Need a new microwave - ideas?

[heidih]

47 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

John took the microwave to the repair shop in case it is something as simple as a fuse.  We never thought of getting it looked at, until @chromedome mentioned the fuse.  We'll know early next week what the diagnosis is.  In our looking around ar new ones I was surprised by all the complaints against Panasonic, both for the quality of their product and their poor customer service.  I have always been happy with them.

 

Life has changed. Brand names are not always an indicator. My beloved appliance guy gave me an eye opening view recently.

[TdeV]

27 minutes ago, heidih said:

My beloved appliance guy gave me an eye opening view recently.

 

And?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Am tremendously interested in this topic.     Our two twin, city and country, micros are roughly 40 years old.   I mean, in that age range does a half dozen years really matter.    No choice of power options.   Just on or off.   No buttons.   Just a dial to choose minutes.    Works a charm for steaming vegetables, heating leftovers, cooking a hot dog.   

 

We try to preempt appliance failure, but when you walk into an appliance store and describe the "stupid appliance" you are looking for, salesmen's eyes roll.    I now have a new dishwasher and dryer that will never be used beyond the simplest factory setting because my life is too short to play 20 questions with something that is supposed to make my life simpler.    I hate "gotchas".    On and Off are my gods.   

[heidih]

Oh I hear ya - the new washer makes goofy musical sounds. Shut up already. As I noted above the on/off for reheat or steam super cheapo works for me - Yes yu have to rap your head around possibly disposable versus repair. I did just steam dumplings in the cheapo - nicely. 

[ElsieD]

John just picked up and re-installed the microwave.  It was the fuse as @chromedome mentioned, as well as a switch.  The repair was considerably cheaper than a new one, we'll see how long it lasts.   Thanks, everyone, for chiming in.

[lindag]

How did the m/w act when it quit?  Did it still run but not heat?

I ask so I’d know if it was just a fuse in case my stops again.

When mine die it would still operate but didn’t heat.

 

 

[ElsieD]

36 minutes ago, lindag said:

How did the m/w act when it quit?  Did it still run but not heat?

I ask so I’d know if it was just a fuse in case my stops again.

When mine die it would still operate but didn’t heat.

 

 

 

It wouldn't do anything.  All the lights went out, nothing worked.  It just stopped.

[Darienne]

No one has mentioned the LG microwave.  It ranked tops on Consumer Reports.  Our old Panasonic died suddenly when we had company and Ed bought the new one at Best Buys. 

 

I hate it so far. 

 

Why can't they ever leave the designs of household items alone?

[ElsieD]

38 minutes ago, Darienne said:

No one has mentioned the LG microwave.  It ranked tops on Consumer Reports.  Our old Panasonic died suddenly when we had company and Ed bought the new one at Best Buys. 

 

I hate it so far. 

 

Why can't they ever leave the designs of household items alone?

 

I've often thought that the people who design these things would never use them.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

If you are willing to minimally think when you use your microwave, I repeat our satisfaction with Panosonic commercial microwave, designed to work for the lowest common denominator, break rooms, gas station quick stop hot food counters, anyplace where the unaware need to quickly heat up a snack.    IT's super powerful, takes only a few minutes for frozen meals, less to reheat a leftover.    Only a dial, no buttons.    We've had it over a year and simply love it.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[blue_dolphin]

6 hours ago, Darienne said:

I hate it so far. 

Can you say more about what makes it so hateful?

I'd like to replace my over the cooktop MW with an exhaust hood and maybe a stand alone MW. Or maybe skipping the MW altogether. 
 

[Anna N]

7 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

If you are willing to minimally think when you use your microwave

OK I just spit my drink all over my iPad. For that price they better throw in the gas station. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I can understand that, but this guy is such a hassle free helper.    I have spent many hours in friends and relatives houses where they asked me to nuke something and i needed a 747 pilot's license to heat a cup of soup.    This little machine is effortless and will be passed on to my descendants.    We're easy on our stuff.   Our last microwave was preemptively replaced after 40 years.    It most probably had a few more huffs in it but when we found this new on, we gave him early retirement.

[ElsieD]

30 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

I can understand that, but this guy is such a hassle free helper.    I have spent many hours in friends and relatives houses where they asked me to nuke something and i needed a 747 pilot's license to heat a cup of soup.    This little machine is effortless and will be passed on to my descendants.    We're easy on our stuff.   Our last microwave was preemptively replaced after 40 years.    It most probably had a few more huffs in it but when we found this new on, we gave him early retirement.

Was your old one a Quasar?  That was my first one I bought somewhere around 1981 or 1982

[Margaret Pilgrim]

No, something much less impressive.    Will have to ask.   But it was so simple, like this one, only a dial, few gismos to go off kilter.    Confession: I hate smart appliances that I have to neuter in order to do simple things.    As I wrote on another thread, when we wanted to replace a fancy but failing car radio, the salesman chatted up husband,then would turn to me, "the little woman", and ask my opinion, and I blew him away with, "Off, on and no static."   It didn't compute in his world.   This has become our mantra, and it is increasingly impossible to find.   Simple, straightforward, few gimmicks or bells and whistles to go astray.    I don't want to have to see if the food I'm trying to reheat is (even) listed on their menu.   

 

OFF, ON AND NO STATIC!

[heidih]

1 hour ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

No, something much less impressive.    Will have to ask.   But it was so simple, like this one, only a dial, few gismos to go off kilter.    Confession: I hate smart appliances that I have to neuter in order to do simple things.    As I wrote on another thread, when we wanted to replace a fancy but failing car radio, the salesman chatted up husband,then would turn to me, "the little woman", and ask my opinion, and I blew him away with, "Off, on and no static."   It didn't compute in his world.   This has become our mantra, and it is increasingly impossible to find.   Simple, straightforward, few gimmicks or bells and whistles to go astray.    I don't want to have to see if the food I'm trying to reheat is (even) listed on their menu.   

 

OFF, ON AND NO STATIC!

When the ridiculous Bosch that was connected to the built in oven crapped out after only a few years - Lowes cheapest as Margaret asks - only 1, 2 ,3 minutes - no in between and on/off. Works great. Stand alone, not space hog, maybe $60US

[palo]

I'm not in favour of technology just for the sake of technology, but my mw is a Panasonic with inverter technology which actually modulates the mw output rather than just cycling the power off and on - it's dead simple, a knob to tell it how long to cook and a start button, that's all you need to do everything that $4000 mw will do - however it does much more, defrost based on weight and set power level for slow heating. It has other functions but haven't seen the need.

 

p

[chromedome]

5 hours ago, palo said:

I'm not in favour of technology just for the sake of technology, but my mw is a Panasonic with inverter technology which actually modulates the mw output rather than just cycling the power off and on - it's dead simple, a knob to tell it how long to cook and a start button, that's all you need to do everything that $4000 mw will do - however it does much more, defrost based on weight and set power level for slow heating. It has other functions but haven't seen the need.

 

p

I have a similar model and am happy with it, overall. I'm not a fan of the twist-knob interface (it's "elegant" from the engineering perspective, a PITA in daily use, but hey...it makes for a nicely uncluttered panel...) but overall it is indeed a very good microwave. And the dial *is* simple to understand and use, however impatient it makes me.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

7 hours ago, chromedome said:

I have a similar model and am happy with it, overall. I'm not a fan of the twist-knob interface (it's "elegant" from the engineering perspective, a PITA in daily use, but hey...it makes for a nicely uncluttered panel...) but overall it is indeed a very good microwave. And the dial *is* simple to understand and use, however impatient it makes me.

Different strokes.    I much prefer the dial to buttons.   BTW, the MSP is $269.   We paid less as a restaurant supply store.   The $4000 quoted above is for an entirely different model.  

Edited August 22, 2022 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[btbyrd]

If I had to buy one, I’d get a Panasonic with the inverter technology and button-based interface, like the Wirecutter recommend NN-SN67HS model.

[palo]

I have the Panasonic NNSD965S

 

p

[ElsieD]

At the house we had a Panasonic combo microwave/convection with Inverter technology.  Loved it.

[chromedome]

3 hours ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

Different strokes.    I much prefer the dial to buttons.   BTW, the MSP is $269.   We paid less as a restaurant supply store.   The $4000 quoted above is for an entirely different model.  

I was fine with old-school analog dials, and in fact used to have a commercial Toshiba model from the ...I dunno, late 70s?...with that kind. My current one is much higher-tech. By way of illustration:

 

Previous microwave:

 

Punch in time (eg 1-3-0).

Press Start.

 

Current Microwave:

 

Dial knob clockwise, not too fast or I'll miss it... Crap!...missed it...

Dial knob counterclockwiseTOOFARCRAP!

Dial knob clockwise, v e r r r r y slowly to 1:30

Press start.

 

In actual practice I often just hit the "Quick minute" button, and then take it out after the number of seconds I really wanted. Yes, to be clear, I'm (slightly) exaggerating for comedic effect, but I do find the dial inconvenient to use. As you say, different strokes.

[Darienne]

On 8/21/2022 at 1:51 PM, Darienne said:

No one has mentioned the LG microwave.  It ranked tops on Consumer Reports.  Our old Panasonic died suddenly when we had company and Ed bought the new one at Best Buys. 

 

I hate it so far. 

 

Why can't they ever leave the designs of household items alone?

I am delighted to announce that Best Buy took back the hated microwave and gave us a full refund.  Ed is currently at the Restore buying us an older model which for the time being suits me just fine.  Of course, he's also bought a new set of 'deeper' shelves for the garage.  I could hardly say 'no'.  

[Annie_H]

We've been happy with our Whirlpool. Went without a microwave for a few years but about once a month we forget to take out the pups food from the freezer. We use the thaw button and the circled button that we hit once for 30 seconds, hit twice for one minute, yada....

It is in the pantry but it has a small footprint---14 inches wide and a curved back end to fit a counter corner. Have had it about ten years now and would buy again. Paid around 120$ at Lowes. Prices all over the place but seems to be 150-175$. One hit, 30 seconds, is great for warm water for softening miso or blooming yeast for bread, softening butter...

I purchased my wall oven two+ years before we got around to install. The model with dials were being discontinued and replaced with a beeps, bells and whistles model. So thankful I did that. 

Microwave is a background less used appliance but the oven is used every day. 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2022 by Annie_H (log)