Ever owned a microwave so powerless that you were forced to double your cooking time? Or is it the controls that made you regret selecting the unit in the first place?
If so, you know how draining using a low-quality microwave oven can be. And that’s why you need to be extra careful when shopping for one.
But then, how do you get the best when there are so many microwaves on the market? Well, don’t worry, we’ve got your back.
In this post, we compare two top-performing, high-quality microwave ovens from Toshiba; Toshiba EM131A5C-SS Vs Toshiba EM131A5C-BS.
Toshiba is a top brand in the electronic appliances industry, and its products are well known for their high quality. Their appliances are made with creativity, functionality and excellent safety features.
Their microwaves keep up with the same standards as they are powerful, highly functional, reliable, easy to use and relatively simple to clean.
Toshiba EM131A5C-SS Overview
The Toshiba EM131A5C-SS is a 1.2 cubic feet 1100 watt stylish stainless steel microwave oven, ideal for compact kitchen spaces.
It has a turntable diameter of 12.4 inches, a large digital display with a clock function, 10 power levels, a smart sensor with 6 auto menus and an easy-to-clean cavity.
The EM131A5C-SS is also energy saving thanks to the Energy-saving Eco Mode Feature.
- Design
The EM131A5-SS boasts an impressive stainless steel exterior that is guaranteed to look the part on your countertop. It is a discreet yet sophisticated microwave designed to make your cooking easy.
The microwave is quite convenient with a series of smart settings, an easy-to-use control panel, and power levels.
- Size
According to the manufacturer, the EM131A54-SS measures 17.14 x 20.51 x 12.83 inches and has an internal capacity of 1.2 cubic feet.
Its turntable diameter is 12.4 inches, making it convenient for large families.
- Smart Sensor Technology
The EM131A5C SS is designed to heat and cook as quickly as possible with a series of one-touch settings that control the cooking process automatically.
The microwave also boasts a built-in smart sensor, which keeps track of humidity and temperature levels when preparing different meals. It automatically adjusts power levels as required throughout the cycle.
- Pre-programmed settings
The unit’s control panel features a number of pre-programmed buttons, which offer one-touch heating of a variety of popular foods like vegetables, potatoes, pizza and more.
Defrost cycles are also easy to control at the touch of a button, while the sensor function keeps track of the temperature and humidity for even results.
- 10 Power level settings
The EM131A5C-SS features 10 power settings with up to 1100 watts of power on the maximum setting. It’s more than enough to provide fast and even warming across various dishes.
- Additional Features
Other important features of the EM1315C-SS include a super-bright interior light that enables you to see your food clearly as it cooks,2 auto-defrost settings and a special one-touch popcorn setting.
It also has a buzzer on/off function that enables you to use it without causing a disturbance when preparing breakfast in the morning and an easy-to-clean interior for convenience.
And like any other Toshiba microwave oven, this unit comes with a 1-year limited manufacturer warranty.
- Pros and Cons
Pros
- Small footprint, thus space-saving
- Outstanding build quality
- Advanced smart sensor technology
- Easy to use
- Heats and defrosts food evenly
Cons
- Lacks a grill
Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Overview
The Toshiba EM131A5C-BS is also a 1.2 cubic feet 1100 watts black stainless steel microwave that is not only powerful but also easy to use
Thanks to options like one-touch start and smart sensor technology, the unit warms up food fast.
Its turntable diameter is 12.4 inches, comes with 10 power settings, and has a large digital display and an easy-to-read control panel.
- Design
This black stainless steel microwave is quite similar to the EM131A5C-SS with a simple but elegant design. It has an easy-to-grip door handle and a large digital display.
The unit features a stainless steel exterior, and at about 20 inches wide and 13 inches high, it won’t take too much of your counter space.
The interior has a super bright LED light that illuminates your food and a removable glass turntable that is easy to clean.
- Size
The EM131A5C-BS is a space saver as it measures 20.5 x 17.1 x 12.8 inches, just like the EM131A5C-SS. It has an interior capacity of 1.2 cubic feet and a 12.4 inches removable turntable.
- Presets sensor menu
This microwave comes with a pre-programmed sensor menu for optimum heating. It enables you to cook popular foods like potatoes, pizzas and vegetables.
The sensor detects your food’s humidity to prevent burnt or overcooked food.
- Soften/melt function
Thanks to the EM131A5C-BS, you can soften butter or melt your chocolate bars effortlessly. It has 6 auto menus and weight indications that help take the guesswork out of cooking.
- One-touch start popcorn
If popcorns are your favorite, you’ll enjoy having the EM131A5C-BS around. It features a one-touch start that lets you heat your popcorn at the right temperature.
- Custom and auto-defrost
This feature enables you to defrost meats and other foods with ease. All you need to do is select from the menu, input the weight and leave the microwave to do the rest.
- Eco Mode
Eco mode makes the Toshiba BS unit energy efficient. After activating this mode, the unit reduces its standby mode by 50%. This helps reduce energy consumption and operating costs.
- Pros and Cons
Pros
- Convenient heating with a smart sensor
- Space-saving design
- Easy-to-clean cavity
- Energy efficient
- Large interior capacity
- It has a door handle instead of a button
Cons
- No grill
Conclusion
The Toshiba SS model and EM131A5C-BS are great microwave ovens that can fit all your cooking needs. The 2 are similar in almost every aspect.
Both have a 1.2 cu. ft capacity, 10 power levels, and 6 preset menus, are made from the same material (stainless steel), have large digital displays and weigh 34.6 pounds.
The only difference between the 2 is the color. The EM131A5C has a stainless steel door frame and a black stainless steel back enclosure, while the EM131A5C-BS exterior is entirely black stainless steel.