new microwave

Carol Reed

In Memoriam
Messages
5,533
Location
Coolidge, AZ
Do's and don't as I shop?

Needs to be a countertop model. Thinking 900-1200 watts.

Moderate to heavy user.

Look for and stay away from?

Suggestions?
 
When we had to replace our broken micro, I was shocked at how expensive they had become. I thought the technology would have brought the price down similar to the pc days (on a relative scale). Well we got one (Kenmore) and I then understood why the price had gone up. It's it's own computer. Do you want to "melt" or just "soften" butter? How many sticks? Are you doing a "Dinner Plate", "Potato", "Pizza", "Vegetables", and on and on and on. Everyone of those settings had 2-3 sub-menu items to select. Even was programmed to have you enter the code off of your Weight Watchers, Stouffers, et. al. and just punch it in. Well nobody puts those codes on their products anymore so that option is useless (might have been the only one I would still use).

Bottom line it was a novelty at first. After six months and over forty years of good old fashioned micro experience, I never use anything but my gut feel and press the time and power level I think it will take and get the same results. I generally make two passes. One guess to get it to what I think will get it to 80% without going over and the second to fine tune the final product.

Not sure they make old fashioned "simple" (cheaper) microwaves anymore, but I'd advise to stay away from the ones with bells and whistles if you are confident in your microwave abilities. I'm not saying I would not recommend the fancier ones, but I don't really need the "extras". Happy shopping. :wave:
 
We have a Frigidaire with the usual assortment of bells ans whistles. I do like using the sensor cook settings for reheating leftovers and preparing frozen dinners, but most of the other menu options sit unused. Despite having lots of options, it's very easy to use it in simple mode though, and bypass all the features.
 
IIRC we have owned three microwaves. The first was a big bucks, late seventies/early eighties Panasonic from Sears that had all the fancy bells and whistles and was way smarter than either of us (much like every other electronic thing we own:p). One day it quit (under warranty) and we called the Sears repair man to fix it. It turned out to be a simple part replacement and while the guy was there he told us that there were few things that could go wrong on a microwave and as long as the Klystron, which generates the microwave was functioning all the other parts were easily replaceable... and Klystron failures were very rare. We hauled that thing through three state side moves and then to Turkey and Italy, where it ran on 50 cycle power on a converter, then back to the states, where it turned out to be too big for the space in out present home. It became my garage microwave and sits under my bench...still going strong...where I use it to dry wood/herbs, warm coffee and, when the kitchen unit is swamped, warm foods when we have lots of company. Our present cabinets have an over the counter space for a slide in microwave which dictates the size of the unit we can use. When the Panasonic wouldn't fit we "temporarily" used the very small, cheap college dorm type unit I had in my office at work...for about three years. Then we acquired the present user, a large GE that we inherited from the MIL. It's probably 15 years old, but it fits the cabinet space and is still going strong. It has simple controls that give from 30 seconds to 5 minutes @high power with the capability to add 30 second increments. You can also set a timer for longer cooks and defrosts. When defrosting, it beeps half way through and tells you to flip the food over. It has more capabilities, but we have never explored them.

Things that are important to us are simple, well lighted controls, ease of cleaning, removable turntable, good defrost capability, interior space large enough to hold my wife's big square casserole dish, and overall size able to fit in the available cabinet space. Beyond those features we might be tempted to get one with convection oven capabilities because we regret cheapening out and not installing double ovens when we built the house.

Out of curiosity I checked CR for recommended large counter top units and Panasonic and GE are still players with recommended units in the $200-$300 range. I know there might be advertising bias there, but it's a start.
Screenshot_2018-11-28 Countertop microwave oven Ratings.jpg
 
Bobbie and I have had a variety of microwave ovens over the years - many different brands. The best we've ever had is the one we now use: an over-the-range LG. The controls are intuitive and sensor functions work better than any other unit we've had. The best test has been popcorn in the little bags. Hit the popcorn button and the LG does the rest with few un-popped kernels and no burning. The model we got comes with a shelf so you can stack dishes in it, but we've never used it that way.
 
Ours is an LG over the stove version as well, been happy with it and the controls. We recently picked up one for our daughter at the local restore as well as her stove/range there. They do a 30 day warranty on them. I think she got the microwave for $30. They seem to get a lot that were from offices that donate them.
 
I like plain Jane stuff
I like around 2.0 cubic feet
I like $200 - or less
I like around 1200 watts
I generally look at Consumer Reports for their reviews and recommendations

What else is there to a microwave.
 
Take a look at he overn in the store, and see if you can figure out what buttons to press without looking at the manual. The one in my church is terrible in this respect, as was a toaster oven we no longer use. These are generally designed by engineers, not by the people who will have to use them, so make sure the user interface is easy to navigate.
 
So. The end result is a Frigidaire, 1.6 cu. ft. 1100 Amps, bump open door, and no buttons I haven't had experience with. $138 Lowes. There is only me so it is plenty big enough. We'll see how it goes.
 
So. The end result is a Frigidaire, 1.6 cu. ft. 1100 Amps, bump open door, and no buttons I haven't had experience with. $138 Lowes. There is only me so it is plenty big enough. We'll see how it goes.

Glad you found one that'll work for you, Carol.

Also sounds like it can double as a heck of a welder!!!
 
My wife has gotten where she just throws popcorn kernels in a paper lunch sack, nukes them for 3 to 4 minutes (until popping slows down), then pours it in a bowl, then melts butter in the microwave to pour over it. Usually cooks about as many kernels as pan popping also.
 
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