Indesit D2F HD624 AS freestanding dishwasher, 60 cm, 14 place settings, class E

The full-size 60 cm body takes 14 place settings – one setting being the plates, glass, cup and cutlery for one person. For a family of four or five this means a whole day's dishes, including bowls and breakfast cups, can go through a single cycle. The large capacity also helps when you have guests and the table is covered in plates after dinner.

The machine has 9 programmes, selected on the electronic control panel with a display. The quick wash is meant for lightly soiled dishes you need again soon. The delay start lets you postpone the start of a wash by up to 12 hours: load the machine in the evening and let it start at night or in the morning, when the house is quiet or when it suits your routine better.

On the EU energy label scale from A to G the D2F HD624 AS is rated class E, and according to the supplier its annual energy consumption is 95 kWh. Rated power is 1900 W with a current of 10 A, so a standard socket will do, although it is sensible to have an electrician check the connection. The 44 dB noise level corresponds to noise class B, the second step on the A–D scale – useful in an open-plan kitchen or next to a living room.

A freestanding dishwasher needs no furniture door or cabinet niche: it stands on its own and also suits a kitchen with no space for a built-in model. It measures 60 × 59 × 85 cm (width × depth × height) and weighs 43.1 kg. The adjustable feet let you level it on an uneven floor. The power cord is 1.3 m long, so the socket needs to be close to the machine.

The salt indicator tells you when the dishwasher salt used for water softening has run out, and the rinse aid indicator when rinse aid needs topping up. That way glasses do not end up with limescale marks or streaks simply because one of the supplies quietly ran out. The silver body goes well with stainless steel or grey kitchen appliances.

The Indesit D2F HD624 AS suits a larger family that genuinely uses a 14-place-setting capacity, and a kitchen where the dishwasher is not built into the units – for example a rented flat, an older house or a room where the cabinets are already in place. Quiet operation, a quick wash and a delay start of up to 12 hours make daily washing-up flexible.