Dave,
I'm a big fan of the encoder knob. Our microwave is really easy to use.
There's an "add 30 seconds" button. I push that to get cooking started. Then there is a knob that I can use to increase or reduce the time. If I want a minute, I skip the knob and just push the 30 second button twice. The knob is smart enough that as the time increases the number of seconds represented by one click on the knob increases also.
When I'm setting the clock, I push set time button and use the encoder knob to set the time. Easy.