Our current microwave oven is making some very odd noises so we are looking to purchase a new one sooner rather than later. I’ve been looking at the best selling solo microwaves on Amazon UK and I was instantly taken by the looks of the Russell Hobbs RHMD714G Scandi Grey Digital Microwave seen below. With its wooden handle and button accents, cool grey colourway and sleek lines I thought that perhaps this compact 700w microwave might suit a stylish gent such as myself!
The Russell Hobbs Scandi Grey Digital Microwave is a relatively recent addition to the highly regarded Russell Hobbs range of microwave ovens, but it has already amassed an excellent rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars from well over 100 reviews. For me, that is a great result and one that might easily persuade me to purchase this model from the many other microwave oven choices available.
Of course, style is nothing if the actual product does not suit my needs so let’s take a closer look at the features that this rather classy microwave offers:
- 17 litre internal volume
- 700W microwave power
- 5 microwave power levels plus defrost function
- 8 auto cook menus
- Express cook function
- Fits a 10.5″ round plate
- Wood and chrome accents
- Mirror finish door front
- Energy efficiency rating D
- Available in Grey (pictured) and White
- Recognised and respected household name
- Great value at £69.00*
In our household we really only use the microwave for quickly heating up food that has just been cooked (so we get a pipping hot dinner) or for cooking foodstuffs that might take too long on our electric hob. We almost never buy microwave ready meals or takeaways as we cook homemade dinners every night so our requirements of a microwave might be quite different to yours.
What suits our needs
With the Russell Hobbs microwave here, I immediately like the look of some of its features, such as the Express Cook function and the clear digital display. The Express function is something that we would use a lot. Occasionally we might use the defrost mode, and we do cook baked potatoes in the microwave too so I expect that our needs would be fully covered here as this microwave oven has 8 auto cook menus. These cooking modes usually offer options for the most common foods available.
This microwave handily takes 10.5″ diameter plates which is a bonus as some 17 litre microwaves struggle with plates that size, and the 700 watt power is enough for most people, including us. I think that the RRP of just £69.00* is very good indeed and great value is something that always sways my decisions!
What doesn’t suit our needs
Despite this Russell Hobbs microwave looking great and being very highly rated there are a few things which may stop me from buying this as replacement from my ailing model.
Firstly is the size. We currently have a 20 litre capacity microwave oven and this is a little smaller, however this machine does take 10.5″ plates so my current crockery does fit in okay. There are only two of us in our home so 17 litres should be perfectly adequate.
The second issue is that my partner prefers to have numbers to press as she inputs the time as opposed to a dial that you turn. This doesn’t bother me but I have to ensure that she is happy using the microwave oven too.
Lastly, and some what surprisingly, is that this microwave is only rated D on the energy efficiency scale. Microwaves are given an energy efficiency rating from A to G, with A being the most efficient and for a 700 watt model I would expect this rating to be better, however as our microwave is used for such short times I would not expect to see this having much of an effect on my electric bill.
Final thoughts
Will I buy the Russell Hobbs Scandi Grey Digital Microwave to replace my current microwave? Perhaps.
I am very tempted by its looks but I think that the lack of a numerical pad to input times will annoy my partner and I want her to be happy with using the product as much as me. This small detail, which is entirely personal in nature, does not at all detract from what looks to be a superb microwave oven that I am sure will be a fantastic purchase for many other buyers!
Maybe I’d better keep looking… Fortunately Amazon UK has me covered!
*Please note: Any prices shown are subject to change at any time.
