GH Institute

All Microwaves

• 
  Review of Panasonic NN-SD279S BPQ microwave

  Features

  Touch and dial control. 850W. Heating category E. 22 litres. 24.5cm turntable. 6 power levels. 30 minute timer. 6 auto weight cook programmes. Defrost by weight or time. Delay start. Dimensions: H284 x W482 x D350mm. Child safety lock. Stainless steel finish. Standby mode.

  Comments

  Good points: The power levels are displayed in words, high-low on the fascia and as wattages on the display which makes it easy to program. Simple fascia. Large jacket potatoes allowance means you can cook four good sized potatoes together. Frozen ready meal heated to the centre.

  Drawbacks: Auto programmes are displayed as numbers, need instructions to work out which is which. The screen is hard to see unless you are level with it. Small turntable. Chilled ready meal not heated enough in the centre.

  Rating: 79/100

  Price: £119

  Stockist: 0844 844 3852 - http://www.panasonic.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

  
  

• 
  Review of Daewoo KOR-8AOR microwave

  Features

  Dial and touch control. 800W. Heating category E. 23 litres. 25.5cm turntable. 10 power levels. 60 minute timer. 8 auto weight cook and 5 auto weight defrost programmes. Power save mode.  Dimensions: H287 x W465 x D366mm. Child safety lock. Black

  Comments

  Good points: Stylish black exterior. Useful power save mode. Clear key on the fascia shows what the auto programmes are. Chilled ready meal was heated to the centre. Beeps to remind you to turn frozen food then keeps cooking. One of only a few which defrosted and heated a frozen ready meal to an acceptable temperature.

  Drawbacks: The power levels are shown in percentages not in wattages. Soup was slightly unevenly heated. Mince was unevenly defrosted, still frozen in places.

  Rating: 76/100

  Price: £54.99

  Stockist: 0844 887 2525 - http://www.daewooelectronics.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of LG MS2549 DRK microwave

  Features

  Touch control. 850W. Heating category n/s. Litres n/s. 32cm turntable. 99m 50s timer. 14 auto weight cook and 5 auto weight defrost programmes. 2 stage cooking. Dimensions: H283 x W507 x D435mm. Child safety lock.

  Comments

  Good points: Has a very wide choice of auto reheat and cook programmes. Very clear comprehensive instructions. Easy to use controls and clear fascia panel. Soup heated evenly. One of a few which heated the frozen ready meal through. Generous maximum weight for jacket potatoes allows three good sized potatoes to be cooked at once.

  Drawbacks: Chilled ready meal did not heat through to the centre.

  Rating: 74/100

  Price: £99.99

  Stockist: 0844 847 5454 - http://www.lge.com

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of Whirlpool Max 25 microwave

  Features

  Touch control. 750W. Heating category n/s. 13 litres. 28cm turntable. 5 power levels. 30 minute timer. Defrost by time or weight. Dimensions: H375 x W372 x D360mm. Child safety lock.Choice of six colours. Steamer and baby bottle holder included.

  Comments

  Good points: Its curved back means it fits neatly into a corner. Controls are situated on the top edge which makes them easy to see and use. The steamer works well for vegetables. Frozen meal hot enough in the centre.

  Drawbacks: the instructions are not detailed enough with no cooking charts - needed as there are no auto cook programmes. Beeps to remind you to turn during defrosting but has to be restarted manually. Chilled meal was not heated high enough in the centre.

  Rating: 72/100

  Price Range: £91 - 150

  Stockist: 0870 61 62 63 - http://www.whirlpool.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of Kenwood KEN SJSB21A microwave

  Features

  Dial and touch control. 850W. Heating category E. n/s litres. 27cm turntable. 5 power levels. 95 minute timer. 9 auto weight cook programmes. Defrost by weight or time. 2 stage cooking. Delay start. Dimensions: H287 x W485 x D410mm. Child safety lock.

  Comments

  Good points: Very bright digital display and clear fascia, the central dial glows blue when in operation. Useful key on the fascia shows what the auto programmes are. Good jacket potatoes.

  Drawbacks: The power levels are displayed in percent not wattages. Soup was slightly unevenly heated and both chilled and frozen ready meals failed to reach high temperatures in the centre.

  Rating: 71/100

  Price: £59.99

  Stockist: 08445 61 62 63 - http://www.currys.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of Hinari Easitronic HMW101 microwave

  Features

  Dial and touch control. 900W. Heating category E. 23 litres. 27cm turntable. 5 power levels. 60 minute timer. 8 auto weight cook programmes. Defrost by weight or time. 2 stage cooking. Dimensions: H281 x W483 x D414mm. Child safety lock. Black / stainless steel.

  Comments

  Good points: The fascia is clear and the buttons easy to use. One of the few machines which managed to defrost and heat a frozen ready meal evenly. Very clear and concise instructions.

  Drawbacks: The power levels are displayed in percent not wattages. Soup was slightly unevenly heated. The chilled ready meal was bubbling at the edges but not hot enough in the centre. Frozen mince started to cook underneath on the defrost setting.

  Rating: 69/100

  Price: £69.99

  Stockist: 0800 525 089

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of Sharp R270SLM microwave

  Features

  Touch control. 800W. Heating category E. 20 litres. 24.5cm turntable. 10 power levels. 99m 90s timer. 11 auto weight cook programmes. Defrost by weight or time. 2 stage cooking. Dimensions: H262 x W452 x D340mm.

  Comments

  Good points: Clearly laid out control panel.

  Drawbacks: The power levels are displayed in percent not wattages. The control panel could be more touch sensitive. Soup was unevenly heated. Chilled and frozen ready meals were not hot enough in the centre and mince unevenly defrosted.

  Rating: 67/100

  Price: £69.99

  Stockist: 0800 262 958 - http://www.sharp.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of Carlton C17MSS09 microwave

  Features

  Dial and touch control. 700W. Heating category D. n/s litres. 24.5cm turntable. 9 power levels. 95 minute timer. 8 auto weight cook programmes. Defrost by weight or time. 2 stage cooking. Dimensions: H258 x W440 x D354mm. Child safety lock.

  Comments

  Good points: Compact and very easy to operate with a clear fascia. Jacket potatoes cooked well.

  Drawbacks: The power levels are displayed in percent not wattages. Soup was slightly unevenly heated and both chilled and frozen ready meals failed to reach high temperatures in the centre.

  Rating: 65/100

  Price: £49.99

  Stockist: 08445 61 62 63 - http://www.currys.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of Sanyo EM-SL40S microwave

  Features

  Dial and touch control. 900W. Heating category E. 23 litres. 27cm turntable. 6 power levels. 99 minute timer. 8 auto weight cook and 2 auto weight defrost programmes. 3 stage cooking. Delay start. Dimensions: H281 x W483 x D375mm. Child safety lock. Stainless steel finish.

  Comments

  Good points: This has a simple, clear fascia and easy to use controls. Soup heated evenly. Power levels are shown in wattages.

  Drawbacks: Defrost programme is not very flexible, only for meat or poultry. The control dial is loose to turn and could be knocked easily. Chilled ready meal did not heat to the centre. The scrolling prompt is annoyingly slow before you can set the next stage. Frozen mince started to cook on the defrost setting. Beeps to turn during defrosting but has to be restarted manually. Instructions could be more detailed.

  Rating: 64/100

  Price Range: £69.99 - 81

  Stockist: 01923 246363 - http://www.sanyo.com

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of DeLonghi Easitronic Control microwave

  Features

  Dial and touch control. 900W. Heating category E. 25 litres. 31.5cm turntable. 5 power levels. 95 minute timer. 10 auto weight cook programmes. Defrost by weight or time. 2 stage cooking. Delay start. Dimensions H305 x W513 x D425mm. Child safety lock. Black with stainless steel trim

  Comments

  Good points: Family size with generous turntable. Useful key on the fascia shows what the auto programmes are.

  Drawbacks: Power levels are displayed in percentage not wattages. Soup was unevenly heated and it failed to heat chilled and frozen ready meals through to the centre. Mince was still frozen in places even after standing.

  Rating: 64/100

  Price: £65.99

  Stockist: 0845 640 3030 - http://www.argos.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - March 2010

• 
  Review of Samsung MW 86N-B microwave

  Features

  Touch control. 850W. Heating category E. 23 litres. 28.5cm turntable. 6 power levels. 99 minute timer. 6 auto weight cook and 4 auto weight defrost programmes. Dimensions: H275 x W489 x D397mm. Child safety lock. Deodorising function. Black with stainless steel trim

  Comments

  Good points: Large turntable for a compact model. The beeper can be deactivated. Power levels are shown in wattages.

  Drawbacks: The controls are marked by symbols only and it is not immediately obvious what they refer to without checking the instructions. Deodorising feature is a bit of a gimmick. Chilled ready meal was not heated enough in the centre and soup was unevenly heated. Defrost function is not versatile enough. Rapid defrost for mince only relies on lengthy standing time.

  Rating: 50/100

  Price Range: £79.99 - 104

  Stockist: 0845 726 7864 - http://www.samsung.com/uk

  GHI Test Report - March 2010