Samsung MG14H3020 Review

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The Samsung MG14H3020CM has a sleek, mirror-like appearance to give your kitchen a modern look, but more importantly, it has some great features like sensor cooking and a grill button. Its 10-year warranty for the magnetron, the element that creates the electromagnetic waves, is the longest available. It’s price – almost double what many contenders cost – is one thing that keeps it from ranking higher in our results. Also, it wasn’t the best in our tests. On some things it did well and on others not so much. For a more economical microwave , consider the Farberware FMO07ABTBKA .

In one test, the Samsung performed exceptionally well. The macaroni and cheese frozen meal cooked in 3:30 minutes – the exact time suggested on the back of the box. The pasta and sauce registered at 185 F, which is well above the safe temperature suggested by the USDA. It was also a superstar on popcorn. There were very few unpopped kernels. It was not great when we used its potato button, though. We found some really undercooked parts. Adding a little time is always an option, but that sort of defeats the purpose of a button.

This ties for the largest microwave in our lineup at 1.4 cubic feet. You can easily fit tall glasses and wide bowls in it, which adds to its convenience. Another convenient feature is the 30-second button, so you can quickly melt or heat some foods or add some time for food that’s already cooking. The sensor reheat function warms certain foods, such as a casserole or pasta, to just the right temperature, so you don’t have to guess how long or at what power level to cook your leftovers. However, this microwave doesn’t have the common, helpful Quick Cook setting, which would allow you to set the time and get cooking by simply pressing one number.

This Samsung microwave includes many preset options: ones for a beverage, fresh vegetable, frozen entree, dinner plate and frozen vegetable. It also offers features no other microwave in our lineup has – a grill button, ceramic plate and rack. These features let you brown and crisp food, such as pizza and meat.

Samsung offers a standard warranty to cover defective parts and labor, which lasts one year after your purchase. It also provides a 10-year warranty that covers you against a defective magnetron, which can be a pricey repair otherwise. This is the longest magnetron warranty available from the microwave makers in our lineup.

Although the Samsung MG14H3020CM compact microwave is expensive and a bit unpredictable in our tests, it gives you many convenient options to cook your food without too much guesswork. It also offers an excellent warranty to protect you from a defective unit.