Good, but – Overall the unit has worked well. Don't expect to be able to warm you stuff for anything other than multiples of 10 or 30 secs. IE if you want to warm you coffee for 15 secs, you'll have to settle for 10 or 20. Four months out of warranty the unit started arcing, sparking and flashing inside on the right side. I have a call in to LG about replacing it or getting a store credit. It may be out of warranty but a fitness for purpose case has merit. Show details
Cheap rusty rusted through – I find it easy to use it’s the quality mine is rusted out only a couple of year old , it replaced a Sony one that was 33 years old and didn’t rust out. So now the turn table doesn’t work because of the rust. Can’t add the purchase date ect as receipt is faded and can’t log into the log page. Show details
Dangerous! Do not buy – I bought this microwave December 2022. I liked the model, heated really well and fast, was a definite improvement to my 15 year old Sharp microwave in terms of performance. I noticed in April (6 weeks ago) it stopped heating the food/milk evenly. Since then the food is cold in areas and very hot in others. It seems to have lost about 25% of… Read more
power, as I have to cook the food for longer, to get somewhat the same temperature as before, mixing it in between. In addition, around the same time the microwave suddenly interferred with the wifi and TV. I would heat up something in the kitchen and my husband would loose the connection during a Zoom meeting. Once the microwaved finished, the connection re-established itself.
I called LG to report this and it seems to be a known issue. They had trouble shooting steps and suggested to change the wifi to 5GHz. However, the wifi is already on 5GHz and the customer consultant said" Oh madam, that is risky, I will get onto to it right away". It is known that when microwaves leach the unit can interfere with TV and wifi. This is a major concern, I do not want to expose myself and my family to it or anyone else, thus I am writing this review.
Perhaps related, the internal safety plate has rust spots, photo attached below. This happened only 4 months after delivery. This is not tomato sauce, because I wipe the microwave regularly, the stains do not come off.
This is very concerning and I was disappointed in how LG responded to my claim. The customer care consultant said: Just to manage your expectations, this is what you will have to do..." LG suggested for it to be checked over by the technical team. To do this I would have to drive to Wendouree (56.6 Km from where I live) to deliver it, have it checked over, possibly have it repaired, then drive all the way again to pick it up. I oredred the microwave online, because I live in the country, 110 kms from Melbourne. It is simply not acceptable for me to do this with a defective microwave that has the potential of causing significant harm to my health and is defective 4 months after purchase.
Under Australian Consumer Rights I have the right for a refund for an item with a major fault. This is a major fault. I had a microwave for 15 years, and it still worked fine when I replaced it with the new inverter technology. This microwave has issues only 4 months after purchase. The LG case number is CNP230515734407.
To make it clear to LG and Appliance Central: My expectation is to receive a full refund. I use the microwave several times a day and will no longer be able to use my one now due to the risk of harm.
In-depth reviews
Caught on FIRE! – After 2 1/2 years with no problems it caught on fire! A flame shot out of the right-hand panel. I had to pull the power plug. We are not alone in this highly dangerous experience. Searching for others we found the review on this page plus another similar review elsewhere.... and no, before you ask, we did not have anything metal in the… Read more
microwave.
Update: We have been contacted by LG. We have a receipt but it is too faded to read properly. The fact of our purchase is that we have the machine and it caught on FIRE. Our suggestion to LG that they check with the retailer was met with silence and we have waited several weeks now for a response.
There is a problem with this microwave and LG are aware of it. Purchasers need to be made aware by LG and LG need to take responsibility for their poor manufacture. They have a legal responsibility to replace faulty machines and to compensate for damages this microwave might do to your home.
Be careful: FIRE SHOOTING OUT FROM THE INSIDE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MICROWAVE after only a few years of use.
Does the job - Doesn't do the annoying cool down for short heat ups – Moving from a previous larger LG Microwave from early 2000s, (Mostly due to a move requiring a smaller microwave in the kitchen cabinet). I was a little nervous. But can safely say - I'm pretty happy. I like the quick start aspect, its different from other models, but seems to be fairly effective in the ability to quickly get it going. Only thing… Read more · 1
that annoys me - is - as an inverter - one of it's trademark features is to operate at a non-max power value, and they don't make that 'easily' accessible. You have to change the power value with the door open (multiple presses to get from 100-90-80-70-60-50-40-30-20-10%), then close the door and set the time - kinda lame and my biggest disappointment.
The beeps/tune - are pretty soft, they aren't nearly as noisy as loud beeps on old microwave, and - a reminder for your food being ready - seems fairly useful to me.
I have noticed it has a bit of a rattle when running, which goes away when I apply pressure to the top - haven't yet dug deeper on that one... But that is possibly going to get annoying.
A good solid choice – I had to buy a new microwave urgently when our old one broke down, just as the Coronavirus was ramping up. The first replacement microwave I took home (different brand) boasted new technology to make the rotating platter obsolete, which seemed a great idea but in practice was loud and frankly utterly useless. Fortunately the store was happy to… Read more · 1
exchange for this LG, which has the conventional platter but works just fine. Food cooks well in it and it is reasonably quiet. It's a compact machine but fits our dinner plates with ease. I quite like the looks as well.
The controls are clever and fairly intuitive. They are a bit different, which might rule it out for *some* users - I would for instance think twice before buying one for my elderly father in law who struggles with technology across the board.
Finally a special mention for the sound effects! When the food is ready it sounds like a Nintendo, which gives it a bit of personality. It might be a bit irritating to some, but we've found it a cheery and successful addition to the kitchen.
Positive reviews
So happy with brand new microwave..cannot fault it – I love this microwave. Firstly so much quieter than my old one. Bright internal light. Very cheery little tune instead of incessant beeping. Great programs. Love the melt, soften and prove functions. Keen to try the prove for my next batch of home made bread. Looks fantastic. Nice and small but still suitable for family of four. Extremely happy with purchase. Show details · 1
An absolute gem - thanks LG – Very well thought out design. Intelligent access to the most common uses are touch on the front door but very sophisticated controls behind if wanted. Nice uncluttered smooth front very easy to keep clean. Great power to volume ratio. Inverter heats evenly and accurately every time. UPDATE: Purchased Nov. 2018 died today Aug 2022 so 3 years 8… Read more
months of good service which is disappointingly shorter than I expected so one star removed. Also noticed a little rust near some edges even though I always made a point of drying it properly with the door open after use.
I love it! – Update: 2 years on and still the best microwave. I love all the different heating settings. It is the easiest microwave to keep clean - mine still looks new! Original: Thanks to the good reviews here, I bought myself an LG Neochef. Excellent value for the price. It is stylish, easy to use and VERY easy to clean! The function keys and settings are… Read more
super easy to use; very self explanatory if you decide not to read the manual. The auto cook functions are handy. I love that everything is flat and there are no crevices or knobs to get food and grime stuck in. This microwave stays clean. The stainless steel is surprisingly not too streaky when wiped down. When your food is done it plays the cutest jingle tone - reminds me of Japan! So far the food has heated evenly. We were easily able to register our product on the LG website too. Great value for money. We are very happy with our microwave.
Negative reviews
Died within 14 months – Bought as a factory seconds appliance in May 21, with minor scratches on the door and a 12 month retailer warranty. Worked well till July 22 when the heating became intermittent and finally died. With good reviews for the LG brand, I did not expect it to die so quickly. LG would not honour the normal 24 month warranty because it was bought as a… Read more
factory second, and the cost to repair it is more than the cost of the appliance. It is going straight into the landfill where it belongs.
Great for 2.5 yrs and then – Worked a treat for 2.5 yrs and this morning while reheating smelt something burning. It appears the LED PCB board has caught alight. Hoping LG will honour my product under warranty. Show details
So bad after 4 years. After 7 minutes, still cold. Never has been even, consistent heat – So bad after 4 years. After 7 minutes, still cold. Never has been even, consistent heat. Compared to a Panasonic 32 litre, which takes only 1:10 to reheat most things from the fridge, this literally will take 8 minutes to get to that level. Show details
Hi Overdrive, Thanks for taking the time to write your… Read more
Recent reviews
Buyer Beware – Don’t buy this microwave - I’ll give it to you for free!!!! If I had known about the annoying sing song chime that would disturb everyone in the household every 30 secs until you get your food out I never would have bought it!! It is not cute, it will drive you insane! Sure you can turn it off but now no sound AT ALL to tell you your food is… Read more
ready. I just want three little beeps and that’s it, I know it’s done and I’ll get it out when I’m good and ready. Often I’m watching the news and I’ll want to get the food out in the ad break. Nope, this thing will drive everyone crazy until you do.
First time having an inverter and now everyone in the house complaining that it does not heat evenly. Routinely have to add on time. Tried to give it away to my adult daughter who said no way. You have been warned.
Hi Gadget-girl, Thank you for taking the time to share your… Read more
Find out how LG NeoChef MS2596OS (Stainless Steel) compares to other Microwaves
Know better, choose better.
Also caught on fire – Exactly what Kate said. The inside right panel also caught on fire , could've burned down the house . The microwave only lasted 14 months but lucky it has 2 years warranty . Customer service sent me to a repair shop and the guy there told me someone from LG will call me to give me store credit . Few days have gone past and no one has called me . Show details
Hi Nick, Thank you for sharing your review and the experience… Read more
It caught on fire – The inside right panel just caught on fire after it had only been on for fifteen seconds. I’m glad I was nearby and could unplug it straight away. Very dangerous.
Hi Kate, We are very sorry to hear that you have had this… Read more
Crap product does not heat up or defrost – We bought this product from Appliances Online last month (November 2020) and it started showing faults from middle of December. The issues we had are a) the microwave does not heat the food evenly. Some parts of the food will be cold and other parts quite hot b) Does not defrost and parts of food are still cold. Show details
Hi John, Thanks for taking the time to write your review, We… Read more
Looks great, but a wet disappointment – My machine is just over 12 months old so I have experience. Negative feedback - Doesn’t ventilate properly leaving oven walls wet (e.g baked potato). Had other brand ovens before in same location and never had this problem. Plus it has an annoying tune that comes on randomly during a cycle. Positive feedback - Looks great and functions are… Read more
useful (eg baked potato). Reminder tunes when cycle are over remind you to get your items out - annoying you until you do it.
Hi Steve, Thanks for sharing your review, Your feedback is… Read more (+1 reply)
Overrated Product ! – Overrated product that at first, I thought was great! Microwave had very little use with the occasional heating up of meals. Rust appeared even after wiping out internal after use. Then stopped working one day after heating up meal. Total waste of money and never again a LG product! Show details
Hey Gymy, Thanks for the review, we are glad to hear that you… Read more
Makes a horrible noise and struggles to heat – The ridiculous sing song that never ends when the “heating” ends is as pleasant as gastro on a hot summers day when the plumbing has gone. It really struggles to heat anything in a timely fashion. Any recommendation for a 1000w microwave you need to add 50% extra time and then pray to whatever deity suits and hope something happens but then heat… Read more
again. Honestly took 5 minutes to heat a cup of milk from room temperature. Other microwaves of similar strength have it boiling over at 1.20. It would have been more efficient for me to put it in the sun.
When it has finished “heating” it takes another 10 minutes to cool running the noisy fan. Massive buyers regret on this one. I would be happier with the old 1980’s clunker. Sadly it was the only one that fit our kitchen, so rather than get a new one of these I think I will remodel the kitchen.
Really good machine – I have had this microwave oven for a few months and it is really good. Cooks well, reheats well and quickly and does everything you would want from a microwave oven. Very simple and easy to use, the display is easy to read and everything is easy to wipe clean. My favourite thing about this microwave is the happy little tune it plays when it's… Read more
finished the job....always makes me smile for some reason . I can't think of anything I don't like about the LG, it's well built, solid, spacious, doors are good, the lighting perhaps could be better but that is only a minor concern. All in all I would happily recommend this oven... it functions well and it is very good looking, good combination.
Well worth trying – This is a powerful and versatile microwave. It gives up some size compared with some giant models, but it's as powerful as a microwave as I've ever used. That power may be responsible for the rather loud sound (it's the first consumer microwave I've used in ages not mounted over a range which may account for some of that perceived loudness). Regardless, this is a very loud microwave Show details
Quiet and powerful microwave – This microwave is perfect! It isn't too loud and cooks the microwaveable food to perfection. My wife and i especially like the sleek exterior which fits our modern kitchen well. The inside disk rotates well and all sides of the food being prepared get cooked evenly. I have also used it to defrost frozen food as well and it did a good job. It seems… Read more
to be an electricity saver as well compared to our old microwave which guzzled it up. Highly recommended!
Find out how LG NeoChef MS2596OS (Stainless Steel) compares to other Microwaves
Know better, choose better.
So much more than a microwave – When taking this mircrowsve out of the box we found out it dose a lot more than microwaving and can cook, steam and do all kinds of cool things. It's made life very easy and has saved us a load on gas bills by only using this to assist in cooking most meals like cooking meats, fish and chips Show details
best – we purchased our microwave from the Good Guy's it is a brilliant machine to cook in and the stainless steel comes up better than that of our LG refridgerater . it is easy to use and blends in with rest of our kitchen we could not do without this appliance Show details
Superb! – Was trying to pick 2 top of range microwaves ($300+) - LG vs Panasonic, to replace a 10 year old one. Glad I picked the former. The technology and ease of use is way better! Some features that I like - LED, 30-sec start button, dial, inverter cooking. Heating was even and All came up perfect! Show details
Good microwave – Although slightly pricy, this microwave looks great aesthetically. My only regret is that I should have bought the larger one, as I bought it online I did not have a good feel of what size and volume a 25L microwave would be. No fault of the company though, it works well and looks great. I would recommend getting it, but the larger model. Show details
morden design – The design is quite modern and unique, love the way you can slide adjust the time from the touch screen front panel. Also it's quite spacious for the chamber but compact enough to fit in my cabinet. High power to ensure food is cooked / reheat quickly. Also love the music when the food is ready. Show details
Small, Fast and Looks Good – Very happy with this purchase. We were after a small microwave that didn't take forever to heat. This was pretty much our only option. Heats evenly and fast. Has a good defrost function. Settings easy to use once you discover the menu inside the door panel LOL! Oh but be warned, this microwave does not beep when heated, it plays a tune. Show details
great microwave – Very happy with the cooking results the settings are very easy to read and understand I love the defrost section and sensor reheat the microwave is not over loud The microwave is very sturdy and well-built I wipe it the front with a blue glass cleaning cloth takes all marks off Show details
Thumbs up – I wanted to call in and say how wonderful my experience during your sale. Everyone was amazing. The sales associate, approached me with enthusiasm to help us with an oven. We ended up buying the first one she showed us! He helped us with appliances, which we did not intend to buy yet but we did! We’re so pleased how they worked together. They went over all the details and was very kind also! Thank you! Show details
Perfect – This oven is a great size and so simple to use and keep clean. The front is stylish and the easy start in 30 second increments is all I need to use. If I had to complain it would be the annoying ring tone when it finishes, but this seems to be the norm with many appliances. Show details
Perfect – Great microwave we ever bought with all great systems and controls very easy to use and operate and have a cute classic tones and digital buttons and air cooler. Gorgeous stainless finish and a neat minimalist look. Very well priced and value for money overall is wonderful! Very happy with my purchase. Show details
Top microwave – My new LG microwave works just as I expected, it heats up quickly and evenly and it runs very quietly when heating. I love the stainless steel look and it blends in beautifully with my other stainless steel appliances. The menu options are easy to read and the controls are well titled and appointed. Show details
Perfect – 25L good looking Microwave, fast heat up and even tray, settings easy to understand,There are many dishes I can make using the LG NeoChef, not much of a noice, get the job done, good buy. led light is excellent,I would recommend the LG NeoChef™ Smart Inverter Microwave Oven to others. Show details
Does what it is meant to – Replaced our old 1100W microwave with this LG NeoChef , over all good does the job pretty well. To reset clock during summer / winter change need to turn it off and on again and set clock which is something I had to figure out on my own. Sometimes after little use during summer it will want to cool itself and will start a fan that runs for about a minute till it cools down. That unwanted fan can be annoying at time. Good product over all Show details
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.
Hi Stephen, Sorry to hear about the negative experience you… Read more