Review of the built-in microwave oven Lex Bimo 20.07 BL

Among the built-in Lex microwave ovens, interesting models without a turntable have appeared. How this technology works and how effective it is — we will tell you in today's review. Let's start with a brief review of the first model of this series, which we tested.

The main operating modes of the Lex Bimo 20.07 BL are «solo» with a power of 800 W and a quartz grill with a power of 700 W. These modes can be combined, and for convenience, there are automatic programs with preset settings for various products depending on their weight, as well as a timer and a control panel lock.

^* 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 Lex Bimo 20.07 BL microwave oven is supplied in a large box made of durable brown cardboard.

The edges of the packaging contain: a black and white image of the device, the company logo, the full model name, technical specifications, and a sticker with additional information. For ease of transportation, there are cutout handles on the sides.

Inside the box we found:

• microwave oven
• grill grate
• spare legs
• user manual and warranty card

The device is protected from damage by foam inserts.

The built-in microwave oven Lex Bimo 20.07 BL is available in three versions: white, black and black with silver metal inserts. We tested the second version — elegant and laconic.

The main part of the glossy glass front is occupied by a door that can be easily opened by pulling the massive rectangular metal handle. When opening the door, a large sticker with the parameters of the auto programs becomes visible on the right.

The door fits tightly to the body, the fastenings seem reliable — we did not notice any play or rattling. It closes quieter than most similar devices, which is a pleasant surprise.

The touch control panel with a compact display is located under the door, closer to the right side.

The Lex Bimo 20.07 BL microwave oven uses panel heating technology. Instead of the usual rotating glass tray, there is a smooth ceramic surface with a seal around the edges.

The magnetron is hidden under this panel. The size of the ceramic surface is 22x25 cm. The height of the chamber is 18 cm.

The interior of the chamber is made of stainless steel. There are round ventilation holes on the side walls. The backlight lamp, which turns on during operation and when the door is opened, is on the right. The quartz grill is hidden behind the grate at the top.

On the left outer wall and in the upper part of the case there are many holes for ventilation.

On the back there is a mount for a 90 cm long power cord with a plug, and on the bottom there are four legs.

The standard grill grate is made of stainless steel and has three stable legs with rubber tips.

The operating manual is presented as a 27-page A5 brochure.

The document provides detailed information about the microwave oven design, its installation rules, as well as all the nuances of control and safe operation.

Recommendations on choosing cookware and troubleshooting possible problems before contacting the service center are also provided. The warranty card is provided separately as a small booklet.

The device panel has 5 touch buttons and a display.

From left to right:

• Microwave/Grill — select microwave power level, turn on the grill or automatic defrosting by weight up to 2 kg.
• Weight/Time + — increase food weight or cooking time.
• Weight/Time − — decrease food weight or cooking time.
• Clock/Timer — set the time in 24-hour format or set the timer up to 60 minutes to delay the start or as an alarm clock.
• Start/Stop — start or stop the program, as well as reset the settings.

For a quick start (in this model it is called the Express program), simply press the Start/Stop button — by default, 100% microwave power will start for 60 seconds.

The cooking time setting step is up to 3 minutes — 10 seconds, from 3 to 10 minutes — 30 seconds, more than 10 minutes — 1 minute.

The microwave oven offers 5 power levels: 100%, 70%, 50%, 30% and 10%.

The sixth press of the Microwave/Grill button activates the grill mode (100% power), followed by two combination modes. C-1 is 55% microwaves and 45% grill, C-2 is 45% microwaves and 55% grill.

Next, you can select one of 6 automatic programs:

1. Rice (100 to 500 g)
2. Vegetables (100 to 500 g)
3. Meat (200-1000 g)
4. Noodles (100-150 g or 200-300 g)
5. Fish (100 to 500 g)
6. Chicken (200 to 2000 g)

The control panel lock is activated by holding down the **Clock/Timer** button.

Before the first start, it is recommended to wipe the inner chamber and the door with a damp cloth. The instructions mention that at the beginning of operation, light smoke and odor may appear, which is normal, but in our case this did not happen.

Setting the clock is not mandatory, but it can be done. When the power is turned off, the clock is reset, since the microwave is not equipped with a non-volatile timer.

The same dishes are suitable for use in this model as for other microwave ovens: plastic, paper, heat-resistant glass, ceramics and baking bags.

During testing, it turned out that the power of the Lex Bimo 20.07 BL is sufficient for heating food and cooking simple dishes, but there are nuances. Products placed closer to the right corner cook more slowly, so for an even result, it is recommended to rotate the dish during cooking.

Also, when baking, the bottom layer of products may brown more strongly, even when using the grill. To achieve an even crust, it is better to use a grate to lift the container.

Defrosting was successful: the minced meat turned out smooth, without browned edges, although the time had to be adjusted manually, as in most microwaves. The same applies to automatic programs — it is better to undercook them a little and add time manually than risk overheating the dish.

The device is intuitively controlled, and the sticker with the automatic program parameters on the body helps. The touch buttons respond quickly even when pressed with wet hands. The device's sound signals cannot be turned off.

Regular cleaning of the oven, preferably after each use, especially after cooking, is an important procedure. The interior chamber, ceramic panel and door can be wiped with a soft damp cloth, napkin or sponge with a neutral detergent, and then wiped dry. The outer surfaces are cleaned in the same way.

To get rid of odors in the chamber, the manufacturer recommends pouring a cup of water with the juice of one lemon into a deep container and heating this mixture in the oven for 10 minutes, after which you should wipe the surface with a soft cloth.

In standby mode, the microwave oven consumes 0.5 W, and with the door open (with backlighting) — up to 22.3 W. The maximum power we recorded was 1497 W.

For 5 minutes of heating 0.5 l of water at maximum power, the device used 0.118 kW h.

Data on the speed of heating water with an initial temperature of 20 °C for 5 minutes at maximum power are presented in the following table.

The noise level of the microwave oven is moderate, which corresponds to the standards of this type of device. During long-term operation at maximum power, the left wall of the body heats up to 40 °C, while the top, back and right wall reach 25-28 °C. The temperature of the glass door is 34 °C.

For the first traditional test, we took 800 g of pork and beef mince, formed it into a ball and froze it for a day.

The mince was placed in the microwave oven on the auto-defrost by weight mode, and the device set the time to 15.5 minutes. The instructions indicate that there is no special signal during the defrosting process, so the user must decide for themselves when and how many times to turn the product over. We decided to turn the mince once. However, already upon turning it became obvious that this time was not enough: the mince was almost not defrosted, and its condition changed only slightly, mainly on the bottom side.

Turning over allowed us to make the layer of defrosted minced meat the same across the entire surface, and as a result, we managed to remove a total of about 400 g from all sides.

The remaining piece of mince was placed back in the oven using the auto-defrost function, and at 400 g the device set the time to 7.5 minutes. However, this time was also not enough: in the center there was a frozen area weighing about 250 g, which was pliable but still cold. We broke it with our fingers and left it at room temperature for half an hour.

The defrosting process is not very fast and requires attention from the user, but in the end the mince turned out to be of excellent quality, without overheating or baking.

For our next test, we chose popcorn specifically designed for microwaves. Since this model does not have an auto-defrost mode, we decided to follow the manufacturer's recommendations and use our experience.

The bag was placed exactly in the center of the ceramic panel, and we set the microwave power to 100% for 3 minutes, preparing to listen. After about 1.5 minutes, characteristic popping sounds began to be heard. By the end of the third minute, the sounds did not stop, and the pauses between popping did not increase, so we added another minute, and then another 30 seconds. The popping sounds continued, but, fearing that the popcorn would burn, we decided to stop.

Everything turned out great, tasty and airy. There were very few unopened grains left.

Three medium-sized apples were topped and the cores and seeds were removed. A teaspoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon were added to the resulting holes.

Place the apples in a deep plate, add some water and put them in the chamber.

It took 8 minutes to bake at 100% power. At the end of the microwave, we noticed that the apple located on the right, closer to the door, had become softer, but was not fully cooked.

We took the other two out of the oven and sent it to cook for another 4 minutes. We added crushed walnuts to the already cooked fruits and enjoyed tasting them.

For the test of the automatic program «Vegetables» we chose bell peppers. For 600 g the oven set 7 minutes 30 seconds. Although it seemed to us that this would not be enough, we decided not to interfere.

We were right in our expectations: the peppers barely softened in the allotted time. So we added 10 minutes at maximum microwave power, and then another 5. The baking took place under a lid, and, knowing about the uneven heating, we turned the container twice during the process.

The potatoes were thoroughly washed, peeled and cut. Then they were sprinkled with vegetable oil, rolled in dry chopped herbs and salt. Pieces of brisket were placed in the cuts and the potatoes were sprinkled with dry garlic, after which they were sent to the microwave.

We started with the microwave, baking the potatoes under the lid for 30 minutes, remembering to change the position of the dish several times.

After that, we removed the lid, sprayed the potatoes with vegetable oil again and returned the container to the oven, turning on the grill mode. It took another 15 minutes to get a good crust. Theoretically, you could put the dish on the grill for more intense browning on top, but we wanted to get an appetizing crust on the bottom, too.

Result: excellent

The Lex Bimo 20.07 BL microwave oven heats up food quickly and efficiently, and can also defrost food while preserving its texture and preventing overheating. It is quite suitable for cooking simple dishes. However, there is a drawback: the uniformity of heating leaves much to be desired — food in the near right corner cooks more slowly, so you will have to periodically change the position of the container during the process.

The obvious advantages of this stylish model without a turntable include the ability to use cookware of almost any shape and larger than in similar ovens with a traditional glass tray. The ceramic panel on the bottom of the chamber and the stainless steel walls are easy to clean, especially if you follow the rule of cleaning them immediately after cooking.

Pros:

• stylish appearance and neat assembly
• grill, automatic programs, timer and lock
• clear controls and easy maintenance

Cons:

• in the near right corner, products cook more slowly