The Bosch Serie 4 FFL023MS2B is our premium solo pick: straightforward 20-litre cooking wrapped in the build quality, finish and AutoPilot programmes you expect from the brand. It is not the cheapest route to a solo microwave, but it is the best made. Here is what you get for the extra money.
Some buyers want the cheapest microwave that works; others want the best-made one, and are happy to pay for it. The Bosch Serie 4 FFL023MS2B is for the second group. It is a plain solo microwave, so it does the same core jobs as a budget model, but it does them with a quality of door, dial, display and finish that genuinely feels a class above. For a fitted kitchen where everything else is considered, it is the solo that fits in.
| Model | Price | Type | Capacity | Microwave power | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Bosch Serie 4 FFL023MS2B 20L Solo Microwave | £139.99 | Solo (microwave only) | 20 litres | 800 W | ★ 4.3 | View → |
£139.99
Solo (microwave only) · 20 litres · 800 W
The verdict from Naomi Clarke, kitchen appliance tester
A polished premium alternative. The Bosch Serie 4 FFL023MS2B pairs straightforward 800 W solo cooking with the finish, the controls and the seven AutoPilot programmes you would expect from the brand. It is not the cheapest route to 20 litres of reheating, but if you want a microwave that looks and feels at home in a fitted kitchen and is built to last, it earns its place.
Feels solid and considered, with a door and dial that close and turn with a precise weight.
The FFL023 suits the buyer who values how an appliance is made and how it sits in the kitchen, not just whether it works. If you have a fitted or carefully chosen kitchen and want a microwave that looks and feels at home in it, and you would rather buy a beautifully built machine once than a cheaper one twice, this is the solo for you. The 20-litre cavity is right for one or two people and handles everyday reheating and defrosting comfortably, with the reassurance of Bosch reliability behind it.
It is not the buy if you are watching every pound or if you want extra functions. As a 20-litre solo it costs more than the Russell Hobbs RHM2076 for the same core cooking, and the premium is in the build rather than the performance. It also does not grill or bake, so if you want browning, the Sharp YC-MG81 grill or Panasonic NN-DF386 combination are the better fit. For someone who simply wants the finest plain microwave, though, the Bosch is the one.
The cooking itself is standard 800 W solo: it reheats a plate, defrosts meat and warms drinks at the same sensible pace as any good everyday microwave, and follows packet timings reliably. Five power levels give you proper control for gentler jobs. There is no inverter and no clever trickery here; the FFL023 is honest, dependable solo cooking, and the difference between it and a budget model is not the heating but everything around it.
Bosch's seven AutoPilot programmes are the standout convenience. Select the food and the microwave sets the time and power for you, which takes the guesswork out of common jobs and is genuinely useful for anyone who would rather not fiddle with settings. It is a small thing, but it is the kind of thoughtful detail that marks out a better-considered machine.
This is where your money goes, and it is worth it if you care. The door closes with a precise, damped weight, the dial turns with a satisfying resistance, and the LED display is crisp and legible. The styling is restrained and smart, designed to sit quietly in a modern kitchen rather than shout. Everything about how the machine feels suggests it is built to last, which is the whole reason to buy at this level.
The plain truth is that the FFL023 charges a premium for a 20-litre solo, and that premium buys finish and brand reliability rather than extra capability or cooking power. If you only care that the microwave works, the Russell Hobbs RHM2076 does the same core job for far less, and the Samsung MS23K3513 adds a bigger cavity for less too. The Bosch makes sense only if build quality and how the appliance feels are genuinely worth paying for to you. For the buyer who values that, it is money well spent; for everyone else, it is more than they need.
You pay for build quality, finish and the brand's AutoPilot programmes, which set time and power automatically for common foods. The door, dial and display all feel a notch more solid and considered than on budget solos. The cooking itself is standard 800 W; the premium is in how the machine looks, feels and lasts.
No. The FFL023MS2B is a solo microwave, so it reheats, defrosts and cooks but does not brown or crisp. If you specifically want browning, a grill model such as the Sharp YC-MG81 is the better fit. The Bosch is for someone who wants a beautifully made plain microwave, not extra functions.
For one or two people, yes. A 20-litre cavity takes a standard dinner plate and handles everyday reheating and defrosting comfortably. If you often heat large or tall containers, or cook for a household, a 23-litre or larger model gives you more usable room.
The FFL023 is our premium solo pick because it is the best-made plain microwave here, with a door, dial, display and finish that genuinely feel a class above, plus the convenience of AutoPilot programmes. For a fitted kitchen and a buyer who values build quality, it is the right solo. If price matters more than finish, the Samsung MS23K3513 is better value and the Russell Hobbs is the budget choice, and if you want more than a solo, see our solo versus combination guide. Our full buying guide covers the rest.