03.Product profiles
Profiles - what to buy
# Panasonic Inverter NN-ST657W
Price $239
Claimed volume 32L
Good points
- Best overall performer.
- Excellent cooking performance score.
- Excellent results for broccoli, defrosting mince and chicken, and reheating a meal.
- Good for ease of use.
- Equal best for ease of cleaning.
Bad points
- Difficult to see the food through the door during use.
Samsung MW103H
Price $179
Claimed volume 28L
Good points
- Excellent cooking performance score.
- Excellent results for cooking broccoli, rice, defrosting mince and reheating quiche.
- Good for ease of use.
- Has very good through the door visibility when in use.
- Cheapest model tested.
- Has audible prompts that can be turned on or off.
Bad points
- The cavity has many small holes that can accumulate dirt, making cleaning difficult.
LG MS3448GRK
Price $249
Claimed volume 34L
Good points
- Very good cooking performance score.
- Excellent results for cooking broccoli, defrosting chicken and reheating a meal.
- Good for ease of use.
- The digital display gives step-by-step word prompts.
- Has a sensor cook and reheat function that works well.
- Has the largest turntable diameter and a round internal cavity which maximises the useable space.
- Comes with a handy plastic plate and bowl-shaped cover.
Bad points
- The cavity has many small holes that can accumulate dirt, making cleaning difficult.
- Has no multistage programming option.
Profiles - the rest
All have a child lock, auto defrost, and none have a keep warm function, nor can their light globes be changed by the user.
SHARP Carousel R330JS
Price: $230 
Claimed volume: ‘mid-sized’
Good Points
- Very good cooking score.
- Excellent results for broccoli and defrosting mince.
- Good for ease of use, with well grouped controls and a clear digital display.
Bad Points
- Only scored 65% for reheating a meal.
- Many small holes on the inside of the microwave that can accumulate dirt.
# PANASONIC Genius NN-ST667W
Price: $299
Claimed volume: 32L
Good Points
- Good cooking score – and better still when using manual mode for reheating a meal.
- Excellent results for broccoli, defrosting mince and chicken, and reheating a meal.
- Has a sensor cook and reheat function.
Bad Points
- Expensive.
- Just OK for visibility through door during use.
- Only scored 63% for ease of use.
- Poor result for reheating a non-strirrable food on sensor mode, but improved to 71% when re-tested using manual mode.
# SHARP Carousel R350LW
Price: $241 
Claimed volume: ‘mid-sized’
Good Points
- Good cooking score – and better still when using manual mode for cooking rice.
- Excellent result for cooking broccoli.
- Highest ease of use score.
- Has intuitive controls and labelling.
- Large digital display with step-by-step word prompts.
- Has a sensor cook and reheat function.
- Good through the door visibility.
Bad Points
- Low score for cooking rice on sensor mode, but improved to 80% when re-tested using manual mode.
- Many small holes on the inside of the microwave that can accumulate dirt.
SANYO Family Size Microwave EMS8597W
Price: $229
Claimed volume: 34L
Good Points
- Good cooking score.
- Excellent result for cooking broccoli.
- Good result for ease of use.
- Has intuitive controls and labelling, with good contrast.
- Equal best cleaning score.
Bad Points
- Only OK result for visibility through door during operation.
- Only scored 60% for defrosting chicken and 65% for reheating a typical meal.
- Digital display words are a little small.
SAMSUNG Sensor Smart ME6124ST
Price: $299 
Claimed volume: 34L
Good Points
- Very good cooking score.
- Excellent results for cooking broccoli (on the sensor program) and rice.
- Sound function whereby indicator sounds can be turned on or off.
- Has a sensor cook/reheat function.
Bad Points
- Expensive.
- Only scored 65% for reheating a meal.
- Poor result for ease of use.
- Has very small labelling.
- Has many small holes on the inside of the microwave that can accumulate dirt.
- Stainless steel panel on the front of the microwave may require extra attention when cleaning.
- Very poor visibility through door during operation.
# WHIRLPOOL X2-30ES/S
Price: $259
Claimed volume: ns
Good Points
- Good cooking score.
- Excellent result for defrosting mince.
Bad Points
- Only scored 49% for reheating a non-stirrable food.
- Only OK result for visibility through door during operation.
- Has the smallest turntable area.
- Expensive for a smaller model.
SANYO EMS6786V
Price: $199
Claimed volume: 28L
Good Points
- Good cooking score.
- Excellent result for broccoli and defrosting mince.
Bad Points
- Lowest overall performer – just OK overall result.
- Poor result for reheating a non-stirrable food.
- Only scored 50% for ease of use.
- Poor visibility through door during operation.
- Most of the controls are behind the door so programs and times must be set with the door open.
- Has many small holes on the inside of the microwave that can accumulate dirt.
- Stainless steel panel on the front of the microwave may require extra attention when cleaning. .
# Discontined model. Availability and prices checked in September 2010.