Daewoo KOC9Q4T Combination Microwave, 28 Litre, 900 Watt, Stainless Steel

I spent a long time researching combi microwaves... not least because of the physical dimensions being an issue. Some of the new machines are as wide front-to-back as they are side-to-side, and simply occupy a huge amount of space. I have very limited worktop space in my kitchen, and this particular model is one of the shallowest (40cm front to back) that I could find. Widths are pretty standard, of course, and this is no exception. It's spacious inside - happily accommodating my largest (30cm+) dinner plates.

I'd never had anything by Daewoo before, and was aware it is nominally a 'budget' brand... my preference in most things has always been Panasonic, but the last microwave I had was an LG, which historically carried the same 'cheap and cheerful' stigma.. but it was so good that it successfully challenged my brand-snobbery, and I took the plunge with the Daewoo. At the very least - at £79, what the heck !. The equivalent Panasonic I was looking at, is £299... so the Daewoo can be replaced three and a half times for that price :-) I do think that some of these 'budget' brands, in particular Samsung, LG and DeLonghi, are now in fact among the market leaders in terms of design and innovation, and many of the internals are sourced from the same supplier anyway.

There are many reviews of the Daewoo KOC9Q1T oven (note different model), on Amazon, which claim that it fails very quickly, arrived dented or scrached, etc. I hoped for better since this was a model 'up', but it does seem that something in the logistics supply chain from Daewoo is amiss - mine arrived with a huge delve in the box, the box was damp, and looked like it had been kicked though a hedge. Amazingly, though, the microwave inside was unmarked, apart from a very small dent on the left hand side of the cabinet which to be honest I didn't even notice for about 2 weeks. Had this been worse, I am confident from other reviewers here that Amazon would have sorted things out, so no problem; I can live with the tiny dent as it stands.

This apart, the microwave is compact, really good looking, effective and superb value for money. The instructions (contrary to other reviews for Daewoo models) are fine, and initial setup (clock etc) is easy and intuitive. The cabinet metal is a tad thin, but who cares, it's a microwave not a tank. Having said that, the metal door handle is satisfyingly heavy and the door closes with a pleasing, solid "Chunk" noise.

There is no 'high' metal rack (just a low one) which will affect the space-effectiveness if I ever want to oven two dishes at a time (which I haven't, yet).. but these are easy enough to pick up online. It's quiet in operation, and makes things hot quickly. What more could you want :-) There are not a million and one detailed pre-set programmes, but I don't want those; it does have flexible defrost options, and the usual settings in terms of power etc. The ONLY bug-bear, which is commented on elsewhere in reviews here, is that it's hard to see the food going round when microwaving - the door is (attractively) highly mirrored, but you can bearly see through it - the interior light is a bit feeble.

I have used it daily now for 4 weeks, with no sign of an issue... in summary I would totally recommend this unit. Just one thing to add - the LED display is actually orange - so if you are fanatical about co-ordination with other appliances in your kitchen, this may be something to bear in mind.

Hope this review helps.

Chris.

UPDATE 30th Jan 2013 - The Daewoo is still going strong, and I'm still delighted ! :-)

After my own combination microwave went to its maker in the sky I had the daunting task of choosing a suitable replacement from the plethora of offerings on the web. I wanted one that had a grill, was easy to use and big enough for a good sized bowl .. You would be amazed at how many of them are just too small for the job but this one was actually bigger than my old one, is a breeze to use, it looks great and the best bit of all is that it is very competitively priced for what it offers. I am seriously pleased with this microwave and would happily recommend it as a superb buy to anyone who is in the least bit interested. This is my personal nuking best buy :)

Had this for a month or so - thought it was great. It is, for heating a bowl of soup or beans etc.

Try something a bit heavier - the turntable fails to rotate (talking <>800g here, not a christmas turkey).

The turntable juts out slightly and goes into a recess in the door when it's closed. The problem is, it's not raised enough by the roller ring, so it actually rubs agaist the base of the recess. Cook anything with a bit of weight and it will stop turning. It's actually rubbed a small amount of the paint off the door.

Surprised none of the other reviewers have had this problem.

As mentioned by another reviewer, it doesn't seem to vent very well - it's always full of water.