Microwaves for serious cooking, over-range or countertop?

I have a 1250-watt, 1.5-cu. ft. microwave oven. I use it for a lot of serious cooking and prep work, not just the reheating and popcorn popping most people use microwaves for.

The touch panel just died, and it's nearly 30 years old. A replacement panel is $68 plus shipping at the cheapest price we could find. So I'm now wondering whether to just buy a new one.

I'd want one at least as large and at least 1,000 watts. I could use a range hood, so the idea of an over-the-range model is appealing. However, there is no hood there now, so I'm wondering if anyone can say how challenging it would be to install on a DIY basis. (It would have to be rigged for recirculating -- venting to the outside is not an option, but I figure recirculating is better than nothing.) Right now there is nothing at all over the stove -- no cupboards or anything -- so we would have to rig a shelf or install a cupboard or something.

On the other hand, countertop models are less expensive and don't need to be installed. It would be nice to have the extra space, but the current countertop microwave has a spot, so I won't be giving up any space if I get another one. The advantage, of course, is that I can take it home and use it out of the box without waiting for installation.

So I'm seeking your recommendations of microwave models of both types and opinions on what type might be best.

Do some comparison shopping at Abt. They carry everyting imaginable in microwave ovens; the GE Profile sounds like it might be in your wheelhouse. I have a smaller GE, and am hugely satisfied with it.

If you are happy with the unit you have, I would say go for the repair.
I know 3 people personally that have had to replace their newer units after a few years because they died.

I replaced an old Sharp microwave oven a few months ago, after the front panel failed, like yours did. As I live in an apartment, I only looked at countertop models. I spent a lot of time looking at: Sharp AX-1100S, which steams and grills as well as microwaves. I finally decided that the smaller size (1 cu. ft.) and lower power (900 watts) weren't worth the extra utility this machine has.

I ended up buying a Panasonic NN-SD797S: stainless steel, 1.6 cu. ft., 1250 watts. The power inverter, which alters the magnetron power rather than cycling a full power magnetron on and off (as most do) seemed especially clever to me. I've been happy so far with it, though I occasionally think how nice it would be to be able to steam fish or grill a hamburger with the Sharp.

I found Abt to be very open to haggling prices. I went in armed with that day's sale price from another local store with an online presence, Abt double checked it, then matched the price and I saved a hundred bucks or so. The price on the sales floor was higher than Abt's web site, which in turn was higher than my final price. If you go this route, write down the SKU number from the other store; the Abt folks had problems finding an exact match for the oven until they entered the SKU.

Countertop microwaves are pretty cheap but I personally would never get one unless I had a vast kitchen and some way to attractively place it. Which almost never happens in most kitchens. My kitchen is miniscule. I do not like the kind of microwave that is placed down below in a cabinet where you have to bend down to use it. I have a over the stove installed GE Profile that is both a microwave and a convection oven. It serves as a range hood and has a fan and lights. I have found this combination to be very practical at holiday time when my regular oven is stressed. Mostly I use the oven as a microwave and only as a regular oven occasionally but it does help a lot. I've been very very happy with the over the stove oven but I would not recommend installing it yourself, I think it would be too hard. I got mine at Young's appliances in Glen Ellyn which is a local business, been around for years and provides expert customer service, but there are others of course. Just what do you actually cook in a microwave? I mostly heat up stuff and have been gunshy about actually using it to cook anything.

toria wrote:Just what do you actually cook in a microwave? I mostly heat up stuff and have been gunshy about actually using it to cook anything.

Here's some of what I use it for most.

Bacon
Vegetables
Steamed fish
Chicken breasts
Melted butter, chocolate and cheese
Risotto
Soup
Eggs
Pot roast
Shrimp
Sauces
Fudge
Cooked fruit
Sweet potatoes
Partly cooking foods, such as potatoes, that I finish in the oven

I highly recommend "Microwave Gourmet" by Barbara Kafka as a source of tips and ideas.

Thanks. I have used it for many things but not pot roast or chicken or any meat except bacon.
Risotto and fudge...will have to try that.

LAZ wrote:So I'm seeking your recommendations of microwave models of both types and opinions on what type might be best.

Maybe we just got a lemon, but one brand of higher-end over-the-range microwaves I would stay away from is Dacor. At the time we needed to replace ours (a Jenn-Air, I think it was), Dacor made the only one Abt carried that could be installed in the space available. It also had a touch panel, and that part died more than once. The first time was covered under warranty, but after that, we would just take our best guess as to where the controls used to be, then hit the "start" button with fingers crossed.

Well, the dang unit itself died, not with a bang, but a whimper, about a year ago. Mysteriously, however, it will come roaring back to life when the oven underneath has been turned on to a certain degree or higher, and stay on for about 10 minutes before going silent again. (Methinks we probably need to get an electrician involved.) Sometimes the touch panel is readable, sometimes not -- then, it's just a white screen with blinking black lines.

Anyway, right now, we have a dead microwave being used during mealtime as a food "safe" when needed to keep items away from an inquisitive tabby cat, and another one taking up counter space until the budget allows for a new built-in and its installation costs.

That was probably more than you needed/wanted to know, but your posts seem to be inspiring stories from me!

Sharon

Yup, friends have a Dacor, It's died twice in five years. Wouldn't have one in my house after that.

Geo

Having just undergone the task of removing an over the range microwave oven hood, I'd vote for getting a decent fan and a counter top microwave. Most of the OTR combo units sacrifice fan speed and I found ours practically useless. While you don't have anything above your cooktop now, there is something to be said that anything is better than nothing but I don't think it's worth the $$. Get a decent hood and a good quality countertop MW and continue on.

I also do a bit more cooking in the MW than the average person. I've had success with Panasonic's over the years. Got my first one in 1981 and it's still kicking (and I regret giving it away every day!). It was massive (H-U-G-E) but it was the best MW/convection oven combo. Sharp and Panasonic are the best brands out there. I used to know which manufacturers made for the different labels but I've been out of touch on those for a few years.

On a separate note, did you fix the old MW or are you still looking for a replacement?