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Matt Meiser
06-24-2008, 7:34 PM
Our $49 microwave bit the dust after 4 years. Actually it still works, but a couple hours after using it it starts beeping with an error code, usually in the middle of the night (and it sounds a lot like our alarm panel beeping for a high level alarm in our sump pump.) We've talked about getting an over the range microwave at some point in the future, and I guess the future is now. Anything special I should look for in them? I'm anti-Whrilpool, so I'm mostly looking at ones from GE, LG, or Frigidaire in the $200-250 range.

Woodworking related content:
We currently have one of those cheesy wood range hoods that goes all the way to the top of the cabinets. My plan is to take it out, by saws-all if necessary, then build an open shelf unit for above the microwave. To hide the vent and plug, I'm planning to make the shelf only about 6" deep instead of the standard 12", but mount it flush with the other cabinets.

Steve Clardy
06-24-2008, 8:16 PM
I make cabs for hanging micro's for most of my jobs.

Say to have a 32x30" upper cab normally, with a hanging micro, you build a 16x30 cab.
Most micro's have the wiring coming out of the top, so a hole is necessary in the bottom of the cab.
Now, they don't have it so you can put the wiring at the very back of the new cabinet. That's something that irritates me a bit.

Most are optional on the venting. You can vent them through the wall, or just use the vent screens that come with them. <-much easier.

Matt Meiser
06-24-2008, 9:34 PM
Luckily the existing hood already has a vent and wiring so I can reuse them, but I was considering going unvented after seeing that option if it was going to be problematic.

Steve Clardy
06-24-2008, 9:38 PM
When you remove it Matt, check out the probable grease buildup in your wall.


I've seen some real mess's in a few of them.

Tom Godley
06-24-2008, 9:52 PM
I am not fond of the over the stove units - For me they are in the way. The vents are not as effective as a properly designed hood. But this is just my opinion.

The last three kitchens I remodeled we built the microwave into a space just under the counter - it keeps the unit out of the way but easy to get to.

One thing I would not do is go ventless -- if you do any amount of cooking you will miss the vent. And I agree, depending on the frequency of the filter changing the vent pipe may be a mess.

Over the years I have had a lot of trouble with GE appliances - except the microwaves. But GE would not be my first choice. My last unit was a Kitchen-aid -- I think it is a whirlpool unit.

Good luck

Jim Becker
06-24-2008, 10:31 PM
I had an over the range unit in my previous residence. It was nice at first since it freed up counter space, but over time I began to hate it as it was "more in the way" when cooking on the range. It's also more expensive to replace when it goes kaflooie. (and they all do at some point) I'll also agree with the sentiment that the vent is pretty important for good kitchen hygiene. An over the range microwave may not provide that feature as efficiently or at all, depending on the model. Like dust collection, it's all about CFM.

Matt Meiser
06-24-2008, 11:08 PM
We actually had one of the over the range units at our last house and have missed it ever since. That one was already several years old when we got it so comparing that brand to new is apples to oranges.

I never thought about CFM ratings on the fan. Looking at the various manufacturers sites, 300 CFM seems to be the standard. Not sure how that compares to a typical range hood--not a high-end one, but a typical average house style? We don't use the vent that often right now, but when we do, its usually for good reason. For example to keep the smoke alarm from going off. :eek: I also never thought about cleaning or replacing the vent pipe. It currently goes into the wall and up through the roof. Replacement should be "fun" if needed. Its a spiral flex hose currently.

Dan Mages
06-24-2008, 11:31 PM
I had an over the range microwave in my old house and it worked wonderfully. I had a GE model and never had trouble with it. One option to look into is a combination microwave and convection oven. The convection oven feature is very handy for small tasks or a quick plate of fries.

3 bits... adjusted for fuel surcharges

Dan

David G Baker
06-24-2008, 11:42 PM
Matt,
I have an over the range microwave and so far we have been happy with it. It is the non vented type due to the location. I installed it with out much of a problem. We do not eat much fried food so grease shouldn't be a problem but I know that it will show up when I have to replace it.
I agree with Jim on the cost of replacement and at some point it will need replaced.

Jim Becker
06-25-2008, 7:34 AM
I agree with Dan on the convection capability...we use a small convection oven a lot to avoid firing up the big ovens for small jobs. It makes great waffles in the morning, too... :)

Art Mulder
06-25-2008, 8:01 AM
but I was considering going unvented after seeing that option if it was going to be problematic.


We don't use the vent that often right now, but when we do, its usually for good reason. For example to keep the smoke alarm from going off. :eek:.

Matt, you do realize that those two statements are basically incompatible... :cool:

If you don't vent it outside, then the smoke/steam/smells aren't going anywhere, they're just being recirculated into your kitchen through a cheesy filter. I've read numerous comments from folks on how that doesn't do much.

I, personally, would NOT consider putting in a ventless fan. We don't even fry that much, but we do bake, and cook, and things occasionally burn, or there's tons of steam, and I want all of that OUTSIDE.

Jeffrey Makiel
06-25-2008, 8:39 AM
I have an 'over the range' microwave for 20 years. I have also installed many of them on various jobs because they are very space saving.

A few thoughts...

1. All the microwaves I've dealt with have the option of recirculating air (via charcoal filter) or discharge to the outside via 10 x 3 1/4 rectangular metal duct then transitioning to 6" dia metal ducting to a wall or roof cap. It's just a matter of rotating the little squirrel cage fan within the unit or moving a blanking plate.

2. The exhaust fans are very loud. Considering that you will be standing directly infront of the microwave hood as you cook on the range with your head at nearly the same height as the microwave, it can be quite annoying.

3. These units are 30" wide, but they all install a little differently. If you need to replace the unit, some modification to the upper cabinet or backsplash always seems to be required.

4. The GE model breaks often.

5. They have become very inexpensive (starting at $200). Caveat emptor. But they are all fairly powerful.

cheers, Jeff :)

Kyle Kraft
06-25-2008, 9:05 AM
My Whirlpool unit bit the dust at or around the 3 year mark, which was Nov. 2007. I replaced it with an LG ~ $180. The LG is only around 6 months old and the door hinge has developed an annoying rubbing noise when you open it. The plastic at the edge of the door near the hinge rubs on the face of the door opening. My theory is that "someone" aged between 7 and 12 has hung on the door and tweaked the hinges.

Other than that which is probably self inflicted damages the only other issues are as follows:

Noisy fan, not so user friendly keypad controls, and the turntable isn't inset into the bottom of the oven. It sits up about 3/4" above the floor. The Whirlpool's turn plate was nearly flush with the bottom.

JohnT Fitzgerald
06-25-2008, 9:12 AM
somewhat related but off-topic...

when we moved into our newly-build house, all we had was a hood w/fan above the stove. But when we turned the fan on, no air was coming out. weird. and we knew there was no external pipe/vent (was not in the budget). so we had the builder send a guy out to check it out. He explained that it was vented into the wall. "where does it go from there?" I asked, and he was stumped, so he took it down and - sure enough, it was vented right into a nicely cut hole in the wall. no vent pipe, no nothing - just into the wall cavity. can you say 'grease fire'?? He didn't see the big deal, but corrected it anyways.

Jeffrey Makiel
06-25-2008, 11:04 AM
no vent pipe, no nothing - just into the wall cavity. can you say 'grease fire'?? He didn't see the big deal, but corrected it anyways.

Wow

-Jeff :)

Justin Leiwig
06-25-2008, 11:11 AM
Maytag owns whirlpool, jenn-air,kitchenaid, roper, gladiator,and magic chef

Ge does GE appliances, hot-point

Electrolux has fridgidaire, gibson, tappan, westinghouse, and now electrolux

LG is a korean company

Find more info at http://www.applianceadvisor.com/brandadvisor.htm

I have an LG and I hate it. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to microwaves.

Michael Weber
06-25-2008, 11:28 AM
Maytag owns whirlpool, jenn-air,kitchenaid, roper, gladiator,and magic chef

.
I thought Whirlpool owned Maytag. We used to have an a above the range microwave before remodeling. My wife found the exhause blower very loud and tended not to use it because of that. So be sure you check out the db ratings if there are any. Another option is to put on an external vent fan on the ducting to avoid fan noise.

Jeffrey Makiel
06-25-2008, 6:03 PM
To reduce noise, I added a board inside the microwave behind the grille where the air would normally discharge if it was in recirc mode vs outside vented (mine is outside vented). It helped significantly.

Actually, I believe Whirlpool now owns Maytag. And if I recall correctly, GE announced that it was selling off its appliance line.

-Jeff :)

Matt Ocel
06-25-2008, 7:52 PM
Be careful on deciding on "convection" may need 220.
Be careful on deciding on a "high CFM hood" may need additional make up air.

Matt Meiser
06-25-2008, 7:55 PM
Yes, Maytag is now Whirlpool. I hate Whirlpool based on past experience of my own and my parents with them and Kenmore. When I called the local appliance store I asked what they carried, and said I wasn't interested in anything Whirlpool and she made a comment to the effect of "I can understand that."

My wife kind of likes the LG, which means that's probably what we are getting :cool: Home Depot stocks the LG on the shelf while Lowes and Menards stocks GE. The local place only stocks the Whirlpool brands and has to order anything else. I want to buy off the shelf in case the box has missing parts, concealed damage, whatever. As sad as it sounds, I think anything at the low end price point is basically throw away so I'm not really worried about what might happen with GE. Who knows, maybe Whirlpool will buy them and add the flushing toilet logo.

John Shuk
06-25-2008, 7:58 PM
I have a GE that is a microwave as well as a convection oven. I love the convection feature and we use it alot. It is especially nice on holidays when we are cooking for 15 to 20 people and need all the oven space we can get.

Justin Leiwig
06-25-2008, 8:32 PM
Yes, Maytag is now Whirlpool. I hate Whirlpool based on past experience of my own and my parents with them and Kenmore. When I called the local appliance store I asked what they carried, and said I wasn't interested in anything Whirlpool and she made a comment to the effect of "I can understand that."

My wife kind of likes the LG, which means that's probably what we are getting :cool: Home Depot stocks the LG on the shelf while Lowes and Menards stocks GE. The local place only stocks the Whirlpool brands and has to order anything else. I want to buy off the shelf in case the box has missing parts, concealed damage, whatever. As sad as it sounds, I think anything at the low end price point is basically throw away so I'm not really worried about what might happen with GE. Who knows, maybe Whirlpool will buy them and add the flushing toilet logo.

Technically maytag bought whirlpool, but in all their documentation they state that they "merged".

What you may wan to check on is that in the moving packet at the post office there was a 10% off coupon for Best Buy. That's where we got our LG microwave. $30 bucks off is a little bit of gas or something else. Every bit helps nowadays.

Matt Meiser
06-25-2008, 8:58 PM
Justin, which LG do you have? What do you think of it?

Joe Pelonio
06-25-2008, 9:33 PM
For microwave reliability, between the house and shop over the years we have probably gone through 8. The best by far is the current one, a Panasonic 1250w. It's pretty big for ovr the stove, but there are smaller versions. We love the sensor system for reheating, just push the button and it beeps when ready. I think it has a moisture and heat sensor or something.

As for the mounting, my daughter is 5' tall and couldn't reach it if we mounted it over the stove. Is everyone in your house tall enough?

Justin Leiwig
06-26-2008, 7:04 AM
Justin, which LG do you have? What do you think of it?

I'll have to check when I get home. I know we bought it at best buy a couple months ago for around $300.

I wouldn't buy it again if I had the chance...but considering that it was a house warming gift, I guess I didn't buy it in the first place. ;)

It's loud when it's running, especially with the turntable on. It has a special feature that if it's been cooking for a long time it won't actually turn on the rectifier, just the fans an turn tables until it cools down. I was about to rip it out and take it back until I figured that out. It's also cheaply made in my opinion. It's the KIA of microwaves.

The nice things are the exhaust fans and the special features. It's got a boatload of defrost and reheat and cook features that our old microwave didn't have. Then again, I'm used to just putting in the time and cooking something, so I don't use the special features all that often.

Matt Meiser
06-26-2008, 7:57 AM
As for the mounting, my daughter is 5' tall and couldn't reach it if we mounted it over the stove. Is everyone in your house tall enough?

That's actually a good reason as my 6 year old has now decided that she can run the microwave which I don't think is a good idea. I think she will be tall though and by the time she should be using it, I think she'll be tall enough.

Our use is probably mostly reheating stuff, making a can of soup or cup of hot cocoa mostly. There are probably times where it goes a few days without use.

Danny Thompson
06-26-2008, 8:16 AM
In the past year, in the course of a move and a remodel, I've had a Whirlpool, GE, and Kenmore. They all performed well, leaving me with the impression that all modern microwaves, at least the name brand ones, are good. The features I would recommend looking for are:

Wattage
--1000 seems to heat significantly better than 800
Clearance
--they are all the same width, but vary in height and depth. Consider these factors relative to the space above your cooktop. In my last house, the countertops were a couple of inches higher than normal, so clearance was a big issue. We found one that was a little shorter and not quite as deep as the alternatives. In our current house, the counters were normal height, so this wasn't an issue.


Not so important:
Capacity
--Greater capacity isn't necessarily better unless you host a lot of family dinners that require reheating multiple items at once.
Automatic cooking features
--I find automatic defrost and cooking cycles almost always overcook my food.

Nolan Taylor
06-26-2008, 8:43 AM
Over the years we've owned Whirlpool, Kenmore, JenAire and GE wall hung microwaves .... none of them used above the range top so I'm a non entry in the knowledge race concerning venting capabilities.

GE Profile is the winner by waaaaaaaaaaay far.

During our last kitchen remod (I do all the work myself on house redos) I installed three (3) GE Profiles..... two side by side wall hung over a workspace granite countertop with open twelve(12) inch deep shelves above
and
one in the outdoor kitchen I built ... that one IS above a JenAire slide in convection oven/range top. I'm using the downdraft vent on the JA and didn't bother to hook up the GE microwave exhaust.

btw --- I did run a separate 20amp circuit to each microwave so that I could use the side by side units at the same time without worrying about electric difficulties.

Lee DeRaud
06-26-2008, 8:49 AM
One feature that seems to vary from model to model is how the beeper works. I've seen/owned a couple of countertop units that, when they finished cooking, beeped continuously like a smoke alarm until you opened the door or hit a button...very annoying, especially when you want the contents to "rest" for a minute or two anyway. The GE overrange unit I installed in 1994 (still going strong) beeps 3-4 times at the end of the cycle, then once every minute. Also, you can vary the volume of the beep from almost inaudible to loud enough to hear out in the garage/shop.

(And you can have some fun driving the sales-drones at the appliance store crazy testing this...:cool:)

Burt Alcantara
06-26-2008, 5:48 PM
I've owned about 8 microwaves over the years. I find them to be very useful. As far as I'm concerned, they are all the same. For me, the important issues are having a readable interface, logical control layout and minimal menu options.

Don't want to press 6 buttons to turn the thing on. Don't want to squint to find the right button (black on black), bright back lit display, reasonable alert alarms, easy to set clock/timer (still can't get it right on my Sharps), and endurance would be a very nice plus.

None lasted longer then 3 years, but then, I buy sub $100 brands.

Burt

Art Mulder
06-26-2008, 6:18 PM
For microwave reliability, between the house and shop over the years we have probably gone through 8. ...

Wow, this just boggles my mind how many of you guys out there have gone through 5-10 microwaves. Joe was not the only one to mention a high number.

I still have, and use, the first microwave I ever bought. It is a Kenmore -- I think it was Panasonic that year, but I really don't know. I bought it waaaaaay back in 1987 I think. It was a full size 700watt model. Brown (which is really the only think I don't much like. Oh, that isn't true, I wish it had a turntable as well.)

21 years old and nothing at all wrong with it. It did die once, and I fixed it by popping the cover (ignore that "no user serviceable parts inside" comment, it's a lie :p) and replacing a fuse --- "microwave fuse", cost all of $2 at the local Borg -- came in a pack of two which is just nuts for something you need once every 10-12 years...

I've turned around the idea, every now and then, of giving it away or tossing it in favour of a newer/smaller model, since this unit is so big. But after reading all these comments, I think I should just keep it as long as possible, as it looks like it would outlive any other microwave I might buy.

...art

Steve Clardy
06-26-2008, 6:24 PM
We are on our third one.

First one was 20 some years ago. Kenmore.

Second was a used one.

In updating our kitchen, I just bought another kenmore the first of this year.


All of our appliances have always been kenmore.

3 frigs in 35 years

3 sets of Washer and driers in 35 years. <- Washed clothes for 4 boys and us.

Lee DeRaud
06-26-2008, 6:38 PM
Wow, this just boggles my mind how many of you guys out there have gone through 5-10 microwaves.Second that.

My current one is the GE over-range unit I got when I did the kitchen in late '94, figured (correctly) that it would free up some counter space. The countertop GE it replaced was bought in '86, given to a friend in '94, and is still going strong. The only reason I bought that one was that my ex took its predecessor with her when she moved out: that was a Whirlpool bought in '78 and still working fine in '86...for all I know it's still running.

Rich Engelhardt
06-27-2008, 6:48 AM
Hello,
We're on our second (within the last 6 years) above range unit.

Never again.

When this one goes, the space above the range is going to get either a shelf or a fancy Cherry hood, and the MW will resort back to a $49.00 counter top model.

Every time our "good" MW goes out (we've had ~ 6 or 7 since 1976), my wife insists of dragging out the 1981 vintage J.C.Penny one.
On the outside, the thing looks like it would hold a T-Rex. On the inside, it might hold a Cornish hen - it you smooshed it down enough:rolleyes:

Power? Oh yeah, it's got all of about 15W...on a good day..probably half of that on a usual day:rolleyes:
But heck, you can program it for 7 days ahead to do all sorts of things - except pop popcorn, which is all I use it for.

I HATE that thing, but, SWMBO won't allow me to smash it, because we paid nearly $500.00 for it way back when.

Rob Russell
06-27-2008, 7:22 AM
We're on our second countertop microwave - first was a Kenmore (still going at work), the replcement is a Panasonic.

The only thing I'd caution about an over-the-range microwave is that they can limit the size of tall pots you canuse. If we were to put an OTR unit in our kitchen, we wouldn't be able to fit our 2-part lobster pot on the stove. LOML ain't gonna let that happen!

Point is, if you have really tall cookware, make sure you have enough clearance under the OTR microwave.

Justin Leiwig
06-27-2008, 7:46 AM
Justin, which LG do you have? What do you think of it?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8820742&type=product&id=1206750234374

This is the one that we decided on. For some reason I thought it was 299, but now it appears to be less than 200. Maybe it's a model year end sale? The website says it's on sale right now. I didn't put it in a shopping cart to find out how much.

Matt Meiser
06-27-2008, 8:16 AM
That's the exact same one LOML likes. Is yours stainless? I think its in the $300 range in stainless. Since Best Buy has it on sale for $189, I believe that now makes Home Depot's price $170. ($189-10%)

Brent Ring
06-27-2008, 9:46 AM
We purchased a Sharp carousel Countertop model - Full Size - lasted until we moved into this house, and had an over the range model included in the house price. The old sharp we gave to my SIL and it is still going.

The new one is a non-spinning Sharp Carousel. We have to slam the door hard to set the switch to run, after only two years. Ours is non vented, and I want to change that when this one dies. The over-the-range ones are expensive though. $350-$500 in my neck of the woods for something decent.

Brent Ring
06-27-2008, 9:48 AM
one other note - the original Sharp is 23 years old. Still going strong!

Justin Leiwig
06-27-2008, 10:06 AM
That's the exact same one LOML likes. Is yours stainless? I think its in the $300 range in stainless. Since Best Buy has it on sale for $189, I believe that now makes Home Depot's price $170. ($189-10%)

No..ours is white. Don't forget about the coupon for best buy, they have the 10% coupon in the mover pack at the post office. I'd never buy an appliance from Home Depot...I know the people they hire. At least best buy had it delievered to my door by UPS for free.

Matt Meiser
06-27-2008, 8:26 PM
We ended up with a Frigidaire which is what all our other appliances are. I stopped in one of the locally owned appliance stores in Toledo this evening to see what they had and they had a Frigidaire which no one else stocked. Since we had our Focus with us, its being delivered on Monday, for free!

Now I have to build the cabinet for above. We are thinking something basic with open shelves to display some dishwasher-safe items.

Curt Harms
06-28-2008, 3:51 AM
one other note - the original Sharp is 23 years old. Still going strong!

We have a Sharp that the warranty engineers got wrong--an expensive part failed a week before the warranty expired, not the week after the warranty expired:D. It's been working fine for 8 years or so.