Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA 1.2 cu. ft. Convection Microwave review: a microwave that can cook in more ways than one

For a while now, I’ve had my eye on a new type of microwave that can do more than heat food. These days, some of the best microwaves have additional capabilities like air frying, grilling, baking, and more. Rather than having four different appliances, you could use one microwave to cook your food in various ways. This is the case with the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection—I am so glad I could test it out.

This large Samsung microwave has a whopping maximum power level of 1650 watts and can be used as a microwave, convection oven, grill, air fryer, or a combination of those functions. While the instruction manual is frustratingly limited, at least the microwave’s app connectivity is easy to use and sends notifications to your phone when your food is ready.

Over two weeks, I tested the various functions of this Samsung microwave so I could provide an in-depth review of how it works and who will benefit from it the most. Keep reading for more information.

Alex Temblador

Alex Temblador has been reviewing household products since 2020. She has tested everything from vacuums to coffee machines, mattresses, gardening tools, hot tubs, and more. Alex reviewed the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection in her 104-year-old home in the Dallas, Texas, area.

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Key specs

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Price & availability

This Samsung microwave is sold for $599 at full price through the Samsung website and Amazon. However, some stores, like M&M Appliance and Orville’s Home Appliances, sell it at a discounted price of about $540. It’s currently not available through Best Buy or Home Depot.

The high price tag is probably due to the fact that the microwave has some smart capabilities and can also be used as a convection oven, grill, and air fryer. It should be noted that you could find a microwave with similar capabilities for about $250. Remember, this is a Samsung product, so it doesn’t surprise me that it costs a little more due partly to the quality, construction, and brand name.

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Setup

The Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection is pretty heavy, so be careful when carrying it from your doorstep to your kitchen. After removing it from the packaging, I added the turntable and the glass plate. (The microwave itself is essentially put together.)

Although the buttons, dial, and screen are different than what I’m used to when it comes to microwaves, I was surprised by how easy it was to figure out. The dial allows you to scroll through the on-screen options and choose a setting (by pressing the dial). If I need to go to a previous screen, I just hit the return button, which looks like an arrow. I quickly set the time without issues, turned off the child lock, and downloaded the SmartThings app.

Connecting the microwave to my Wi-Fi and the SmartThings app was no hassle. The SmartThings app aids users in a few different ways. For one, I can set a cook function and time in the app and send it to the microwave (rather than use the dial to set the cook function). Whether I set the cook function through the app or on the product itself, the app notifies me throughout the cooking process of different things, such as if I need to turn the meat over or when the cooking process is complete.

What I found odd is that the Samsung instruction manual says that the microwave has Voice Control capability through Bixby, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. Unfortunately, the instruction manual severely lacks instructions (which is ironic) on how to set up voice control. I tried to set it up through Google Assistant and the Amazon Alexa apps. The microwave did not appear when I searched for it in the apps. I even went on the Samsung website for instructions and found no information. This is a big drawback, in my opinion.

I should also add that the instruction manual doesn’t provide much information on the different cook functions. It doesn’t explain the difference between power convection and convection or what precisely the grill coil is compared to the convection coil. There is also no insight into how to best utilize the additional accessories for specific types of foods and cooking functions.

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Design

I had just tested a 1.1 cu. ft. microwave, so I assumed that the Samsung wouldn’t be much larger, being that it’s 1.2 cu. ft., but I was wrong. When I pulled it out of the box, I immediately realized it would not fit on my microwave stand. I had to place it on my breakfast table for testing. While the inside of the microwave might be 1.2 cu. ft., the exterior dimensions are pretty large. Even though this is a countertop microwave, it looks like something should be mounted on the wall. Make sure to measure your space before you buy.

This sleek black microwave has a 39-inch power cord and looks more like an oven than a microwave in that the door pulls down like an oven. The front screen is a lot easier to see through than other microwaves I’ve tested, which is nice when you’re cooking.

There is a small digital screen at the top of the unit, and eight glass touch controls next to it. These glass touch controls feature four preset buttons -- Power Convection, Auto Cook, Microwave, and Air Fry -- and four other buttons -- a pause/start button, a child lock button, a return button, and a timer button. A dial allows you to move through the on-screen options and select your choice.

The interior is made of ceramic enamel and features a light and a removable 15-inch glass turntable. Samsung also provides a circular metal platter for convection cooking and two round grilling racks.

The Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection is designed to work with the SmartThings app. In terms of design, the app isn’t overwhelming but relatively easy to use. It allows you to choose a cooking mode, the power level, and cooking time and then sends that information to the microwave.

Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA: Performance

This Samsung microwave has many modes: power convection, convection, air fry, grill, microwave, grill combi, convection combi, keep warm, and defrost. I tested out each and every function by warming cups of water, defrosting meat, grilling chicken legs and fish, air frying meats and vegetables, and more.

Testing the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection was a great experience, and there were a lot of things about it that I loved. In terms of wattage, it’s different from other microwaves. For instance, the max wattage for the microwave function is 900W, but it’s 1600W for grilling and 1650W for convection. Of course, with the microwave function, you can adjust the power level. No matter the function I used, this microwave had a dB rating of 65.

Let’s start with the most straightforward functions. Keep Warm is as it sounds: it keeps the food warm before serving it. When I pressed this function, I could choose how long I wanted the food to be kept warm at 150 degrees. The Defrost button offers preset defrost options for Meat, Poultry, Fish, or Breads/Cakes. It only gives you a weight defrost option (no time defrost option), so you’ll need to know how much something weighs to set the correct defrost time properly.

When you press the Microwave button, the Samsung product allows you to set the time by minutes and seconds with the dial. Again, this is a relatively easy function to use, and I thought it did a great job at heating various foods and mugs of water in the microwave setting.

This Samsung microwave does a great job with air frying. The food was as crispy as I'd hoped, especially when I placed the food on the grilling racks. When I pressed the Air Fry button, I could choose the temperature of the air fryer and the cooking time.

The Grill feature differs because you can only choose the cooking time, not the temperature. I loved how the Grill function made the skin of chicken legs crispy while retaining the moistness of the meat. The asparagus I cooked on the Grill feature was similarly tasty.

Does the grill function on this microwave produce the same effect as an actual grill? Of course not. In my opinion, a grill provides more caramelization, charred flavors, and grill lines. The Grill feature on this Samsung microwave produces similar results as the Air Fry function, and I know this because I cooked the same meal – chicken legs and asparagus – on the Air Fry function, too. I didn’t notice any difference in taste, dryness versus juiciness, or cook time between the Grill and Air Fry functions.

That said, I felt it took much longer to air fry and grill food with this microwave than when I used my own air fryer or grill. For instance, it took 30 minutes to air fry or grill the chicken legs to eat safely. I can cook chicken legs in my regular air fryer in about 20-22 minutes (depending on their size). Most grills I've tested cook chicken legs and vegetables between 15-20 minutes. If you can’t have a grill, this Samsung microwave is a good alternative. However, I’ve tested some indoor grills that mimic outdoor grills much better than this product.

I should also mention that there is a Grill Combi function. It uses the Grill function and the Microwave function at the same time. Unfortunately, I don’t know precisely the benefit of this except to say that it’s better to use for something like sausage that isn’t take as long to cook as, say, chicken or steak would.

The Convection feature functions as your baking option because it evenly distributes heat. You’ll set the temperature like you would an oven. I used it to cook a can of biscuits, and it worked phenomenally. I think this is my favorite function of the microwave. It cooked the biscuits two minutes quicker than it would have taken if I'd used an oven.

Power Convection is the same feature but adds more speed to the bake time. Convection Combi bakes and roasts foods quickly by combining the microwave and the convection oven. It adjusts the power level to 70 percent and asks that you set the temperature and the cooking time.

I preferred to use the Convection feature over the Power Convection and Convection Combi only because I felt like it wasn’t that different from using my oven. For me, there was more guesswork in terms of time and temperature with Power Convection and Convection Combi, and I’m not well practiced in using either of these functions. It’ll likely take some experimentation to get used to the Power Convection and Convection Combi features.

This microwave also has a range of other functions. For instance, I could turn the dial to add or reduce the cooking time while the microwave was cooking. You can also save your favorite custom cook times and functions, especially those you know you’ll want to use in the future.

Regarding cleaning, I loved that this unit had a deodorizing function, which essentially removes the odors. This function actually works pretty well, though if you keep the microwave clean, you won’t have to use it often. While the glass plate and turntable are dishwasher safe, I often cleaned the inside of the microwave with a wet rag and light amounts of dish soap.

Would I buy the Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA?

Buy it if...

 Don’t buy it if…  

How does the Samsung MC12DB8700CKAA compare?

If you want a microwave with multiple cooking features, such as air frying, broiling, and baking, but don’t want something as large as this Samsung, consider the Toshiba ML2-TC10SAIT. It’s considerably more compact, and while it has a lower wattage, at least it comes with multiple accessories and is about half the price of the Samsung.

The Panasonic HomeChef is a similarly priced alternative that can microwave, air fry, broil, and convection cook. Unlike the Samsung, it can’t grill, but at least the buttons will feel a bit more familiar to folks, and it won’t take up as much counter space.

While the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection is supposed to have Voice Control features, but I couldn’t figure it out. That said, I was able to set up and use the Alexa Voice Control features with the Sharp SMC1169KS 1.1 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave. While the Sharp can’t air fry or grill, it’s a solid microwave with all the smart features you could want and doesn’t take up too much counter space.

How I tested the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection

I tested the Samsung 1.2 cu. ft. Countertop Microwave with Power Convection for two weeks. The testing involved cooking a variety of meals, from salmon to sausage, chicken, and biscuits, using the product's various functions—air frying, defrosting, grilling, convection, microwave, and more. I also explored the microwave's cleaning procedures and smart capabilities.

See more about how we test.