For years, my kitchen counter was home to a generic, soulless black box. It did its job—reheating leftovers, defrosting chicken, and making the occasional mug cake—but it was an aesthetic void. Every time I redesigned or refreshed my kitchen, adding warm wooden accents and pops of colour, this bulky plastic appliance stuck out like a sore thumb. The search for a replacement was frustrating. Most microwaves are designed for pure function, with little thought given to form. They are either sterile stainless steel behemoths or cheap-feeling plastic containers. Finding a compact, functional microwave that could actually complement a thoughtfully designed kitchen felt like an impossible task. This is the very dilemma that leads people to discover the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N 17 Litre Microwave, an appliance that promises to blend Scandinavian-inspired design with everyday practicality.
- STYLISH - Wooden effect handle and dial for a Scandinavian inspired finish
- COMPACT - Ideal for kitchens with limited space
What to Consider Before Buying a Solo Microwave
A solo microwave is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for rapid cooking, reheating, and defrosting. For busy individuals, small families, and those in compact living spaces, it’s an indispensable tool that saves precious time and energy. Its primary benefit lies in its simplicity and focused functionality. Unlike combination ovens with grills and convection features, a solo microwave excels at one thing: heating food quickly and efficiently. This makes it a straightforward, affordable, and reliable choice for the core tasks that most of us use a microwave for 99% of the time. It frees up your main oven and stovetop, streamlining meal prep and making quick snacks a breeze.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing space constraints in their kitchen or someone who values simplicity over a plethora of complex features they’ll never use. Think apartment dwellers, students in dorms, or homeowners looking for a secondary appliance for a utility room or office kitchenette. It’s perfect for those who primarily need to reheat meals, defrost frozen items, and cook simple dishes like porridge or steamed vegetables. However, it might not be suitable for those who want to brown, crisp, or roast food in their microwave. If you’re an avid cook looking for an all-in-one appliance that can replace a conventional oven for certain tasks, you would be better served by a combination or grill microwave.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: First and foremost, measure your available counter space. The beauty of a compact model like this is its smaller footprint, but you must ensure it fits comfortably, leaving enough room for ventilation around the sides and back. The Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N measures 32.6D x 45.1W x 25.6H centimetres, making it a viable option for even the most cramped kitchens.
- Capacity & Performance: Capacity, measured in litres, determines the size of the dishes you can fit inside. A 17-litre capacity is on the smaller side, ideal for standard dinner plates but likely too small for larger casserole dishes. Wattage dictates cooking speed; at 700 watts, this model is standard for a compact microwave. It will cook effectively but may take slightly longer than a 900W or 1000W model.
- Materials & Durability: The exterior finish is crucial for aesthetics, but the interior material is vital for longevity and ease of cleaning. This model features a stainless steel interior, which is generally more durable and easier to clean than painted enamel interiors. Pay attention to the handle, dials, and turntable mechanism, as these are the components you’ll interact with daily.
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: Do you prefer simple manual dials or the precision of digital controls with pre-programmed menus? This model offers a hybrid digital approach. Consider how easy the interior is to wipe down and whether the glass turntable is easily removable for washing. Long-term care involves regular cleaning to prevent food splatters from baking on and affecting performance.
While the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N 17 Litre Microwave is an excellent choice for many, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- MIRRORED FINISH - The Russell Hobbs RHM2076B features a sleek black body and contemporary mirror door finish
- Ceramic Enamel Interior - It's exceptionally smooth antibacterial surface makes it easy to clean. It is also highly rust and scratch resistant so it won't discolour over time.
- COMPACT EVERYDAY COOKING: A practical 20L capacity with a 24.5cm glass turntable fits standard dinner plates and bowls, delivering reliable, even heating for quick meals, snacks and reheats in busy...
First Impressions: Scandinavian Style Straight Out of the Box
Unboxing the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N 17 Litre Microwave, the first thing that struck us was the colour. The matt green is a beautiful, muted sage that feels modern and calming—a far cry from the harsh black or clinical white of typical appliances. It immediately feels more like a piece of decor than a simple kitchen utility. The Scandinavian inspiration is clear in the wood-effect handle and control dial. They provide a warm, organic contrast to the cool green metal casing.
Setting it up was effortless; it’s a simple plug-and-play appliance. Upon first inspection, the build feels reasonably solid for its price point. The door opens with a satisfying pull of the handle, and the digital display is bright and easy to read. However, we did notice some of the minor imperfections that other users have pointed out. The seam on the faux-wood film on the back of the handle is palpable, a small reminder that this is a “wood effect” and not solid timber. While our model was free of major defects, we can see how quality control could be inconsistent, with reports of scratches or misaligned components not being entirely surprising. It’s an appliance that prioritises its high-concept design, and for many, that’s a trade-off worth making to finally have a microwave that looks this good.
What We Like
- Stunning Scandinavian-inspired design with a unique matt green finish and wood accents.
- Compact 17-litre size is perfect for small kitchens and limited counter space.
- Simple and intuitive digital controls with 8 auto-cook menus for convenience.
- Easy-to-clean stainless steel interior.
Drawbacks
- Reports of questionable long-term durability, including melting plastic parts and interior rust.
- Inconsistent quality control can lead to cosmetic blemishes out of the box.
A Deep Dive into the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N’s Performance
An appliance can be beautiful, but if it doesn’t perform its core function well, it’s just a stylish paperweight. We spent several weeks putting the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N 17 Litre Microwave through the daily grind of a busy kitchen to see if its performance lives up to its aesthetic promise. We reheated, defrosted, and cooked a variety of foods, paying close attention to its power, consistency, usability, and, crucially, its build quality over time.
Design and Aesthetics: The Star of the Show
Let’s be clear: the primary reason to choose this microwave is its design. It’s a statement piece. The Scandi-inspired look is executed wonderfully, successfully elevating a mundane appliance into something you’re happy to have on display. The matt green colour is sophisticated and on-trend, pairing beautifully with natural materials like wood and stone, as well as with classic white or grey cabinets. During our testing, it consistently drew positive comments from visitors.
The wood-effect handle and dial are the key design elements. They feel pleasant to the touch and operate smoothly. However, it’s important to manage expectations. Some users have noted the wood colour can appear darker in person than in product photos, which could be an issue if you’re trying to match it perfectly with other light-wood kitchen accessories. We also observed the faint seam on the handle’s wrap—a minor detail, but one that detracts slightly from an otherwise premium feel. While our unit arrived in good condition, we did take note of user reports mentioning small cosmetic flaws like scratches or rubber seals poking out. This suggests that while the design concept is A+, the execution can sometimes be B-. Despite these minor quibbles, if your main goal is to find a microwave that breaks the mould of boring appliance design, this model is an undeniable triumph.
Core Cooking Performance: Simple and Sufficient
With 700 watts of power, the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N is not a high-performance machine, but it is perfectly adequate for everyday tasks. We found it heated a bowl of soup to piping hot in about two and a half minutes and cooked a jacket potato in around eight minutes using the dedicated auto-cook setting. Reheating a plate of leftovers was even and consistent, with no significant hot or cold spots, thanks to the reliable glass turntable.
The 5 power levels offer good flexibility. We used the lower settings for gently softening butter and defrosting bread without cooking the edges—a task it handled well. The 8 auto-cook menus are a convenient touch, covering popcorn, potatoes, pizza, frozen vegetables, and more. While they won’t replace culinary intuition, they’re a great starting point for common tasks. We found the defrost function, which operates by weight or time, to be effective for items like minced meat and chicken breasts, thawing them through without starting the cooking process. For anyone upgrading from a basic manual model, the precision offered by the digital interface and its multi-stage cooking feature is a significant advantage. It’s a solid, reliable performer for the daily reheating and defrosting that defines most microwave use.
Usability and Everyday Living
In day-to-day use, this microwave is refreshingly straightforward. The combination of a main dial to set the time and buttons for specific functions like power level or auto-cook menus is intuitive. The digital screen is clear, and setting the clock is a simple process. The stainless steel interior is a huge plus for cleaning; splatters and spills wipe away easily with a damp cloth, which is a significant improvement over painted interiors that can stain or chip over time. Many users, including our team, appreciate the simplicity, especially those who find microwaves with dozens of buttons and sub-menus to be overly complicated.
However, there are a few quirks we encountered during testing that are worth mentioning. The interior light is quite dim, making it difficult to monitor food as it cooks without opening the door. Another minor irritation, echoed in several user reviews, is the end-of-cycle beep. It emits three loud beeps, and frustratingly, it will complete all three even if you open the door after the first one. It’s a small thing, but it can be annoying in a quiet home. These are not deal-breakers, but they are the small details that separate a good appliance from a great one. Overall, it’s an easy machine to live with, but it’s not without its minor eccentricities.
Build Quality and Durability: A Tale of Two Halves
This is where our review becomes more critical. While the initial feel is decent, a worrying number of user reports, combined with our own observations of the materials used, raise serious questions about the long-term durability of the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N 17 Litre Microwave. The most alarming issue we found in user feedback is the melting of the plastic turntable ring—the small, wheeled component that supports the glass plate. Several users have reported this part melting or becoming brittle and snapping after a year or two of use, rendering the microwave unusable. This points to the use of a non-heat-resistant plastic in a critical, high-stress area, which is a major design flaw.
Furthermore, other users have reported issues with the interior sealant peeling away within weeks and rust forming in corners and around vents within the first few months. While we did not experience rust in our short-term testing, the presence of these reports from multiple sources is a significant red flag. It suggests that the trade-off for the stylish exterior and affordable price may be a compromise on the quality of internal components and coatings. For a brand like Russell Hobbs, which many associate with reliability, this is disappointing. Buyers should be aware that while they are getting a beautiful appliance, they may also be rolling the dice on its longevity.
What Other Users Are Saying
Sifting through a wide range of user feedback, a clear pattern emerges. The sentiment is overwhelmingly positive regarding the microwave’s appearance. Buyers frequently use words like “beautiful,” “stylish,” and “looks fab” to describe it. One user summed it up perfectly: “I love the Scandi design of this micro… it doesn’t look like your bog standard microwave.” Another was delighted with its simplicity, stating, “I have had microwaves with all the fancy buttons… and all I ever do is press start! So, I purposely shopped for something with basic controls… This one is ideal.”
However, this praise is often tempered by significant concerns about quality and safety. The negative reviews are not just about minor issues; they point to fundamental flaws. One user gave a stark warning: “Nearly burnt my house down using it. The timer has a life of its own and jumps around.” Another detailed a worrying decline in quality: “Inner sealant started coming away within first few weeks. Started rusting inside corners… within first month.” The most common and serious complaint, as we noted, is about the turntable ring, with one person stating, “smelt burning only to find the plastic bit that the glass turntable sits on has melted! and now snapped off.” This feedback paints a picture of a product that is brilliant in concept but potentially flawed in execution, something prospective buyers should carefully consider before purchasing.
How Does the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N Compare to the Alternatives?
No product exists in a vacuum. To give you the full picture, we’ve compared the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N to three other popular solo microwaves on the market. Each offers a different blend of style, power, and features, catering to different priorities.
1. Russell Hobbs RHRETMM705C Compact Retro Microwave
- Compact design, ideal for kitchens with limited space
- EASY CLEAN - With a wipeable painted interior and removable glass turntable which is dishwasher safe, it’s super easy to keep clean
If you love a vintage aesthetic but the Scandi look isn’t for you, this retro model from Russell Hobbs is a fantastic alternative. It shares the same 17-litre capacity and 700W power rating, but swaps digital controls for two simple, chunky manual dials—one for power and one for time. It’s the ultimate in simplicity. The cream colour and chrome accents evoke a 1950s diner vibe. This is the perfect choice for someone who values tactile, straightforward controls and a different, but equally strong, design statement. You lose the pre-programmed menus of the RHMD714MG-N, but gain an arguably simpler, more robust-feeling user interface.
2. Toshiba ML-EM23(SS) 800W 23L Microwave Oven
- Microwave Oven: Enjoy great results and an array of convenient features with this 800w solo 23L microwave oven from Toshiba, made to add modern conveniences to your busy life.
- Express Cook: Start cooking instantly by selecting cooking time from 1 second to 6 min. The pre-programmed menu and procedural memory will allow you to heat your favourites in just one touch!
For those who prioritize function over form, the Toshiba ML-EM23(SS) is a powerhouse. It offers a significantly larger 23-litre capacity, making it suitable for larger families or those who use bigger dishes. It also boasts a higher 800W power output for faster cooking times. The design is a more conventional but sleek stainless steel finish. While it lacks the unique character of the Russell Hobbs Scandi model, it makes up for it with practical features like one-touch express cook and a more robust build. This is the microwave for the practical buyer who needs more space and power and is less concerned with making a design statement.
3. Samsung MS23K3513AK 23L Microwave
- Ceramic Enamel Interior - It's exceptionally smooth antibacterial surface makes it easy to clean. It is also highly rust and scratch resistant so it won't discolour over time.
- Eco mode - reduce the use of your standby power with eco mode to help save money on your energy bills.
Samsung brings its electronics expertise to the kitchen with this sleek, modern microwave. Like the Toshiba, it has a generous 23-litre capacity, but its standout feature is the Ceramic Enamel interior, which is exceptionally durable, scratch-resistant, and easy to clean. The all-black design with a clean digital interface is minimalist and high-tech. It also includes features like a “Quick Defrost” function that Samsung claims is superior to standard defrosting. Choose the Samsung if you’re looking for a larger, modern-looking microwave from a leading tech brand and value features designed for easy maintenance and superior performance.
Our Final Verdict on the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N 17 Litre Microwave
So, should you buy the Russell Hobbs RHMD714MG-N 17 Litre Microwave? The answer is a conditional yes. If your number one priority is aesthetics, and you’ve been searching for a compact microwave that will enhance your kitchen’s decor rather than detract from it, then this is arguably one of the best-looking options available. It performs its basic duties of reheating and defrosting perfectly well, and its simple controls are a joy to use. It’s an ideal choice for a single person or a couple with a small, stylish kitchen.
However, you must purchase it with your eyes open to the potential durability issues. The reports of melting plastic parts and premature rusting are too numerous to ignore and represent a significant risk. This is not the microwave for a heavy-duty user or a large family who will put it through its paces daily. It is a design-led appliance where longevity may have been compromised for style and cost. If you’re willing to accept that risk for its undeniable visual appeal, then it could be the perfect finishing touch for your kitchen. For those who want peace of mind and proven durability, looking at one of the alternatives might be a wiser decision. If you’ve weighed the pros and cons and its unique style has won you over, you can check the current price and order yours here.
Last update on 2025-11-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API