New combination microwave - I'm too old for this

Our 20 year old Panasonic combi was looking a bit long in the tooth with a dodgy door hinge so I ordered an online replacement without a turntable Monday pm having failed to source the one I wanted locally at the Panasonic store (5 day wait) or John Lewis (there but just for display purposes).

As is all so common if you want something other than cheaper models you seem to have to order them in.

Anyhow, having missed the delivery knock on Monday as I was on the phone at the back of the house to a work colleague, I knocked on the neighbourā€™s door - declined help carrying the awkward box which was a bad move given the weight/shape but was trying to obey social distancing, or maybe it was just bravado!

Naturally hurt my back lugging it back to my house, have finally opened it today.

For a more expensive product weighting over 20kg it was not level, rocked and slid on my worktop when door opened so Iā€™ve had to stick some foam underlay bits under the awful plastic feet - they sure donā€™t make them like they used to.

The minimalistic operating display is anything but intuitive, but there you go, and I managed to inadvertently lock the controls within a minute of plugging it in.

Now, is it just me getting older, but the whole complexity of this thing with tables showing you multiple modes and which accessories can/canā€™t be used in each is thoroughly confusing.

I now remember why we didnā€™t use the combi functions much on the old one, but without the turntable Iā€™m hoping it may be easier.

Then the kicker, I realised it was maybe 10cm higher than the old one - fitted under cupboards at the same site but the hot air vent is right at the top at the back whereas the old one blew hot air out of the back much lower down.

I have 5cm gap where it advises 15cm above - drat.

Oh well, Iā€™ve managed two tins of baked beans in a glass jug - at least it seems a little faster than the old one!

All very trivial I know, but a bit of moaning is one of the closest things to ā€˜normalā€™ right now :slight_smile:

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Lolā€¦reminds me of some customers coming to collect their 55-65" TVsā€¦utterly surprised how big they were! (I used to say ā€œjust because itā€™s this :pinching_hand: small on your computer screenā€¦ā€ ) oh, what a laugh weā€™d have :smiley:

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Normally Iā€™d measure up/consider dimensions of new products - for some reason I sensed we were going into lockdown the day I tried to buy it physically and, just hit the purchase button assuming thereā€™s be no way iā€™d get one for many weeks.

@Alley_Cat
Believe me, my post was not at all a dig at your situation, Cat!
It just reminded me of funny times at work is all :slight_smile:

Hope you get a combi that suits ( and, yes - some models are pretty damn heavy - one of my workmates did his back in last year, lifting one).
He and we learned a lesson that day.

You want them just large enough to fit a standard sized dinner plate, and cheap enough to still include a mechanised turning knob for minutes. Thatā€™s it. Anything else is a waste.

I didnā€™t take it as a dig at all, itā€™ll be staying I think, though moved to a different location.

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May well be using it as a small oven/grill (donā€™t ask) in next few months which is why we went for the combi. I prefer buttons for time (the older Panasonic had 10secs/mins/10min buttons to easily set the time), this has some sort of -/+ slider touch control I thought Iā€™d hate but is quite quick to operate.

All good - itā€™s actually a great machine and even using convection/grill the heat out of the vent is minimal and barely warms the cabinets above - once we get familiar with it I think it will turn out to be a great purchase.

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This is actually a brilliant machine, and very versatile once you start to get the hang of it.

Using it most days now for anything from pizza to roast dinners, very impressed as food is turning out very nicely.

Our previous Panasonic combi is similar size/power but it was extremely clunky to use oven/grill features as it had a turntable and various accessories you had to add/remove depending on what you were cooking.

This has 3 rack levels and so far use of glass shelf and wire tray has provided virtually all we need.

Liking it so much, Iā€™m tempted to get another, and less than the cost of a Powerline!

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Just checking - have you a dedicated power feed for the combi? (which may be stated within the instructions?).

Reason I mention is that when a relativeā€™s kitchen installation was done, the (ignorant) fitters wired a combi-microwave via a spur from the kitchen ring, and the unitā€™s instructions clearly state it needs a dedicated 6mm feed from the CU. Fortunately, the unit was never used in full power mode (some way >2kw IIRC).

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This thread gave me inspiration to write a song. Hereā€™s a link to the music video I made of it:

https://youtu.be/lAD6Obi7Cag

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Iā€™ll have to check the manual, but itā€™s curently just plugged into a normal kitchen socket - itā€™s standalone rather than ā€˜fittedā€™ into a cabinet.

Suspect it would use 2 kW+ when in grill/convection mode.

Link dead, but I assume the standard video?

Not referring to Powerlines by any chance!

FYI, have just checked and my relativeā€™s built-in (I think an own-branded Panasonic) was rated at 16A (~3.25/5kw), which (obviously) is ~50% the capacity of a 2.5mm standard kitchen ring, ergo the need for a dedicated 6mm feed.

Excuse my observationā€¦.but Iā€™m thinking I wouldnā€™t be plugging another one in to the same ring, if the consumption is anywhere near this.

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Thanks, mine isnā€™t built-in so probably ok on normal plug, but will check manual later.

If You plug an electric Kettle in to a std 13A socket (uk) thatā€™s 3kw so micro is ok

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If itā€™s sold In UK with a 13 amp fused plug on it, then you can safely plug it into a normal mains socket.
Best

David

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Absolutely. Ours just has a power setting (in Watts, not in chickens/bits of beef/pizzas or whatever) and a timer. Dead simple. Does everything I want, in an easily-understood way. Ones I have come across at work are more like a cookery book - showing different dishes etc. No idea what they mean. I hate them.
I dread the day that mine dies.

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That was my assumption, but was happy to check after HappyListenerā€™s well-intentioned posts.

Interestingly if I tot up the individual microwave, grill, convection power ratings itā€™s over 3 kW, I think the combination programmes however donā€™t use the microwave or grill on full power.

Check what your kitchen electric circuit , or it may be the downstairs is fused at. You probably have a separate cooker circuit at 60A.

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