A Short-Lived Microwave
Written: Mar 26 '08
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Pros: Does what it is supposed to-makes big heat in a small space.
Cons: Cheap materials-number pad is stiff and falling apart. Inconvenient "convenience" buttons, odd smell.
The Bottom Line: I would recommend paying more and buying a different model. This microwave will not last for very long with much use at all.
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| dsnider2006's Full Review: Montgomery Ward MW8997BEC/ MW8997WEC 900 Watts Mic... |
General
I bought this microwave for use in my dorm room. I have been using it 3-4 times a week for 1 1/2 years. From the outside, it doesn't appear to be shoddily made. The colors, other than the red stop button and the green go button are not garish or offensive, so I'm not offended by looking at it everyday.The inside cubic footage is decent compared to the size of the outside, another nicety.
The glass plate inside has yet to be broken, which is surprising to me-I can break anything.
Operation
I have found it to be very powerful-it heats quickly and evenly. It is about the same loudness as other countertop microwaves.
It was fairly easy to figure out how to operate, even though it is quite different from the Kenmore I was used to at home. You can literally just push a button (1-9) for 1 to 9 minutes of 100% power cooking time. To lower the power, you must repeatedly punch the power button until it lowers to your desired power. At that point, you can select any amount of time, not just whole minutes.
The clock is easy to set and, unlike many other models, does not continually blink if you don't set it. You can also still cook with it even if the clock is not set.
Complaints
I appreciate the fact that the people at Emerson attempted to make using it more convenient. However, I don't really need 12 different buttons, from pizza to popcorn to milk. And the times for these buttons are a little off. The programmed 30 seconds at 70% power wouldn't get milk past 50 degrees, and I am looking for hot milk if I'm making hot chocolate with it. It's just easier to punch in the preferred time myself than repeatedly let it run its "milk" programmed time and have to keep testing to see if it's hot enough.
For the first two weeks of operation, it made a really burnt, metallic smell when I used it. It will still smell kind of crispy and burnt periodically.
When I first got this machine, the number pad seemed very stiff. It was hard to punch the buttons hard enough to get them to work. Now, the coating is peeling off most of the buttons, so they are even harder to push. I imagine I'll have to replace it within the year- who needs a microwave without usable buttons?
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 80
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Epinions.com ID:
dsnider2006
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Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 0 members
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