well, you're the only address on google referring to “Zanussi Electrolux Timeline ZSF 6160”. I was curious to check if it was designed in Italy or not (Zanussi is Italian, but merged with Rex, that's swedish, back in 1993) 🙂
Anyway, thanks for the advice and the real nice post.
It's always such a pleasure to read you.
Here in this country, which is the neighbouring country to the country where Zanussi is manufactured, they call Zanussi the Fiat of kitchen appliances — in other words, stay clear of them.
Thank you for your comments. My dishwasher was covered, but they were unable to fix it and now they have tried to palm me off with this one. After seeing your comments I have refused it.
i feel your pain, but unfortunately it is *I* who owns the world's worst dishwasher:
The Fisher Paykel Dishdrawer
this obscenely expensive, empty-nester money waster is without a doubt the product of a combination of the 1970s-era educational system for poor engineering design and a severe addiction to crack cocaine…
the wastrel who pushed this turkey's project through manufacturing and into consumer homes should be stripped naked, then forced through several cleaning cycles inside either the top or bottom drawer…
it wouldn't matter though – because he wouldn't get clean…
we bought a home in Sept. 2004 that included a 2002 model… the first red flag should have been that the washer needed to be fixed before settlement…
here is my litany of complaints (keep in mind that this is one of the most expensive dishwashers available to consumers):
1. go to Fisher Paykel's home page and download the dishwasher manual: you will go quietly mad after reading the insane directions and poor layout and design
2. the dishwasher will not clean dishes no matter which way you stack them inside
3. small forks or spoons quickly become trapped inside the silver tray and become almost impossible to extricate
4. there are no clear directions on how to use a softening/spotting agent – the atypical slot is meant for some other water-treatment product?
5. there are two drawers… both are small and one cannot dishwash a large pot
6. the dishwasher is 'braindead,' and only offers five types of cycles (why anyone would buy this washer is beyond me); there is no control of the drying mode (air, heat, sanitize, etc.), only time: 26 – 121 minute cycles
7. do not stand near this washer when pulling out the lower drawer; a facing element along the bottom of the drawer will slice open your foot; failing that, the facing element will pop out of its two small support nuts and fall on the floor, requiring you to stoop down, then lay face down with your right or left cheek on the floor in order to replace the facing element…
8. loading plates or filling the drawer with a plate, bowl, pot, or saucer near horizontal anywhere near the front of the unit will result in water cascading out the front of the washer through the poor drawer seal
9. there is no indication of any energy-saving modes with this washer (as far as i can tell)
10. little clearance (less than 10mm) in the bottom of each drawer between the dishes and spinning washing element results in very good chances for obstruction and potential damage of either dishes or the unit itself
i'm sure i can think of more problems, but i hope you'll agree that i got the privy end of the stick w/my washer!
🙁
Our dishwasher is the kenwood (made in china).
The fault is with the design of the way the machine actualy works. Water collects in the bottom of the dishwasher and stops the machine from completing its cycle during the running of the wash.
The exact fault is not known because you would think if they did know someone would fix it by now.
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