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Daewoo KOR6N9RR
by hotrock4
Why This Microwave?
In truth when we first purchased ourselves a microwave this striking red model from Daewoo wasn't our first choice, in fact it was only the fact that we returned our first purchase as it was too small for our baby bottle sterilizer that we noticed this microwave. The fact that it was only £5 more expensive ... than our original purchase and slightly larger, making this the next cheapest model that was large enough to suit our needs sealed the deal for us, so we paid the extra £5 and went on our merry way having spent only £50 on a brand name rather than supermarket own microwave.
Specifications:-
This microwave is an 800W microwave which seems about standard for microwaves around the £50 price mark, with the power consumption rated at 1200W. There are 5 different power levels selected simply by pressing the power button repetitively, along with a 60 minute timer, and the options of defrost, auto-cook, timer set, auto-cook, stop/clear and the dial to twist to set the timer.
The internal measurements of the microwave are:- 295 x 219 x 303 (mm)
The external measurements of the microwave are:- 446 x 270 x 346 (mm)
Capacity - 20 litres
Auto standby is a built in feature of this microwave designed to save energy, which means rather than displaying the time on the display when the microwave is not in use, the microwave will turn itself off completely after 10 minutes of inactivity and will turn on again once the door is open. I know the amount of energy this will save will probably be negligible but if it even saves a small amount over the life of the microwave then I feel that it is a good idea.
Installation:-
As you may well expect installation of this microwave was simple enough, in fact the most confused I got was whilst trying to turn it on after I first plugged it in, not realizing it was as simple as opening the door. After removing it from the box, removing the extra packaging and untying the power lead it was simply a case of unpacking the circular roller guide and glass tray that are supplied inside the microwave and placing them on the bottom inside then plugging it in.
Once plugged in it really is just a simple a case of opening the door to turn it on, then installation complete and time to learn how to use your new microwave. The only real considerations to take into account are the obvious such as leaving enough ventilation space around the microwave, and to position on a flat solid surface far enough away from any taps so that it doesn't get splashed on.
Design:-
The last thing I had in mind when shopping for a microwave was the colour red, I was expecting white, black or silver with no particular preference in mind. I have often looked at the red kitchen appliances whilst shopping and decided against buying them as I didn't think that I would like them once I actually got them into my kitchen at home. However after having unexpectedly bought this one due to the cheap price rather than the colour I was pleasantly surprised when I removed it from the box and saw that the bright shade of red was not as offensive as I thought it would be once in my own kitchen.
The chrome touches on the corners of the microwave, the large chrome door handle and the chromed buttons break the red up nicely and stop it from becoming too garish, even the dark window on the front of the microwave compliments the red well, and all in all makes for quite a stylish microwave, something I never thought that I would hear myself saying about any red kitchen appliance.
So overall in the appearance and design stakes I will completely and unexpectedly recommend this if you think you can put up with the red colour. I do know this microwave is available also in purple, but not too sure about any other colours as these were the only two on offer in the store I bought mine from, so there may well be some more neutral colours to fit in with existing kitchen designs and appliances.
Using the Microwave:-
Using this microwave is just about as simple as using any other microwave on the market with ergonomics and simplicity at the forefront of the design. It is simply a case of placing whatever you want to heat inside closing the door selecting the power setting if less than 100% is required, then pressing the timer button so that that function is displayed on the screen and turning the dial to the appropriate time and pressing start.
There is an Auto-cook function which gives the option of pressing the Auto-cook button between 1 and 4 times to select, dinner plate, soup, beverage or fresh vegetables then turning the dial knob to select the quantity of whichever one you want to heat and then pressing the start button. This is not a feature I usually use as I tend to just stick whatever needs heating in and checking it as it's heating through, so whilst this feature doesn't really help me out some may find it handy.
The defrost function on the other hand is something I use quite often as I am always forgetting to remove meat from the freezer the evening before I wish to cook it. Thankfully the defrost function is as simple as the rest of the microwave to use, I usually defrost by weight which is just a case of pressing the defrost button turning the dial knob so that the weight of meat in the microwave displays correctly on the screen and then pressing the start button. If the defrost button is pressed twice this will allow you to simply defrost by time, using the dial knob to set the time. Whilst defrosting food the microwave beeps to indicate that the food inside needs to be turned or stirred allowing it to defrost fully.
Easy cook is another feature of this microwave I do not really use as I don't seem to be able to find a use in my life for it. The only function that the easy cook button performs is to heat something for 30 seconds at a time; I generally tend to find it quicker and easier just to twist the dial knob to select the time even if it is the thirty seconds that the easy cook button gives. Some people may be able to see a need to having this button on a microwave but to me it is just an unnecessary feature and just an excuse for an extra button.
Once the microwave finishes running the setting that you have asked of it, it will emit three beeps to indicate that the microwave has finished, and then it is just a case of leaving your food to stand for the required time before serving. Once food has been cooked in the microwave splatters on the inside are inevitable, however if wiped out before the microwave is next used generally a piece of kitchen roll with a tiny bit of water on is enough to get the inside looking like new again. The outside is equally as easy to clean with a little spray of kitchen cleaner and a wipe down to make it shiny red again.
Instructions:-
The instructions supplied with this microwave are clear and laid out well making the installation and use of this microwave as simple as can be. The instruction booklet is country specific meaning that there is no trawling through six different languages to find the English part before you can even decide which section of the instructions it is that you want. Each feature, function, or button has its own designated part of the instruction leaflet as well as there being a cooking guide at the back. Some of the recipes provided are savory mince, scrambled egg, stir fried vegetables, and strawberry jam. As well as the recipes there are charts showing cooking times and suggested power settings for different vegetables, baby food and baby milk as well as other common microwaveable items.
The Bad Bits:-
The only bad bit I can really think of about this microwave is the fact that it is only 20 litres in size although I cannot complain too much as I knew this when I was buying it. The only reason I really see fit to bring it up is that it means that it is actually too small to fit a dinner plate into, this is easily overcome by transferring into a large bowl that will fit but is still a minor inconvenience and something you may well want to think about before you consider any smaller sized microwave.
In Conclusion:-
Overall I would recommend this microwave (yes even the colour) to anyone looking for a compact little microwave. At only 20 litres capacity it takes up less room than the more standard sized microwaves that would swallow a dinner plate without hassle, whereas this model will not quite take a dinner plate which is the only slight drawback.
The design and look of the microwave are what I would conceive as quite fashionable and it would fit in nicely with any modern kitchen with other red appliances. The price tag of £50 is probably the most attractive thing about this microwave being cheaper than most microwaves of the same quality and size by around £10-£15.
The fact that it is 800W and quite a small microwave means that it will heat a meal through in around 3 minutes and a cup of milk in around 1½ minutes, a little quicker than our previous larger 800W microwave that on average I would say took 30 seconds to 1 minute longer to cook or heat something through.
In conclusion this is a great looking little microwave for the price, and is really easy to use and functions well it's just a shame that it will not fit full size dinner plates inside.
(Also on Ciao under username MrGump)
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Russell Hobbs RHM2030
by NotMyToothbrush
After my experience with this microwave, I will never be going back to Russell Hobbs.
It was given to my Mom last year for Christmas. It seems great for the first few weeks, heated as good as any other microwave and was as easy to use as any other. However, after this period it suddenly stopped heating food. The lights would ... come on and it would start cooking but I assume a component inside the microwave broke which was vital in the heating process. We were over the warranty period so was stuck with a non-functional microwave. It was going to cost as much as a new microwave to repair so we opted to trash it.
My experiences before it broke are as follows:
The design of the microwave was very nice, the sliver-black design fitted in very well with the other appliances in my kitchen and did not look out of place. Many of the microwaves we have seen around can look a little dated but this model certain does not - it looks modern and stylish.
I really liked the interface of this microwave, it had a dial which made input very easy and meant that there were not a multitude of different buttons which can confuse many people. You can go from putting the food in to having it heated as quickly as possible with this input!
The handle for opening the oven I have found to be a live it or hate it sort of thing. My Mom doesn't particularly like it as she feels it "jutes" out too much, however I really like it as I feel it adds positively to the aesthetic design of the product.
The microwave is a bit on the bulky side, with being a high capacity model it does take up more room than the average microwave, but it does mean you can fit larger items (such as entire meals) into it fro heating without the sides getting dirty as the food spins into them.
Overall, for the time that the microwave worked, I was impressed, but it did end up being very disappointing in the end because of its poor reliability. If you do buy this, just make sure it has a warranty.
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