"Whist it cannot be denied that this microwave is an excellent quality item, well constructed, easy to operate and impressive to behold, it is let down by astonishingly poor firmware/software, even when compared to the budget Panasonic unit it has replaced. For instance, with cooking time set by a neat retractable rotary knob I very quickly established its major shortcoming.
Selecting a power setting (90/180/360/600/900 watts) provides an instant ‘1 minute’ on the display, which can be used ‘as is’ by pressing the ‘Start’ button or adjusted - down in individual seconds to zero, or up, to a maximum determined by the power setting chosen - 30 minutes for 900 watts, 60 minutes for 600 and 99 minutes for all other settings - so far all well and good... except that, in all power settings the upward adjustment, from 1 minute up to 5 minutes, can only be made in 10 second increments. AND from 5 minutes, up to the maximum setting, the increments default to WHOLE minutes - NOT SO GOOD when the chosen microwave curry, or whatever, has a specified cooking time, at 900 watts of 5 minutes 30 seconds. MANY similar microwaveable items have part minute cooking time above 5 or more, necessitating standing by the machine to perform two separate operations, where only one should be necessary.
Also, and as the situation related above, unlike a budget Panasonic microwave, there is no ability, to program multiple actions ‘on the fly’. For instance a cooking program which requires a cooking/standing/cooking combination; or indeed the facility to add a ‘standing time’ to the end of ANY ‘on the fly’ cooking operation.
THERE ARE 4 programmable ‘slots’ where, I believe, fixed combinations such as that described above can be ‘saved’, so Bosch rely upon you only ever buying a maximum of 4 of the multitude of ready meals available in any food outlet... most odd!
However, on an upbeat point, unlike budget offerings the ‘Ready/Finished’ warning alarm is a ‘bleep’, both loud and continuous that starts off every second or two then defaults, after about a minute to one ‘bleep’ every 5 seconds, or so, for several minutes, or until stopped by either opening the door or pressing the ‘Stop’ button - far better than the customary ‘5 bleeps and that’s it!’ on completion of a cooking operation, but hardly a ‘Saving Grace’ to eclipse the product’s many major shortcomings.
My recommendation, in spite of this being a quality constructed ‘lump of metal’ is that it is catastrophically let down by abysmal firmware/software.
DO NOT BUY!"
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
"Good microwave easy to use black finish out side and white in side with a turntable
Does what it says on the tin"
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
"Good product, competitive price and prompt delivery. What's not to like!"
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
"beautiful sleek looking microwave and it works good to "
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.
"Overall I am very pleased. My only negative comment is that I find the timer starting at 1 min slightly awkward. However am sure I will adapt."
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.
"It's okay, heats food etc
Like that you can see food being cooked
Dislike that it continually beeps when finished
Fan stays on when cooking finished for undetermined amount of time-consuming makes it sound like it's still cooking."
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.