That approach enables use of a smaller motor, requires fewer moving parts, and makes the interior very easy to clean.
But that produces a stationary pattern (averaged over a rotation). Depending on where your food item is, some spot in it may never actually get high power energy if the overall scatter pattern is weak there. Actually rotating the food through a stationary pattern is likely to provide better coverage.
This is not proved. It is possible to set up an experiment to prove it. But it's reconciled me to the idea of the turntable. Also, consumer microwave turntables have, in my experience, been reliable.
It has a button to cycle through the power levels (the typical couple seconds on, couple seconds off duty cycle power levels), and four buttons to set the time: one under each digit (adds one to the digit and overflows to zero), the start button, something for temperature cooking if you have the probe (they don't). Actual buttons, because touch buttons hadn't been invented yet. A total of 8 buttons, plus the door open.
Anyway, no turntable there.
Seems good so far.
(It does not have the physical dial though, it has buttons like most other microwaves)
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/boil-on-troubled-waters/
The turntable's motion ensures the water is somewhat "disturbed" and minimizes superheating.
