A washing marvel. Review on Kenstar Tumble Top LF 0210

Moving into a new house with a couple of roomies warranted the purchase of a washing machine. Given that none of the three of us would be inclined to give the washing process the attention a semi-automatic requires, the choice was a fully automatic. Had heard about the average wash qualities of the that breed of washing machines but having a blue collared job didnt require a muscle tweak for my garments anyway. The ones that were on offer made a good selection dilemma. Godrej with its lowest price tag at around 8500 and IFB with its brand value and tumble top processing presented the whole gamut of choices. As, always we were looking for the middle path and thats where the Kenstar LF0210 caught the eye

( credit should also go to the salesperson taking us on the tour ).

The first thing that piqued our attention was the size and shape of the machine for its category. Perhaps the sleekest design available for a 5kg capacity, it would have rolled in comfortably in the narrowest of doors. Add to that a handy set of wheels and a roll lock to fasten the thing while in operation, it was sure that mobility wont be a problem. It offered a top loading option with a tumble top drum that wasnt to be seen in any of the other models on offer. The steel drum as compared to a plastic ( or fiber ) one reinforced our confidence in the design. The clincher, however was the hot water option. None of the other models in the same category offered an in built water heater. With temperatures upto 100 degrees C, it was certain to give us a much better wash quality then a standard cold water wash. The other standard features like different wash cycles for woollen garments and highly soiled clothes just added to the comfort. Also, the water saver and half load options provided for lower operational loads.

We have been using the machine for over 6 months now and its been a revelation. My benchmark for wash qualities remains in the metric of how the machine can clean my collars. I had expected it to do a decent job of it, nothing close to what a hand rub would do but I was in for a surprise. The collars came out as good as they would have been with a hand wash and that is testimonial enough for the machine's performance. Soiled bed sheets and towels came out soft and spotless. The sound made during the wash cycle is hardly unnerving and a 80 percent dry quality isnt too bad with a couple of hours of additional drying required ( have been able to manage that without the sun a number of times ).

A few downsides that arent shop stoppers by any means spring to mind as well. The hose pipe to be fitted to the tap is a little cumbersome. It needs a little bit of attention and work to tighten the screw assembly to avoid water leakage. Moreover, the drain hose has to be at a high level to ensure operation which is more a memory hazard than anything else. Would take these any day for what the washing machine offers at its price tag. A truly wonderful contraption to have.