A brand new microwave seems to have the same halfassed, user hostile firmware they shipped around 1999, oriented around a fixed segment display. I would like to see some simple additions that would make a world of difference.
* Add some IR temp sensors, for what $5 in parts, that can heat to an approximate inside temp.
* Update the firmware, for example, to stop beeping when you hit Stop. The commands could actually be far simpler than currently: you really just need "boil", "warm", "defrost" and "reheat" commands - let it figure out the energy needed.
I’ve got a Panasonic that I think I got from Costco a year ago. Not sure the model, but it says “The Genius” on it. It fails the “updatable firmware criteria” as far as I know, but it has some kind of passive food temperature sensor. There’s a button labelled “sensor reheat”, and the vast majority of the time it’s all I use.
It does a pretty damned good job of things. Frozen food will occasionally still have a cold spot, but it’s still way better than following the instructions on the package, which often results in either serious cold spots or a cheese/sauce explosion. For reheating leftovers, it’s perfect.
Edit: my partner informs me that the “keep warm” button does a really good job of making porridge for her too. Brings it up to a “just below boiling” temperature and keeps it there. She just watches it until it looks like the right consistency for her.
My cheap unbranded microwave has a dial to set the power (which is always on max) and a clockwork dial to set the time, which also starts the oven when turned.
This is the best UX of any microwave I’ve ever had - I can start it with the correct time in a single action just by feel - I don’t even have to look at it.
I very much doubt it has any firmware to speak of, or what feature such firmware could possibly offer that would improve my experience.
Also, could we please add some form of accessibility? As somebody who is visually impaired, microwaves win for least accessible devices in my life. The non-tattle buttons are near impossible to use. We just got a new microwave at home and the buttons even seem to be capacitive so it is even harder to use.
I have an LG inverter microwave and it has an annoying "cute" song it plays when it finishes (and periodically to remind you unless you open the door). There seems to be no way to shut it up without opening it up and disconnecting things.
Agreed. I honestly perfer the 70s dial to most modern interfaces. One step, done.
Meanwhile if I don't want some useless preprogrammed setting, it takes a minimum of 4 keypresses to set a time, to say nothing of power. I can order food online almost as easy ffs.
Add some IR temp sensors, for what $5 in parts, that can heat to an approximate inside temp.
Food is not thermally transparent. The outer surface will quickly reach the cavity temperature so that's not an indication of the core temperature. The accepted way to measure the core temp is with a probe.
Look at the UIs on commercial microwaves, sold for restaurants. On many, the designs are what commenters here are looking for - I suppose busy restaurant kitchens don't want to bother with the nonsense either. They cost a bit though.
I have one like that, a Miele with a temperature probe that commumicates with the oven. It does a lot of other things automatically too, holds temperature very accurately, great oven. They exist.
Wow, what good timing. My wife and I don't cook a whole lot so we don't want a full size oven, but were thinking about getting one of these smaller toaster-oven footprint appliances. We were looking at the June oven and, e.g., the crazy Brava Light oven (which seems cool, but I can't get over the woo-woo marketing materials).
Cook's Illustrated is a really respectable magazine, so this recommendation carries some substantial weight for me.
I got one of the 2nd version June's as soon as they came out and I cannot recommend it enough. It makes so many things an absolute breeze.
Salmon is surprisingly good, though the June does not get the skin crispy - if you like crispy salmon skin on your salmon fillets you'll still need to do it on the stove.
I also really love how good it is with frozen pizzas. If I want a light dinner, I'll toss a frozen pizza in there and 20 minutes later it's perfectly done and anywhere from 600-900 calories per pie.
I literally have not turned on my real oven since I got it and likely won't until Thanksgiving. I doubt a big turkey will fit in the June.
I think I would pay $100 for a toaster oven with a decent PID controller, controls that made sense (what does "200F" on dial 1 and "Toast" on dial 2 even mean?), and had a decent chance of working in 20 years. I've already got a pretty decent set of sensors + heavy duty, self-updating neural network between my shoulders, thanks.
If you would be OK with a little DIY work, Google for things like "reflow soldering with toaster oven". There have been many conversion projects to adapt cheap toaster ovens for hobbyist reflow soldering.
This involves putting in some good temperature sensors, and bypassing the built-in controls to put the heating elements under the control of an Arduino or similar controller.
Some even add a cheap graphical LCD that can show a graph of temperature over time, and a simple interface to let you enter temperature profiles to follow.
I really like that this oven has a camera, as well as temperature probes, and that it’s all integrated into the oven’s experience through a app on the phone. Do they have any competitors doing this stuff, or are they alone in doing this right now? I am impressed - they’ve decomposed the idea of what an oven experience usually is (stationary waiting and checking) and shifted it to what it could be (check on it from a distance, data driven shutoff from measurements). Very compelling use of simple features. That’s exciting design!
This enables “Put a turkey in the oven, and run to the store and pick up the frozen green beans you forgot to buy - you always know how the turkey is doing.”
I don't know how they compare to the June but there are many models of convection ovens in Japan that claim to figure out what you put in them. Many of them will optionally add steam and nearly all of them will also do microwaving as well.
I’ve had a Breville countertop convection oven for 9 years and it has been used daily multiple times since I got it. When I saw the June oven I was skeptical, but cooks illustrated giving it a positive review is actually quite an achievement. I may decide to get one now as my Breville is finally starting to give up.
[+] [-] imglorp|7 years ago|reply
A brand new microwave seems to have the same halfassed, user hostile firmware they shipped around 1999, oriented around a fixed segment display. I would like to see some simple additions that would make a world of difference.
* Add some IR temp sensors, for what $5 in parts, that can heat to an approximate inside temp.
* Update the firmware, for example, to stop beeping when you hit Stop. The commands could actually be far simpler than currently: you really just need "boil", "warm", "defrost" and "reheat" commands - let it figure out the energy needed.
[+] [-] tonyarkles|7 years ago|reply
It does a pretty damned good job of things. Frozen food will occasionally still have a cold spot, but it’s still way better than following the instructions on the package, which often results in either serious cold spots or a cheese/sauce explosion. For reheating leftovers, it’s perfect.
Edit: my partner informs me that the “keep warm” button does a really good job of making porridge for her too. Brings it up to a “just below boiling” temperature and keeps it there. She just watches it until it looks like the right consistency for her.
[+] [-] theclaw|7 years ago|reply
This is the best UX of any microwave I’ve ever had - I can start it with the correct time in a single action just by feel - I don’t even have to look at it.
I very much doubt it has any firmware to speak of, or what feature such firmware could possibly offer that would improve my experience.
[+] [-] smkelly|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tzs|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] xvf22|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] justtopost|7 years ago|reply
Meanwhile if I don't want some useless preprogrammed setting, it takes a minimum of 4 keypresses to set a time, to say nothing of power. I can order food online almost as easy ffs.
[+] [-] joezydeco|7 years ago|reply
Food is not thermally transparent. The outer surface will quickly reach the cavity temperature so that's not an indication of the core temperature. The accepted way to measure the core temp is with a probe.
[+] [-] forapurpose|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] roel_v|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 3guk|7 years ago|reply
I seem to remember on most it’s something like holding the 0 or 1 buttons for 3 seconds.
[+] [-] losvedir|7 years ago|reply
Cook's Illustrated is a really respectable magazine, so this recommendation carries some substantial weight for me.
[+] [-] adt2bt|7 years ago|reply
Salmon is surprisingly good, though the June does not get the skin crispy - if you like crispy salmon skin on your salmon fillets you'll still need to do it on the stove.
I also really love how good it is with frozen pizzas. If I want a light dinner, I'll toss a frozen pizza in there and 20 minutes later it's perfectly done and anywhere from 600-900 calories per pie.
I literally have not turned on my real oven since I got it and likely won't until Thanksgiving. I doubt a big turkey will fit in the June.
[+] [-] glup|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tzs|7 years ago|reply
This involves putting in some good temperature sensors, and bypassing the built-in controls to put the heating elements under the control of an Arduino or similar controller.
Some even add a cheap graphical LCD that can show a graph of temperature over time, and a simple interface to let you enter temperature profiles to follow.
[+] [-] pfooti|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jedanbik|7 years ago|reply
This enables “Put a turkey in the oven, and run to the store and pick up the frozen green beans you forgot to buy - you always know how the turkey is doing.”
[+] [-] kureikain|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] timdorr|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tokyodude|7 years ago|reply
Here's a few from Panasonic
https://panasonic.jp/range/
and Sharp
http://healsio.jp/
[+] [-] Finch2192|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kposehn|7 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zackkatz|7 years ago|reply
This looks like the spiritual successor to the Breville.