New washing machine time - What sort?

[geoff]

[geoff]

Not quite, Möbel is kraut for furniture

Smeg has to be german, not a name for any self respecting english company

[Skipweasel]

Yeah, I know that, but it's still a cod-German for an English firm.

--=20 Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

[Ronald Raygun]

It's italian innit. But the name is (almost literally) pants. I don't know why marketing people go for brand names with obvious negative connotations.

Another example is Neff which clearly reminds one of naff.

Then there's when Vauxhall tried to market the Nova in the spanish speaking world. In spanish, "no va" means it doesn't go.

[Skipweasel]

Bit of an urban miff, that one.

[Steve Firth]

No.

If your pants are covered in s***ma then you really need to start thinking about personal hygiene.

It's an acronym: Société Monégasque de l'Électricité et du Gaz

There's a hint that it's not an Italian company in the name.

Can you see what it is yet?

[geoff]

Or my favourite "Irisher Mist" which came out in Germany almost simultaneously as a liqueur and a shower gel from Cussons

Mist, of course means manure or colloquially shit

didn't last long

Not an urban myth that one ... I was there

[Doctor Drivel]

This brings me to the case of a relative. People buy Miele washing machines because they are reliable. People are scared stiff of the down time when a washing machine stops, so much they are prepared to spend to reduce down time. A sort of insurance.

A relative was contemplating a Miele. It was to go in the garage. I persuaded them to buy two mid range washing machines and stack them. The cost was still less than the one Miele.

The advantages were:

1. No washing down time. If one breaks down there is always one working until the broken machine is fixed.

1. The two are cheaper than one Miele

2. Twice the washing can be done at the same time, so no washing strewn over two days. Double the load. Whites in one, colours in the other. The full family washing is done quickly.

1. The two washing machines last twice as long as the load is shared, as they are used only half the running time of one machine. Far less wear on each machine.

They saw the logic and went for it. They are still using the same machines after 15 years. Only one has one broken down and when it did they could still do the washing.

[Doctor Drivel]

I have a friend worked in the Hoover research place. They used to buy other maker's machines to spy on them. I asked him this very question. He told me Miele is the best followed by AEG and Bosch. Never to buy Candy, Indesite, Whirlpool, Philips. Hotpoint, Hoover. mediocre. I bought a Miele. Expensive but had it for fifteen years, no problems. Touch wood.

[Doctor Drivel]

The inefficiencies of US laundry appliances are well known.

If California had European types of domestic appliance efficiencies there would not be an energy problem there. They put out requests not to use washing machines and tumble dryers.

Heat pump tumble dryers work and do reduce electricity usage by 40-50%In the US, research found that people just did not believe you can save 40% to 50% in energy bills when running to one with a resistance heater. So, they don't sell. They are more expensive to buy, and mass production will bring the price down, however the ROI will be quick if you have a family, and with current energy price hypes they make sense and ROI quicker. And the greeny crew can brag about having one as well.

Building nuclear power stations is not the way.Improving efficiency and cutting back on energy usage by various angles is the way.

[dennis]

Well if that's the case you can start doing your bit by turning off your computer.

[Steve Firth]

Not that the Germans are immune from that. There is a range of hair products which in Italian is rendered as Testanera but for some reason they chose not to translate Schwarzkopf into Blackhead for the UK.

And then there are the legendary "Bum" crisps from Spain and "Pschitt!" lemonade from France.

[djc]

the registered office of SMEG S.p.A., Via Circonvallazione Nord 36,

42016 Guastalla (RE)

[Steve Firth]

Given the ways things move, it's possible that SMEG divested itself of the Italian manufacturing operation. But the name and the company originated in Monaco. Italy was the place where they could get cheap labour since no such thing as cheap labour exists in Monaco.

[Huge]

And another lemonade from Spain; La Revoltosa.

[geoff]

Yes, always amused me, that one

Ok then,

darkie toothpaste - thailand kick a poo joy juice - soft drink in malaysia ficklover - swedish chocolate bar Pocari sweat - isotonic drink in Indonesia

I'm sure I'll think of more later

[eastender]

Excellent idea if you have the room. We could squeeze an extra one into the utility room side by side I guess but I wouldn't want to stack washing machines without some serious racking.

We went the Miele route on the last machine after the previous two lesser models blew bearings etc. After four years the Miele has been faultless and it's used daily mostly. It wasn't that costly - about £580 as an end of line from Comet. It's a major piece of machinery though - or at least, it's very heavy - but seems to have less electronics to go wrong.

E.

[Skipweasel]

Well, if the girl loves chocloate enough it might just work...

[geoff]

And no ...

It looks nothing like a Mars bar

[Skipweasel]

Not a Faithfull reproduction then?

[and yes, I know that's an urban miff, too]