Over-the-range microwave recommendations
What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair
records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks |
Joseph Meehan wrote:
.... Personally I think I would avoid that idea. To start with it can't do it any good by placing it in a hot area. The real problem as I see it has been asked here a number of times. It goes out and the repair cost is more than the original cost or on occasion it is not repairable and there is no way to find a replacement that will fit in the same space. It seems there was just such a posting just about an hour before you posted you message. New Microwave Trim Kit - Old hole too big -- Joseph Meehan 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math |
Phisherman wrote:
What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks You may want to check out Consumer Reports magazine. Personally I think I would avoid that idea. To start with it can't do it any good by placing it in a hot area. The real problem as I see it has been asked here a number of times. It goes out and the repair cost is more than the original cost or on occasion it is not repairable and there is no way to find a replacement that will fit in the same space. -- Joseph Meehan 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math |
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message Personally I think I would avoid that idea. To start with it can't do it any good by placing it in a hot area. The real problem as I see it has been asked here a number of times. It goes out and the repair cost is more than the original cost or on occasion it is not repairable and there is no way to find a replacement that will fit in the same space. My opinion is opposite yours. I had my original hanging above the range, trouble free, for about 15+ years. My new one, a GE, has been in place for about two years. We upgraded to get a convection oven combo. It is cheaper to buy a countertop model, but we just don't have the counter space to allocate to it. It is OTR or nothing. We really like the second oven and I'd do it again tomorrow. -- Ed http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/ |
Phisherman wrote:
What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks Hi, I had one installed at my daughter's new condo. Over the range vented outside unit. going into 3rd year without any problem. Panasonic unit. Tony |
Phisherman wrote:
What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks In my experience, avoid GE. They can't seem to get microwaves right. |
John Harlow wrote:
Phisherman wrote: What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks In my experience, avoid GE. They can't seem to get microwaves right. well i just bougth a GE Spacemaker, and I like it alot. It has gt sensor cooking, which actuially seems to work well, and it has a pretty powerful fan (~300 CFM) BUT I only have had it 3 months. Hopefully it will last a while. I needed a fan and a microwave, and didnt want to sacfice the counterspace, so the $250 was well worth it. As far as the size goes, it just seems ridiculous that you couldnt find a replacemnet. Mine is an over-the-stove standard 30" width. That is all there was where I bought it. OTOH, if you didnt need a fan, you could just go with a shelf cabinet, and buy a countertop microwave |
In my experience, avoid GE. They can't seem to get microwaves right.
well i just bougth a GE Spacemaker, and I like it alot. It has gt sensor cooking, which actuially seems to work well, and it has a pretty powerful fan (~300 CFM) BUT I only have had it 3 months. Hopefully it will last a while. Good luck. I just threw my 5 yr old over-the-range GE microwave out; it would sometimes simply decide not to heat, despite going through the motions. Looking into it I came across sites like this http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeo...icrowaves.html Not long after, the local big box store was having a "scratch and dent" sidewalk sale; I picked up a Whirlpool for $75 - it's been great so far... |
"Phisherman" wrote in message ... What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks I have a Maytag over the range with lighting and fans...It seems to be a pretty nice unit......Ross |
In article ,
"Joseph Meehan" wrote: Phisherman wrote: What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks You may want to check out Consumer Reports magazine. Personally I think I would avoid that idea. To start with it can't do it any good by placing it in a hot area. The real problem as I see it has been asked here a number of times. It goes out and the repair cost is more than the original cost or on occasion it is not repairable and there is no way to find a replacement that will fit in the same space. Avoid Maytag or anything connected with them. |
Yeah that looked disturbing. I guess I'll just wait and see.
On the other hand, in looking a bit more, I found a complaint page for: Whirlpool microwaves Kitchenaid microwaves (range hood) Maytag Refrigerators Jennaire appliances And someone above said avoid anything Maytag. That doesn't leave a lot of choices... Sooooooo, the thing is there is always going to be a group of people getting crappy versions of a product (e.g. a lemon), and not getting the situation solved to their satisfaction. Although I must admit that there were quite a few complaints about GE microwaves (many of them were pretty old (well, mid 90's anyway)). BUT given that there must be hundreds of thousands of these GE microwaves in operation in this country alone (maybe in the millions?), I have to think that there are mostly good ones out there too, or there would really a situation. If those microwaves were routinely catching fire and burning down houses, I am guessing we would know about it. now maybe I am a typical American consumer, but in todays world, I am not going to be too upset if i spend $200 on a microwave, and it goes bad after 5 years use. I mean, paying $200 for a producrt that does a whole lot (mine has a fan) and you use every day for 5 years (pretty much) is a bargan to me. Maybe microwaves did last 20 years, 20 years ago, BUT they certainly weren't as complex and feature-filled, and in today's dollars, they were a WHOLE lot more expensive. I cant think of much else I use every day for 5 years that would be so cheap (maybe a tube TV, but those are going by the wayside). John Harlow wrote: In my experience, avoid GE. They can't seem to get microwaves right. well i just bougth a GE Spacemaker, and I like it alot. It has gt sensor cooking, which actuially seems to work well, and it has a pretty powerful fan (~300 CFM) BUT I only have had it 3 months. Hopefully it will last a while. Good luck. I just threw my 5 yr old over-the-range GE microwave out; it would sometimes simply decide not to heat, despite going through the motions. Looking into it I came across sites like this http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeo...icrowaves.html Not long after, the local big box store was having a "scratch and dent" sidewalk sale; I picked up a Whirlpool for $75 - it's been great so far... |
On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 01:16:38 GMT, Phisherman wrote:
What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks We had one of the original Amana's in 73. The unit was a workhorse. sure it did not have the power of today's models, but it just kept on working. When it died we bought another Amana. That was eight years ago. Completely different story. Last year the interlock switches began to stick. Strange things began to happen like the light would not turn off when the klystron stopped, and the fan would turn on when you opened the door. Admittedly, the klystron was double switch interlocked so there was no stray microwaves, but I had to replace the three switches. Shortly thereafter the paint began pealing and the inside to rus/corrode. We finally dumped it. Upshot is Amana sold out to someone (could be Maytag or someone else earlier) and the new corporate owners went cheap and killed the workmanship and name as far as I am concerned. Gary Dyrkacz Radio Control Aircraft/Paintball Physics/Paintball for 40+ http://home.comcast.net/~dyrgcmn/ |
"Phisherman" wrote in message ... What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks I put one into a rental condo about 5 years ago. No complaints. Basically, I got the cheapest one Loews had in stock that day. They replace the range hood. They are designed to be plugged in. The hood circuit is often on a lighting circuit and the microwave is "supposed" to have it's own circuit. In a typical installation you put a outlet in the cabinet over the hood and drill a hold to run the plug through. Your decision should be based on features (including power and whether it doubles as a convection over) and electric demand. If you have to use the power that's already there for the range hood, you want lower nameplate numbers. |
On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 08:21:28 -0500, Edward Grant
wrote: In article , "Joseph Meehan" wrote: Phisherman wrote: What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks You may want to check out Consumer Reports magazine. Personally I think I would avoid that idea. To start with it can't do it any good by placing it in a hot area. The real problem as I see it has been asked here a number of times. It goes out and the repair cost is more than the original cost or on occasion it is not repairable and there is no way to find a replacement that will fit in the same space. Avoid Maytag or anything connected with them. Could you provide more detail please? I am leaning toward Amana which is owned by Maytag. |
On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 01:16:38 GMT, Phisherman wrote:
What microwave brands are considered good quality with good repair records? Apparently Maytag bought Amana, and I know Amana used to be very good. I'm looking for high quality, with fan/vent through the wall, non-convection, and very basic without a lot of confusing menus and controls. Thanks There is probably not more than a half dozen manufacturers of consumer microwave ovens. Find out who makes them and who sticks their label on which one. After that, determine if one manufacturer has a better track record and buy it from a brand that has good service. Just get the features and price that suits you. |
"Phisherman" wrote in message Personally I think I would avoid that idea. To start with it can't do it any good by placing it in a hot area. It is made to be in a hot area. The real problem as I see it has been asked here a number of times. It goes out and the repair cost is more than the original cost or on occasion it is not repairable and there is no way to find a replacement that will fit in the same space. All OTR ranges are 30" so that is not a problem. Avoid Maytag or anything connected with them. Could you provide more detail please? I am leaning toward Amana which is owned by Maytag. I've owned Maytag and Amana appliances and have had good luck with them. My guess is the poster got a bad one and thus thinks they are all bad. Every brand has made a lemon. |
wrote in message ... On Thu, 24 Feb 2005 23:09:28 -0500, in alt.home.repair "John Harlow" wrote: In my experience, avoid GE. They can't seem to get microwaves right. well i just bougth a GE Spacemaker, and I like it alot. It has gt sensor cooking, which actuially seems to work well, and it has a pretty powerful fan (~300 CFM) BUT I only have had it 3 months. Hopefully it will last a while. Good luck. I just threw my 5 yr old over-the-range GE microwave out; it would sometimes simply decide not to heat, despite going through the motions. Looking into it I came across sites like this http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeo...icrowaves.html Not long after, the local big box store was having a "scratch and dent" sidewalk sale; I picked up a Whirlpool for $75 - it's been great so far... Hmmmm and I was under the impression that they never break.. My Sharp Carousel is from the 70's and is still going strong. It was the first microwave that my parents ever bought. Maybe they built them better when they first came out. I think you're right. My first microwave was a Litton and it lasted 17 years of heavy use and cost about $450. Do the math...maybe we are better off now??? Ross |
I had a G.E. in the early 1980s that was a workhorse. A few years ago I
bought a Sharp Carousel that crapped out after a year or so. *However*!! It might have been my fault. I was boiling a large pot of potatoes on a back burner and condensation collected on the bottom of the microwave. The next time I turned it on I heard a loud POP! Fuse(s) blown. I guess theoretically that could happen to any brand. However, the Sharp had a couple other glitches which I found annoying, such as going through (incandescent) appliance bulbs at the rate of one or two a month and starting automatically when the door was opened and closed (even after the timer was off). I might have just gotten a strange one, though. Every other Sharp item I ever owned was excellent. |
The microwave I want to replace (an over-the-range Whirlpool circa
1992) has a heat sensor that automatically turns on the fan when the cooking gets too hot. I asked a salesman today about the heat sensors, and he didn't have a clue. Even stated that none of the microwaves has this feature. (Anyone have info about this?) I doubt the steam caused any harm to your microwave oven. My microwave has worked since 1992 and I have not replaced any interior nor exterior bulbs and I've boiled tons of spaghetti. So far, I've found a Maytag to have the best construction. I am not impressed with Amana. The Samsung has the light toward the back of the unit which is not where I need light most often. On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 21:21:27 GMT, "Dee" wrote: I had a G.E. in the early 1980s that was a workhorse. A few years ago I bought a Sharp Carousel that crapped out after a year or so. *However*!! It might have been my fault. I was boiling a large pot of potatoes on a back burner and condensation collected on the bottom of the microwave. The next time I turned it on I heard a loud POP! Fuse(s) blown. I guess theoretically that could happen to any brand. However, the Sharp had a couple other glitches which I found annoying, such as going through (incandescent) appliance bulbs at the rate of one or two a month and starting automatically when the door was opened and closed (even after the timer was off). I might have just gotten a strange one, though. Every other Sharp item I ever owned was excellent. |
"Phisherman" wrote in message ... The microwave I want to replace (an over-the-range Whirlpool circa 1992) has a heat sensor that automatically turns on the fan when the cooking gets too hot. I asked a salesman today about the heat sensors, and he didn't have a clue. Even stated that none of the microwaves has this feature. (Anyone have info about this?) Salesman is a twit. I think probably most, if not all, have this feature. From the Kitchen Aid and Whirlpool manual To protect the microwave oven, the vent fan will automatically turn on at the HIGH setting if the temperature from the range or cooktop below gets too hot. It may stay on for up to one hour to cool the microwave oven. When this occurs, the VENT FAN pads will not function. From the Sharp microwave manual" FAN HI/LO The fan will automatically start when heat rises from range surface units or burners. This protects the microwave oven from excessive temperature rise. The fan will stay on until the temperature decreases. It cannot be turned off manually during this time. For other uses, press FAN HI/LO button one time for |
Thanks Edwin. I finding out most of the units are pretty much the
same. Most with rather flimsy locking doors. It's interesting to see where these microwave ovens are made, Korea, China, etc. Any made in USA?!? On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 02:46:15 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote: "Phisherman" wrote in message .. . The microwave I want to replace (an over-the-range Whirlpool circa 1992) has a heat sensor that automatically turns on the fan when the cooking gets too hot. I asked a salesman today about the heat sensors, and he didn't have a clue. Even stated that none of the microwaves has this feature. (Anyone have info about this?) Salesman is a twit. I think probably most, if not all, have this feature. From the Kitchen Aid and Whirlpool manual To protect the microwave oven, the vent fan will automatically turn on at the HIGH setting if the temperature from the range or cooktop below gets too hot. It may stay on for up to one hour to cool the microwave oven. When this occurs, the VENT FAN pads will not function. From the Sharp microwave manual" FAN HI/LO The fan will automatically start when heat rises from range surface units or burners. This protects the microwave oven from excessive temperature rise. The fan will stay on until the temperature decreases. It cannot be turned off manually during this time. For other uses, press FAN HI/LO button one time for |
I bought a stainless steel eWave at HD about 2 years ago. It was half
the price ($169) of anything even close. I figured, what the hell, for that kind of money I'll take a chance. Also both sales people I asked at different times said they have never had one come back. Anyway, been 2 years so far and it has worked flawlessly. Very easy to use, and all the buttons do exactly what they say. By that I mean if I punch in defroast 2 pounds of meat, it does it. If I say cook 16oz of frozen veggies, they come out exactly right. I have to recommend them. you really can't go wrong for the money. -Jim |
I think you're right. My first microwave was a Litton and it lasted 17 years of heavy use and cost about $450. Do the math...maybe we are better off now??? Ross Yeah, $450 -now- is a lot (for me) to spend on a microwave. Back then, that is like spending, well, a lot more (i have no idea about the dollar relation). I had a sharp carosel I left at my last work place. I assume it is still working. From ~1984. One dial. |
"chester" wrote in message ... I think you're right. My first microwave was a Litton and it lasted 17 years of heavy use and cost about $450. Do the math...maybe we are better off now??? Ross Yeah, $450 -now- is a lot (for me) to spend on a microwave. Back then, that is like spending, well, a lot more (i have no idea about the dollar relation). I had a sharp carosel I left at my last work place. I assume it is still working. From ~1984. One dial. Well Chester, that was the 70's when microwaves were new on the scene....now they are much cheaper and in some cases better designed and nuke the food faster.....have a great one, Ross |
We bought a Sears MW back in the 70s. Its still working.
B wrote in message ... On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 19:35:09 -0500, in alt.home.repair "Ross Mac" wrote: "chester" wrote in message ... I think you're right. My first microwave was a Litton and it lasted 17 years of heavy use and cost about $450. Do the math...maybe we are better off now??? Ross Yeah, $450 -now- is a lot (for me) to spend on a microwave. Back then, that is like spending, well, a lot more (i have no idea about the dollar relation). I had a sharp carosel I left at my last work place. I assume it is still working. From ~1984. One dial. Well Chester, that was the 70's when microwaves were new on the scene....now they are much cheaper and in some cases better designed and nuke the food faster.....have a great one, Ross My 1976 Share Carousel is still going strong and better yet it's color has (almost) come back into style again. |
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