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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
James O’Malley

Unboxing day: seven clever home appliances for an easy festive season

Hisense kitchen
From fridges with flexible freezing zones to smart ovens that even clean themselves – make festivities fun again Photograph: PR

“So this is Christmas. And what have you done?” John Lennon famously sang. And for many of us, the answer is: “Well, quite a lot actually!” Because, with visiting family filling the house, children running about, and the biggest meal of the year to put on the dining room table, the most wonderful time of the year can be surprisingly frantic.

But help is at hand. Household appliances are getting smarter than ever – you might be surprised at just how clever everything from ovens to vacuum cleaners have become in 2023. Here are seven appliances that can help you have, in the words of his fellow Beatle, Paul McCartney, a wonderful Christmastime.

See the big picture
Whether you’re one of those who start watching Christmas movies from November, or save it up for the big weekend, do it in style with the Hisense 100L9H Laser TV. The 100in screen, and a laser projector that sits just in front of it, will make your festive viewing truly epic – be it wincing at Macaulay Culkin’s first shave or taking a tour of Nakatomi Plaza with Bruce Willis. With three pure-colour lasers, Dolby Atmos sound and HDR, the ultra-short-throw laser projector is the closest you can get to cinema in your own home. And paired with the ambient light rejecting screen to stop washout, you don’t even have to watch it in the dark (handy for keeping an eye on the kids!).

lifestyle-2 Hisense TV with man watching
Your Christmas movies have never been more epic than on Hisense’s 100-inch Laser TV Photograph: PR

Cool, calm, collected
For the biggest food shop of the year, Hisense Pureflat refrigerators come into their own. In addition to the regular fridge and freezer sections, there’s the MyFreshChoice zone: a flexible section of the fridge that you can easily switch between fridge and freezer temperatures to meet your needs. At the touch of a button, it goes from freezing to cooling, giving you extra shelf-space for frozen goods in the run up to the big day, and then much-needed space to store the leftovers afterwards.

A clean slate
Yes, things are going to get messy. But you might as well start off nice and tidy. The Hisense HVC5232WUK cordless vacuum cleaner can run for up to an hour on a single charge, has LED lights to spotlight that dust, and quickly converts from stand-up mode to handheld. All of which makes it perfect both for that last-minute blitz before guests start to arrive, and the proper going-over the next day to tackle all the crumbs in mysterious places.

Vacuum Cleaner Hisense
With an hour’s battery life, the Hisense cordless vacuum cleaner is well placed to tackle the day after Photograph: PR

Chef de party
Christmas dinner can feel akin to a Masterchef finale – turning a huge array of ingredients into showpieces for all to comment on, to the soundtrack of a ticking clock. The Hisense Hi6 oven is the sous chef you need. It has five rack levels for simultaneous preparation, an air-fryer mode, and a special food temperature probe that takes the guesswork out of cooking the turkey. The Hi6 is wifi-enabled, so you can use the Hisense ConnectLife app to preheat your oven and monitor the temperature while enjoying watching the kids try out their new toys. The oven even helps clean itself, using steam to soften up grime to make scrubbing up a breeze, without the use of chemicals. Alongside, the Hisense HI6401BSC induction hob doesn’t just look slick, it has a 23cm-wide “super zone” for larger pots, while the rapid-boil function saves precious time.

Spinning plates
While cooking can be fun, and the results delicious, does anyone really enjoy the aftermath? Avoid the heart-sinking sight of kitchen surfaces permanently loaded with pots and plates from the big meals and all-day snacking with the Hisense HS693C60XADUK dishwasher. It can take a massive 16 place settings in one load, and has a 15-minute mode to blitz your dishes in the blink of an eye. Oh, and with a noise level of 42 decibels, it’s quiet enough to not drown out the festive tunes. (What were you saying again, Paul?)

Dishwasher 3 Hisense
Mountains of dishes, begone! This Hisense dishwasher can blitz up to 16 place settings in just 15 minutes Photograph: PR

Boxing clever
It’s the day after the big day. You want to relax in front of the telly and move as little as possible – not spend more time in the kitchen. So make sure you heat up those leftovers the right way with the Hisense Hi6 microwave. With 15 automatic programmes, all you need to do is specify what it is you’re reheating, approximate the weight and hit start – and the microwave will do the rest. There’s a grill function for crisping up, too. All that’s left to do is to pat yourself on the back for cooking so much yesterday.

The cycle of life
You took a well-deserved break from doing the laundry … but now that bin is overflowing. This calls for a washing machine with a giant maw – such as the Hisense 3 Series washer-dryer, which can take 8kg in one load. Its PureJet system quickly demolishes the laundry tablet to kickstart the dirt-removal process and speed up the wash cycle. A special inverter spins the drum at a speed optimised for the load inside, reducing vibration. The drum spins at up to 1,400 revolutions a minute, for faster washing and quicker drying. And if you need to throw in your Christmas jumper to wash out that cranberry sauce, you can use the pause to add function, or wash a small load in just 15 minutes.

Find out how a Hisense home appliance can add festive joy to your home this year

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