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I really like my microwave oven that has just two controls: one dial for power (scale defrost - full power) and one for time (mechanical clock up to 30 min). I

I really like my microwave oven that has just two controls: one dial for power (scale defrost - full power) and one for time (mechanical clock up to 30 min). It is not likely to break because there is no PCB with bad capacitors. It does not have a clock that I would need to adjust at every DST change, and it does not have an array of confusing buttons and controls. Everyone can use it, without reading the manual. And it cost me €39, including 24 % VAT.

sergiosgc 7y ago
There is an "Apple" market for the first company that designs a simple microwave oven. The user interface on most of those things is atrocious. A beautiful oven with two dials would kill on the market. (maybe there is one, but I couldn't find one browsing on appliance stores)
- vonseel 7y ago
  _A beautiful oven with two dials would kill on the market. (maybe there is one, but I couldn't find one browsing on appliance stores)_ Aren't you commenting on a guy claiming to love his two dial microwave oven?
  - ptaipale 7y ago
    Exactly. I must admit that the 39 € oven isn't "beautiful" in terms of artistic design and implementation; it is merely practical and not an eyesore. It is made cheaply, so now after 5 years of use, the paint has chipped in some places where it has been cracked by hitting it with dishes, etc. However, functionally it is just what I want. It could be improved by making the design smoother so that it would be easier to clean the inside when my microwave meal happens to explode. The good thing is also that it's still on the market, so if this unit breaks, I'll just buy another one. (Perhaps I should buy one to storage, just in case they stop making/selling this thing).
    - magashna 7y ago
      Who's asking for a beautiful microwave? It's a microwave. You put old food in it for 30 seconds and then eat it as fast as possible before it gets rubbery. No beauty there.
      - ptaipale 7y ago
        Well, many people spend thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars or euros to make their kitchen look nice (even if they don't use it very much). Quality is of course always also subjective and dependent on needs. For instance, this cheap and nice microwave that I have is also very light. That's good because no material is wasted in manufacture, and it is easier to transport and install, but it means that if I slam the door, the unit will actually move on the kitchen desk. I'd like it to stay put.
- dsfyu404ed 7y ago
  >A beautiful oven with two dials would kill on the market. And it did, in the 1970s https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/1971rr4.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/1971rr4....
  - close04 7y ago
    I bought something that looked like this (maybe not this exact model but certainly same family) in early 2000s: https://www.bedienungsanleitungonline.de/bildern/product_521.jpg https://www.bedienungsanleitungonline.de/bildern/product_521... Still running as my only microwave although I don't use it for much, other than warming the occasional cup of water for a tea. Last Christmas I rented a cabin for vacation. The MW had more buttons than my TV remote control. Icons and button placement were completely not intuitive. I am convinced that this is done just because more buttons suggests more functions and more advanced product. Everyone else is doing it so they all slap them on to compete. You get 4 buttons and an LCD to do what a rotary dial did.
- ChuckNorris89 7y ago
  I had exactly what you described, an older model from LG with 2 digital knobs. It was amazingly intuitive and I loved it. Not sure if they make it anymore as now everything has to be touch to be cool in the showroom. My parents bought new kitchen appliances from Bosch and I was shocked how bad the UX was with the combination of touch buttons, rotating dial and full color LCD display. I just want to roast this chicken FFS! Why does it have to be a 12 step process?!
- jeffreygoesto 7y ago
  ACK. happy with this one since 2013: https://ellis.fyi/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Samsung-Microwave.jpg https://ellis.fyi/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Samsung-Microwa...
  - sergiosgc 7y ago
    Nice! That's the kind of thing I was looking for.
- frosted-flakes 7y ago
  This already exists. It's called the LG NeoChef[1], and it's an absolute joy to use compared to anything else I've seen. It has three controls on the front: stop/clear, start/+30sec, and a touch slider that lets you accurately set any time from 10 seconds to an hour. The slider actually works very well, and is super kid-friendly. Here's an image: https://www.lg.com/ca_en/images/microwave-ovens/MD05821693/gallery/medium04.jpg https://www.lg.com/ca_en/images/microwave-ovens/MD05821693/g... If you open the door, there are 11 more buttons for setting the power level or starting a timer, etc. The only preset button it has is popcorn, which is the only useful one. Notably, it does not have a number pad, only plus/minus buttons. Image: https://www.lg.com/ca_en/images/microwave-ovens/MD05821693/gallery/medium05.jpg https://www.lg.com/ca_en/images/microwave-ovens/MD05821693/g... It also has an internal LED light that shines down from above instead of a crappy incandescent light that shines from the side (and is inevitably burnt out). Oh, and it doesn't have loud, irritating beeps from a piezoelectric beeper that wakes up the entire house when you're reheating your 2am snack. It has an actual speaker instead, and the touch tones are soft and the "done" alert is melodious and stops when you open the door (there's an actual handle, instead of a spring-loaded button). [1] https://www.lg.com/ca_en/microwave-ovens/lg-LMC0975ST https://www.lg.com/ca_en/microwave-ovens/lg-LMC0975ST

sergiosgc 7y ago

There is an "Apple" market for the first company that designs a simple microwave oven. The user interface on most of those things is atrocious. A beautiful oven with two dials would kill on the market. (maybe there is one, but I couldn't find one browsing on appliance stores)

vonseel 7y ago
_A beautiful oven with two dials would kill on the market. (maybe there is one, but I couldn't find one browsing on appliance stores)_ Aren't you commenting on a guy claiming to love his two dial microwave oven?
- ptaipale 7y ago
  Exactly. I must admit that the 39 € oven isn't "beautiful" in terms of artistic design and implementation; it is merely practical and not an eyesore. It is made cheaply, so now after 5 years of use, the paint has chipped in some places where it has been cracked by hitting it with dishes, etc. However, functionally it is just what I want. It could be improved by making the design smoother so that it would be easier to clean the inside when my microwave meal happens to explode. The good thing is also that it's still on the market, so if this unit breaks, I'll just buy another one. (Perhaps I should buy one to storage, just in case they stop making/selling this thing).
  - magashna 7y ago
    Who's asking for a beautiful microwave? It's a microwave. You put old food in it for 30 seconds and then eat it as fast as possible before it gets rubbery. No beauty there.
    - ptaipale 7y ago
      Well, many people spend thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars or euros to make their kitchen look nice (even if they don't use it very much). Quality is of course always also subjective and dependent on needs. For instance, this cheap and nice microwave that I have is also very light. That's good because no material is wasted in manufacture, and it is easier to transport and install, but it means that if I slam the door, the unit will actually move on the kitchen desk. I'd like it to stay put.
dsfyu404ed 7y ago
>A beautiful oven with two dials would kill on the market. And it did, in the 1970s https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/1971rr4.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/1971rr4....
- close04 7y ago
  I bought something that looked like this (maybe not this exact model but certainly same family) in early 2000s: https://www.bedienungsanleitungonline.de/bildern/product_521.jpg https://www.bedienungsanleitungonline.de/bildern/product_521... Still running as my only microwave although I don't use it for much, other than warming the occasional cup of water for a tea. Last Christmas I rented a cabin for vacation. The MW had more buttons than my TV remote control. Icons and button placement were completely not intuitive. I am convinced that this is done just because more buttons suggests more functions and more advanced product. Everyone else is doing it so they all slap them on to compete. You get 4 buttons and an LCD to do what a rotary dial did.
ChuckNorris89 7y ago
I had exactly what you described, an older model from LG with 2 digital knobs. It was amazingly intuitive and I loved it. Not sure if they make it anymore as now everything has to be touch to be cool in the showroom. My parents bought new kitchen appliances from Bosch and I was shocked how bad the UX was with the combination of touch buttons, rotating dial and full color LCD display. I just want to roast this chicken FFS! Why does it have to be a 12 step process?!
jeffreygoesto 7y ago
ACK. happy with this one since 2013: https://ellis.fyi/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Samsung-Microwave.jpg https://ellis.fyi/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Samsung-Microwa...
- sergiosgc 7y ago
  Nice! That's the kind of thing I was looking for.
frosted-flakes 7y ago
This already exists. It's called the LG NeoChef[1], and it's an absolute joy to use compared to anything else I've seen. It has three controls on the front: stop/clear, start/+30sec, and a touch slider that lets you accurately set any time from 10 seconds to an hour. The slider actually works very well, and is super kid-friendly. Here's an image: https://www.lg.com/ca_en/images/microwave-ovens/MD05821693/gallery/medium04.jpg https://www.lg.com/ca_en/images/microwave-ovens/MD05821693/g... If you open the door, there are 11 more buttons for setting the power level or starting a timer, etc. The only preset button it has is popcorn, which is the only useful one. Notably, it does not have a number pad, only plus/minus buttons. Image: https://www.lg.com/ca_en/images/microwave-ovens/MD05821693/gallery/medium05.jpg https://www.lg.com/ca_en/images/microwave-ovens/MD05821693/g... It also has an internal LED light that shines down from above instead of a crappy incandescent light that shines from the side (and is inevitably burnt out). Oh, and it doesn't have loud, irritating beeps from a piezoelectric beeper that wakes up the entire house when you're reheating your 2am snack. It has an actual speaker instead, and the touch tones are soft and the "done" alert is melodious and stops when you open the door (there's an actual handle, instead of a spring-loaded button). [1] https://www.lg.com/ca_en/microwave-ovens/lg-LMC0975ST https://www.lg.com/ca_en/microwave-ovens/lg-LMC0975ST