Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Countertop Microwave Review

Toshiba has redefined your cooking experience through a variety of kitchen appliances. Recently, this leading manufacturer has just released a countertop microwave product dubbed the Toshiba EM131A5C-BS. Featuring a smart sensor, this microwave oven brings convenience to heat popular foods such as veggies, potatoes, and pizzas.

The microwave can be a great addition in your kitchen, thanks to premium and stylish design that matches various kitchen styles. Featuring 10 power levels, the microwave manages to deliver optimum heating for specific foods. Now you can enjoy various foods with perfect tastes, thanks to ample cavities that support even heating and accommodate more loads.

Premium Design with Stainless Steel Exterior

Toshiba’s countertop microwave boasts a premium design with a stainless steel finish. I adore the simple yet elegant construction, allowing the unit to blend well with the countertop and the whole interior. At first sight, I could notice the high-quality material it was built from. If you want to upgrade the cooking space, this microwave can do the job very well.

The manufacturer provides two color variants to meet different kitchen styles: Stainless Steel and Black Stainless Steel. The first mentioned comes with a stainless steel finish that frames the microwave unit, which is suitable for the minimalist, contemporary, or other concepts. Meanwhile, the black variant delivers a strong touch of modern nuance to complement your modern kitchen.

The EM131A5C-BS is a great space-saver as it measures 20.5 inches wide by 17.1 inches deep and 12.8 inches high. Compared to its counterpart, the Toshiba ML-EM45P(BS), this item is slightly smaller and more lightweight. It’s because the EM131A5C-BS brings 1.2 cubic feet capacity while its counterpart offers a bigger capacity at 1.6 cubic feet.

When it comes to the exterior, both products look exactly the same. The smaller microwave is equipped with a large touchpad consisting of a variety of options including Sensor Microwave & Preset as well as a numerical touchpad to input the time. Not to mention it also has a clock, timer, and start/stop buttons.

This Toshiba microwave is suitable both for left- and right-handed. The large handle is positioned on your right side, allowing you to open and take out the foods without too much effort. Overall, I really love the simplicity offered by the unit.

Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Features

Bringing the big name of Toshiba, this countertop microwave has many to offer. It sports copious features to upgrade your fast and instant cooking experience. Ranging from the pre-programmed sensor to a one-touch cook, this microwave helps prepare meals for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in a few minutes. Check out the following features you can find in this kitchen appliance.

1. Presets sensor menu

Have you ever failed to heat leftover pizzas and end up having burnt pizza slices? Everybody has, including me. This microwave is equipped with a pre-programmed sensor menu that promises optimum heating. It allows you to heat popular foods such as veggies, potatoes, and pizzas and give the best taste. The sensor will detect the food’s humidity to prevent overcooked or burnt foods.

2. Soften/melt function

Now you can easily soften the butter before breakfast or melt the chocolate bars effortlessly. Thanks to the soften/melt function that works well for certain foods such as cheese, chocolate, marshmallows, butter, and even ice cream. There are 7 auto menus along with portions and weight indication so you don’t need to guess. No more wrong time estimation!

3. Custom and auto defrost

Defrosting meats often makes me overwhelmed. But then I found a custom and auto defrost function featured by the Toshiba EM131A5C-BS that offers easier tasks to defrost meats and other foods. Simply choose from the menu and input the weight, then let the microwave do the rest. Or else, you can also enjoy 1 pound auto defrost. Simply press the button and the item will adjust the power and time for you.

4. One-touch start popcorn

Heating your popcorn has never been this easy! The microwave features a one-touch start that allows you to heat the popcorn at the right temperature and time. Now you can enjoy delicious, well-done popcorn in a few minutes! No burnt popcorn, no hassle.

5. Large digital display

The microwave also features a large digital display and easy-to-read control panel. The touchpad lets you set the operation with plenty of button choices to opt for. The large panel looks clean and sleek, giving visual interest to the machine. With easy-to-use control features, this microwave won’t require you to spend much time on the instructions.

6. Eco Mode

As with other modern appliances, this countertop microwave boasts Eco Mode to support energy-saving campaigns. Once you activate this mode, the microwave reduces its standby power by 50 percent. Not only can you reduce energy consumption, but you can also save operating costs.

Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Pros and Cons

Having a versatile microwave with abundant features gives a lot of help for daily food prep. I should say that Toshiba’s EM131A5C-BS gives extra hands in your kitchen but it also has minor drawbacks to keep in mind. If you plan to purchase a new microwave and this product is the strongest candidate, you’d need to check out the following pros and cons.

Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Pros

• Convenient cooking and heating with smart sensor

Estimating heating time is none of the easy tasks as the wrong estimation will make you end up eating undercooked or burnt foods. But now, the bad time is over as Toshiba offers a smart sensor for optimum heating. You can count on the machine to heat popular foods such as potatoes, veggies, and pizzas. Simply press the right button, wait for a few minutes and it’s ready!

• Easy-to-clean cavity

The EM131A5C-BS features an easy-to-clean cavity with hard-wearing material, allowing you to clean the interior with a few wipes. The interior is stain and scratch-resistant so you don’t need to pay extra attention when cleaning. However, regular maintenance is needed to avoid grease and grime buildup in the cavity.

• Space-saving design

Constructed as a countertop microwave, this appliance comes with a space-saving design. It won’t take up much space on your countertop so you don’t need to eliminate some other appliances. Despite its small size, the cavity is pretty ample with 12.4 inches of turntable diameter.

• Premium exterior to upgrade your kitchen

Do you need a kitchen upgrade? Simply bring this appliance into the kitchen and it works nicely to make a statement in your cooking space. Thanks to stainless steel finish that evokes a premium look to define your style. The manufacturer also provides two color variants, allowing you to choose one that suits best with the entire kitchen interior.

Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Cons

• Lack of safety lock

I tried hard to find out if this microwave features a child safety lock. But then I finally found out that the product lacks this essential feature. If you have little children who like to wander anywhere around the house, a safety lock can keep them out of danger. But with the absence of this feature, you might need to consider placing this appliance out of their reach.

• Lack of position memory turntable

The microwave oven doesn’t bring a position memory turntable just like its counterpart. With such a price range, I expected better features than standard microwaves and position memory turntables is one of them. At least, this feature can help minimize the risk of an accident when taking out the foods from the cavity.

Final Verdict

As a fully-featured countertop microwave oven, the Toshiba EM131A5C-BS comes in a top list. Convenient cooking and heating is wrapped in a stylish and premium design that helps upgrade your kitchen interior. It also boasts ease-of-use features to make your daily food prep more enjoyable. Not to mention this unit has a Toshiba label on its exterior.

Do you plan to purchase a high-quality and dependable microwave that is value for money? The EM131A5C-BS is a good choice to complement your kitchen. But it has several cons such as lack of safety lock and position memory turntable. If those drawbacks are forgivable, you can opt for this versatile microwave oven.