upstatemike said:
To be fair I don't really use many advanced features in a microwave. On my current one instead of entering a time you can just hit start and it goes for 30 seconds. If you hit start additional times it just adds 30 seconds for each press. This handles 99.9% of my microwave needs.
Features I do look for are: inverter technology for even cooking, interior light that is LED rather than incandescent, If I do set the time I prefer to use a knob over punching in a sequence of numbers on a keypad.
Totally agree. My first microwave was a 1973-4 Kenmore (Toshiba parts inside), all stainless steel inside, 600 Watts. That was consider big and one of the only units out there. Some of my guests thought it was a dishwasher.
When I replaced the magnetron tube, I remember the Sears sales technical guy dragging out the order time, attemptied to scare the crap out of me with BS about radiation and blah, blah, blah after not ordering anything for about 3 weeks.. After several attempts, making me guarantee I would pick it up, and that it was not returnable, I insisted and waited about 3 months. At that point I discovered a local Toshiba dealer, and microwaves were becoming known by the public, who offered me a replacement tube for about half the price, available tomorrow. Sears finally got the tube in 6 months later, which I never responded to.
Anyway, the microwave had a simple crank timer dial and it was always easier to use. If you need many minutes the dial was accurate enough. If you only needed 15 seconds you never leave the oven's side anyway. I have had many microwave ovens since and the crank dial was the best and easiest. All the other low power and timer stuff is just useless fluff. Mind you I do use the defrost macros.
I am looking for the same thing now. Larger than 2.0 cubic feet 1100-1200++ Watts, in white. Preferably Panasonic with their inverter technology, what ever that is? I only know it weights about 20 pounds for a large microwave oven, whereas my first magnetron oven weighed about 60-80 pounds. Shelves won't hold them without collapsing.