Our advice is don’t buy Smeg!! Ours malfunctioned from brand new and repairs very difficult.
And our experience (purchasing 5 years ago) raised two BIG issues about Microwave oven choice for us - we couldn’t find any Choice investigation of these and they seem still to persist: please Choice, can you take these up?
How to justify the trend to mirror doors on microwave ovens? Again, dangerous - you can’t see if there are problems inside - contents boiling over, blowing up…!! (If I needed a mirror in my kitchen I could put one on the wall.)
Hi @lyn1. We’ve looked into the question of left-hinged microwaves before and unfortunately the simple answer seems to be that manufacturers just don’t make them any other way. Actually there have been a very few right-hinged models over the years, and some models with drop-down doors (though those tend to be built-in combination convection/microwave models). Microwaves are not like fridges or ovens, in that they are compact appliances with electronics and controls on one side of the unit and little space to easily position these elsewhere on the unit. To reverse the door would impact the design and functioning of these controls and that’s probably why manufacturers find it uneconomical to offer a reversible door, or left and right hinged versions. The Kenmore case mentioned in the article you linked showed also that there just wasn’t enough consumer demand for a right-hinged model.
Re “mirror doors”: we rate microwaves for visibility through the door and it is part of their ease of use score in our reviews.
Melinda’s experience with a Miele microwave is unfortunate, but mine is a contrast. My Miele microwave has been going fine since it was installed in 1997. It’s still a good design, and I find it a more solid machine than the Panasonics I have had in the past. I would recommend Miele (I’ve had good experiences with their washing machines too), though I realise they carry a price premium.
I’ve had Panasonic microwaves for years. My only gripe with my current one (but it’s a big gripe because it’s really annoying) is that the button to open the door needs to be pressed so hard that it moves the entire microwave backwards on the right hand side, so I have to keep straightening it up and pulling it forward into position. And it’s not like I’m a muscle man, I’m a little old lady! I’ll be careful to check out the door-opening button when I buy my next microwave!
I bought one from Aldi about 7 years ago and it is still going well. It also has a grill function, which I have not used, mainly because I have not figured it out.
I don’t use my microwave often, but purchased it from the GoodGuys and have found it simple to use and very easy to keep clean. It is an LG Sensor. Good luck with your choice.
Just as an alternative…I bought a KMart brand microwave four years ago and it is used at least twice daily (admittedly for reheating or melting purposes, nothing sophisticated). Apart from the plastic over the Start button starting to wear off, and the door release sticking on occasion, it has been great. Has variable power control and a neat, easy-to-clean design. If you don’t need bells and whistles, and you don’t care about brand names, might be worth a look. The price is hard to beat!
@raquel.citadel Thanks Raquel . Will definitely drop in to Kmart to check them out . I’m not looking for anything fancy . Just something that does the job.
I am drawing up a short list of Brands and Mods of MW’s to look at . If only the day had 30 hours in it .Can’t get out to shop . So busy . "Flat out like a lizard drinking " as they say . Keep the input flowing in though .My old Whirlpool is just about due to get the "last rites " so will have to move on purchase soon .Thank you all for input so far .
We ‘inherited’ an old Whirlpool combo MW oven (grill, fan forced & MW).
We love it.
easy to use real knobs and buttons, especially the rotating timer switch
drop down door - surprised us, but have found it really convenient to use as a shelf
fast heat up for small oven jobs
surprisingly effective heat & crisp auto reheat
It must be nearing end of life & I’m worried about what to replace it with as I’m not convinced there’s a better one in the market today.
