CASO MCG 25 Ceramic Chef – An Owner’s Review

After nearly — or merely — 7 years, my Sharp 900W Standard Microwave R360SLM had deteriorated too much due to rust around the base plate, and I wanted to replace it. I had got used to the quirks of the Sharp mentioned above — it had become easier through experience to hit the buttons on first try and I developed muscle memory for how to set time — mainly, I almost always used the quick start button which adds time in 30 second increments. The machine still worked, but I didn’t like the sight of rust.

The requirements for the replacement Microwave were simple:
– It must have a flatbed design
– It must be around the same size and capacity as the outgoing one.

In brief, after a long period of research and review reading, I settled on the CASO MCG 25 Ceramic Chef Microwave from a Company that I had never heard about before now.

Why? The marketing for the microwave sounded like the company put some thought into the design of the machine — Stainless steel interior, flatbed design, several auto-cook programmes, and a reasonable price. The fact that it also had a grill and convection function were not essential for me, since I have a built-in oven in my kitchen, so this did not factor in my purchase decision. However, I have been using the grill function too since it is convenient and easy enough to use for small meals.

Overall, the Caso Design appears to be a positive improvement over the outgoing Sharp, and I am glad that it retains a flatbed design, which is something that is becoming rarer to find. I would have no trouble recommending this machine — but you have to discount from the weight of my recommendation the fact that I don’t have a lot of experience with many different machines other than the ones I’ve encountered at my friends’ homes, the occasional holiday home and the ones I’ve owned myself.

Verdict (Positives)

• The machine has a stainless steel interior and a glass (or possibly ceramic) base, with a rubber seal around it. Stainless steel is a wise choice as it should be more rust resistant.
• The machine defaults to Microwave function, which is its primary purpose, so you can microwave without fuss.
• It has physical buttons and a rotary dial which is a great combination in my experience.
• Quick start (30 seconds) is one button press — You push the button and after a short delay, the microwave runs for 30 seconds — this is very useful for example, for quickly reheating a cup of tea or coffee. Push the button many times in quick succession to add more time in one minute increments.
• The rotary dial adds time in 10-second increments, and since there are many ticks in a single revolution of the dial, you can very easily add many minutes using this dial. Excellent for those longer runs, like grilling or using the convection feature.
• From my usage so far, it heats things evenly, and there’s an extractor fan which occasionally continues to run after a programme has ended, presumably to expel moisture or heat.
• Micro + Grill is an excellent way to cook things like sausages.

Negatives

• Once a programme has started, it is impossible to increase the time. This appears to be a common theme with all microwave ovens I have encountered though.
• The extractor fan is pretty weak. It doesn’t expel a lot of moisture, so I default to leaving the machine open for a few minutes after using it, or giving it a quick wipe down with a kitchen towel.