Hisense HV523E15UK Slimline

Is the Hisense HV523E15UK Slimline worth buying?

Yes, the Hisense HV523E15UK Slimline is worth buying at £279 if the only free slot in your kitchen is 45 cm across, because nothing wider will go in and this machine squeezes 10 place settings, a 30 minute quick wash and a two year manufacturer warranty into a 44.8 cm body. Seventy owners rate it 4.0, which is a steadier base than either Samsung on this page. For a normal 60 cm housing it is the wrong buy, since you pay more per cover for less room.

Buy it when the tape measure, not the budget, makes the decision. A narrow machine is a compromise on space and on cost per setting, and this one accepts both in exchange for fitting a gap that a full size model cannot use. If a 60 cm gap exists, spend the same £279 on a full size machine and get two to four more covers.

What does the Hisense HV523E15UK Slimline cost per place setting?

£279 divided by 10 place settings works out at £27.90 a cover, which is £11.32 more than the COMFEE' 12 Place Settings at £16.58 and the second highest figure of the ten machines in this ranking. Narrow dishwashers always carry a premium because the same pump, motor and electronics sit behind a smaller basket.

What you get back for that premium is efficiency. A cycle draws 0.76 kWh, the lowest of the ten here, and about 9 litres of water, so a household running one eco cycle a day spends less on power than it would with a 0.92 kWh machine. The 110 items the baskets hold work out at 11 items for each place setting, which is a full cover of plate, bowl, glass, cup and cutlery plus room for a serving dish.

What comes in the box with the Hisense HV523E15UK Slimline?

A drain hose, a power cord and the user manual come in the box, and the cold fill inlet hose, the cabinet door front and the door fixing kit do not. Plan for two extra purchases: a front to match your cupboards and the brackets to hang it on, which are sold separately. The machine itself weighs 32 kg, so two people should lift it into the housing rather than one.

It measures 60 cm deep, 44.8 cm wide and 81.5 cm high, which is the standard under counter height and the reason it slots beneath a worktop without cutting the plinth. Controls are push button with a glossy stainless steel finish, and the door runs on a standard hinge rather than a sliding one, so check your cabinet door clearance before ordering.

Where does the Hisense HV523E15UK Slimline fall short?

Ten place settings is the real limit. A family of four cooking twice a day will fill this machine and still have pans waiting, where the 14 place setting Hisense HV623D15UK Silver at £299 takes the whole day's washing up in one load for £20 more. If you regularly host, a slimline machine means two cycles instead of one.

Settlement figures are ordinary rather than special. The wash runs at 47 dB, the same as most machines in this ranking and 5 dB above the quietest, and the energy class is E, which tells you the cycle is efficient in absolute terms but not the most efficient build on the market. There is also no app control and no self opening door, so drying finishes the traditional way, with heat and a slightly open door at the end.

How does the Hisense HV523E15UK Slimline compare with the COMFEE' 12 Place Settings?

The COMFEE' 12 Place Settings costs £199, which is £80 less, holds two more covers and comes to £16.58 a setting against £27.90 here, but it needs a 60 cm wide housing. Choose the COMFEE' if the gap allows it and you want the cheaper load, and choose the Hisense HV523E15UK Slimline only when 44.8 cm is all the space you have.

Against the Hisense HV642E90UK 13 Places at £299 the gap is narrower than it looks. That machine costs £20 more, holds 13 settings, fits up to 143 items and measures 59.8 cm wide, so it too needs the full size opening. If width is not the problem, the HV642E90UK carries more for the extra £20 and works out at £23.00 a place setting rather than £27.90.