Manufacturer

In (not just) my opinion Miele make the best quality washing machines in the UK, possibly in the world. Make no mistake, this is a very solid, top quality washing machine with an extended parts and labour extra cover* and a lifetime guarantee that the casing will not corrode or yellow.

Miele washing machines are designed to last, "at least 20 years". If you are unfamiliar with the build quality and ethos of Miele washing machines I have written about it extensively here - Miele washing machines

* The length of the Miele warranty is subject to change because Miele move them about and extend and reduce them for promotional reasons. You can check the current Miele warranty promotions here - Miele warranty promotions

Specifications and Price Range

Clearly this standard of build isn't cheap (over £700), but it's designed to last at least 20 years. In the long run it should easily work out cheaper than regularly buying, repairing, and replacing many other makes of washing machine ( Do washing machines have built-in obsolescence? ) plus it's a high class product that should serve well and be a pleasure to use.

The W 3740 has a top spin speed of 1400 RPM which ought to be fast enough for most people. It also has a 6Kg honeycomb drum (Miele patented) and it has a solid stainless steel door that's strong enough for a small child to sit on. It's eerily quiet on wash with only the swishing water being audible. Every so often there's a gentle tap from a zip hitting the door glass but apart from that the motor is totally silent during wash and rinses. On spin the motor is gently audible but it remains a very quiet washing machine indeed.

(For sample prices of this washing machine see the right hand column.)

Main Features -

• 6kg Honeycomb Drum ( Miele honeycomb drum photos & description )
• Maximum Spin Speed 1400 rpm (see video)
• Direct enamel front and sides (lifetime guarantee)
• Time Remaining Display
• NOTE: Most sites selling the Miele W 3740 list a 24 hr delay start feature - but it does not have this feature!
• Full Miele W 3740 specifications (on Miele's website)

Repairability & Longevity

Miele washing machines score very highly on reliability and longevity but don't quite get full marks for ease of repairability. This is because although they are perfectly repairable, and in fact less likely than most to need repairing, because of a lack of good technical information to the independent trade many independent repairers don't repair Miele washing machines.

This means most people are likely to be forced into using Miele engineers for any maintenance. On the one hand, with such a high quality product you could argue that a fully trained Miele engineer is best - but not having the option to get your local trusted repairman in (if you have one) especially for a known straight forward repair is a disadvantage, especially if you have a trusted local engineer.

In summary, getting a Miele washing machine repaired should be a rare requirement but if needed you would be better off calling Miele themselves, which may be more expensive than a local repairman. In a way this is not too dissimilar to using a dealer instead of a local garage with a new car. It's not a problem if you prefer to use dealers anyway.

First Impressions

The Miele W 3740 is very heavy. Rock solid. The sheen and thickness of the cabinet, and the quality and finish of every part of the washing machine is very classy. Small touches make you realise you've bought a quality product such as the instruction book being so well made and even coming with metal rings built in to accommodate being filed into a ring binder. Even the free spanner for adjusting the feet is a solid tool which would stand up to being used in your tool box.

The quality of the transit packaging is also amazing. I can't help thinking surely they don't have to be this well made (same as the free spanner) but Miele are often obsessive about quality in a way few other companies are. It's bizarre to think that a legitimate criticism of a manufacturer could be that some of their parts are too well made.

Looks and usability

The Miele W 3740 washing machine has a very straight forward and easy to use control panel. It is somewhere in between the "traditional" look of the Premiere 520 and the latest modern Miele 1000 series design. Miele describe it as "traditional" but it looks more modern than the traditional design. The beauty of the control panel is that all the writing is under a protective covering which means the writing will not fade and wear off like with many other washing machines. It's also going to be easy to clean and will not not trap dirt like many others I've seen.

Controls: Ideally, anyone should be able to walk over to a washing machine, select a program, pick some options, switch it on, then put the kettle on and leave the washing machine to it and you can do exactly that. Controls are very intuitive and simple (with one caveat in the negative things section below).

As well as concentrating on high build quality Miele are also pioneers in washing machine technology with things like the honeycomb drum and the Water Plus System which raises the water level and/or adds an additional rinse according to the absorbency and soiling of the washing.

Individual parts

Cold fill washing machine : The Miele washing machine is a cold fill washing machine. There is no hot water valve. Most modern washing machines are now cold fill only. ( explanation of cold fill washing machines )

Honeycomb drum: "For unbeatable garment care". The W 3740 is fitted with the unique honeycomb drum. ( Miele honeycomb drum photos & description )

Pump Filter: Loose buttons, coins, and other obstructions are prevented from jamming the water pump by a front filter which is accessible by pulling open a small square panel at the front left of the machine. Uniquely, it's high enough to get a deep tray under which is great, and is designed so that the drop down panel directs the flow of water into the container.

The positioning of this pump filter (the bottom of the filter door is 4 inches off the floor and the top is almost 9 inches off the floor) shows Miele's commitment to function over sheer aesthetics, which in my book deserves praise. Most washing machine manufacturers place the pump filter very low, and many even hide it behind the kick panel (you'd be amazed how many people I come across that don't even know their washing machine has a pump filter) This is clearly prettier in the sense that an ugly pump filter isn't "spoiling" the looks of the washing machine. But if your washing machine gets stuck full of water and you need to get your laundry out you'll find that the price you pay for having one so low is that you cannot get anything under it to drain into. Some are fitted with a small draining tube to try and get round this but it's a very long and fiddley job to drain through such a small tube and often (if the blockage is large) the drain tube simply gets blocked.

Direct enamel front: Miele are the only washing machine manufacturer I know who use a vitreous enamel coating on the front of all their washing machines and even on the sides of many models. This coating is, "guaranteed not to corrode or yellow for the life of the machine". People are less likely to fix a washing machine that looks worn out and tatty on the outside even if it's mechanically sound so a washing machine that stays looking great even after 15 years or more is likely to look worth repairing.

Looking closely at the direct enamel finish it has a deep glaze and shine, which simply radiates class. Comparing it with the other white goods appliances in my kitchen (Bosch freezer & Siemens dishwasher) I can clearly see that a normal finish is just a thin layer of paint, which on close inspection looks mottled and is easily marked and scratched. The enamel finish on Miele washing machines looks very smooth close up, its thick coating is so tough that it's impervious to normal scratches and corrosion. Coin test: After seeing a Miele promotional video I decided to conduct a coin damage test (VIDEO: 9.65 meg) of my own. I don't mind admitting I was instinctively worried about doing this, which just feels wrong, but I eventually plucked up enough courage. Taking a pound coin, I was able to strike the Miele washing machine extremely hard several times in a downward motion and it left no trace of any mark. When I did the same on the side of our several year old (ordinary) tumble dryer, with little effort I put several marks upon it which go down to the bare metal (don't tell Mrs Washerhelp).

(Note: Some Miele models have direct enamel on the front and sides, and some models now just have it on the front).

The door: The door is made out of cast metal and chrome and is very solid. It swings smoothly and effortlessly on an equally solid hinge and has a strong metal catch. On the last Miele washing machine I reviewed ( Miele W864 washing machine review ) the door lock that the catch fits into was also made of metal. However, this one is now plastic, which is presumably a little cheaper. I'm confident that Miele would not lower the quality to a detrimental effect, and their tests will have shown it can still stand up to the door being "opened and swung shut 60,000 times" ( VIDEO 9.73 meg: Miele door impact test ).

I can't imagine any of these parts ever breaking. (Context: On many cheaper washing machines the doors, the door hinges and door catches constantly break, and doors can commonly just drop off their hinges and door parts are one of the most common spare parts sold these days).

The only possible criticism of the door arrangement is that it opens the opposite way to virtually all other washing machines I've worked on. This shouldn't (and doesn't) really matter, and in our kitchen it's actually a positive advantage, but we've become so used to washing machine doors opening the other way that it's a little weird at first. The only reason I can think of why Miele would think it's better to hinge the door on the right is that it favours right handed people, so maybe they should be praised for it (by right handed people). I mention it more as an interesting anomaly.

Stainless steel outer tub: Miele are one of the few manufacturers to use a stainless steel outer tub. The outer tub holds all the water and the inner drum revolves inside it. In the past, tubs always used to be made of vitreous enamel, which was strong, but susceptible to damage and rusting. Vitreous enamel tubs often started leaking after 10 years or more just through age although commonly because of damage inflicted by coins.

Most washing machine manufacturers have long since moved onto plastic outer tubs. Plastic tubs are cheaper to make, have some insulating properties, and they don't rust, but coins  and other obstructions left in pockets can punch a hole right through. This will write off most washing machines, and as leaving coins in pockets is something most people seem do sooner or later, it's not ideal to have a plastic tub.

Stainless steel outer tubs are the ideal answer. They are metal, substantial, won't be damaged easily by coins, and will never rust. Apart from the cost, you can't beat a stainless steel tub.

Cast iron tub weight: Most washing machines have one or more blocks of concrete bolted to a plastic outer tub. This is to weigh it down and add stability to the washing machine on spin. The trouble is that bolting something this heavy to plastic is not a good idea and I've also seen hundreds of them come loose (often) causing serious damage to the tub. The stabilizing weights on the Miele washing machine are made of an unbreakable cast iron cradle and they are bolted to a stainless steel tub. To an engineer, this is extremely impressive. It's over 20 years since I saw a washing machine with cast iron tub weights.

Video Test: The Miele washing machine was so stable that when fully loaded, and spinning a properly balanced load at full speed, movement was hardly noticeable. A coin stood on its edge and balanced on the lid does not fall over until the very end when the drum has finished spinning and dropping down in revs. ( VIDEO 2.61 meg: Washerhelp's coin balance test )

Extra points worth mentioning:

• Has a Water Control System in the base where a float switch detects leaks and can trigger the water inlet to close
• The motor is larger and heavier than most washing machines which is much more durable
• High quality suspension results in less vibration and shaking on spin
• Has a tougher than standard fill hose tested well beyond the required burst tests
• Sophisticated fuzzy logic adjusts rinsing levels and times according to the absorbency of the laundry and for the anti crease action at the end of a wash

Negative things

I have a naturally critical eye so I'm not used to struggling on this section but this is really difficult. The only things I can cite here are very minor. The door opens electronically, so a minor annoyance is that the door release button isn't supplied with power until the washer is switched on. Most of the time it's not an issue, but when first loading the washing machine (for example having arrived with an arm-full of dirty laundry) it would be nice to be able to just operate the door switch, put the washing in the drum, and then switch it on as you can with a washer that has a manual door handle. It could be that you aren't even intending to wash right now, but you want to put some laundry inside for washing later. It would be nice to be able to just open the door, load the drum and close the door instead of having to turn on the washing machine first, operate the door, load it, close the door and then turn the washing machine off. As a criticism that's pretty picky, but it's the best I can do.

Oh and there is one other minor thing. How to cancel a program could be more intuitive. Mrs. Washerhelp struggled to get to grips with it because when she presses the start/stop button the display shows "cancel". She expects the program to then cancel but after a few seconds the display disappears and washing continues so she presses the button again and the same thing happens. What's not obvious is that after the first press, when "cancel" is displayed, you need to press the button again to confirm you want to cancel the program. Although this is totally correct (we wouldn't want a machine that can abort a program with an accidental button press) if the display came up, "press again to cancel" it would be totally intuitive.

Environment and economy

Miele washing machines are very environmentally friendly because they are so well made that they should last much longer than average. Constantly replacing washing machines is bad for us financially and bad for the environment. They also contain far less plastic and much more metal, which is easier to recycle. Finally they are technologically advanced and economical to run.

Summary

I love this washing machine (Washerhelp recommended). To me it looks beautiful and classy, and although Miele describe the W 3740 as having their "traditional" look, it's actually more modern than the true traditional look found on models like the Miele W864. It manages to find a halfway house between the traditional look and the really modern design of the 1000 series. It also beautifully combines today's modern technology with the solid build quality and reliability from three or four decades ago.

The Miele W 3740 (Like all Miele washing machines) is a Rolls Royce of washing machines [ Related: Miele build quality ] and ideal for anyone who needs a really tough washing machine or someone who is sick of modern washing machines not lasting and wants to return to the build quality of yesteryear. Another candidate would be someone who simply wants the best washing machine available and can easily afford it.

If repairs are needed it's likely that you would need to use Miele's own engineers. Miele's engineers don't charge more than many other manufacturers [ Washing machine manufacturer's labour charges ] - it's just that independent engineers (if you can find a good one) can often charge less labour. However, it has to be said you inevitably run a risk of getting someone incompetent or even a cowboy with an independent repairer, which on a quality machine like this would be particularly bad.

Of course parts are likely to be expensive because they are high quality parts. The idea though is that breakdowns should be far fewer, and overall, the cost of owning and maintaining a Miele should be cheaper than regularly buying cheap washing machines. Miele currently have really long guarantees that reflect their confidence in the quality and when taken into account make their washing machines much better value that you might assume if just looking at the price. Many Miele washing machines have 5 year guarantees and even 10 year guarantees

In summary I would say that the Miele W 3740 washing machine is superb, refined, classy and the best washing machine I've ever used. If you want better, you'll have to look for other more expensive Miele washing machines although in this context, "better" means more features not better quality.

Please see the right column for miscellaneous information and for more photos of this washing machine

Miele 3740

If this model is still available from the merchants I have databases for it will be displayed below. If not, there are similar washing machines displayed underneath.

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