Beko MOC20100 Microwave Review
Cheap, small and useful
Verdict
The Beko MOC20100 Microwave is affordable, small and light, making it ideal for someone who’s living on their own and/or in temporary settings. With only a power knob and a timer, this microwave is super-easy to use. The timer knob adds about 15-30 seconds to the cooking time, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the appliance, particularly when microwaving foods that are liable to overheating. In addition, its diminutive size means that it can’t fit in larger plates. Nevertheless, it performs various heating tasks well – and most unevenness, especially at lower power settings, can be avoided by stopping and stirring or flipping over food.
Pros
- Small
- Easy to use
- Good value
Cons
- Fits small plates only
- Imprecise timer
Availability
- UKRRP: £69
Key Features
- TypeThis is a standard microwave only
- PowerThis is a 700W model
Introduction
There are a variety of microwaves available on the market, offering different power levels, capacities and a selection of modes. The 700W Beko MOC20100 goes back to the basics, with only two knobs and a light, small frame.
While the Beko’s compact size means that the containers that can be used in it is limited, it’s a handy appliance for someone living on their and/or in temporary settings, such as a student.
Design and Features
- Takes up very little space and is light to move around
- Just two knobs make it easy to use
- The cavity doesn’t fit standard dinner plates
Despite its diminutive size, the Beko MOC20100 appears hardy, with a solidly built metal body, a glass door with a prominent plastic handle, and a plastic control panel that features two knobs. In addition to black, it’s also available in silver and in white.
At 9.7kg, it’s light enough to move around with minimal effort. However, the lightness and the absence of grippy feet mean it can also be pushed around easily on the worktop.
As mentioned, the control panel has two knobs: one for selecting one of six power levels, and another for setting the timer. This makes the Beko microwave very easy to use. Meanwhile, the timer knob’s resistance means it’s almost impossible to accidentally activate.
Instead of a beep, the timer dings on completion, while all power and time selection happens quietly. The power levels include High (100%), Medium High (80%), Medium (73%), Medium Low (52%), Defrost (42%) and Low (20%).
The Beko’s turntable is small, but in proportion to the rest of the cavity, which is about 16cm high with a 26.5cm wide and deep base. You won’t be able to fit a standard dinner plate in here, which tends to be a few centimetres larger in diameter than the 24.5cm glass tray.
An interior light only switches on when the door is closed and the microwave is operational. While the absence of light makes admiring your heated food – or taking pictures of it – trickier, it’s a reasonable power-saving move in other respects.
Performance
- The timer knob isn’t very precise
- Defrosting is best at a slow and steady pace
- Good for basic heating and cooking
The Beko MOC20100 managed to get the basics right when heating rice and cooking a raw potato, while defrosting bread required some time adjustments. The timer knob proved somewhat imprecise, adding on average of about 15-30 seconds to the cooking time. While the time added is fine for most tasks, we’d advise you keep a close eye on food and adjust timings accordingly.
Using the 42% power Defrost mode, I microwaved two slices of white bread for 50 seconds. The results looked uneven, with one of the slices showing white hot spots on my thermal camera, while the other was still frozen.
I flipped the slices over and microwaved them for a further 50 seconds. At this stage, 30 seconds would probably have sufficed – but the timer made up its own mind. The bread came out evenly defrosted but also somewhat cooked.
Defrosting at full power proved more uneven. Opting to time it myself, rather than relying on the timer, I blasted two frozen slices for 20 seconds. On the thermal camera, there appeared a white hot line in the middle, while the further edges displayed frozen spots. Another 20 seconds after flipping over the slices resulted in a more even appearance, although there were some overcooked areas as well as, bizarrely, a couple of icy spots. Slow and steady is the way forward with the Beko MOC20100 Microwave.
While the turntable here rotates, it’s best to keep turning or stirring food mid-heating – something that became evident when reheating fridge-cold cooked rice. Using full power, I heated 200g of rice with two tablespoons of water for 2mins 17secs. With temperature at 98°C in the middle, and about 81-88°C on the sides, there was some unevenness. Stirring resulted in an average of 83°C, while some slightly contrasting spots remained. After another minute in the microwave, the centre was 98°C and the sides 93-94°C, looking pretty even on the thermal camera.
After 6mins 30secs, a raw 315g fridge-cold potato, rubbed with some oil, salt and pepper, and flipped over halfway through, measured 99°C on the inside, with the temperature probe going in without any resistance.
Its skin didn’t appear particularly wrinkly at this stage, but when it was cut open, it was still crunchy in a couple of spots at the centre. Cooking it cut open for a further 2mins 45secs, flipping it over halfway through, and the harder bits softened, making the inside fluffier, while the skin also looked more wrinkled.
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Should you buy it?
If you want a low-cost small microwave for occasional use, then this budget model gets all the basics right.
If you have a big family, or you’re looking to do anything beyond basic heating tasks, you’ll probably want a bigger microwave.
Final Thoughts
The Beko MOC20100 Microwave is cheap, it doesn’t take up much of your worktop space, and is easy to carry around. But this also means it’s smaller on the inside, with some limitations on the size of the containers that will fit inside.
While the MOC20100 gets the basics right, it doesn’t come with any frills – such as combi modes or automatic programmes. For those looking for more sophistication, the pricier Sharp YC-GC52FU-B, or even the more high-end Sage Combi Wave 3 in 1, might be a better option.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every microwave we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main microwave for the review period
We use a thermal camera to see how well the microwave can defrost frozen bread, using the defrost setting and any automatic programmes.
We cook a baked potato using just the microwave setting and, if available, another using the combi setting.
If there’s a grill option, we toast bread to see how evenly it cooks.
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FAQs
It is a 700W microwave oven, so firmly mid-range.
This is a microwave only, and doesn’t have a grill or standard convection oven setting.
Full specs
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
