Smeg 34-litre Combi-Microwave Oven review

How easy is the Smeg 34-litre Combi-Microwave Oven to use?

As with most combination microwaves, there are a lot of details, with 10 programmes and 40 settings behind the seemingly simple interface. There's a straightforward instruction book, though, so it's easy to understand how to work this product.

The four buttons each have dual use, pressing either the left or right side to select. There's auto-menu/microwave, grill-combi/convection, defrost/stop-clear, and start/+30s/confirm. The dial sets the time and power, and helps to select different menus. If this sounds a little confusing, it's not in practice.

The Smeg is intuitive use and we pick it up in no time, especially with the help of a shortcut menu tucked inside the door, which references auto-menu numbers for a whole range of super-handy settings. These include melt and softening, defrosting, casseroles, plus plenty more.

Results

We used the auto-menu defrost for our chicken breasts, which weighed slightly under 350g each, and the time for the pair was 11 minutes. We loved how quiet the microwave was when we turned it on. We were, however, a little disappointed that, although the chicken was defrosted, it was quite warm through to the centre, with the edges already starting to cook. So, we reduced the time by 2 minutes for a better result on the second test.

Our baked potatoes fare much better with the auto-programme; they are spot on, as is our bacon, which we cooked on the included long-legged trivet.

The shiny stainless steel does finger-mark easily, especially on the door and control panel. However, these wipe away very quickly, leaving the microwave gleaming. The interior cleans just as quickly and easily.

Summary

The Smeg is a generously sized, high-quality combi-microwave with extensive programming, making this a great all-around asset in any kitchen. Despite a few hiccups with our initial cooking, we found the results excellent in no time, with some slight adjustments and some practice.

Smeg 34-litre combi-microwave oven specifications
Capacity: 34 litres
Wattage: microwave 1000W
Dimensions: H314mm, W519mm, D507mm
Turntable and inverter technology‎

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