Microwave ovens

[marks_here]

Okay what is the average lifespan of microwave ovens. Are over the stove ones better then countertop models. What about the ones that have virtually everything including convection settings versus the ones that cost next to nothing. I know some people use them for everything they cook but I just use mine to heat things up (no plastic used in heating). Also which brand is better or are they all equal.

Just curious as im replacing my neighbors over the stove which just stopped out of no where & it's just 5yrs old. It's nothing special I think it's a Frigedaire along with her stove & fridge.

Thank you for your input it's going to be interesting to read.

Mark D.

 

[cb123]

Whirlpool is real good and it's not bad on microwave leakage either. If you want to check on leakage just put your cellphone inside of it and close the door and place a call to it and if there is no ring that means your not getting any cellular damage! Hope this helps!!!

 

[dustin]

We have a GE downstairs that has been around since I was born (23 years old) that still works fine, although the display is getting hard to see, and we have a modern GE upstairs that heats just fine, but the bottom is literally falling out of it... The plastic lower panel that the turntable rides on is crumbling and falling apart- so the turntable jerks and hops it's way around, possibly spilling any liquids. It is maybe 10 years old if that, and sees relatively light use, but needs to be replaced. I'd move the one from downstairs back up, but the wiring upstairs can't provide enough juice to properly run it. I suppose you could say they don't make them like they used to!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I bought an Amana 28 years ago.

I replaced the diode once.  It's still fine, and is now in storage, just in case.  I tweaked the kitchen 4 years ago and got a Maytag stainless steel one.  So far.... it, too, is great.


 John

 

[tylerawells]

I had a GE do the same thing with the turn table bottom falling out. When it finally broke so badly that the turntable function stopped working I bought a Panasonic Inverter series from Walmart on one of our 'Special Associate Discount Days' and it works great and seems to be holding up well

 

[human]

I have a Panasonic that will be 20 years old this summer. It replaced a Samsung that I'd had for 10 years and was growing progressively more feeble. I've been very satisfied with the Panasonic. It has a very straightforward user interface and works just as well today as it did the day I brought it home.

I don't know that there's a big difference in performance between the countertop and over-the-stove models. The main thing is the over-the-stove ones double as a range hood by incorporating an exhaust fan into their design and provide you with a couple extra square feet of counter space.

Installation can be moderately challenging and you may need to install a wall outlet if you're replacing a range hood, which is more likely to be straight-wired into the house. If you don't have an outlet, check the circuit to make sure it's adequate. I've encountered range hoods that are on a circuit with the overhead kitchen lights, which is okay for the range hood but not for a microwave. It needs a 20-amp wall outlet circuit, not a 10 or 15-amp overhead light circuit.

 

[dartman]

I have a Emerson 800 watt that I bought cheap at a garage sale, still works fine and was built in 88 I think. I had to resolder one bad component connection on the main board 5 years ago when it cracked and that's been it.
All microwaves have fuses inside and if its completely dead the fuse may have popped, if nothing else but age killed it a new one might make it live again.
I want a new one just to get higher wattage so things heat faster, Panasonic still makes really nice ones.

 

[kenkart]

Mines over

30 years old, used up several 1990s models before I got a REAL microwave...Amana Radarange!

 

[kirbylux77]

Well, my microwave is a 1984 Panasonic 1.0 cubic ft. Got the woodgrain on the sides & ugly as hell, but it gets used daily & 32 years this year it's STILL working perfectly fine. I inherited it from my Mom when she passed away. The only thing "wrong" with it is that occasionally, once in a blue moon, the turntable will move erratically, but it usually rectifies itself in a day or two & starts acting normal again.

This replaced a 3 1/2 yr old Sharp Carousel 1.0 cubic ft microwave. The Sharp cooked nowhere near as well as this Panasonic, & the LCD display on the control panel died shortly after the 1 yr warranty expired, so you had to enter the exact cooking time & let it go till it was done. I have had a few people tease me, saying "oh that thing is a energy hog!"....nope, not true, it uses only 900 watts like today's models, & also "A microwave that old isn't safe, imagine all the radiation it is cooking into your food"....well, all I gotta say to that is there's no damage to the insides at all so I doubt it. I will NEVER part with it, & am tempted to buy a spare to have on hand just in case. No modern microwaves for me thanks!

Rob

 

[electrolux137]

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I have this book that I picked up at a yard sale a few years ago. I remember those ovens - very big, klunky and heavy.

 

[electrolux137]

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This is our current microwave. We've had it about a year and really like it. We got it to replace a similar but larger model that took up a lot of counter space. We found we -never- used it to its full capacity and the smaller one has been much more suitable. I'd highly recommend this model.

 

[dartman]

One of my first garage sale specials was a large Sharp, but it only had 600 watts so it was very slow to heat and would barely pop popcorn.
We had a Anthony James rebadge as a family and it was also very low power and I think we had it repaired once or twice and finally killed it or dumped it.
That Panasonic looks really nice and that old Emerson we use is 1.4 cf and I don't think they make them that big anymore.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Had a Montgomery Ward from the 1980s which lasted until 2004. Replaced that with a Kenmore that's still going fine, but the inside of the door is getting rusted for some reason.

I would probably go with a Panasonic if I was going to recommend a new one. Have heard good things about them and they seem to be pretty good products for something new.

The over the stove microwaves are nice in theory and I think they look nicer than a microwave on the countertop. But I have heard bad things about the newer ones, and a real range hood is usually better than an over the range microwave at removing steam and odors.

 

[tazcatsdad]

<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva;">I have a Panasonic-made Quasar that's over 20 years old and is still running fine.  I bought it from a Salvation Army thrift store for under $5 when I was outfitting a secondary kitchen in my basement.  What I love about it is that it has the temperature probe that you can stick into the food, and that tells the microwave when it's done.  I found the probe on eBay, and I even found a matching cookbook for the oven there too!</span>


 


<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva;">Bill W.</span>

 

[universaldave1]

I have a late 70's Amana Radarange RR-9 (I think) and I love it. It cooks food super fast - way faster than today's dinky little microwaves. I even nicknamed my mother's 700 watt Hamilton Beach microwave "Dinky." I get used to the Amana cooking stuff super fast, and I'll use Dinky and I wonder why my food is cold.

 

[vacerator]

I had a Litton meal in one touch-n-cook from 1979. It still worked when I gave it away years ago.
Had great luck with GE over the range versions so far. Bought one new in '96. I remodeled our Kitchen in 2011 and got a stainless color one, but the old GE Profile still works. For counter top types, the newer Panasonics last longest.
Note to do it your selfers; before tearing out cabinet soffits, be sure no wiring is inside of them.
Good thing a neighbor's son wanted some side work. He moved the wiring up into my attic into junction boxes, and installed recepticles in the walls below the ceiling for task and accent lighting so wires could be ran between cabinets, or to light them inside for glass doors..
You only have to do this if you want 42 inch cabinets, or crown moldings while maintaining the old install height, or cabinets at different heights. It does open up the room also with standard cabinets.