Did We Throw our Money Away?

I wish I had read the previous review before we bought this microwave. We have had it about 2 weeks and so far so good except for a vibration sound sometimes.

We replaced a 36 inch hood so were told we had to buy a 36 inch microwave if we wanted one above the cooktop. Now I see that there is a kit that fills in the spaces left by a 30 inch microwave at about 1/3 of the cost. Where did I find this information? In the manual that came with the 36 inch one. The sales person had not heard of any kit when I asked about it earlier.

So far we have had good luck with the things we use it for. I like the reheat key which is a one-touch feature. The microwave senses the amount of steam coming from the food and heats it just right without your putting in the time needed. The defrost feature was not quite the success in defrosting two pork chops without partially cooking one end.

This microwave is fast! We reheat mugs of coffee quite often. The old microwave took 1 l/2 minutes. This one is just 1 minute. I like the large turntable plate as the popcorn bag does not get stuck as in our old one. I also like the button that lets you turn off the turntable.

Because we do not have an outside vent, the fan door opens at the top of the unit like magic and the fan noise is very low, even at the higher speeds (there are 3). If you really need to vent quickly such as if you have smoke in the kitchen, there is a fan booster button which really clears out the room but is noisier.

There are many more ways to use this microwave and is an expensive appliance if all you do is reheat. I love making bacon in it as it comes out crisp and flat without messing up the cooktop with spatters. A paper towel above and a couple below the bacon on a microwave safe bacon dish with grooves keeps the oven itself clean. Corn on the cob cooks great if you only cook a couple. Just clean off the husk and silk and wrap each ear in wax paper. It takes just about 4 minutes to cook, turning the ears over half way. Much faster than boiling and if you want more than 2 ears, cook 2 more the same way and your first ears will still be hot.

I like the looks of this microwave and all the features. I just hope it lasts longer than it did with the other writer. Maybe we should have taken out the long term warranty.