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Smeg 34-litre Combi-Microwave Oven review
Published: October 19, 2021 at 11:43 AM
4.5
A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.
GBP £339 RRP
Try the Good Food app - subscribe todayWith 10 programmes and 40 settings, Smeg's 34-litre combi-microwave is immensely practical and a stylish addition to any kitchen.
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Pros
- Stylish, super-powerful yet quiet, generous 34 litres
Cons
- Fierce auto-defrost
Smeg 34-litre Combi-Microwave Oven summary
The Smeg combi-microwave, when unpacked from its large box is made from beautiful, high-quality stainless steel. It has a stylish handle and a mixture of a digital interface, light-touch buttons and dial to control and change settings.
There's a powerful adjustable 1100 watts behind this interface, and it has an incredible 34-litre capacity. The turntable is a generous 31.5cm and there's also an exposed grill element, but these don't take up too much space. We found the door lighter than expected for the robust build, but it shuts with a snap.
Read our full round-up of the best microwaves to buy.
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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