How old is your microwave oven?

Ours broke in January after around 15 years. Bought another Panasonic from John Lewis to replace it but this time in black to match the other fitted kitchen items.

Panasonic bought in 2020 to replace a fancy Whirlpool one which died. Chosen because it was BIG, I like to know that I could fit a chicken or duck inside. It's become a bit temperamental - doesn't always start, have to check the door and the turntable once or twice. No functions other than microwave, I have a Sage mini-oven/air fryer which I get far more use out of.

I have a Bosch combination m/w, fan & convection oven with grill. It is pretty old and was 2nd hand when I bought it about 14 years ago.

It is an almost identical scaled-down model of the full-sized Bosch combi oven that I once found in a sale at Peter Jones and which was was still going strong when I sold the house it was installed in. That must have been between 30 and 40 years ago. I doubt they make them like that any more.

I haven't had a microwave for years now. Rarely used it. I can do what we need on the oven.

If its a micro meal I rarely would use anyway I simply set it over a double pan of water to steam

I have bought an airfryer though which has a rositerrie for chicken. I love that

Ours is getting on for 40 years old, a Toshiba, and in almost daily use for all sorts of things. It cost me £399 at the time, pretty much a month's salary. I still have the receipt! I think it was worth every penny.

Didn't check - accommodate!

Had kitchen redone 2 years ago. Had a compartment created to accommidate my 8 year old combi microwave. Didn't want a new built in one as they are not as efficient as free standing ones.

We bought our first one, a Panasonic, when we lived in Australia, and it lasted 25 years. Now have another Panasonic, had it about 6 or 7 years.

Mine says nothing at all!

We bought an all singing & dancing NEFF microwave combination grill oven when house was renovated 4 years ago. After several faults, engineer’s visits & emails to the CEO, it was replaced 2 years ago. Unbelievably the replacement NEFF had has had 2 faults, resulting in 2 visits from the engineer - he has become like an old friend! “Oh, hello again!”
However, I must add that NEFF have been very good in dealing with our issues & as compensation they have extended their guarantee for a further 2 years. It is just a pity that their gold star microwave is so poor. Would never bury NEFF again.
Luckily I did keep our old fathiful Panasonic which is still going strong after 15 years.

I bought my basic Panasonic microwave oven in 1985. It's used most days. I have had it safety checked.

Witzend

Well over 30 years - it’s a built in combi - oven and microwave together - it does 2 big jacket potatoes with crispy skins in 14 minutes.
I dread it packing up - as far as I can tell, new ones are a lot bigger - and a lot more complicated!* and wouldn’t fit in the unit - and I don’t have space elsewhere.
*mine has only 2 functions - cook and defrost, and it’s fine.

It’ll probably mean a whole new kitchen - but that’s well over 30 years old, too.

I had this problem, I was more or less tied to the same brand when the old one failed as it was the only one that would fit the purpose built cabinet.
Now I've moved and have a much smaller kitchen I've given up on the fancy multifunction ones and just have a small very basic microwave from Tesco (£50) which I can use on the shelf of my larder cupboard. I crisp up my jacket potatoes in the airfryer.
The last three multifunction microwaves that I had only lasted a year or two, the inside of the ovens literally rusted away - probably because of condensation. Fortunately I had taken out insurance so could replace them for just the cost of installation.

Nooo! I wad advised to never keep a microwave beyond ten years and I don’t. The advice came from my boss who was chief engineer at Dunlop’s and he knew about microwaves. (We had microwaves to “cook” the conveyor belting

Re. "old" microwaves, bearing in mind that they are a radiation source, it's always worth an occasional check that the cabinet is still safe to use, and is not leaking. Just make sure that your mobile phone is on, place it inside the cabinet, and close the door. Then use another phone to call your mobile. If it rings, BIN THE MICROWAVE.

Our was around 16 years old and 3 house moves when it broke.
As it was during covid lockdown we purchased another Panasonic ( sight unseen / delivered ) in the hope it will be as good .

My daughter is still using the combi microwave/oven/grill we bought when she was first born and moved into our 1st house which was 38 years ago! It cost us £800 in 1986 but we didn't have a cooker , just that to do all our family meals. She calls it snowflake! When we bought it, every year a technician would come out with a Geiger counter to check for radiation leakage and do an annual MOT to keep it safe! I always feel like wearing a Haz Mat suit whenever she uses it, and constantly try and persuade her to buy a new one.

I love mine, it’s about 15 years old a Whirlpool. Very basic, not digital.
I love it because it is a rounded triangular shape that fits lovely in a corner. It’s cream retro looking.
I don’t think they make them anymore so hoping it doesn’t break down.

Mine is a month old and is a Sage - love it. Barely use it to be honest.

Mine was bought when I had the whole house altered in 2011, there was nothing wrong with the previous one but I wanted a stainless steel one to match the rest of the decor.
DIL has just bought a microwave air fryer combo and she is singing it's praises so I will consider replacing mine.

I'm afraid to say in case I jinx it.


I will only say the boy that was a baby when I bought it is now grown with children of his own. It's an over-the-range type with exhaust fan for ventilation.

Please Riverwalk... not landfill.. recycle please!!😉😉

I use my old Sharp every day , it must be 21 years old . The light went out last week so maybe it's beginning to ' go' !

Our was quite old, very rarely used, my brother killed it this week. Wonderful, more space and no useless appliance!

toscalily 🤣. Ours is 2 years old - a Whirlpool microwave/defrost/oven which never stops giving me instructions. It just barked ‘vegetables finished, open the door!’ A tad demanding. It had to fit the space of a previous one which means, as it’s a bit high, I have to find my glasses sometimes to read its commands. A couple of weeks ago we bought a small basic one for our motor home. It does a good job and knows its place!,

Our microwave is a dinosaur – we've had it 25 years and it was already old – but it's still brilliant.