Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Simple is better when it comes to microwave oven UI

About a year ago the magnetron (the magic yolk that generates microwave radiation) on my old Sharp microwave oven failed. This is not economically repairable failure mode, so I went shopping for a new oven. I resisted the temptation to get one with lots of lights, buttons and bluetooth. Instead I opted for a €49 oven with a simple mechanical user interface.

After a year of use I have to say it's the best oven user interface I've ever used. It's faster to set than the keypad of the old oven. The only feature I miss from the old oven is a kitchen timer. And it's a missed opportunity here: all they needed to do was add a zero power option on the power setting knob!

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