Review of the built-in microwave oven History MIH 38SG MBK

The History MIH 38SG MBK microwave oven is one of the classic modern models designed to be built into a kitchen set.

The History MIH 38SG MBK microwave is equipped with standard functions such as grill, weight defrost, and also includes a number of automatic programs, a timer and two-stage cooking. In this review, we will look at the main characteristics of the device, highlight its advantages and disadvantages, and also evaluate the overall ease of use.

^* Contrary to popular belief, this is not a period after which the device will necessarily break down. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its functionality and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.

The microwave oven is packed in a large cardboard box. The packaging contains the company logo, model name and a sticker with technical specifications and information about the manufacturer.

Inside the box, the microwave oven, packed in polyethylene, is securely fixed using foam inserts.

In the kit we found a glass dish, a roller ring, a grill grate, a set of mounting brackets, as well as an instruction manual and installation instructions.

The facade design of History MIH 38SG MBK is distinguished by its laconicism and traditional style, which allows the model to easily fit into any interior. The facade is made of black glossy glass, and the viewing window is significantly darkened. A traditional mesh grille is visible between the glass panes.

The touch control panel is traditionally located on the right side. Above it we see a miniature round display; at the very bottom there is a button that opens the door.

The door opens smoothly, but closes with a characteristic rattling sound, as is usually the case with most microwave ovens.

The manufacturer indicates that the outer frame is made of durable acrylic. The body material, which will be hidden after installation, is made of brushed metal.

On the right wall we see ventilation slots.

On the back there are ventilation holes, a convex protective screen and a place for attaching a cord. The wires are 1 meter long and are already equipped with a plug, which allows you to connect the microwave to a working outlet without additional steps.

The covering of the working chamber is made of stainless steel. At the bottom there is a traditional glass tray with a diameter of 315 mm.

To rotate, it is mounted on a round plastic frame with small wheels.

From above, behind the grate, you can see the heating element of a quartz grill. On the right is the traditional magnetron protection (mica plate). A light bulb is hidden behind a large grille on the right.

The microwave comes with a standard three-legged grill rack. The accessory looks strong and holds firmly on the surface.

To install the device, the kit includes a mounting bracket, screws and a plastic cover.

The instruction manual is presented in the form of a small 20-page brochure in Russian.

The document includes information about the design of the device, control features, as well as recommendations for safety precautions and troubleshooting before contacting the service center. It also provides a list of materials that are safe to use in the microwave and those that should be avoided. At the end of the document there is a warranty card, as well as separate installation instructions.

The control panel below the display contains the following touch buttons:

• Oven/Grill/Combi
• Weight/defrost time
• Kitchen Timer/Clock
• Stop/Reset
• Start/30 sec./Confirm

Below are the “+” and “–” buttons for changing the cooking time and food weight.

While the microwave oven is operating, a countdown timer appears on the display. When you select a program or mode, the corresponding alphanumeric designation is displayed.

All three operating modes of the microwave oven are controlled by one button. First, 5 microwave power levels are selected (P100, P80, P50, P30, P10). Then it switches to the Grill mode (heater power 100%), which is displayed on the display as G. After this, two combined modes are available: C-1 and C-2. In the first mode, the microwaves operate at 55% power and the grill at 45%. In the second mode, the microwaves operate at 36% and the grill at 64%.

Quick start at maximum power is activated by pressing the bottom button, with the cooking time increasing by 30 seconds with each press, up to a maximum of 95 minutes. Time can be added while the oven is operating, with the exception of auto defrost and auto programs.

Auto defrosting can be started by weight (from 100 to 2000 g), and the device itself will calculate the operating time, although it can be configured manually. The maximum time is 95 minutes.

The stage cooking function allows you to set up two successive stages. Auto programs are not available.

Automatic programs are displayed on the display in the form of indices (A1, A2, etc.) without detailed names, so the instructions should be kept at hand. A total of 8 modes are available, each with gradation by weight.

The functions also include a panel lock and a help function that allows you to find out the selected power or the current time without interrupting the cooking process.

All actions are accompanied by loud, continuous sound signals (squeaks). An audible alarm may also sound in the middle of some programs to remind the user to turn food over.

Before using it, we thoroughly wiped the microwave inside and out, and also washed the glass tray and grill. When first turned on, no foreign odors were observed.

When connected to a network, you can set the clock. Please note that if there is a power outage, the settings will be reset and the time will have to be reset.

After two or three uses and familiarization with the instructions, control became easier. However, to work with auto programs it is still better to have a hint at hand.

Overall, the operation went smoothly, and we were satisfied with the operation of the microwave. However, there are complaints about the parameters of auto programs, which we will consider in more detail in the section on practical testing.

Note that comments on automatic programs are a fairly common problem. The manufacturer noted that it is impossible to take into account all types of products, especially considering their imported origin. The manufacturer’s commentary is as follows: “When developing auto programs, it is impossible to take into account all types, varieties and structures of products, especially vegetables, which can be imported from different countries. This affects the quality of cooking. The smartest algorithm operates according to the established settings, which may not give ideal results on all products. We offer manual settings that allow the user to adapt the operation of the device to a specific variety and type of product by changing the temperature and cooking time.”

The microwave body, inner chamber and door from the inside should be wiped with a soft damp cloth or sponge with a neutral detergent. The glass tray should be washed in soapy water under the tap. The use of harsh abrasives and steel wool is strictly prohibited.

To remove unpleasant odors and clean the walls of the chamber, you can place a container with 300 ml of water and the juice of half a lemon in the microwave. Turn on the device at maximum power for 10 minutes. After this, remove the fragrant liquid and wipe the inner chamber with a dry cloth.

In standby mode, the microwave consumes 0.7 W, with the door open and the backlight on — up to 2.3 W. The maximum recorded power was 1394 W.

When heating water at maximum power for 5 minutes, energy consumption was 0.095 kWh.

The table below shows the heating rate of 0.5 liters of water with an initial temperature of 20°C in 5 minutes at maximum power.

The noise level of the microwave oven is average, standard for this type of device. During operation, the body and glass door do not heat up, their temperature is 25-28 degrees.

History MIH 38SG MBK has two defrosting programs: by weight and by time. We used the first one.

The microwave set the defrosting time for 800 g of minced meat to 16 minutes. During the process, it turned out that there was no intermediate sound signal for turning the minced meat, so after about 10 minutes we independently opened the door and checked the condition of the product. The minced meat remained frozen on all sides, so we returned it without turning it over and continued defrosting. At the end of the program, it was possible to easily remove 510 g of defrosted minced meat.

The remaining lump weighing 290 g was returned to the oven. This time the microwave set for 8 minutes.

No ice or frozen pieces were found in the minced meat, and its quality was excellent. However, the overall impression remained mixed. Despite the presence of an automatic weight mode, it did not quite cope with the task, and some of the minced meat had to be defrosted additionally, as in manual mode.

Electricity consumption in 24 minutes was 0.153 kWh.

Result: good

50 g of oatmeal was poured with 150 ml of cold milk, a plate was placed in the chamber and the microwave power was set to 50%.

It took us only 5 minutes to prepare the porridge.

Electricity consumption was 0.064 kWh.

Result: excellent

In this test, we checked the operation of the Pizza auto mode. The frozen specimen weighed exactly 400 g, and the oven calculated that 2.5 minutes would be enough for it.

After calculating the time, I was wrong: the dough defrosted, but the filling melted mainly along the edges, leaving the center of the pizza quite cool.

To keep the crust from getting soggy, we transferred the pizza to a wire rack and added an additional 2 minutes on Combination Mode C-2 (microwave 36% + grill 64%).

Now we are satisfied with the result — the pizza turned out tasty and hot, but still not without our control.

Result: good

Let's move on to vegetables. Among the auto modes there is a special one for potatoes. 400 g of potatoes cut into small pieces were sprinkled with vegetable oil, sprinkled with salt and Provençal herbs, placed in a bag, tied on both sides and several cuts were made. The package was placed in a glass container and placed in the microwave.

The automatic program calculated the cooking time to be 7.5 minutes. At the end of the cycle, the potatoes were almost done, but the surface of the pieces was still a little tough. We added another 2 minutes on high power until the potatoes were completely soft.

A large eggplant weighing 400 g was cut in half, deep cross-shaped cuts were made, greased with oil and sprinkled with salt. We started the microwave in the “Vegetables” mode — A3, 400 g, and it set the time to 5 minutes 30 seconds.

The eggplant pulp was cooked, but the skin was still not soft enough. We carefully took out the pulp, put it in a separate container, added grated cheese, chopped garlic, half a large diced tomato, a tablespoon of sour cream and spices. Mix everything thoroughly and put the filling back into the eggplant halves.

Sprinkled grated cheese on top and sent the dish into the oven.

We set the microwave power to maximum for 3 minutes, then lifted the dish onto the rack and turned on the grill for a couple of minutes.

The “Vegetables” auto program again miscalculated a little, but further processing allowed us to achieve the desired result.

The built-in microwave oven History MIH 38SG MBK is a convenient and intuitive device for heating, defrosting and preparing simple dishes. It doesn't offer anything unusual, just standard functions that it performs quite effectively. Automatic programs are a useful addition, but their settings may not be entirely accurate, so the user will still have to monitor the process, as with most microwaves.

Some inconvenience may be caused by the lack of signatures and hints for auto programs on the case or display, where they are displayed only in the form of codes. Therefore, you will have to keep the instructions with a detailed description at hand or remember the modes, there are only eight of them. But the facade of the microwave looks laconic and stylish — to each his own.

Pros:

• stylish design and neat assembly
• Even heating, defrosting and cooking
• automatic programs and 2-step step-by-step cooking
• timer and key lock

Minuses:

• lack of signatures and hints for auto programs on the case