Dishwashers

Hosting a dinner party is one of life's pleasures. A mountain of washing-up certainly isn't – so sit back and let a dishwasher do the job. Choose freestanding or integrated, large or slimline. Compact dishwashers will fit into the smallest of kitchens. Change temperature settings and use handy programs such as prewash, intensive wash, economy, glassware and baby care for all your washing up needs.

Of course, this isn't the only appliance that'll make your domestic life easier. Getting through laundry day needn’t be an uphill struggle – let a Hotpoint washing machine help you out. Other popular brands include Bush, Beko, Hoover and Indesit. We’ve got compact, built in models to help you save on space, and also half load and quick wash options so you can be sure you’ll always have clean socks. Energy efficiency is also important so look at the energy rating. Other key features are load capacity, spin speeds and the range of washes such as a quick wash function for when you need to get the laundry done in a hurry. When all the washing is done, and if it is wet outside, tumble dryers come into their own when you’re handed a muddy PE kit. With spin cycles for stains and sports-shoe settings, they're a life-saver – especially when it needs to be ready the next day.

When it comes to meal preparation, appliances can be a big help. Let’s start with the fridge. Larger sized American fridge freezers will easily hold a family-sized 'big shop', cutting down on trips to the supermarket. And when you're making dinner, range cookers give you the extra internal space you need to batch-prepare several meals at once.