Every home needs a microwave oven. If you were to list the top appliances every kitchen should have, a microwave oven would definitely make the list.
It is easy to see why a microwave oven would make that list. Most kitchen activities involve cooking, reheating, and defrosting. A microwave oven will make these activities simpler, faster, and easier. Indeed, trying to survive without a microwave oven can be a nightmare.
However, the stress of shopping for a new microwave can be daunting, even for those used to checking reviews and purchasing appliances. For others, the thought of searching for a new microwave can be a nightmare.
What to Consider When Shopping for a Microwave Oven?
In order to avoid the repurchasing process and stress that comes along with it, you should always go for a good microwave oven. Moreover, you should always value quality over price. A quality microwave will serve you well for a long time. With good maintenance, some microwaves can last longer than 4 years.
There are a lot of microwave ovens on the market. They vary by size, shape, installation models, power specifications, and brands. So how do you find a “good” microwave?
What qualifies as a good microwave for you depends on your cooking needs, budget, kitchen space, and aesthetics. Yes, aesthetics matter. It’s more fun to cook in a beautiful kitchen than in an ugly one.
For many people, the best choice is a red countertop microwave oven. That seems like a very specific description. Yes, it is, and for a good reason.
People go for red because it is the colour of excitement. It gets your blood pumping and ready for action. Not to mention, red can break the monotony of even the most boring kitchens.
Then there is the issue of installation. If you have a large home with an equally large kitchen, you can easily install one of those vast microwave ovens. The downsides are the stress of installation and removal when the oven gets faulty, and you need to replace it.
Thus, for many people with small to medium-sized kitchens, a compact microwave is preferred. If you ever have to replace a machine, you’d like the process to be as stress-free as possible.
In this article, we’ll be reviewing the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven.
Will this oven be a perfect fit for your cooking needs, budget, kitchen space, and aesthetics? Read on to find out.
The Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven
The Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven is a mid-range microwave oven that packs a 900 wattage power cooking capacity, 10 cooking programs, and a 0.9 Cu. Ft. interior cooking cabinet.
Magic Chef is a famous brand known for its kitchen appliances, so I had a lot of expectations. We were looking out for something affordable, reliable, durable, and easy to use.
We are pleased that this particular microwave oven unit, the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave (MCD993R), is affordable. My team has reviewed products from other brands, and I can confidently say that this specific unit is worth every penny on the price tag.
For those who are price conscious, this is an excellent microwave to check out. This is especially true for households that want something bigger than the ultra-compact microwave ovens on the market.
This Magic Chef microwave oven will be an excellent fit for anyone who wants an oven that is easy to use and produces great performance. Unlike many other microwave ovens, the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven controls were easy to understand and implement. Plus, the interior cavity is big enough for many small-sized families.
We mainly chose to review this product because it is compact, beautiful, easy to use, and budget-friendly. This cooking machine charmed us with its super good performance, functional and easy-to-use controls, beautiful red appearance, and attractive digital clock.
Specifications
- Item dimensions: 14.8 x 18.3 x 11 inches
- Item weight: 24 pounds
- Item model number: MCD993R
- Brand: Magic Chef
- Material: Copper
- Capacity: 0.9 Cu. Ft. (25.5 Litres)
- Number of Power Levels: 10
What you will find in the box
In your shipment for the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven, you will find the following in the cardboard pocket:
- The Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven
- Instructional manual
- Power cord
Design
The first thing we noticed about the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven was its warm red colour. It looked so good in red that we wouldn’t want to have it in any other colour.
Ordinarily, I try to keep the influence a product design has on our review minimal, but I have to make an exception for this one. I’ve seen many regular chrome and stainless ovens, and I was excited to find something different.
The red appearance is sure to add some life and colour to your kitchen. It will add a personality to the décor.
The machine doesn’t qualify as an ultra-compact microwave because it is bigger than the regular 0.7 Cu. Ft. cooking cavity of many ultra-compact ovens on the market. Regardless, it still qualifies as a compact cooking machine. The exact dimension is 14.8 x 18.3 x 11 inches, and it weighs just 24 pounds.
As a countertop microwave oven, we consider the design a good fit. And It is not too bulky for storage in a kitchen cabinet. The weight might be an issue for some, but it is still lower than many so-called compact microwave ovens on the market.
The front side has a transparent glass door that we have come to expect in modern compact microwaves. There is also a steel handle that opens from right to left. At the right end of the microwave, you will find the control panel, input buttons, and a digital clock just after the door handle.
I’ll talk about the clock and control panel later on in this review. Before that, let’s review its performance.
Powerful Performance from a 900 Wattage Microwave
The Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven is a compact cooking machine that delivers a powerful performance with a 900 wattage power output. This is a bump up from the industry standard of 700 wattages in most ultra-compact microwaves.
The 900 wattage capacity is paired with a 10 power levels control. 900-watts power is more than enough to handle the basic household cooking needs with incredible speed. You can simply increase cooking time for those who are used to working with 1000 watts or high cooking power.
The machine also comes preconfigured with 6 auto cooking menus. This will help you prepare a variety of foods without figuring out the exact settings for each. You can use the auto cooking menus for food items such as popcorn, potato, and frozen vegetable. Simply use the pre-set cooking template and watch as the microwave oven delivers in style and with speed.
Another feature that enhances performance is the defrost by weight or time system. This makes it easy to defrost your chicken and other frozen foods without engaging in guesswork. Choose either the time or weight option, and your food will be ready within the allotted time.
You can check the remaining time for your cooking, baking, and defrosting by checking the digital clock. This digital clock is in the LED display on the top right-hand corner of the machine. The display is easy to read. You can see how much time you have left and make adjustments if necessary with a single glance.
Fantastic for People with Basic Cooking Needs
For many people, the goal is to have a microwave that works. While the extra features can make a microwave oven attractive, nothing is better than a microwave oven that works when and how you want it to work. If you fall into this category, you will like the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven.
This countertop microwave oven comes with enough heating power for basic cooking, heating, and defrosting. Whether you intend to use it in a home, an office, or a college dorm, you can expect quality performance from this microwave oven.
The controls are simple to use, and the microwave gets reasonably hot very quickly, especially when you are using the hi-power, which comes with the machine programmed to hi-power functions. You can always change the cooking program anytime you want.
Control Panel
The control panel consists of a number pad and a set of buttons. It is pretty easy to understand how the control works. For people that want more functionality, there is also a manual you can refer to.
The number pad has a thin plastic film. From our observation, it was going to pull out on its own at some point. So we pulled at the plastic film lightly and discovered it didn’t affect the keypad. (We lost our warranty by doing that, but it is a fair trade for information.)
All in all, the control panel works well. The plastic film is there to protect the keypad during shipping and handling. As the microwave oven experiences use and tear — common to all microwave ovens, the plastic film will peel off on its own.
Beeps and Noises
We are very particular about how much noise a microwave oven makes, especially a countertop microwave oven.
Opening the microwave oven doesn’t create any noise – I didn’t expect it to anyway. There is almost no sound when you slide the door.
After cooking, the machine beeps once, and that is all. I love beeps because they can help forgetful people. But too many beeps can be a nuisance. The Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven struck a balance by having only one beep. It doesn’t make any more sound after the first beep.
There was a brief rattling sound when we first dropped the unit on our desk during unpacking. We checked and realized It was just the way the microwave oven was built. Most modern compact countertop microwave ovens sacrifice built for performance. This is especially true for the affordable models, and the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven isn’t an exception.
The rattling didn’t continue when we started using the machine, so we decided it wasn’t a deal-breaker. Besides, it would be tough to get a sturdy build for a microwave oven of this size. The sturdiest cooking machines on the market are the larger microwaves, which come with its own inconveniences.
A Few Things We Didn’t Like
Up to this point, I’ve been making glowing remarks about the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven’s performance, beauty, and ease of use. Honestly, this countertop microwave oven is one of the best products on the market.
Still, it isn’t perfect. I owe it to you to reveal the “imperfections” we found during testing and offer our opinion on whether they are deal-breakers or not.
No Interior Light
To be honest, I was disappointed to find out that the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven didn’t have interior lighting. We were okay with having to bring the food out to check. I just wished it had an interior light.
This is more so because so many compact microwave ovens on the market have interior lighting. You can check our other reviews to find out more about those microwave ovens. In my opinion, this isn’t a deal-breaker. However, people have their personal preferences.
No Child Lock Safety Feature
Another feature I’ve come to expect in modern microwave ovens is the child lock safety feature. It is easy to argue that not every user has children, but the child lock safety feature has other uses.
For instance, there are times you can accidentally brush against the machine and push one of the buttons. This might sound ridiculous, but it happens. Whether this is a deal-breaker or not is left to you. However, people with children may want to reconsider this microwave unit.
Flimsy Structure
The Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven is quite sturdy for its size and price. Still, I couldn’t shake off the thought that it looked it would break when we pulled it out of the cardboard and dropped it on the desk.
We have been reviewing microwave ovens for a while, and I know that many other good microwave ovens have this issue. I wish the manufacturers would pay a little more attention to the structure of their machines.
However, this doesn’t affect performance in any way. The microwave doesn’t come apart during handling or when it is in use. For me, I simply want a sturdier feel. Is that too much to ask?
Size and Weight
The Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven is a good balance between ultra-compact microwave ovens and regular-sized microwave ovens. It weighs just 24 pounds. We have reviewed countertop ovens that weigh over 35 pounds, so 24 pounds feels light.
Still, not everyone has the strength to push a 24 pounds microwave oven around. If you are looking for a microwave you can quickly put into a cabinet after each use, you might want to consider a smaller alternative.
Of course, we understand that a microwave oven is heavier than ultra-compact microwaves because of its powerful 900 watts cooking power. But I’m not talking about performance here, I’m talking about size and weight.
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide. We had no issue moving the machine around. If you can handle it, go for it.
Short Power Cord
The oven’s power cord is short. You will also need a power source close to where you want to install the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven. This means you probably have to make some rearrangements in your kitchen. It’s a one-time thing — but still, rearranging the kitchen can be stressful.
Final thoughts
I’m still convinced the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven is a good deal for those who want a compact countertop microwave oven. Yes, I said some things we didn’t like about the machine, but that’s because we are humans.
Faults aside, the Magic Chef microwave oven it is an excellent machine. I’ll give it maximum points for beauty, functionality, high performance, and ease of usage.
I’m yet to find any fault that would qualify as a solid deal breaker at its price. It has all the features a regular microwave oven is expected to have.
However, if you are looking for a microwave you can use for commercial purposes, this is not for you. The same goes for large-sized families. The machine can handle the large demands, but the size and wattage power will make things considerably slower.
For most small to medium-sized households, the power is more than enough for their needs. In fact, there is little difference in performance between this machine and other 1000 watts machines that we have reviewed.
All in all, the Magic Chef Countertop Microwave Oven is an excellent choice for a countertop microwave machine.
If you’d like to see more red microwave oven reviews, you are welcome to check out our review article on the best red microwave ovens. If you’re interested in retro designs, then you’ll like this article on the best Red Retro Microwave ovens. Would you like to see more options for compact microwave ovens? Then this review is for you!