When we bought our new house, we didn't want the factory installed cheapo microwave they wanted to sell us for $300. So instead we went to Home Depot and shopped around for the one we wanted. We went home with the Maytag MMV1153A Microwave Oven.. While the microwave is a good product, the installation is a pain in the rear.
Features
The Maytag MMV1153A Microwave Oven is a 1000 watt over-range microwave. It has 1.5 Cubic feet of space and a turntable. Being an over the range microwave, it has a light on the bottom and a 3 speed fan. It is a pleasant white color with nicely laid out buttons which take a more minimal approach in terms of number.
Installation
What would have taken an installer only an hour or so to do took me nearly all day. I'm pretty good at building things and following directions. I built all our Ikea and O'Sullivan furniture as well as multiple kids’ toys and bikes. Heck, I can build a computer with me eyes closed! But this project was daunting to say the least. When my wife gives me The Look (patent pending) as I'm sawing away at the wallboard, I get a little nervous.
The instructions for installation are a bit confusing as they are written for a couple of different models and cover different installations depending on whether you have a ceiling vent, room vent or wall vent. We have a wall vent and the instructions often switched from one installation type to another and then back to universal instructions. Nevertheless, it was confusing.
While the guy at Home Depot said it would be a piece of cake it took me well over 5 hours to do it. Most of that time was spent studying the directions trying to figure it all out before I started drilling.
Speaking of which, if you do it yourself, you'll need several drill bits, screw drivers, a level, tape measure and a helper to hoist it up into place. You've been warned that it's no easy task.
Note: They mention in passing that the microwave should be plugged in to its own circuit. I didn't do this and when the microwave goes on, the lights in the nearby area dim slightly, much in the way they do when you turn on a big TV or run a high-powered vacuum. I don't suspect it will be a problem, but if this is annoying to you then heed the directions.
Usage
The microwave is a standard nuker with different levels of cooking power as well as some preset things for meat, frozen entrees and, of course, popcorn. These settings work very well since they are designed for the wattage of the microwave. In addition, the power levels allow for 10 levels of settings if you want to try it yourself. Also included is the handy "add 30 seconds" button which does just that. If you haven't put it in long enough, you can simply hit this button to extend the cooking time.
The turntable inside works as expected, but is a little flimsy and tends to rattle a little. Not much, but a little. Aside from that, the microwave is quiet when it operates except for the beeping which is loud enough to be heard in other rooms. On that note, a peeve of mine is when a microwave keeps beeping even after I've opened the door. Obviously if I'm opening the door, I know it's done, so stop the infernal beeping! Thankfully this one does not do that.
The power is adequate as I can boil a cup of water in around 2:30. This was about the same amount of time as the old microwave, so that's more than satisfactory to me. The custom program button is a very nice feature and allows you to set different cooking times at different power levels. It's perfect for those recipes that make you cook something on medium for 2 minutes and then switch to High for another 5. This features works as described and is used more than we thought.
The Maytag MMV1153A Microwave Oven also has the usual kitchen timer which seems to be a standard feature of all microwaves. Since this is an over-the-range microwave, there is a light and a fan. The light is either on or off, not a 3-way. Minor complaint. The fan, however does have 3 settings (one of them being off). all-in-all, the fan is rather underpowered. But again, not a big deal.
Conclusion
This is a rather average microwave especially given the $300 price tag. I like the Maytag name, but as far as features go, this is pretty basic.
Now if only I could get the microwave clock to be perfectly in sync with the stove clock right below, I would reach nirvana.
