LG Neochef MS5696OMBS

Poorly designed – I purchased this LG microwave 3 years ago, expecting it to last much longer. Unfortunately, the door open/close mechanism, which is poorly designed with a plastic clip, has broken. When I contacted LG customer service, they directed me to take it to a service center. I was disappointed to learn that they couldn't simply replace the broken switch - instead, the entire front panel needs replacement, costing $180.

Since the microwave is past its 2-year warranty period, LG refuses to cover the repair costs. I specifically chose LG believing it was a reputable brand that would stand behind their products, but this experience has proven otherwise. The fact that a simple door mechanism is designed so poorly and requires such an expensive repair is unacceptable. Due to these issues with both product design and customer service, I cannot recommend this microwave to other consumers.

Happy enough - but would never buy again – This is a truly smart looking appliance. It does what most microwaves do, mostly. I've not had success with the melt or defrost programmes. I don't like the tune played by the strangled bagpiper to signal the end of cooking, and it seems there's no way to choose another sound. The two biggest bugbears/annoyances are 1. Setting the cooking time. The Start button gives 30sec increments, and the Timer slider is supposed to set the rest. But sliding one's finger on the slider gives variable results, so one spends ages faffing about to get the time you want.

And worse than that, one can only set in increments of 10sec. Seems minor, but if you're busy doing lots of things it's irritating having to stand and wait to stop manually.

Which leads to 2. The glass front. SO ANNOYING! Finger marks are constant and it's so shiny that they show. I've had to resort to using a paper towel between my finger and the controls to avoid marks. Gave the unit the monthly deep clean yesterday, and without thinking wiped over the front as I finished. Big mistake: smear marks all over. Have gone over again with a dry cloth, a damp cloth, a damp cloth with hot soapy water... will have to use my special mirror cleaning cloth I think

Great unit if you you want one that looks fantastic and you don't want to use it

Oh dear. The slack placement of cooking guide sticker did make me think – Purchased late October 2022 Thinking I was getting the bees knees or Rolls-Royce of microwaves. Not so unfortunately. Heat a cup of milk in 1 minute and 10 seconds one day and the next day, same cup same power the milk is almost cold. Full reset of powering off at the plug fixes but after a few uses what would take say 3 minutes to cook takes 6 or 7 minutes and the food is cold in pockets. Using sensor cook seems to exacerbate the problem for any subsequent use. Heading off interstate next week but when back will have to return. The slack factory of the cooking guide sticker indicates the care and quality applied.

Our sleek microwave – Together with a few other appliances, we bought our LG microwave in January 2021. We wanted to buy an LG specifically, because we knew from previous experience, that the brand was reliable, trustworthy and long lasting. I mainly use the microwave for heating and defrosting, even though it has lots of fancy features and pre-programmed cooking options. One of the features I particularly like, is the Start button, which you can press once for 30 seconds and twice for 60 seconds - for a quick start. Selecting a specific time frame is also easy with a quick 3 digit press. Selecting a defrosting options is also quick and easy to do.

My microwave heats food evenly and has an alarm when it has finished its selected program. It is also of a good size to fit bigger casseroles.