Grundig GWN washing machine review: an affordable yet smart washer
The Grundig GWN smart washing machine family comes with lots of smart features at affordable prices. We put the Grundig GWN59650CHB from the range through its paces
Ok, the Grundig could have some more interesting smart features but these machines are the business. They’re quiet, they produce fantastic results and they’ve got both your budget and the planet in mind. Simply stellar.
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Excellent results at all temperatures
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Packed with eco-technologies
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Very quiet running
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Superb build
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Could have more smart features
Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The Grundig GWN washing machines are the German manufacturer’s current crop of domestic laundry specialists. They occupy a solid midrange band running from £349 up to £799 for the top spec model and they’re going down an absolute storm with consumers in the UK and Europe.
We were lucky enough to get the top-end Grundig GWN59650CHB into our utility room and serve it up a never-ending flow of family laundry over the course of a few months. Like all the washers in the range, the super silent and economic Grundig inverter motor sits at its core. They all also feature automatic load sensing, which cuts down water consumption, as well as Grundig’s gentle wave wash system which is less abrasive on your clothing.
Naturally, the Grundig GWN59650CHB has a few little handy optional extras too — not least of which is the fact that it’s Wi-Fi and app-enabled — but even if you don’t want to shell out the full amount, it’s worth knowing which technologies to look out for in the rest of the range.
So, if you’re keen to get a little German engineering into your home, then read on and find out what the Grundig buzz is all about. Then, have a look at our pick of all the best washing machines.
Grundig GWN59650CHB at a glance
Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
- Type: smart washing machine
- Capacity: 9kg
- Energy rating: A+++
- Noise: 50/75dB (wash/spin)
- Effectiveness: Solid cleaning hot and cold
- Annual Energy Consumption: 173kWh
Grundig GWN59650CHB specifications
- Spin speed: 1600 rpm
- Finish/Colour: Black/Chrome
- Dimensions: 84 x 60 x 55cm (HWD)
- Control type: App and on-machine touch buttons
- Smart: Yes (Wi-Fi)
- Steam: Yes
- Loading type: Front
- Read more on whether a smart washing machine is for you
Grundig GWN washing machine design
With a brushed chrome trim and an extra large porthole door to show off their gleaming, diamond-cut drum, the Grundig GWN series are a very classy range of washers. They ooze a high-tech chic with a lovely, clear LCD panel strip and a front and centre programme selector wheel that looks and feels like the volume knob on a ghetto blaster
Very clearly labelled touch sensitive controls allow you to tweak each programme and it’s got some very friendly bleeps and chirps each time you touch them. You can also control the Grundig GWN59650CHB with a smartphone app, if your prefer, but this machine is not all about flashy looks and whizzy functions. The inverter motor and ProDosing technology are dead handy for keeping your spins nice and quiet and making sure you never use more detergent and softener than you need.
Our model came with a sizeable 9kg drum, which can cope with up to 45 shirts in one go or a king size duvet, and felt big enough for a family of four, but 10kg, 8kg and 7kg models are also available in the Grundig GWN range.
Grundig GWN installation
Plumbing in a washer is not as difficult as it’s made out to be. If your retailer hasn’t included installation, then there’s no need to go spending on a professional and their costly call out fee. The ribbed waste pipe just hangs loose into an opened up u-bend and the water hose connects to a copper water feed pipe with a little white tap on it. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, then a quick glance at YouTube will see you right.
The harder part is often shifting the machine into the right place to begin with. Ideally, you’ll need another pair of hands. To save on the heavy lifting and to protect your nice kitchen flooring, get some sticky felt pads from online or a hardware shop. Put one on each of the washer’s feet and then you can just slide the machine into position.
Once installed, download the HomeWhiz app for either iOS or Android. You’ll need to set up a user account but it’s free and quick to do. Then it’s a case of adding your device by entering the product ID which you’ll find on the label by the door. The app guides you through it all.
You’ll need to make sure that your machine is within range of your home Wi-Fi network if you want to use the smart features and app. If it’s not, then you can add a Wi-Fi extender such as those made by Devolo and TP-Link.
Grundig HomeWhiz app and smart control
Given how slick this washing machine is, we’re surprised that Grundig hasn't been a little more adventurous with the smart home features of its GWN machines. The app is definitely good — it’s easy to use, clear and it helps you choose the right program — but there’s not an awful lot beyond.
The only obvious money saving that it can offer is that, if you use an Economy 7 electrical meter, you can set the washer to work only during hours where your electricity is cheaper.
Instead the app is more tailored to helping you get better results from your wash, and that’s certainly no bad thing. It does this with the ‘Wizard’ section of the app which is a three-step questionnaire where you select laundry type, what colour it is, how heavily soiled and then it’ll give you the choice of three different programmes you can use, indicating which one it feels is best.
It certainly works and we were pleased to see that the results always included both the most intensive and the most energy efficient possibilities but compared to the same function on the Hoover AXI machines, the selection of laundry types is limited. There are the usual woolens, cottons, etc, and we were pleased to see curtains, bedding and jeans all represented but where are the likes of jackets, shoes and ski wear and all the other wonderful possibilities we saw in the Hoover AXI app system?
To do Grundig its dues, however, HomeWhiz is far more reliable than the Hoover Wizard app but we do hope to see some more intelligent and interesting features in the future. Hoover’s integration with weather forecasting, to make sure it’s not raining when it’s time to put your clothes on the line, is the kind of direction we’re thinking.
Grundig GWN performance
Yes, it could be a little smarter but, wow, we are so impressed by the performance of this machine.
The Grundig GWN series keeps it pretty simple. There are just 14 wash programmes to choose from. You can tweak the spin speed, the temperature and add an extra rinse but, largely, what you see is what you get, but none of that matters because it’s the core functions that are so impressive.
Look out for the machines in this range which feature ProDose and MultiSense technology. These are the big wins. The liquid detergent and conditioner reservoirs can store enough of each to last about 20 washes before you need to refill them. Just tank them up once a month and keep going until they tell you to add more. ProDose then ensures that the machine adds just the right amount of each according to the programme you’ve selected.. That way, you’re never adding too little to get everything clean and soft, nor wasting any by chucking in so much that it just ends up down the waste pipe.
Using the MultiSense programme takes things to the next level. MultiSense weighs your load, detects the fabric types and the dirt level as it fills and turns, and then adds an even more carefully measured ProDrose amount according to precisely what you’ve put in there. We got fantastic results here and used Multisense whenever we didn’t have anything more specialised to wash.
Just as impressive as all of this is the spinning skills of these machines. Not only does the inverter motor keep things nice and quiet but it’s very, very effective. Combined with the diamond-cut drum, we found our laundry came out not a long way off dry. If you still find it too noisy, then there is a silent mode but your garments will come out considerably soggier.
There are two quickwash programmes. One is an excellent 40-minute, full load wash and the other a 14-minute run for a targeted 2kg collection of items, which is very handy but doesn’t have such a comprehensive spin. There are a good selection of delicate wash cycles including a hand wash option which didn’t ruin woolly jumpers. There’s also an Allergy UK certified Anti-Allergy wash and a steam cycle which meant we didn’t have iron the kids’ school shirts. Huzzah!
Other features worth noting include a child lock, an up to 24-hour start delay, a Machine Care cycle to keep your Grundig from getting grimey and a very handy 5-year guarantee.
How does it rate online?
Scan the internet and all you’ll find for these machines are ratings between four and five stars. The main Grundig GWN washing machine page features over 600 such reviews for the eight devices in the range. Head over to Currys and you’ll see very much the same with particular praise all round for their super quiet running, the great smelling results and a good choice of programmes. Some have said that the machine has longer than usual programmes but there’s no real consistent complaints.
How does it rate against similar washing machines?
Grundig occupies an excellent niche with its GWN washing machines. In terms of style and function, they are a class ahead of the likes of Hoover, Candy and Beko. Instead, they’re more in competition with the increasingly popular Samsung and LG machines. The difference is that Grundig gives you more of the top money-saving and performance features without having to pay so much of a premium for the top-end models.
About our review and reviewer
Dan Sung has specialised in smart home and home technology for over 10 years. He was Features Editor at both Pocket-lint, MSN Tech and Wareable and is a regular contributor to Metro newspaper’s Connect section. He has put the smart washers through months of cycles, kilos of laundry and knows their apps inside out.