Best new microwave UK

[hoover1100]

Hi

Looking for a bit of advice.

My parent's 4 year old panasonic microwave has had its door broken off, so they are looking for a new one.

Just looking for some opinions on what would be the best brand/model to go for?

Microwave only is enough, it doesn't need to do convention and/or grill as well.

I would have thought panasonic were pretty good as far as microwaves go, but I've also heard Whirlpool make pretty good ones?

Any help much appreciated.

Matt

 

[foraloysius]

Best rated model in the Netherlands appears to be the Sharp R-239. Lowest rated microwaves are Samsungs.

 

[dj-gabriele]

Lowest rated microwaves are Samsungs

Same here! They all failed under our consumers reports test! Worst offender is the one I have! :O

Sharp and Panasonic microwave sure are of nice quality.

I had a Whirpool that self-ignited when the fan stopped working...

How about a Hoover microwave? Or Candy Futura, here they were rated as best-buy for evenness of cooking and construction quality.
All on the very same test that Samsung failed miserably! :S

 

[hotpointfan]

Try Panasonic...

My aunt has just recently bought the Panasonic NN-CT552W 27L to replace a 1995 Panasonic and she reccomends the microwave to anyone! It has a grill but I think they offer a non-grill version. It is a 1000W model and it has a 27litre capacity.

Not an expert on microwaves though!

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4008259.htm

 

[foraloysius]

I have never seen a solo microwave from Hoover or Candy.

 

[lavamat_jon]

After having used several cheap microwaves over the past few years, both my parents Sanyo and my own Panasonic microwaves have been the best modern ones I've used for a long while.

 

Jon

 

[chestermikeuk]

The

Hoover Candy microwaves and built ins are an excellent range, they are basically the Rossieries range......

 

[ronhic]

Sharp fan here....

....mine is getting on though. Nearly 20 years fault-free and I shall get emotional when it does stop working too....

Touch wood, that's a while away though.

 

[paulc]

My mum has my old Panasonic which will be 22yrs old this year.

 

[washer111]

Panasonic, Sharp

Would recommend either. Our last Microwave, which died almost a year ago (Worked, but no heating and was probably repairable) lasted us nearly 10 years before it packed it. It the job, and well. Was part of the "Inverter" series of Microwave, where the power is actually altered, instead of pulsing the Magnetron. The link below is a repair for a similar model to mine. Ours probably had a similar one to this, because "it just stopped heating" one day. Oh well, water under the bridge, as they say

 

Two relatives I know of have Sharp microwaves, one is a convection + microwave that still goes quite well. It was over 10 years old when the bulb in it blew. It is from the mid 1990's. The other, is at least another 5-10 years older, which looks way better and still goes VERY well. Clean, Display is clean and still plenty of power. 

 

Mitsubishi also comes to mind, after some friends have got one that lasted quite a while (and still goes, but has been in storage for a year now), and a HUGE clunker that was probably a Sharp that went to landfill (and still working with my "instructions" on top) just a week or two ago. I should've nabbed that!

 

WOULD NOT TOUCH a Daewoo, Samsung, LG or any of those cheap Asian brands. The Samsung we've got at work can only be set to heat in 30sec increments, because the rest of the touchpad is brain-dead, another microwave we have (an LG) is so loud and obnoxious it could wake the dead!

Repair of a Panasonic Inverter Microwave

My girlfriends parents 10 year old Panasonic microwave quit working a while back. It emitted a noxious cloud of smoke and no longer continued to heat. While this isn't a classic microwave in any way, it is still much better built then the typical low cost junk of today. I figured I'd at least...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[kb0nes]

Panasonic

For a reasonably priced modern oven I think they work well. Fit and finish is so so and they have pretty light sheet metal work. I'd bet that there are other ovens for more money that are better though. Here in the states its all too common to have an over the range microwave so only the cheaper models seem to be standalone units.

I really like the advantages of the Inverter system for power modulation, as referenced above they don't pulse the Magnatron, its output is variable. They are likely more efficient too as most switching power supplies are but for the record I haven't tested them. Perhaps I will have to do a shootout test with the old 1984 Whirlpool I have at work!

The unit that was repaired in the link above belongs to my girlfriends parents. Its about 12 years old now. They use the heck out of that oven, surely it runs every day, often for many minutes at a time. Since the repair its been hanging tough even though it has the older (inferior) Inverter design. When the oven died I was tempted to buy the new Inverter kit which also includes an uprated cooling fan. Instead I opted to repair the original Inverter just to see if it could be done.

 

[glenfieldmathk1]

Our 2 year old Panasonic is pretty good - Uncles simple 3 year old Bosch "Ping" machine is also pretty good. Both built well, and both seemed to still be cooking at an even temperature and haven't lost power.
AS much as I love the classic PING when it gets to the end of the time elapsing, I think the digital control of the Panasonic is better.
Guess its down to taste really. If you want simple, go for one with literally a time dial, or a bit more advance go for a digital one. (Just watch out for Chaos Defrost - Watchdog article, It might come back biting!).

Our work has 8 Panasonic Microwaves, they are all pretty new, but built to a high standard. I guess they must be to produce 2000 & 1800 whatts of power.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Panasonic are good. Mum has a basic Panasonic Microwave from 1996. Very reliable. My ex had the same model in a different colour. Never had a problem with it either.

I had a Panasonic sensor microwave which worked fine. I now have the "Dimension 4" version with grill and fan oven combined. A very capable piece of kit it is too.

I was recommended not to touch the Baumatic Microwave with Grill: apparently my local shop had problems with reliability. The shop stops stocking appliances which are problematic. In the past they had problems with LG washers, Hoover washers and Panasonic washers. There was also a problem a few years ago with unreliable Samsung tellies. And they ditched several brands of PVR too.

 

[optima]

Akai Microwave Ovens, great all round work horses.

 

[hoover1100]

Thanks for the help guys!

Going by the general concensus on here it seems Panasonic would be the best choice, and this is what they have decided upon.

My Mum seems to have chosen this model, the NN-SD271SBPQ.

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/microwaves/panasonic-nn-sd271sbpq-microwave-oven-stainless-steel-12309639-pdt.html

 

[hoover1100]

She was also quite drawn in by this Sharp R28STM

Although it says Sharp, I was put off by the somewhat 'generic' look and feel of it, as if it isn't made by sharp at all, looks very similar to a lot of other brands offerings.

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/microwaves/sharp-r28stm-solo-microwave-stainless-steel-21346311-pdt.html

 

[launderess]

Late to the game, but..

Panasonic microwaves with "Inverter" systems always get my vote.

Have had Sharp micros in the past but the Panasonic beats them by a mile.

With the Inverter system you don't have to turn foods over or whatever, just set the unit and let it get on. Everything comes out cooked evenly and to suit.