Hotpoint Home Appliances
Hotpoint is one of the UK’s oldest and most widely owned appliance brands, founded in California in 1911 by Earl Richardson and with a continuous UK presence since the 1920s. Since April 2024, the European Hotpoint brand has been part of Beko Europe – the joint venture between Arçelik (75%) and Whirlpool Corporation (25%) – alongside Indesit, Beko, Blomberg and Bauknecht. The North American Hotpoint operates separately under GE Appliances, itself owned by Haier.
This page provides an independent overview of the Hotpoint appliance brand for UK consumers. All information was accurate at the time of writing. Sources are listed at the foot of this page.
What is Hotpoint and who owns it?
Hotpoint is one of the UK’s most widely owned and longest-established domestic appliance brands, with a presence in British homes that stretches back over a century. In the UK and across Europe, the Hotpoint brand is now part of the portfolio of Beko Europe – a major home appliances business established in April 2024 as a joint venture between Arçelik (the Turkish appliance manufacturer) and Whirlpool Corporation (the American appliance group). Arçelik holds 75% of Beko Europe and Whirlpool holds the remaining 25%.
Hotpoint is one of four major European brands within the Beko Europe portfolio, alongside Indesit, Beko, and Bauknecht. This ownership change, completed in 2024, marked the most significant structural shift in Hotpoint’s corporate history in over two decades and brings the brand within one of Europe’s largest appliance manufacturing businesses, with 15,000 employees, 66 subsidiaries, 11 production sites, and a production capacity of approximately 24 million white goods products per year.
In the Americas, Hotpoint operates separately under GE Appliances, itself a subsidiary of Haier, the Chinese appliance group. The two Hotpoint businesses share only the name – they are owned, operated, and sold independently in their respective markets. The current Hotpoint UK range is on the brand’s site at hotpoint.co.uk.
How did Hotpoint begin?
The Hotpoint name has its origins in one of the most practical and elegant product naming decisions in appliance history. Earl Richardson, an American inventor born in 1871, designed an electric iron in 1905 with a distinctive characteristic – its hottest point was at the front tip of the iron rather than in the centre, as was conventional at the time. This allowed more precise pressing into corners and pleats. The iron became known as the Hotpoint iron, and Richardson subsequently founded the Pacific Electric Heating Company in Ontario, California in 1906 to manufacture it commercially.
Hotpoint as a company was formally founded in 1911. It expanded quickly into other electric heating appliances, beginning production of electric irons in 1912 and electric cookers in 1919 in the United States. Richardson also invented one of the earliest automatic thermostatic cut-off mechanisms for irons, switching off the appliance when it reached a maximum temperature – a safety feature that is now universal in electric irons worldwide.
The company developed one of the earliest electric toasters in 1908 and continued to expand its range through the early decades of the twentieth century. Hotpoint reached the United Kingdom via the Hotpoint Electric Appliance Company (HEAC) and by the 1920s had established a significant presence in the British market.
What are Hotpoint’s key ownership and history milestones?
Few appliance brands have passed through as many corporate structures as Hotpoint, and understanding that history helps explain how the brand arrived at its current position. The full ownership journey spans American inventors, British industrial conglomerates, Italian appliance groups, American multinationals, and now a Turkish-led European joint venture.
1911: Hotpoint founded
Earl Richardson founds Hotpoint in Ontario, California, building on his Hotpoint electric iron which had established the brand name. The company begins expanding into electric cookers and other heating appliances.
1920s: UK presence established
Hotpoint Electric Appliance Company (HEAC) establishes a significant presence in the UK market. The brand grows through the inter-war period as electric domestic appliances begin to enter British homes more widely.
1929: HEAC joins Associated Electrical Industries
HEAC joins the Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) group, one of Britain’s largest electrical engineering organisations. Hotpoint gains a significant British industrial parent and continues growing through the post-war expansion of consumer appliance ownership.
1960s: UK market leader
By the 1960s, Hotpoint is the market leader in household electrical appliances in the United Kingdom – a testament to the brand’s reach across British homes through three decades of consistent presence and product development.
1967: AEI acquired by General Electric Company
The Associated Electrical Industries group, including Hotpoint, is acquired by The General Electric Company (GEC), the British engineering conglomerate. Hotpoint continues to operate as a separate brand within the larger group.
1989: General Domestic Appliances formed
Hotpoint is merged into a new joint venture called General Domestic Appliances (GDA), with 50% owned by GEC and 50% by General Electric of the United States. GDA becomes the operating vehicle for the UK appliance brands.
2002: Merloni Elettrodomestici acquires 50% of GDA
Italian appliance manufacturer Merloni Elettrodomestici, which also owns the Indesit brand, acquires a 50% stake in GDA. The transaction, approved by the European Commission, makes Merloni Europe’s third-largest appliance producer and cements Hotpoint’s position as the UK market leader with a 23% share of the white goods market and approximately 7,000 UK employees across four sites.
2014: Whirlpool Corporation acquires Indesit
Whirlpool Corporation acquires Indesit Company, bringing Hotpoint, Indesit, and Whirlpool under a single corporate structure for the first time. This makes Whirlpool one of Europe’s largest appliance manufacturers and gives it ownership of two of the most widely owned appliance brands in UK homes.
April 2024: Beko Europe established
Arçelik A.Ş. and Whirlpool Corporation complete their European appliance joint venture, creating Beko Europe. Arçelik holds 75% and Whirlpool retains 25%. Hotpoint, Indesit, Bauknecht, Beko, and Blomberg all become part of the Beko Europe portfolio. This is the most significant ownership change for the Hotpoint brand in over two decades and places it within one of Europe’s largest appliance manufacturing businesses.
How is Hotpoint positioned in the UK market today?
Hotpoint describes itself as the UK’s most trusted appliance brand, a claim based on Trustpilot ratings among major domestic appliance brands with published UK reviews and verified at the start of 2025. Few appliance brands can match Hotpoint’s combined depth of UK presence, breadth of distribution, and length of trading history in British homes – all of which contribute to a level of consumer familiarity that newer brands entering the market take decades to build.
The brand occupies the accessible to mid-market segment in the UK, offering well-specified appliances at competitive price points rather than positioning itself primarily on premium features or luxury design. This approach has sustained Hotpoint’s place as one of the most commonly purchased appliance brands in the UK across all major categories.
Hotpoint has historically offered a free 10-year parts warranty on selected appliances, covering genuine original spare parts for the relevant components for ten years from the date of purchase. This is a meaningful long-term commitment on parts availability and is worth confirming on specific models at the time of purchase, as the warranty applies to selected products and terms are subject to change.
What appliances does Hotpoint make for the UK market?
Hotpoint produces a wide range of freestanding and integrated washing machines across drum sizes from 7 kg to 10 kg and above. Technologies across the range include Homewhiz smart connectivity, Active Care fabric protection designed to reduce garment wear at lower temperatures, and Push & Wash one-touch cycle selection for everyday loads.
The Hotpoint tumble dryer range covers vented, condenser, and heat pump models. The brand has been manufacturing tumble dryers in the UK for decades, though Beko Europe announced in 2024 the closure of UK tumble dryer production at the Peterborough site, ending UK manufacturing for this category. The range continues to be sold in the UK through the established distribution network.
Hotpoint’s refrigeration range includes fridge freezers, larder fridges, undercounter models, and American-style side-by-side fridge freezers. Dual No Frost technology, which prevents frost build-up in both the fridge and freezer sections independently, is available across a significant portion of the freestanding fridge freezer range.
The Hotpoint dishwasher range covers freestanding, slimline, and integrated configurations. HydroForce technology, which increases water pressure to improve cleaning of heavily soiled items, features on selected models, alongside Maxi Space interior designs that maximise the usable capacity within the standard dishwasher footprint.
Hotpoint produces a wide range of freestanding gas and electric cookers, built-in electric ovens, gas and electric hobs, and extractor hoods. The freestanding cooker range has historically been one of the brand’s strongest product areas in the UK, where Hotpoint cookers are a common sight across a very wide range of British kitchens.
Hotpoint’s washer-dryer range combines washing and drying in a single appliance, suited to households where space prevents the installation of separate machines. The range covers a variety of wash and dry capacities and includes Homewhiz connectivity on selected models.
What are Hotpoint’s key technologies?
Homewhiz connectivityHomewhiz is Hotpoint’s smart connectivity platform, which links compatible appliances to a smartphone application for remote monitoring and control. Through Homewhiz, users can start and stop cycles, receive end-of-cycle notifications, and access additional wash or dry programmes that can be downloaded to compatible machines. The platform is available on selected models across the washing machine and tumble dryer ranges.
Active Care fabric protectionActive Care is a washing machine technology that uses steam and specific drum movement patterns designed to clean laundry effectively at lower temperatures while reducing mechanical wear on fabrics. The technology is part of Hotpoint’s positioning around caring for clothing as well as cleaning it, and the brand’s associated messaging around extending garment life.
Dual No FrostDual No Frost is a refrigeration technology that uses separate fan-assisted cooling circuits for the fridge and freezer sections of a combined fridge freezer. Because each section is managed independently, frost does not accumulate in either compartment and manual defrosting is eliminated. The independence of the two circuits also prevents odour transfer between the fridge and freezer sections.
HydroForceHydroForce is a dishwasher technology that increases the water pressure and spray intensity in the dishwasher’s wash cycle, improving the removal of tough or baked-on food residues. It is positioned as a performance technology for households that regularly deal with heavily soiled cookware and dishes.
Hotpoint and safety: what should UK consumers know?
Hotpoint has been the subject of a number of appliance safety notices and product recalls over the years, most notably in relation to tumble dryers. From 2015, a significant safety notice was in force covering certain Hotpoint, Indesit, and Creda tumble dryer models which were identified as presenting a fire risk under specific conditions. The affected models were sold between 2004 and 2015 – a modification programme was carried out across the affected appliances. The recall and modification work were handled by Whirlpool Corporation, which owned the brands at the time. For more on this recall and what to check on an older tumble dryer, see our coverage of Whirlpool home appliances and tumble dryer safety.
Other safety notices have related to specific cooker, dishwasher, and refrigeration models from time to time. Owners should not assume a notice does not apply to their appliance just because it has been in use for years without incident – the most useful single action any Hotpoint owner can take is to register their appliance and check the manufacturer’s safety pages.
If you own a Hotpoint appliance, register it at hotpoint.co.uk so Beko Europe can contact you directly if a safety notice affects your specific model. Check the current product safety section on the Hotpoint website for any active notices – particularly if you own a Hotpoint gas cooker or a tumble dryer sold between 2004 and 2015. If you have any concern about the safe operation of an appliance, stop using it and contact the Hotpoint customer care team through the contact options on the Hotpoint website. For general guidance on appliance safety, see our appliance safety guide.
Need parts or a repair for a Hotpoint appliance?
Find genuine Hotpoint spare parts, look up an error code on your washing machine, dishwasher, fridge or cooker, or weigh up whether a repair is worth doing on an older Hotpoint appliance. Whitegoods Help covers Hotpoint appliances across every major category.
Where can you buy and service Hotpoint appliances in the UK?
Hotpoint appliances are available through a wide range of UK retailers including major electrical chains, supermarkets, and online retailers, as well as directly through Hotpoint’s own website at hotpoint.co.uk, which offers direct delivery and installation. Hotpoint operates its own repair and service team, accessible through the contact options on the Hotpoint UK website, offering both in-warranty and out-of-warranty repair services.
For out-of-warranty repairs, Hotpoint Care Plans are available for ongoing repair protection. Independent national repair networks listed in our national service providers guide also service Hotpoint appliances across all major categories. If you need to look up a Hotpoint error code or fault light sequence, our appliance error codes guide covers Hotpoint and Indesit error codes in detail. Genuine Hotpoint spare parts are available through our appliance spare parts section.
If your Hotpoint appliance is within the manufacturer’s guarantee period, always contact Hotpoint directly in the first instance – the repair is likely to be carried out at no charge. Using an unauthorised repairer during the guarantee period may affect the remaining guarantee. For your rights when an appliance develops a fault, see our guide to the Consumer Rights Act and faulty appliances.
Hotpoint appliances use specific electronic control boards, inverter motors, and (on cookers, hobs and refrigeration) gas connections and sealed refrigeration circuits that should only be worked on by trained engineers. Always isolate the appliance from the mains before any inspection, never attempt work on gas connections or sealed refrigerant systems, and if in any doubt book a qualified engineer through our repair booking guide. Working on an in-guarantee Hotpoint appliance yourself may invalidate the manufacturer’s guarantee.
Hotpoint in numbers
Year Hotpoint was founded by Earl Richardson in Ontario, California
Years of brand history, making Hotpoint one of the oldest appliance brands in the UK
Year Hotpoint became part of Beko Europe, the Arçelik and Whirlpool joint venture
Annual white goods production capacity of Beko Europe, Hotpoint’s parent group
Frequently asked questions about Hotpoint appliances
Who owns Hotpoint in the UK?
In the UK and across Europe, the Hotpoint brand is owned by Beko Europe, a joint venture established in April 2024 between Arçelik A.Ş. (75%) and Whirlpool Corporation (25%). Beko Europe also owns the Indesit, Beko, Blomberg, and Bauknecht brands in Europe. In the Americas, the Hotpoint name is used separately by GE Appliances, a subsidiary of Haier.
How long has Hotpoint been operating in the UK?
Hotpoint has had a presence in the UK since the 1920s, through the Hotpoint Electric Appliance Company (HEAC). By the 1960s, Hotpoint was the market leader in household electrical appliances in the United Kingdom. With a brand history stretching back to 1911 and a UK presence of over 100 years, Hotpoint is one of the longest-established appliance brands in British homes.
What is Hotpoint Homewhiz?
Homewhiz is Hotpoint’s smart connectivity platform, linking compatible appliances to a smartphone app. It allows remote monitoring and control of selected washing machines and tumble dryers, including the ability to start and stop cycles, receive notifications, and download additional programmes. Homewhiz is available on selected models rather than across the entire Hotpoint range.
Is Hotpoint the same as Indesit?
Hotpoint and Indesit are separate brands but share the same corporate parent. Both brands are now part of the Beko Europe portfolio and, previously, were both owned by Whirlpool Corporation following its acquisition of Indesit Company in 2014. The two brands share significant engineering and manufacturing infrastructure and are positioned at similar market levels, though they maintain separate product ranges and brand identities. For more detail, see our separate guide to Indesit home appliances.
Is UK Hotpoint the same as US Hotpoint?
No – the European and North American Hotpoint businesses are owned and operated entirely separately and have been for many years. The European Hotpoint (covering the UK and Europe) is part of Beko Europe, owned by Arçelik and Whirlpool. The North American Hotpoint is part of GE Appliances, owned by Haier, the Chinese appliance group. The two share only the brand name – their product ranges, ownership, manufacturing, and service infrastructure are entirely separate.
What is the 10-year parts warranty on Hotpoint appliances?
Hotpoint has historically offered a free 10-year parts warranty on selected appliances, covering the cost of genuine original spare parts for the relevant components for ten years from the date of purchase. This is offered on selected products and is separate from the standard manufacturer’s guarantee on the appliance as a whole. Always confirm the specific warranty terms and eligible components for your chosen model directly with Hotpoint or the retailer at the time of purchase, as terms and eligible products are subject to change.
How do I check if my Hotpoint appliance has a safety recall?
Register your Hotpoint appliance at hotpoint.co.uk – registration allows Hotpoint to contact you directly if a safety notice or recall affects your specific model. You can also check the product safety section of the Hotpoint website at any time for current notices. If you own a Hotpoint, Indesit or Creda tumble dryer sold between 2004 and 2015, it may have been part of the historic fire-risk recall – check your model status on the Hotpoint website. If you are concerned about the safe operation of an appliance, stop using it and contact Hotpoint’s customer care team directly through the contact options on the Hotpoint website.
The information on this page was researched and written in April 2026 and was accurate at the time of publication. Company ownership, product ranges, warranty terms, and safety notices are subject to change. Whitegoods Help recommends verifying all current details, including any product safety notices and customer service contact details, directly with Hotpoint before making a purchase or using a Hotpoint appliance.
Sources include the Hotpoint Wikipedia entry (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotpoint), the Hotpoint UK website (hotpoint.co.uk), the Hotpoint UK service pages (hotpoint.co.uk/service), the Beko Europe About Us page (bekoeurope.com/about-us), and the Beko Europe homepage (bekoeurope.com). All sources accessed April 2026.
0 Comments