£38.97 For a New Microwave oven sounds ridiculous really doesn't it?

So what do you get in the Microwave stakes for a fraction under forty quid?

You get a basic 700 Watt, Glass turntable oven with the following specifications and features:-

Specs.

Colour - White.
Weight - 10.7kg (24 pounds for those of us who like real money).
External Size - 258mm High (10") x 440mm Wide (17") x 345mm Deep (14").
Usable internal size - 160mm High (6.25") x 270mm Wide (10.5") x 250mm Deep (10").
Input power - 1150Watts.

Features.

Power levels - 100 / 80 / 50 / 30 / 10%
These are chosen simply by turning the main power knob - very simple.

Child lock
Enabled / disabled by pressing and holding one button for 5 seconds - very simple.


Quick start cooking
Enabled by repeatedly pressing a single button until the desired cooking time is displayed - very simple.

Auto defrost
Two options, one purely by time, the other by weight - very simple.

Auto cooking
More complicated settings, they will take a few reads of the instruction book to master.

Multi stage cooking
More complicated settings, they will take a few reads of the instruction book to master

Time delayed cooking
Even more complicated settings, they will certainly take a few reads of the instruction book to master.

I have not detailed the finer points of all of the above features but have just given an idea of the complexity of the operations. Rest assured that even the most complex features are very easy to learn and master, you will just need to read the book for the first few times. There is nothing complicated about this Oven at all.

The Instruction book is clear and well written, it is not some auto translation from a foreign language - you know the type of thing I mean. It has full details of all operations that the oven is capable of and has many, many hints and tips to help you get the most from this oven.

The Glass in the door is quite clear and enables good vision of the contents whilst they are cooking; the "Beep" is adequate but not excessively loud. The build quality is OK but not brilliant - after all it is a "cheapie"

There are two downsides to this oven that I have discovered to date:-

The first is that the internal capacity is quite small, even for a "Small" oven. That is why I have detailed its size in real measurements, not some stupid capacity which relates to nothing. Please check to make sure it is big enough for your needs. As a guide, a 10" Dinner plate JUST fits inside without touching the sides when rotating.

The second is slightly more annoying, well it is to me. The oven is not actually heavy enough to stay still when you press the door opening catch, as you press the catch the Oven slides backwards across the work surface. The only way to avoid this is to hold it still with your other hand whilst pressing said catch - quite annoying..........But you soon get used to it.

The important thing to remember about this Product though is that it is only £39; you cannot expect to get a "Rolls Royce" of an oven for that sort of money. If I had paid £100 for it then I would not be too happy, but for £39 I cannot fault it - it does absolutely everything it promises and is simple to operate.

If money is tight, or you have limited installation space, or you just need a simple basic machine, then you can't go wrong with this Oven. I bought it as a back up oven and am very pleased with it overall.

If you need more power and features, or more"Bells and whistles" then spend more money, the choice is yours.