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Test Council

How we score

How a Council score is built

A Council score is not an opinion from one afternoon with a product. It is a weighted summary of every credible piece of evidence we can find, scored against criteria that are published on the page and identical for every model in a category. For some categories we also buy the products and use them in real homes for several weeks. Those comparisons say so at the top and explain exactly how.

The four steps

  1. 1Choose the shortlistWe start from the models UK households actually buy: best sellers at the main retailers, the models most searched for, and any newcomer with credible test results.
  2. 2Gather the evidenceFor each model we collect independent lab results from established testers, the manufacturer's specification, and the current UK street price from several retailers.
  3. 3Read the ownersWe read verified owner reviews in bulk, looking for patterns rather than single complaints: batteries that fade in year two, filters that are hard to buy, parts that crack.
  4. 4Score and sign offOne Council member scores each criterion out of 10. A second member checks every score against the evidence before the comparison is published.

Five criteria, weighted in the open

Every category has five criteria. Performance always carries the most weight, followed by the things that decide whether you are still happy after a year: running costs, reliability, parts and ease of use. The weights are printed on each comparison, so you can see exactly why one model beat another.

The Council score is the weighted average, rounded to one decimal. Two models with the same score can still suit different homes, which is why every model also gets a plain 'best for' line.

What we do not do

We do not publish a score for a product we could not find credible evidence for. We do not accept free products in exchange for coverage, and we do not let brands see or approve a page before it goes live.

Prices and updates

Prices are the typical price at UK retailers when the page was last updated, rounded. Deals come and go, so a price change alone never moves a score. When a model is discontinued or replaced, we update the comparison and change the date at the top.