The Electra MWST20LW is a small freestanding microwave designed for simple everyday reheating, defrosting and light cooking. With a 20-litre capacity and 700W of power, it’s firmly in the compact, budget-friendly camp rather than a feature-packed powerhouse.
Electra tends to focus on affordable, fuss-free appliances, and this model sticks to that brief. You get basic preset programmes, touch controls and a neat white finish without paying for extras like a grill or convection cooking.
Owner feedback is very strong, with an excellent user rating from a decent number of reviews, suggesting that for straightforward microwave jobs it delivers exactly what most people expect.
The Electra MWST20LW is ideal for smaller households, such as singles, couples or student flats, where space is tight and the microwave is mainly used for reheating leftovers, defrosting meat or warming drinks and snacks. The 20-litre capacity and compact footprint make it an easy fit on crowded worktops.
It suits buyers on a tight budget who still want a modern look and the convenience of touch controls and a digital timer, rather than a very basic dial-only microwave. If you mainly press start, walk away and come back to hot food, this model is built for you.
It’s also a sensible pick as a first microwave, or as a second appliance for a home office, annex or caravan, where you don’t need grilling or baking features. The child lock and interior light make it family-friendly for homes with younger children who may be using it independently.
If you regularly cook full meals in the microwave, batch-heat large dishes or want advanced cooking modes, the modest capacity and 700W power will feel limiting. In that case, a larger, more powerful or combination microwave would be a better fit.
The compact 20-litre interior and modest external dimensions mean this microwave is easy to slot into smaller kitchens, student rooms or under wall units without dominating the worktop.
At 700W, it has enough power to heat and reheat everyday meals efficiently while remaining energy-conscious. Five power levels give enough control to avoid overcooking more delicate foods.
The touch control panel and LED display make setting the timer and programmes quick and straightforward, and they’re far easier to wipe clean than traditional knobs.
Five preset cooking and auto-cook programmes help take the guesswork out of common tasks, while the dedicated defrost function is useful if you often cook from frozen.
Extras like the interior light, digital timer and child lock add everyday practicality, and the very strong user rating suggests owners find it reliable and easy to live with.
With a 20-litre capacity and 255mm turntable, this microwave is on the small side. Larger dinner plates, big casseroles or family-sized dishes may not fit comfortably.
The 700W power output is adequate but not especially high. Heavier or denser foods will take longer to cook than in a more powerful model.
There’s no grill or convection function, so you can’t brown, crisp or bake in the way you can with a combination microwave. It’s strictly for standard microwave tasks.
The feature set is basic overall: no keep-warm function, no steam cooking, no sensor cooking and only five preset programmes. For keen cooks wanting more flexibility, it may feel limited.
Finally, the manufacturer warranty is only 1 year, which is standard at this price but not particularly generous compared with some rivals that offer longer cover.
Day to day, the Electra MWST20LW is built for simplicity. The side-opening door uses a push-button release, so it’s easy to open with one hand even when you’re holding a plate in the other. Once inside, the standard 255mm glass turntable keeps food rotating for even heating.
The touch controls are clearly labelled and paired with an LED display, so setting cooking times, choosing a power level or picking one of the five programmes is quick and intuitive. The digital timer is especially handy for short, precise bursts when you’re softening butter or melting chocolate.
The interior light lets you keep an eye on your food without opening the door, and the child lock is reassuring if little ones have access to the kitchen. Cleaning is straightforward: the smooth interior surfaces and flat touch panel wipe down easily, and the turntable lifts out for a quick wash.
Because it’s compact and relatively lightweight for a freestanding microwave, it’s also easy to reposition if you need to move it for cleaning behind or to reorganise the worktop.
For core performance, the 700W microwave power and 20-litre cavity are tuned for everyday tasks rather than heavy-duty cooking. Reheating leftovers, warming soup or cooking ready meals is handled efficiently, though bulkier portions will naturally take a little longer than in higher-wattage models.
Five power levels give enough flexibility to gently warm delicate foods or power through frozen items. The dedicated defrost function is especially useful if you often forget to take meat out of the freezer in advance; it helps thaw more evenly than just blasting at full power.
The preset programmes and auto-cook function are a welcome addition at this price, simplifying common jobs like heating drinks or cooking certain packaged foods. They reduce the need to experiment with timings and can help avoid overcooking.
On the usability side, touch controls, an LED display and a digital timer bring it up to date compared with very basic dial-only microwaves. Features like the interior light, side-opening door, turntable and child lock round out a practical, if straightforward, spec sheet.
What you don’t get are higher-end extras such as a grill, convection fan, steam cooking or keep-warm mode. This keeps the appliance simple and affordable, but means it’s firmly focused on reheating and basic microwave cooking rather than replacing an oven.
Given its modest price tag, the Electra MWST20LW offers strong value if your needs are simple. You’re paying for a compact, no-frills microwave that covers the basics reliably rather than a multi-function oven replacement.
For the money, you get a decent mix of essentials: digital touch controls, auto-cook and defrost functions, multiple power levels, child lock and a modern look. Many budget models strip back to manual dials and fewer features, so this feels like a sensible middle ground.
The very high user rating supports the sense that buyers feel they’ve had good value, especially in smaller homes or as a secondary microwave. As long as you’re not expecting grill or convection features, it’s an economical way to add convenient cooking and reheating to your kitchen.
If you do want more power, a larger capacity or combination cooking, you will need to spend more, but for basic use this model punches above its price.
The Electra MWST20LW is a compact, budget-friendly microwave that does exactly what most people need: reheats, defrosts and cooks simple dishes with minimal fuss. Its 20-litre capacity, 700W power and straightforward touch controls make it a strong fit for small households, students and anyone short on space.
You are trading advanced features for simplicity. There’s no grill or convection cooking, and the relatively small interior won’t suit large families or those who rely heavily on a microwave for full meal preparation.
If you want an affordable, easy-to-use microwave that looks neat on the worktop and handles everyday jobs reliably, it’s an excellent choice. If you’re after a more versatile appliance to replace or supplement an oven, it’s worth looking at larger, more powerful combination models instead.
