Samsung MW8123

Happy Customer – I am really happy with my microwave. Heats well, easy to clean, good size for larger dishes. I have accidentally locked the microwave and luckily had the guide to tell me how to unlock. I would recommend this microwave as it does all the things it is supposed to do.

So many issues, have had to send it to get fixed twice – Within 6 months of purchasing this appliance, I started to experience problems. First, the microwave would switch itself off for no apparent reason, but it would turn itself back on if I turned it off at the powerpoint. But soon this stopped working. We took it to be repaired under warranty, and it had a fuse and lightbulb inside replaced. All was good for about a month, and the the fuse and lightbulb went again. Only replaced the fuse this time. The machine has been 'running' since that point, but has gone back to shutting down for no reason.

Also, the glass plate has no recesses on the underside for the plastic rotator, nor does the microwave base. As a result, the enamel has worn away from the base of the microwave and is now showing bare metal! I don't know if this will have any negative affect on radio waves escaping the unit, but it is a bit worrying.

I haven't personally noticed uneven heating, but I tend to mix and shake any liquids I take out of the unit, a habit left over from bottle feeding my son. Attractive Constantly breaks down, safety concerns about glass plate

Probably got what I paid for – This is a good size and powerful microwave. Unfortunately, it has its problems. Firstly, on an aesthetic level, it is very attractive (black and chrome). BUT, you don't realise until you use it that it's very hard to see into to observe the progress of your cooking. The light inside is dim and the black mesh on the inside of the door obscures everything badly.

Secondly, on an operational level: When it arrived, I plugged it in, set the clock, and popped a cup of water in to try out the automatic sensor control..... It made its noises, the light came on, the plate turned, it beeped... I took out the cup, and it was stone cold. I tried doing a manual heat, and still nothing. I had to take it to a repair shop and have it fixed under warranty, when really, it should have been written off as DOA and a new one provided. That left me with an uneasy feeling that it was going to be a lemon.

That being said, it hasn't died again yet, but sometimes I wish it would, so I could have an excuse to buy a new one!

Another reviewer mentioned the plate - it's a complete dud! It sits very unsteadily on the turning mechanism and can tip off very easily when you are putting in or taking out the food. It also isn't "centred" on the turning ring (other microwave plates have a groove or notches underneath that the wheels of the turning ring sit in which keep the ring in place, but on the Samsung, it's like the ring is too small for the plate and it has no groove to keep it in place, either on the underside of the plate, or on the base of the microwave, so it drifts off to the side constantly, which can also cause items to tip the plate, and doesn't help to keep the heat even).

Another small but extremely irritating quirk is that at the end of the heating time it has this extra turn time where the cooking stops but the plate continues to rotate a little, which actually sends the item about half a revolution away from its starting point (very annoying with cups or jugs, when the handle ends up facing the back of the microwave!). I strongly suspect this was supposed to be a feature that brought the item back to its starting position, but maybe it hasn't been set accurately?

I have never had so much trouble with liquids boiling over as with this microwave. I have no idea why it does this, but it could well be to do with the uneven heating.

I have to say, I did buy this off the internet at a great price, and I thought being a Samsung it would be a great appliance. I was quite disappointed, and would be very hesitant to buy another Samsung microwave. I had a Sharp Carousel for 20 years, and aside from my husband smashing the plate on the terracotta tiles in the kitchen, it was the most reliable and dependable appliance I have ever owned. I know others who also have Sharp Carousels still working after 15 to 20 years! We house-sat for my parents for a couple of years and used their 25 year old Sharp which was also terrific. Be very wary of this Samsung microwave... One touch cooking (1 minute increments), multiple programs, sensor control Terribly designed plate, uneven cooking, liquids constantly boil over, doesn't return to start position

Bad – I was given this as a warranty replacement when my MW123H stopped working (arching between door and cabinet). This was meant to be the model up with sensor technology, etc. However, the heating is very uneven. The top inch or so of a cup of milk will boil over and the stuff at the bottom will still be cold. The cup itself will be unbearably hot - I've had one shatter. This was not a problem with the previous model. The plate also keeps coming off the rotation mechanism so the food stops rotating. I'm now looking at replacing it even though its almost new and won't be buying Samsung. Good looking and fairly powerful for good price. Very uneven heating - dangerously so.