Home » Product Reviews » Ovens » Microwaves » Beko Compact Solo MOC20100SFB 20 Litre 24cm High, Freestanding Small Standard Microwave Oven review
The Beko Compact Solo MOC20100SFB is a no-frills 20-litre microwave designed to handle everyday reheating, defrosting and simple cooking without taking over your worktop. With a 700W power output and straightforward dial controls, it’s clearly aimed at buyers who want something easy to live with rather than loaded with tech.
Beko is well known in the UK for practical, budget-friendly appliances, and this model fits that mould. It sits at the affordable end of the microwave market, making it an appealing option if you just need a reliable back-up to your main oven.
A user rating of 4.4 out of 5 from more than a thousand reviews suggests that, while it’s basic, owners are broadly very happy with how it performs day to day.
This Beko compact solo microwave is a good match for smaller households, students, and anyone kitting out a flat, bedsit or office kitchen. The 20-litre capacity and 24.5 cm turntable are well suited to plates, bowls and ready meals, but not oversized cookware.
If you’re on a tight budget and mainly use a microwave for reheating leftovers, warming drinks, defrosting meat or cooking the odd jacket potato, this model makes a lot of sense. You’re not paying for fancy programmes you’ll never touch.
It also suits those who prefer simple controls. The mechanical dials for power and time are intuitive, with no menus or touchscreens to learn, making it ideal for older users or anyone who doesn’t want anything complicated.
However, if you regularly cook larger portions, want a built-in grill or convection oven functions, or rely on one-touch auto-cook settings, you’ll be better off looking at a bigger, more feature-rich microwave.
Compact footprint and 24.3 cm height make it easy to slot under wall units or in tight spaces, ideal for smaller kitchens.
Straightforward dial controls with five power levels and a mechanical timer mean there’s almost no learning curve – just twist and go.
The 700W power output is enough for reheating and everyday cooking without long waits, especially when paired with the modest 20L cavity.
Defrost functionality is handy for safely thawing meat and frozen meals when you’ve forgotten to take something out of the freezer.
Easy-clean enamel interior helps stop splatters from baking on, so a quick wipe is usually all that’s needed to keep it looking fresh.
A strong 4.4/5 rating from over 1,000 reviews indicates solid real-world reliability and performance for the price.
At 20 litres, the cavity is on the small side, so large dinner plates, big casserole dishes or family-sized portions may be awkward or simply not fit.
The 700W power rating is modest; more premium microwaves now offer 800–1000W, which can heat food faster and more evenly.
There’s no grill, convection or auto-cook programmes, so you miss out on browning, crisping and one-touch cooking options that many mid-range models provide.
Controls are purely mechanical with no digital display, so you can’t set precise times to the second or use a delay timer.
The standard 1-year manufacturer warranty is basic – some brands now provide longer cover on certain models.
Day to day, the Beko MOC20100SFB is all about simplicity. You load your plate, choose one of the five power levels with the top dial, set the cooking time with the lower dial, and it gets to work. There’s no ‘mode hopping’ or diving through settings – which many people will find refreshingly straightforward.
The compact dimensions (H24.3 x W44.6 x D34.5 cm) make it a good fit for crowded worktops, and the left-hinged glass door gives a clear view so you can keep an eye on food as it cooks. The standard turntable ensures even exposure to the microwaves, helping avoid cold spots when you reheat leftovers.
Cleaning is easier than on many budget models thanks to the easy-clean enamel interior. Because splatters are less likely to bond to the surface, a damp cloth after cooking messy foods like sauces or curries usually does the trick. There are no awkward grills or racks to scrub, either.
With its mechanical timer, you’ll hear a familiar ticking and a bell at the end of the cycle rather than electronic beeps. It’s a pleasantly old-school experience that suits users who prefer tactile controls and a straightforward appliance that just does what it says.
The core of this Beko microwave is its 700W maximum power output. While not the most powerful on the market, it’s well matched to a 20-litre cavity, meaning it can reheat soups, leftovers and ready meals in sensible times, especially if you cover food and stir where needed.
Five power levels give enough flexibility for common tasks: full power for fast reheating, mid-levels for gentler warming or cooking items like porridge, and low settings for softening butter or defrosting delicate foods. You also get six overall settings/programmes configured via the dials, so you’re not limited to a single on/off style mode.
The integrated defrost function is a real everyday benefit. Instead of guessing and blasting frozen items on full power, you can use defrost to thaw more evenly, reducing the risk of cooked edges and icy centres. This is especially useful if you regularly forget to take meat or bread out of the freezer in advance.
Where the feature set is deliberately pared back is in automation. There is no auto-cook menu, no sensor cooking, and no grill or convection oven. For some buyers, this will be a deal-breaker; for others, it’s a strength, because fewer modes mean less to go wrong and less confusion for occasional users.
Construction-wise, the interior is metal with an easy-clean enamel coating, and a sturdy glass turntable sits inside. Combined with the simple mechanical timer and dial controls, it feels like a straightforward, durable workhorse rather than a delicate gadget.
With a price of around £65, the Beko Compact Solo MOC20100SFB is firmly in budget territory for a freestanding microwave. You’re not paying for a grill, convection oven or smart features, but you’re also not paying their premium.
Given the price, the combination of a compact design, dedicated defrost function, easy-clean enamel interior and straightforward controls represents strong value if your needs are simple. You get the essentials done well without unnecessary extras inflating the cost.
The user rating of 4.4/5 from over 1,000 reviews reinforces that it delivers what buyers expect at this price point: reliable, uncomplicated performance and a size that fits smaller spaces. The main trade-offs are power and features, so heavy microwave users might find better long-term value in a more advanced model.
Overall, for students, small households and anyone equipping a secondary kitchen on a budget, it’s a very solid value proposition.
The Beko MOC20100SFB compact solo microwave is a sensible, wallet-friendly choice if you want an appliance to handle everyday reheating and defrosting without fuss. Its compact size, easy-clean enamel and simple dial controls make it particularly appealing for smaller kitchens and for users who dislike overcomplicated tech.
You do sacrifice power and advanced features compared with mid-range and premium models: there’s no grill or convection mode, no digital display and no auto-cook menus. If you rely heavily on your microwave for full meal preparation or need to cook for a large family, you’ll be better served by something larger and more powerful.
For light to moderate use, though, this Beko is hard to fault at the price. It’s a straightforward, dependable little workhorse that quietly does its job – and the strong owner feedback suggests it will keep doing so for years.