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Ask HN: Any resources for finding non-smart appliances?

155 points everyone | 2 comments | 07 Jul 25 10:44 UTC | HN request time: 0.457s | source

My washing machine broke down. I need a replacement. I must avoid getting a "smart" one though. Are there any lists of products that arent "smart" so I can know which models are viable options to buy? Or other resources? I'm based in Ireland.
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arp242 ◴[07 Jul 25 11:09 UTC] No.44488976[source]▶
Most appliances like washing machines are "smart-optional" at most, and can just be used as a regular appliance if you don't want all the "smart" stuff. There are also many without any "smart" features. It's different for TVs and such, but for household appliances all of this is not really a big deal.
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MrGilbert ◴[07 Jul 25 11:17 UTC] No.44489029[source]▶
Most. As of 2025, this does not apply to the dishwasher from Bosch as discussed in this blog article: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/i-wont-connect-my-dis...

There is functionality hidden in the app, so that the manufacturer can save a dime and a half on some buttons. Unfortunately, this line has already been crossed.

The functionality that is hidden: Rinse, Machine Care (self-cleaning), HalfLoad, Eco and Delay start.

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bryanlarsen ◴[07 Jul 25 11:52 UTC] No.44489356[source]▶
Jeff bought that dishwasher based on its Consumer Reports ratings. They must have taken his criticism into account, because it is now far from the top rated dishwasher and includes a disclosure about requiring an app.

I trust Consumer Reports and would never buy an appliance without consulting them, but it doesn't surprise me that they're a little conservative and wouldn't realize they need to call this stuff out initially.

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1. mrweasel ◴[07 Jul 25 12:13 UTC] No.44489544[source]▶
I believe Jeff pointed out that he got the 2025 model, while the tested model was a 2024 model. So they may have retestet with the new model and it now scores worse.

The interesting bit would be to have the reaction from Bosch. They "updated" their design and the review score went down.

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2. bryanlarsen ◴[07 Jul 25 12:20 UTC] No.44489601[source]▶
It's still got a pretty good score, so it probably hasn't yet been added to the scoring criteria. OTOH, it's got the caveat and it's at the bottom of the list of recommendations, so it feels like some non-numerical weighting has been applied. I hope they do add it to the scoring criteria soon.

In the meantime "wifi" is a feature that can be filtered on in their sorting tool.