Our older Panasonic microwave globe was (best price found) $35 to hold in one’s hand unless one could go to the shop to buy. Replacement near trivial with youtube tutorials to assist. A new model Panasonic was $200 discounted at TGG. How much does one spend on an old microwave? Love the new one even more than the old and passed the old on to someone who did not mind it not having a light.
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Older Panasonic Microwaves (not ones made in the past few decades) have a standard Edison screw thread (smaller thread) for the bulb. These can be replaced cheaply (for a few dollars) and even LED ones that fit.
More recent models have a bulb unit, there the bulb, mount and connectors need to be replaced each time the bulb blows…but, if one has an old microwave, the bulb socket can be removed and placed into a new microwave with a standard Edison screw bulb. We have recently done for our newer Panasonic microwave (~2006 model).
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Thank you for the advice.
I shall investigate further.
Well this oven would not have grilled that either.
I had a Panasonic Dimension 4 for almost thirty years. It was an excellent product and I was disappointed when it died 2 years ago. For a single person it was much more efficient and cost effective to use than the main oven in the kitchen. Unfortunately I made the mistake of trying to save money and bought a “Recommended by Choice” Electrolux as a replacement. If my boat needed an anchor I would have the perfect item to use. A very disappointing product!
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Sorry to hear that, but if it is only 2 years old as your post suggests have you become conversant with your rights under the Australian Consumer Law? What are the problems you have with the Electrolux?
If it just does not suit your needs as well as the Dimension that will be something you need to accept, but if it is a reliability or performance fault you might be able to take it further.
Keep in mind warranties are not limited to the written manufacturer warranty, and the retailer legally ‘owns’ warranty problems and cannot fob a customer off as if they have no responsibility.
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I got a refund on a $600+ micro/convection oven because it would not grill cheese.
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My GF is looking to buy a new combo oven, so I’ve been checking the reviews here for her. One review particularly caught my eye, as it’s the same Kogan model I’ve owned myself for several years. I’ve been pretty happy with it, but for one glaring fault: After many failures trying to cook frozen puff pastry items, I bought a proper oven thermometer, & discovered that the convection temperature settings are a complete lie. No matter how high a temp you set, or how long you preheat, it doesn’t go over about 210°C, & even below that, the preheat function - despite the pretty indicator bar on the display that was praised by the reviewer - bears no relation to the actual temp when it beeps. Speaking as an engineer, after much testing, I suspect that the oven doesn’t have temp sensing or even a thermostat at all, & just relies on a timer for the preheat, & PWM power control to the heating element.
TL;DR: Choice Lab: Please do proper temperature regulation testing on ovens! It’s very important, & not something a consumer can easily research before purchase.
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Hi @Nop, the observations on the performance of your Kogan product and request have been moved to an existing likeminded discussion.
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I have discovered low end and older ovens usually have mechanical thermostats that vary widely even amongst the same make and model. Newer ovens usually have digital temperature sensors that are spot on. We have had both. A wild card is how the heat ‘circulates’ around the oven. Another aspect is how well the oven is insulated (keeps heat in) that also affects uniformity of temperature.
Some ovens with mechanical thermostats have an offset setting that supposedly adjusts the mechanical probe to reflect the set temperature. One oven we had needed a +10C offset to reflect the set temperature; that oven is years gone and the present oven with digital is spot on. This comes from my querying why the new oven did not have an offset option.
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My Panasonic flatbed/grill/microwave/convection oven died after nearly 3 years. I miss it. I now have a much smaller, cheaper, standard MW but wish I had just got a replacement (but not with the grll, as someone observed its a right pain to clean). Convection was great for pretending I had an air fryer for the chips. LOL!
