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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Microwave -- Inadequate Manual, December 23, 2009
This review is from: iWavecube IW600SIL 600-Watt Personal Desktop Microwave Oven, Silver (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Although the interior compartment only measures 6 1/4" tall, 7 3/4" wide and 7 3/4" deep, the instructions warn to only use a full size packet of microwave popcorn. Instinctively I would have thought a mini-bag would have been a better match for the tiny oven, but after pressing the pre-set popcorn button and then "start", the standard size bag popped perfectly.
My plan was to run through most of the pre-set cycles to test the oven. On page 16 of the instruction manual it recommends "For best cooking results, please reuse the oven only after five minutes between uses." So dutifully, I set the timer for five minutes and waited. Then, I attempted to heat a cup of cooled coffee. I put the 3/4 full cup in the microwave and pressed the pre-set coffee button and "start." The oven ran for ten seconds and shut itself off.
Was it too warm from the intense popcorn popping? I again checked the manual and found nothing either in the regular text or the troubleshooting section for some explanation of why the cook cycle would stop by itself after ten seconds. Since I found no guidance in the manual, I began trying different things - unplugging and plugging it in again, starting the coffee cycle again, trying a different pre-set and then trying the one minute button. Nothing worked. Everything shut off after ten seconds.
At one point, I was actually concerned when the fan came on while the oven wasn't running. Was that normal? Again, back to the manual, but there was no mention of the fan. I checked the website hoping for more specific information. No, I found nothing that would resolve my questions. Finally, I realized that if the problem was in fact an over-heated oven, I might be prolonging the problem by turning it on and off. So, I left it alone for 30 minutes. Then, I again tried to heat the coffee and it worked perfectly. So, it appears that the time required to cool down the oven is considerably longer than five minutes. Reading through the manual again I noticed that on the bottom of each page it states "Allow your iWavecube to cool after each use before using again." That's quite vague, but obviously the five minute guideline was incorrect, at least for longer cooking cycles. And, most appliances I've used that have over-heated won't come on until they've cooled -- there isn't a ten second start and stop, so that seemed unusual and worth noting in the instruction manual.
The coffee pre-set cycle heated the coffee completely. Next I tried the hot sandwich cycle. I ran into the same problem with the cycle stopping after ten seconds, but now I assumed the oven still hadn't cooled down enough after ten minutes, so I left it for another twenty minutes. That fixed the problem, but I also discovered that the sandwich pre-set cycle over cooked my sandwich. It was hard as a rock. Next time I will manually put in the time. Three to three and a half minutes would have been perfect. There is often an adjustment period necessary when using a new microwave oven, so other than ruining my lunch, the concrete sandwich didn't deter me.
To test if it is both the long and short cooking cycles that require a lengthy cooling off period, I placed a cup of water in the oven and pressed 30 seconds, then without hesitating did it again, and then pushed the one minute button and then repeated the one minute button. No hesitation or cooling off was required, so clearly this is an issue of heat build-up in the tiny oven in long cook cycles.
Do I like the tiny iWaveCube? Yes, I do, and despite the questions the instruction manual failed to answer, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a tiny microwave. It works beautifully, given sufficient cooling-off time. I don't think it is instinctive to know to wait 30 minutes after a five minute cooking cycle for the oven to again be functional, either that or I am unwilling to admit my own short-comings. Knowing the requirements of the machine permits the user to plan accordingly. This isn't a full-size microwave, and it doesn't operate like one, but for use on a desktop, while traveling or in some other limited application it works great.
My only complaint is with the instruction manual and it isn't limited to the lack of over-heating detail. There is no definitive information about whether to always use the cooking rack or just with sandwiches and popcorn. It is also noted that in case of a fire in the oven, to turn the oven off. There is no off button - the user must press pause/reset and then press it again to stop the oven. So, I am rating the microwave four stars - actually five for the oven and three for the manual because it lacks adequate detail leaving too many unanswered questions for the user.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Handy, handy, handy!, December 21, 2009
This review is from: iWavecube IW600SIL 600-Watt Personal Desktop Microwave Oven, Silver (Kitchen)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This is by far the cutest, handiest microwave oven I've ever seen. With a footprint of about 10 x 10 inches, it takes up barely more space than a standard sheet of paper, and it is only a foot tall. Of course, that means the cooking area is limited, but this is not meant to be an all-purpose microwave; rather, it's an option for a small space or for someone who needs portability. It even has a fold-down handle on top to carry it.
The iWavecube can be used with either timed cooking or automatic programs. The programs include coffee, popcorn, hot sandwich, soup, and, interestingly, gel pack for those heat 'n' use therapeutic packs. If not using an automatic program, the timer is set in an odd, but very intuitive way. There are buttons for 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes. The choices can be combined to customize the timing; for example, pressing the 5-minute button twice sets it for 10 minutes. The 30-second button doubles as the start button, making it a quick, instant-on choice. I have this feature on my full-size microwave, and it's one that I use frequently. It's surprising how often 30 seconds seems to be just the right time, especially when something is almost, but not quite, done.
The first thing I tried was the classic: popcorn. To give you an idea how small the interior is, a standard size bag of microwave popcorn, when fully popped, pretty much fills it. It popped relatively quickly (considering the oven's 600 watts) and thoroughly. I also tried it for reheating coffee and, again, the automatic option worked well.
One caveat: The best feature of this oven is its portability, and if you don't need that or the exceptionally small size, you may be able to do better price-wise with a different model. Note also that the controls are on top, so if you want to keep it on an eye-level shelf, you will need to move it down to actually use it.
However, if you need a small microwave in a variety of locations -- say, your home office, workshop, and RV, this would be a great choice. It would also be perfect in a studio apartment, dorm room, or as a personal microwave in an office (given how disgustingly dirty shared microwaves usually become, I might even want it in an office where a group lunchroom microwave was available).
When I travel, I often stay in bargain motels to save expenses, which means I'm often without a microwave. I anticipate taking this handy appliance along any time it's a driving trip. I might even include it as a carry-on when I use Amtrak -- I can just imagine other travelers' faces when they see me climb aboard with my microwave!
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Samll & Quiet Microwave, November 30, 2009
This review is from: iWavecube IW600SIL 600-Watt Personal Desktop Microwave Oven, Silver (Kitchen)
I ordered this same item from a seller on EBay. It came very promptly. This microwave is good if your use of a microwave is minimal. Great for heating beverages, soup. Only a very small plate will fit in it& there is no rotation tray. Pros--small, stylish, very quiet & light weight. Cons- has a metal rack inside, no glass tray. Controls on top are difficult to see unless you are next to the microwave.
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