Candy 14 Place Settings

Is the Candy 14 Place Settings worth buying?

Yes, the Candy 14 Place Settings is worth buying at £279 if you want 14 covers and a door that swings open on its own to dry the load, without paying Samsung money. That combination costs £359.99 on the COMFEE' 14 Place Settings Wi-Fi and £601.33 on the Samsung Series 11, so this is the cheapest way into it. A household of four who cook most evenings will fill it in a day.

The wash runs at 47 dB, the controls are touch with an LCD readout, and a half load is washed and dried in 49 minutes, which is the cycle for the days the basket is only part full. Cover runs to one year for labour and ten years for parts. Seven owners have rated it 4.0 so far, a small base rather than a red flag.

What does the Candy 14 Place Settings cost per place setting?

Fourteen covers for £279 works out at £19.93 for every place setting, which is cheaper per dish than any other full size machine in this group apart from the COMFEE' 12 Place Settings. That COMFEE' asks £16.58 a setting at £199, but it holds 12 covers, and the two extra settings are what a family notices on a Sunday roast.

Run the same sum against the Samsung Series 11 and the difference is £23.02 for every plate, bowl, glass and piece of cutlery it holds, at £42.95 a setting against £19.93. What the £279 buys is 14 covers, a half load option and an inverter motor that turns the pump without carbon brushes, which are the part that wears in a standard motor.

What comes in the box with the Candy 14 Place Settings?

The box holds the dishwasher, an adapter and the user manual, so the cabinet door front, the handle and any fixing kit are bought separately on top of the £279. It measures 59.7 cm across and 55.5 cm deep, which slots into the usual 60 cm gap between units, and it weighs 34.5 kg before a door goes on, so two people should lift it into the housing.

Four cycles cover the week: Normal, Quick Wash, Rinse Only and Smart Dry, and the delay start moves in 3, 6 or 9 hour blocks so a full load can run overnight. The panel is touch with an LCD, the racks and baskets are plastic rather than coated wire, and the machine takes a 240 volt supply, the same as the rest of a UK kitchen ring.

Where does the Candy 14 Place Settings fall short?

The wash runs at 47 dB, which is 5 dB above the 42 dB Hotpoint H7I Maxi Space and 4 dB above the Samsung Series 11, so it is audible from the next room with the door open. In an open plan kitchen that gap is the one you notice; in a closed utility room it makes no difference at all.

Seven owner ratings is the thinnest base of the ten machines in this group, against 864 for the COMFEE' 12 Place Settings, so there is little long term experience to read before you commit. The cover is also lopsided, one year of labour against ten years of parts, which means a call out in year three comes out of your pocket.

Is the Candy 14 Place Settings better than the COMFEE' 12 Place Settings?

For £80 less, the COMFEE' 12 Place Settings gives 12 covers, a 70°C hygiene wash and 864 owner ratings at 4.0, at £16.58 a setting. It is the better buy for a couple or a household of three who rarely fill a machine. The Candy earns its £80 with two more settings, the self opening door and the 49 minute wash and dry cycle.

Against the COMFEE' 14 Place Settings Wi-Fi at £359.99, the Candy holds the same 14 covers for £80.99 less, at £19.93 a setting against £25.71, and it dries by opening its door rather than by fan alone. The COMFEE' answers with app control, a soil sensor and 161 owner ratings at 4.0, so it suits a buyer who wants the phone in the loop and a wider review base behind the purchase.