LG NeoChef MS4296OWS (White)

We purchased this microwave 2 1/2 years ago and last week it filled with smoke and no longer heats. I spoke to LG warranty as it has 2 years parts and labour and a further 8 years parts only. LG said they would call me back with the nearest service agent but after 2 days I called them again and spoke to somebody else who gave me the information I… Read more

needed. I was offered to return it to a nearby store who would send it to the repairer to assess and provided it was the magnetron I would only have to pay the service agent's $89 fee. All in all pretty good service. However, given so many other reviews suggest 2 years is the approximate lifespan, the unknown amount of time it would take to get it back (as we live regionally) plus it has always disrupted the WiFi. Much to my kids relief, the WiFi killing microwave is no more.

Purchased this microwave from JBI Hi Fi in July 2022. Rust started appearing a year ago but was mild. Now the interior surface has bubbled and rust on the door surface. LG states it maybe a manufacturing fault and to take it to a LG service provider… Read more

to be assessed. All White Goods at Wetherell Park, who say I must pay $70 up front for a report.I believe it is obvious a faulty interior surface and the unit needs to be replaced. LG is not interested and have been sent in circles

HIGHLY RECOMMEND LG 42L 1200W NeoChef Smart Inverter Microwave White MS4296OWS – As I was cleaning this microwave today, I realized I hadn’t reviewed it yet. After two years of heavy use multiple times a day, it still looks and works like new! Just check the photos. Before this, we always bought Kmart microwaves, but they would rust out quickly, even though we kept the door open to dry them. My microwave is stored in the… Read more

pantry.

I chose the LG 42L 1200W NeoChef Smart Inverter Microwave (White, MS4296OWS) mainly for the "soften" setting for butter, which has been fantastic.

As for the fancy defrost settings, they’re nothing special, I’ve stopped using those due to the typical cooking the edges before defrosting the food issues.

While it’s more expensive than a Kmart microwave, if you’re replacing those every year, this is a much better investment in the long run. Highly recommend!

Love this microwave! – I purchased this Microwave because I wanted one I could use to cook meals as opposed to just thawing and reheating. This microwave has exceeded my expectations. There are many options available yet also amazingly easy to navigate and find them. Reheat, sensor cook, soften, melt, proof, keep warm, inverter defrost. With 1200W It leaves my old 700W… Read more ·  1

behind. Looks. Well it certainly does not look like most microwaves as it has a single piece tempered glass door which not only looks good but makes cleaning easy. I can access the plus and minus button as well as start stop without opening the door. The remining functions are accessible via a panel when the door is opened. There is a list of menu instructions on the top rim of the microwave which can be hard to read sometimes but I use the one in the included book instead. The book is quite easy to follow and I found myself confidently using various options very quickly. The hexagonal ring under the glass plate makes it more stable and the Anti-Bacterial Easy Clean interior coating makes cleaning a breeze. Using this microwave is so easy and the results are very impressive. I wanted to be able to use it where possible instead of my stove as my old solid plate electric stove takes forever to heat water to boil/steam my few vegetables I cook and the oven heats my whole unit long before it has heated my leftovers. I have poached an egg (yes, it can be done) with success and steamed vegetables right in a fraction of the time. I have cooked risotto which is a fair and tasty alternative to stove top version. It turned my frozen meal into something close to freshly made without the usual overcooked and/or cold spots, it was delicious. Butter from the fridge softens, not melts, ready to use and food is defrosted evenly. And when it is done there is no “beep”, instead, it plays a little tune! I have not used all the functions yet however so far; I am happy with what I have used. Can it completely replace my stove? No, but it can do many tasks that previously would take a whole lot more time and power than doing them on the stove. I would certainly recommend this Microwave.

Used multiple times per day, no issues – We bought this microwave 12 months ago as part of a kitchen renovation. The size was right and it matched in well with our oven. Reading other reviews, there seem to be some concerns about longevity. After a year of using multiple times per day we haven’t had any problems - touch wood! Things I love: Big size, sleek design (no buttons on the… Read more

front), great touch pad controls. Nice solid opening and closing. Easy to clean the inside, we wipe out each day and it takes seconds. Cute tune when it finishes cooking. Seems to cook evenly and quite quickly. I liked that it had a white casing with black front as it worked with our white cabinets.

Things I don’t use: Automatic cooking programs. We generally just heat on high. If you do use these functions you need to open the door to access the controls.

Things I don’t love: If the power goes out you can only reset the clock by turning it off at the power source which is tricky for us as it is recessed into a cabinet. Black front does show finger marks but easy to wipe off with a microfibre cloth. When cleaning it is easy to accidentally set off the cooking function by wiping over the touch controls. Condensation does build up inside. We leave the door open after use to dry out so it doesn’t cause issues.

Tips: As above, wipe out each day with a tea towel or microfibre. Only takes seconds and it stays looking like new.

Leave door open if condensation has built up

Learn the different ways to set the timer. Eg, you can slide your finger along the timer thing to increase or decrease, you can press the plus button to go up by 10 seconds or press and hold the plus button to increase the time quickly. Or you can kick it old school and keep pressing the start button to go up in increments of 30 seconds.

If there is a power outage you need to turn it off at the power point to reset the clock.

You cannot turn off the jaunty tune playing function and you can’t turn it down. If you don’t open the door it will keep playing the tune at intervals.

One of the better ones, maybe? – We have all enjoyed the many advances in technology over recent years, and microwaves are no exception. Very much like motor vehicles, you now get more power with less weight. We have just purchased our first microwave in at least thirty years. Yes, that’s how long our old Panasonic lasted. It was so heavy, I struggled to remove it from it’s… Read more ·  3

place of work. It’s at least double the weight of the new LG MS4296OWS. The LG is so light in fact (11.3 Kg) that when I first pulled on the door to open it, the whole unit slid towards me. Off I went in search of a sheet of thin rubber matting I had put away somewhere. Shortly after, that problem was sorted. Maybe LG need to make the tiny rubber like feet at the front considerably bigger. Now I suppose I should be thankful that there was an instruction book at all, given that so many gadgets and appliances we buy now days tell you to go online to download the “user guide”. LG have included an instruction book, but I have not found it easy to follow at all. In fact, the very first instruction it gives you is wrong. It says to set the clock with the door open. If you open the door, nothing at all will happen, clearly a safety design factor. LG need to revisit this book asap as it is a real mess. Basically, you have to work it out for yourself, and for many people this will be quite challenging. For this reason, I have reduced my star rating. The book does take you through the ten power levels and which foods each of them is most suited to. There is a main sub section called "Cooking Mode", but immediately below that is says "reheat mode", confusing. At first glance, it looks like there has been a lot of "cut and paste" in the compilation of this book, and it doesn't work for me at all. A prefect example of this is on page 15, where there are two identical illustrations side by side with no possible explanation for it. Another example is where page 19 shows a recipe for Beef Stroganoff and the ingredients are noodles, mushroom soup, tuna and milk. Good luck with that one! There is also neither index or appendix, a real oversight to me. I think Choice's review was being too kind when they said you will need to keep the reference book close at hand to refer to. I was interested to see that recycled paper or cardboard should not be put in the microwave due to the possible impurities it may contain. Apparently there is a chance it may overheat and catch fire.

Now to the unit which is one of their larger models. My main purchasing criteria was to ensure that the turntable was no smaller than what we were used to, as there had been several occasions where we needed all that room. So the 42 liter model has a 35 cm. turntable which almost exactly matches our old machine, even though the external dimensions of the unit are smaller. As usual, I did my research including ProductReview.com.au and Choice which I subscribe to. One limiting factor of this great website is that many of the reviews are for items which are either no longer available, or in scarce supply. The one which rated highly on this website was not available at either of our two local white good retailers, and I would not usually buy this type of product without seeing it first. This is obviously partly due to the fact that many reviews are written about items purchased some time previously. I have written a few such reviews, and the irony of it is that any manufacturer can make an item which is excellent, and for some reason which just leaves me wondering, it is superseded with one which is nowhere near as good. “On dash” GPS’s are a great example of this. The main benefit of this website is that reviews are written by people like me who do so with the sole intention of helping others, so they are believable. This LG model is current and readily available.

After a reasonable amount of research, I settled on the LG MS4296 OWS which was given top spot by Choice magazine (their website). Although we wanted an all white model to match the other kitchen appliances, we had to place “function” over “form”. The all white ones seemed to be in the smaller range. The main body of this LG is white, but all you really see in our installation is the door which is black glass. It’s a smart looking unit with very clean lines, and a clear LCD time display. Embedded in this glass front is a very clever feature with a “touch” area very similar to your mobile phone. There are plus and minus signs and a stop, start and clear area whereby all you have to do is lightly touch the plus sign and it increments by ten second segments. In other words, if you simply want the microwave to run for thirty seconds on full power, touch the plus sign three times and hit start. Just as clever is the start button which increments in thirty second segments in the same way. The difference here is that it starts the machine, so you need to have your food or drink in it before you do this. These touch areas are very sensitive which makes operation quick and easy, however as I found out when I went to wipe off some finger marks, you can accidently start the machine while in the process of cleaning it. Lesson learnt, just open the door to clean it and the machine won't start. The door shuts easily and just as quietly as I expected given that even with food in it, it’s essentially an empty box. Now let’s look inside. Most of the controls are hidden behind the glass door on a separate panel, and while Choice listed this as a negative, I can see no problem because you have to open the door to place your food inside anyway. There is an array of choices separated by two main areas of “Auto Cook” and “Manual Cook”. We used our old machine mainly for heating, reheating and defrosting, so many of the benefits of this clever technology will be lost on us. Having said that, we can experiment with actual cooking and see how things go. We have done this on odd occasions such as Christmas when our double oven has been full, so we have cooked some vegies in the microwave. There is a well placed LED light inside the LG which provides a clear view of what’s happening during function. The glass turntable rests on a hexagonal frame which LG have designed to prevent the turntable from tipping should you have a very uneven load on it. The inside coating of the machine is a mid grey color and appears to be a similar material to an oven. I haven’t needed to clean it yet, but it should be easy. The operation time looks to be reduced generally by around 25 % compared to our old machine, but all these years later, I have no idea how many watts it was. Surprisingly, it’s not written on it anywhere. The new LG has a huge 1,200 watts and comes with a two year warranty on parts and labour. I have read the many negative reviews about this machine, and if we experience any of the problems listed I will certainly update my review to reflect this. At least one review talks about rust inside the machine and I will say for some reason there is a lot more steam build up in this microwave than what we are used to seeing. I am wiping it dry at this early stage, but can easily understand how this could become too tedious. I guess if the platter support which has three points that just rub does scratch the bottom of the machine, rust could start quite easily. In conclusion, I’m happy with this new microwave and would have no hesitation in recommending it to others as this early stage. If we start actually cooking with it any time soon, I will do an update, but at this point in time it’s Four Stars. Again, I wish we had half stars like the energy ratings, and if we did this would get three and a half stars as I think it sits between 3 and 4. P.S. What appear to be scratches on the control panel are just reflections of light, and hard to eliminate. Purchased on 17/08/2021 at Bi-Rite Electrical for only $280.

Rust on brand new LG smart microwave – Microwave works great, easy to use has a funky ending tune, stream line and clean, it is also very efficient. However we have only had it 7 months and a rust mark has appeared on top, appearing from underneath the white coating, bubbling the paint and peeling. It's getting larger and larger as time goes on, a second dot has just started appearing… Read more

also. We have called both LG and the store we bought it from however they are insistent it is something we have had on top. We are a young couple who just bought a house, we have all second hand gear, this was our first big buy ($294) therefore we have treated it like a new baby! It sits by itself nothing above, or cramed near it. LG will not replace or fix our brand new microwave, they won't even look further into the issue. It is very disappointing... Feeling like we should of just kept/keep buying kmart/target appliances, save some money and they work just as well. We are also now cautious of using it as there could be more rust between the inner compartments and the outer layer.

Good Microwave and service – Purchased this microwave in November 2017 (had it for 3.5 years now). Looks good. The internal design is excellent. Controls are good but can be hard to see. Noise level is low. Comes with a 2 year and 10 year inverter warranty. We use the microwave several times a day so we are not casual users of this product. The unit would intermittently… Read more ·  1

become unresponsive (about maybe 4 times a year) but a power reset would bring it back to life. It has been an excellent microwave although the reminder beep can be a bit annoying. Today it gave a little pop, stopped heating and gave out an electrical smell. Looks like the magnetron has died. Contacted LG, they stated they would repair under RTD (return to depot) warranty. Even though was outside of warranty they said they would cover it including labour.

LG microwave rusty interior – Hi. We bought an LG MS4296OWS Microwave from Retravision in Albany WA on September 30th 2020. This is what I have conveyed to LG, but they are not interested. "It has been a great machine and the reason we chose it was because of the 10 year warranty sign on the glass door. I realise now that it is only for the inverter. The unit has interior… Read more

coating flaking off and rust appearing. We have kept it clean without abrasive products and it has failed. I spoke to a team member and was told that this is not considered a manufacturing fault. We have many household appliances of other brands which are 15 years old and still going well, such as Fisher and Paykel and Samsung. I am disappointed that a top of the line unit has failed this early. A replacement unit will cost us more than a weeks aged pension. I have given many products glowing reviews online and it is a shame that this is the first negative review I will have to do. I am happy to receive a call regarding this matter, if you decide to back up your product reputation. Thank you. James Watkiss."

I wouldn't buy this microwave again – I bought it on Boxing Day in 2022 and died on 03/05/2024; hence it lasted less than 2 years. I bought it from JB Hifi with their extended warranty. When it broke, I took it back to JB HIFI, and they asked me call Square Trade to claim the warranty. They then asked me to take it to Camtec in Perth, which is a 45-minute drive one way for me. 2 days… Read more

later, they said I could have the money back. I went back to my previous Westinghouse, which lasted ten years.

Bursts inside. Worst microwave we have ever used ! – It sometimes bursts out from inside. Today, I put in half a cup of water and wanted them to boil. I set the time to 1:30 min. Suddenly we had a loud sound; the microwave burst out water and opened the door with huge power. All the water burst out everywhere. Luckily, I was not in front of it. Just imagine if boiled water bursts out and hits… Read more

somebody; this will burn the skin. We are now feeling unsafe with this.  After that, I took two pictures and had a chat with LG's online services. They took it easy and asked me to take it to the service centre. What is the guarantee that a similar thing will not happen after servicing? We have never experienced anything like this with a microwave. It's really scary, and unsafe. Regards,

No timer on fully digital MW?? Upd: died after 9 months – Upd: died after 9 months and Good Guys don't return money or replace: they're sending to LG So now I'm without MV for a month at least! Found that there's no "Timer" function, which I use daily: eggs, coffee, bed heater, etc. What a magic time we're stepping in.. Anyway: quiet, powerful, but the opening is the whole front, the door is 10cm longer than others MW Show details

Good, until it started smoking – 10 month old unit started smoking whilst not in use, opened the door and smoke billowed out, lucky someone was home otherwise could've been much worse. LG didn't offer replacement, gave store credit because the price has gone up in the meantime and now we will be out of pocket for an exact replacement. LG essentially making me jump through hoops… Read more

and go through the retailer rather than just arranging a replacement. For an 8 month old device; poor form LG! And the rep contacted me prior to this post being listed; they were no better. This is what you come to expect from the big manufactures these days. Premium prices for low quality goods, designed not to last.

EDIT: Consumer and Business Services have confirmed that I am entitled to a replacement, not just the store credit they've offered, so I will be lodging a formal complaint against the retailer and LG and following this through.

EDIT 2: Got my replacement after starting talks with Consumer and Business Services; LG Reps need to learn some warranty law.

Cooks good if ya don't mind the annoying sounds – Had it for about 18 months, maybe more. For a while now it's made weird clicking/tapping sounds when its being used, seems to be something to do with the plate. Doesn't matter where things are placed inside or how light they are. Easy to clean and does cook good, but the sounds are pretty irritating when they happens. Show details

lasted 3.5 years before dying – Purchased this at a Premium price. It cooked well and was simple to use when it did for about 3 years. Really thought it was going to last. I mean it has marked on it 10 years warranty! However after a year it failed, it started to spark and stopped heating. Was incredibly let down especially for a microwave that I thought would last for ages.… Read more

Contacted LG helpline and troubleshooted simple things but it was clearly faulty. Told to bring it into a service centre thats extremely far away (impossible with COVID lockdown) and that there will be costs especially since i do not have a receipt anymore. Kind of ironic when it is IMPRINTED on the case Smart Inverter 10 year warranty which should be based off the manufacturer date.

The Pros: Looks nice, Cooked well Does it really have 10 year warranty????

The Cons. BUT -Poor quality: rusted from just cooking and the "LG proud" magnetron/Smart Inverter 10 year warranty failed. -Annoying sound on completion of cooking. -Sparks from the magnetron. Dangerous could potentially catch fire. -LG warranty and for magnetron may not be as promising as it is. Only their repairers can touch it and warranty on magnetron itself requires you to go to them to confirm/assess which costs. - Would go with another brand next time, my BIG W microwave for a fraction of the cost still powers on with better durability than this.

Suggest go with another brand.

Stopped heating within a year – Just under a year ago, went looking for a microwave online to replace older one. Thought I'd give this LG one a try as seemed well reviewed. 11 months on, it has just died i.e., made buzzing sounds and just stopped heating. I'm in Brisbane, and suprisingly now have to travel at least an hour up/down the coast for warranty, which is a hassle. I see… Read more

some other reviews saying it just stops heating after 1-2 years. Got it cheap which is a plus I guess, though I wasn't looking for cheap at the time. It is a case you get what you pay for here. If I could go back I'd gamble on an alternative brand. If looking to buy, do your best to research and best of luck!

Good product until it wouldn’t heat food – My wife and I were given an LG microwave oven as a wedding present 20 years ago. Over that time, the microwave worked exceptionally well and never needed to be serviced or repaired. We decided to upgrade to a new microwave for our 20th wedding anniversary and purchased the LG MS960WS. The microwave worked perfectly for 6 weeks and food heated… Read more

evenly until we noticed that the ovens electrics would operate but the food wouldn’t heat up. The microwave was still under warranty so I contacted the LG help line for advice. The assistant was very helpful and suggested I plug the microwave into another power outlet as a troubleshooting procedure. I followed her instructions and tested the microwave by heating up a bowl of water. The ovens electrics worked fine and the water heated up without any issues. I was then advised to either turn the microwave off at the power point after each use or at least once a Week to reset the electrics. Though this strange as we never had to turn our other microwave off at the power point and it lasted 20 years.............. The next day after talking to LG, we attempted to reheat some pasta in a plastic microwave safe container. We set the timer for 90 seconds. When the cycle completed, the container was warm but the food was cold. We turned the microwave off at the power point and turned it back on, set the timer for 2 minutes. The container was warm but the food was barely at room temperature and not at the recommended safe consumption temperature for hot food. We repeated the same process a third time, turning the power point of and on again and changed to a different microwave safe container. Set the timer for two minutes with the same result. Over the years, I have viewed LG to be a reputable company who manufacture high quality electrical products. On this occasion, I’m very disappointed with this product. LG provided us with the address of the nearest service centre which was 45 minutes drive from our location. We have returned the product to JB Greensborough and they have provided us with a full refund.

Was OK for two years then the door shattered!! – Purchased this from Betta Home Electrical in Sale, Victoria. Aug 2018 Have been relatively happy until today when I placed some leftover pizza to warm up and as I closed the door I heard a loud crack! The glass door had shattered, some pieces flew onto the floor others on the bench, the rest still attached to the microwave. It has been making… Read more

little cracking noises since this happened over an hour ago. (I had not even turned it on) So I have unplugged and it will be going into hard waste.

Rang LG, and was told they could repair but no longer under warranty so I have to pay for it. C'mon really? Your product is dangerous and I have to pay to repair it? So much for "Life is good".

Someone only needs to get a fright like this to not want to purchase any more of LG's companies products.

Failed after just 5 Months of Normal Household Use – This was purchased 5 Months Ago and has only seen Home Based Normal Use. Then Today, the only thing that heats up is the Microwave Case and I mean HOT. The Microwave has obviously failed big time. I rang LG Assistance and that simply hangs up on you, then went online to their help site and the link doesn't work. My Family and I were very happy… Read more

with the Unit, till today and it is a Shame that LG has such a terrible after-sale service. When it was working 9/10 for the Unit, but LG gets only a 2/10 for the after-service. Lets see if "ALBANY Retravision" does the right thing here