I have a microwave with two knobs: power and time. Both controls are haptic and I imagine the circuitry is the same as what might have been built in the '60s. It's perfectly fine.
Why every microwave sucks these days
381–390 of 419 posts
Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#382Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Samsung microwaves, although with good build quality, are notorious for having a very bad UX. - The buttons don't give have tactile feedback. - Setting time is very confusing. - You have to press multiple buttons just to start. - If you want to cancel/clear timer, you have to press multiple buttons again.
I've had the misfortune of using a Samsung microwave, electric oven, dishwasher, and phone. I've concluded that Samsung products are just generally dogshit.
I do have to mention that out of all their appliances, I do love their washing machines. I have owned a couple over the last 10 years ant they just keep working.
Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#383Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the 90s we had a microwave where the only control surface was a knob like an egg timer. Turn the knob, oven goes whirrrr, knob winds down, goes ding, oven turns off.
This is the way. I'd probably do four controls though. Higher end CNC-esque jog dial for control. ex. http://pico-systems.com/images/pendant.jpg (10th of a second increments maybe. Sometimes putting in 3 seconds to warm a tablespoon of syrup is useful or 24 seconds to warm your teacup). Momentary switch to start. Seven segment display array for time setting and countdown. Sound cue to let you know when countdown has…
No need for a screen with countdown.
The egg timer dial is also the display.
Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#384Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#385As far as I'm concerned there is only one microwave on the market worth buying. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074RCGYLB ONE dial. One. Zero buttons. Perfect. It does not have a turntable, but it's never needed one.
How do you set power levels? That’s a feature I use extensively.
A feature of mere perceived usefulness. Not to be confused with an actual useful feature.
Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#386Earlier quoted context omitted.
What... is a "frozen breakfast sandwich"? I googled it and it looks like... a regular sandwich that needs to be put in the oven for some reason?
A "breakfast sandwich" is usually a food item containing eggs (pre-cooked, scrambled or fried), cheese, two slices of bread, and possibly sausage or bacon. The other ingredients are placed between the slices of bread, often this bread is some sort of roll but it may also be a pastry like a croissant. Miscellaneous foods placed between two slices of bread is known as a "sandwich", and the first meal of the day is know…
I love it when people react to convenience foods a) as though they have no idea what you're talking about b) that you're just lazy because you don't just do 27 steps in 3 three minutes with ingredients that cost more and expire quickly if you're single while dirtying 3-4 bowls and pans and c) as though you aren't well aware that it's probably not the best for you, if you eat them every day.
Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#387Earlier quoted context omitted.
thinking of internet of things - I would expect ntp was top on the to do list for anything wanting to be on that.
I would assume that it usually IS a feature on the top of a list... but then they actually start to work on it, and a new fresh set of young developers get exposed to the nightmarish clusterfuck that is datetimes and networking, and then it eventually gets rejected.
Windows, after 30 years and billions of development dollars, couldn't make ntp work. I still must set time manually once a month.
Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#388I remember a time when Panasonic microwaves cost a fortune (like a monthly salary), they came in huge boxes with thick colorful cooking books and included a subscription to real, offline Panasonic cooking courses.
Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#389There's a big innovation I'm looking for in microwaves and I simply do not understand why nobody sells it yet: An interior IR sensor/camera that will cycle/adjust power until my food is fully cooked to a certain temperature but not above it. I don't want to pick a duration and I don't want to pick power levels and I don't want hot spots and I don't want to have to check the food every 30 seconds or 3 minutes or whate…
I have had a less technologically forward gripe with microwaves. The start button should not exist. Number pads should not exist. There should really only be one main button that you press: “quick cook/add 30” that auto starts it. No one has a valid use case for setting their microwave to run for 1:37. Multiples of 30 are all the granularity you need. Some companies get this right but others it’s astounding how many…
But there are plenty of applications where you only only need a few seconds (e.g. softening butter). I've seen a good application of this with a Panasonic microwave where it has a knob that starts by adding single seconds, and progressively increases the amount of time between notches on the dial as the time increases. That said, I hate the style, since punching in the numbers is quicker and requires less attention.
Re: Why every microwave sucks these days
#390I actually have one the the Panasonic microwaves whispered about at the end of the article, and it's been the best microwave I've ever owned. "Panasonic NNSC688S Mid-Size 1200W Inverter Microwave Oven, 1.3 Cuft, Black Stainless Steel" which Amazon sells for CAD$300, although I see one used is available for $180 - a steal, IMHO. The key word in the description is "inverter". I am very much in the pro-inverter camp. In…
I have another version of the same model (NNSC669S) and while I think it was one of the best options available today, I hate it compared to the old Sharp microwave (with a MFR date of 1994!) I had before. I just hate interacting with it, the buttons are difficult to push and the way it makes you enter in things is backwards to what makes sense.
I'm not entirely convinced about the longevity either, the turntable of the first one I received was DOA and I had to get it replaced.