VENDOR'S PART NO MANUFACTURER'S PART NUMBER ITEM DESCRIPTION LEAD TIME RE-80PR ID: PRIMUS MOTOR: 100602 Primus Motor ELMO type CF160J/2-20-RS-3T-3599.
There is no perfect microwave oven, but after two hands-on trials, 75 hours of research, and years of ownership by several Wirecutter editors, we’ve concluded that GE microwaves come darn close to the ideal. Our new top pick, the, offers all the GE features we’ve come to love. Last updated: August 10, 2016 Since we published this guide, GE has replaced our over-the-range pick with a new model. Identical in specs and layout, it has a new model number, but is otherwise equivalent. That link is to the stainless model; the microwave also comes in white and dark gray. We’ve updated the guide accordingly.
Its cooking performance is excellent and dead simple: It’ll expertly “bake” a potato, reheat pizza, and warm up a beverage to hot (but not scalding) with the touch of a button. Its internal sensors reliably eliminate cold spots and overcooking. It performs better at a wide array of tasks than more expensive and “advanced” competitors.
And last but not least, it excels in the crucial matter of user interface: With a plainly labeled keypad and intuitive controls, it’s like that Ron Popeil oven—you “set it and forget it.” (One Wirecutter editor tested it for two weeks and never needed to consult the user manual.) The value of this cannot be overstated—especially in light of the absurdly complicated interfaces on offer from other makers. To cook something for one minute you simply press the “1” button, for two minutes you press “2,” and so on. Unlike with other microwaves, you don’t even have to press Start. It starts itself. The Add 30 Seconds button tacks on a half minute of heating time with a single push—a so-dumb-it’s-genius widget that, in our tests and in our years of GE microwave ownership, gets more use than any other.
Because let’s face it: Dull-witted early-morning or end-of-a-long-day nuking accounts for 90 percent of our microwaving. This GE also comes with an attractive price—currently about $150. It is virtually the same unit as our —it’s just a newer model in a smaller size. New for this year, we’ve made an over-the-range (OTR) microwave pick, the, for homeowners who are redoing their kitchen or want to spare the counter space. Its sensor-cook options, presets, specs, and interface are similar to those of our main pick.
Like all OTR microwaves, it also features a vent fan underneath the cooking chamber, with the option to send the air to a duct or recirculate it through a filter, depending on your kitchen’s configuration. It’s a great value given that OTR microwaves are generally much pricier than countertops. We reviewed buying guides and ratings from Consumer Reports, Good Housekeeping, and CNET, and read through hundreds of customer reviews on retail sites. We also interviewed product managers at Panasonic and GE, appliance expert Chris Zeisler of, and author Leslie Bilderback. I am a Wirecutter staff writer and editor, and have tested dozens of products and authored guides to many tools for the site, including air purifiers, knife sharpeners, and shovels. This guide also builds on research and testing by Wirecutter executive editor Ganda Suthivarakom for the first version of this guide in 2014 and research by freelancer Jessie Kissinger this year. Combined, we have 75 hours of formal research and testing and years of real-world use under our belts.
How we picked. Though they’re both 1.6-cubic-foot microwaves, the GE (left) is narrower and shallower (see for more images) than the Panasonic (right). That saves precious counter space.
For our original guide, we spent 60 hours researching microwaves and testing a finalist group of seven. Given that the microwave field doesn’t generally take quantum leaps, this time around we simplified things. Applying what we learned in the first guide left us with a short list of seven models. Then we spent 15 hours speaking with product managers at the different brands, poring over customer reviews, and polling our staff for input.
The result was a pair of finalists made by the same companies that made our winner and runner-up last time: GE and Panasonic. With these two in hand, we ran them through four of the most indicative tests from our original guide (for details see ) and emerged with a clear pick. The most shocking revelation of all our research was the fact that among the hundreds of microwaves for sale today, many have completely identical hardware.
Like, exactly the same, except for slightly different keypads and brand-name badges. We’re not just talking about companies with the same owner, either. Out of seven microwaves we called in in 2014, we had two pairs that seemed to be twins—and this was after painstakingly trying to avoid duplicates.
After further digging, we learned that nearly half the microwaves in the world are produced by one manufacturer in China. But we also learned that though the housing may look exactly the same, the software can still make a big difference in performance between dupes. That, in a nutshell, is why we ultimately decided to test just a GE and a Panasonic this time: After our earlier battery of tests, they’d shown themselves to have the best combination of hardware and software. They simply worked better than the rest.
Pull Quote The most shocking revelation of all our research was the fact that among the hundreds of microwaves for sale today, many have completely identical hardware. In 2014, we polled our readers to find out what they wanted in a microwave, and we found that most people wanted a unit that costs between $100 and about $300, with easy-to-use controls and a stainless steel finish. We then focused on countertop microwave ovens because they are the most popular and affordable segment. But as mentioned, this year we’ve added an over-the-range pick, because this is an excellent way for homeowners to invest in their kitchen, save counter space, and create a more cohesive kitchen aesthetic. Reader comments and internal Wirecutter conversations made us realize that we also needed a true budget pick—something under $100—and, if possible, a genuinely diminutive pick. Fortunately, those qualities tend to go hand in hand.
In our first guide, we reviewed both mid- and large-size ovens with turntables big enough to spin a 13-by-9-inch dish or two small plates, but in retrospect, we realized that the larger microwaves had too big a footprint for most spaces. So this year we narrowed our countertop and OTR search exclusively to midsize microwaves—between 1.5 and 1.9 cubic feet. (That’s still plenty big enough for most things you’ll ever need to cook or reheat.) For midsize models, we only considered microwaves with a minimum of 1,000 watts. And both reported that midsize microwaves with cooking power lower than 1,000 watts are significantly slower and cook much less evenly.) However, just because a microwave has the highest wattage on the market does not necessarily mean that it will cook the fastest or the most evenly; these qualities depend to a great degree on how efficiently the microwave is programmed and how the microwaves themselves are delivered. A smaller machine, by contrast, can potentially get away with somewhat less power; our small budget pick (at 0.7 cubic feet, less than 50 percent the size of our main pick) runs at 700 watts and receives rave reviews. Numbers count less than real-world results. We also did not include units with the ability to convection bake—meaning the microwave also has a heating element that bakes the food like an oven—for two reasons.
One: Microwaves are primarily used for reheating leftovers, softening butter, and cooking TV dinners, potatoes, and popcorn. Two: Appliances with this feature tend to be well above the $300 limit that our reader poll set. How we tested. Pull Quote We tested a single model from GE and one from Panasonic that met our criteria: the GE JES1656SRSS and the Panasonic NN-SE785S.
First, we created a “heat map” for both microwaves by completely covering each one’s platter with parchment paper and a layer of plain mini marshmallows, then nuking them on high until the marshmallows began to brown. Microwave ovens don’t actually deliver heat to a food item, the way a conventional oven does (via heated air); they work by using microwave energy to cause the water and other simple molecules in food to rapidly vibrate, which generates internal friction at the molecular level, heating the food from within. That’s why microwave ovens can heat things so quickly, and why they’re so good at steaming vegetables in their own juices—they don’t rely on the slow and uneven process of transferring heat energy from the air, the way a conventional oven does. But the microwaves aren’t delivered evenly, the way heated air in a conventional oven is. That’s why microwave trays rotate: so that, ideally, every section of the food item gets equal treatment. But the world doesn’t operate on ideals, and neither do microwave ovens.
The marshmallow “heat map” reveals their actual heating patterns—as illustrated in below. We then “baked” potatoes in the GE and Panasonic.
A baked potato is one of the great dinnertime basics, a cheap and tasty starch that complements everything from simple sour cream and chives to baroque beef bourguignon. But actually baking a potato takes upwards of an hour, whereas by virtue of that internal steaming, a microwave can cook a family’s worth of large russet potatoes in under 5 minutes; you lose the crispy skin but gain far more in convenience. We followed manufacturer instructions to the letter for this test, cooking a single potato in each oven on each unit’s automatic setting. By luck, both potatoes were precisely the same size: 7.94 ounces, weighed on; and the GE and Panasonic took nearly the same time to cook them—between 3.5 and 4 minutes. When the cooking ended, we cut each potato open and tested for doneness.
Next we attempted to defrost a pack of frozen ground beef—and again, by luck we had test items of absolutely identical size, 1.31 pounds. As with the potato, we used the automatic function (the defrost setting, inputting the approximate weight). Here, the GE and Panasonic differed considerably, the former settling on about 11 minutes and the latter about 6 minutes for the same task. Both units gave prompts every few minutes to flip the meat, which we did. When the time was up, we cut apart each block of meat with a fork to test for evenness and completeness of defrosting. Finally, we made popcorn—basic Orville Redenbacher.
Once again, we cooked them using each unit’s automatic setting. We then opened each bag of popcorn and smelled, looked, and tasted for doneness versus burntness, and then carefully sifted the popped kernels from the unpopped before weighing the latter down to the gram. The is our new pick for a countertop microwave. Like our, it can do a lot of basic, diverse, often-repeated jobs—like reheating a single bowl of soup or “baking” potatoes for a family of four—with the touch of one of its task-specific preset buttons. It also lets you manually set cooking times and power levels with the push of a button or two—basically, it nukes food as easily as flipping a switch—and being honest, that’s how most of us use microwaves. Moreover, it does these tasks well, many of them outright superbly, thanks to a combination of solid hardware and well-engineered software that delivers its ample power efficiently and effectively. But where this microwave—like all GE microwaves—sets itself apart is in its easy, intuitive operation.
How intuitive? Wirecutter executive editor Mike Berk has used it happily for over a month, as a replacement for a Sharp, and has never looked at the manual. Neither have I, and I’ve owned and used a fancy-pants GE Profile microwave for nearly three years. Let’s begin with that intuitive usability. Judged by the minimalist, menu-based interfaces of a lot of modern technology—that of smartphones, most obviously—GE microwaves are firmly in the dumb camp. The keypad is busy, incorporating a 0-to-9 “calculator” and various function-specific buttons like Potato, Popcorn, Reheat, and Add 30 Sec. Yet, in practice this dumbness proves brilliant.
The machine more or less tells you how to make it work. One button gets you perfectly baked russets, another, perfectly popped Redenbacher. As a result, the and our other picks are a cinch to use right out of the box. You'll receive a confirmation email soon for Wirecutter Weekly and Deals We Love. The GE keypad looks busy, but it’s an ideal of “KISS”—keep it simple, stupid—design.
Most functions require a single push of a button. The way you input the time to cook is a perfect example. For one minute, you simply press “1”; for two minutes, you press “2”; and so on—and cooking begins as soon as you press the number’s button. Some other brands force you to hit a Time Cook button, then manually type “1:00,” or whatever amount of time you need. Others make you input times incrementally by repeatedly toggling an arrow button (that’s how the Panasonic works).
Many also require you to then push a Start button as well. This unnecessary effort may not be a big deal the first few times you have to do so—indeed it initially gives the illusion of greater control—but it soon becomes maddening. Pull Quote Judged by the minimalist, menu-based interfaces of a lot of modern technology—that of smartphones, most obviously—GE microwaves are firmly in the dumb camp.
The like nearly all GEs, and some other brands, including Panasonic—also features an Add 30 Sec button, and if that seems minor, you’ve probably never had one as an option. If that bowl of yesterday’s soup isn’t quite steaming hot yet, you just want to hit it with a touch more cooking time—one tap of Add 30 Sec instantly does the trick. As Wirecutter executive editor Ganda Suthivarakom, a three-year GE owner, laughingly described her interactions with her microwave, “I press two buttons: Add 30 Sec and 1-minute auto—and there is very little friction between my life and my use of the microwave.” In the marshmallow “heat map” test, the GE gave a visibly more even heating pattern than the Panasonic (see the pictures below).
Both concentrated heat in the center of the platter, as they should—that’s where most cooking and reheating occurs. But the GE browned the marshmallows quite evenly on the outer half of the platter, indicating consistent peripheral heating; the Panasonic created an archer’s target of browned and unbrowned rings, indicating uneven peripheral heating. (In fairness, however, the burnt spot on the edge of the Panasonic sample was the result of the parchment paper sticking to the wall of the cooking chamber for the last few seconds, concentrating the heating in one spot just below the microwave generator.).
The GE won the baked-potato test hands down. Lacking specific instructions from the user manual, we placed the GE potato on the center of the platter.
Following the specific instructions in its manual, we placed the Panasonic potato on the edge of the platter. Again, both were cooked using the units’ automatic Potato function. The GE produced a perfect “baked” potato, soft but not mushy from end to end. The Panasonic produced a half-cooked potato, which is to say, a half-inedible one—and more to the point, not the foundation of a quick weeknight dinner. The GE and the Panasonic both flubbed the defrost test.
Despite the wide difference in defrosting time between them (roughly 11 and 6 minutes, respectively), they yielded identical blocks of ground beef that were perfectly defrosted on the outside—and still frozen hard at the core. To be fair, this was a hard test: We took the meat straight from the freezer to the microwave, without allowing it to naturally defrost at all. (Best practice is to slowly thaw meat in the fridge, or relatively quickly under cold running water.) But that’s the way most of us would do it in everyday life, too. Realistic or not, we anticipated better performance from both brands. The GE aced the popcorn test, producing a full bag of popped but not scorched corn and leaving a single gram of kernels unpopped. The bags have a net weight of 93 grams, so this works out to 99 percent efficiency. By contrast the Panasonic produced many scorched bits, and a few that were outright charred (see the photos).
It left 6 grams unpopped, too—six times what the GE left behind. At 1,150 watts, the GE has plenty of power for its size (1.6 cubic feet).
It also comes with an attractive price—currently about —and a smallish footprint at roughly 18 inches deep by 22 inches wide by 12 inches high. GE adopted a boxy shape for this model, meaning it’s a bit taller but significantly less deep than the Panasonic (which has the same cooking-chamber volume: 1.6 cubic feet).
We prefer GE’s approach: counter depth is at a premium in most kitchens, yet the airspace above the counter is generally open. The GE (top) is also significantly shallower, and a bit taller, than the Panasonic (bottom). That’s smart design: Counter depth is at a premium; airspace above the counter, not so much. The platter is 13.5 inches across, and the cooking chamber is 16.5 inches wide and deep, so you can reheat a big 13-by-9-inch pan of lasagna in it. But you—or a houseguest who’s never used it before—can also stumble out of the bedroom, slop in a mug of yesterday’s coffee, press a single button, and join the land of the caffeinated within 60 seconds.
That’s what makes it great. Flaws but not dealbreakers. The GE gave an average-for-microwaves—which is to say, poor—performance on thawing hard-frozen ground beef. GE microwaves have an oddly—and accretively—annoying four-beep “your food is ready” alarm and a single-beep reminder that repeats every 30 seconds. You can, happily, lower the volume to the point that it’s unobtrusive from anywhere outside the kitchen. But note to GE engineers: One beep, total, is enough.
It’s not an oven; nothing’s gonna burn if we’ve gotten sidetracked by more important matters than warming up last night’s pad thai. An over-the-range pick. Over-the-range (OTR) microwaves represent an upgrade in terms of complexity (and permanence) of installation, and usually an increase in price—in this case, currently about $150 over the cost of our main countertop pick. (Even if otherwise identical to a countertop model, an OTR will always feature a ventilation fan, and that alone adds to the manufacturing cost.) The is very similar to our main pick on most specs, albeit slightly less powerful at 1,000 watts (versus 1,150).
It has the same terrific, plainly labeled, intuitive interface. Its 300-cubic-feet-per-minute vent fan is not the most powerful (higher-end models generally offer 400 cfm or more), but it will quickly clear most kitchen disasters short of a full-on fire.
And with a suggested price that’s usually around $330 (and some color variant models that are $50 less) it’s a quality machine at an attractive price. Minimal size, minimal cost. At 0.7 cubic feet (less than half the volume of our main pick) and with a countertop footprint of 10 inches tall by 13 inches deep by 18 inches wide, is small in every respect except performance. It gets tremendous reviews from owners—nearly five stars from across 42 Home Depot reviews—and, just as important, has the same simple user interface as our main pick. It lacks some of the advanced features, and with a 12-by-12-inch cooking chamber, it can’t handle a big casserole pan if you’re feeding a crowd. But for small families or single users, and for basic reheating and cooking tasks, it’s a top value. Care and maintenance.
The most important way to make sure your microwave lasts is to stop slamming the door. That’s because microwaves have a dual kill switch in the latch to make it impossible for the microwave to turn on if the door is open or even compromised. That’s a good thing—but it means that the latch is a vulnerable point of potential failure. Do yourself a favor and be gentle with it. And never run your microwave empty.
Without food to absorb the microwaves, they’ll bounce around the cavity and possibly cause damage to the oven. Pull Quote The most important way to make sure your microwave lasts is to stop slamming the door. Frequently used microwaves need to be cleaned at least once per week, because any food remnants stuck to the walls can get overheated and cause damage to the microwave itself. Good Housekeeping recommends spraying cleaner onto your towel and not on the microwave’s surface, where it can get into the perforations and damage the internal elements. An even simpler trick (courtesy of Wirecutter editor Christine Cyr Clisset) is to nuke a bowl of water for five minutes on high: The steam will loosen most gunk, and you can wipe it out with just a plain paper towel. If your microwave is broken, do not attempt to repair it yourself.
Microwaves are very dangerous to tamper with and should be serviced by professionals because the magnetron can retain a hazardous charge even when it isn’t plugged in. Most microwave manufacturers discourage people from even changing the lightbulbs. Microwaves with reheating sensors require moisture to be released from food in order to work properly. Don’t cover your food completely with something that isn’t porous. Use a microwave cover with holes, or loose plastic wrap. How microwaves work. The microwave-oven technology hasn’t changed much in the last half century.
When you lifted your microwave onto the counter for the first time, did you notice that it was heavy on one side? That’s likely the vacuum-tube magnetron. The magnetron generates microwaves. Those waves are then guided into the oven’s cavity, where they bounce around, rapidly swinging the polarity of charged molecules in foods (particularly water, fats, and sugars) and generating heat. Metal mesh on the door keeps those large-wavelength microwaves from escaping the metal box and cooking you. ( uses a disassembled model to explain.) “Inverter technology” is generally associated with Panasonic, which holds about 170 patents for it and is an OEM for other brands.
You know, like the ones used to turn car battery power into something you can plug appliances into? Same sort of idea here, except the inverter is an integrated circuit that takes power and controls its output to a lighter, smaller transformer.
Louis Nieves, senior product engineer at Panasonic, explained: “It can generate the 4,000 volts necessary to generate the energy for the magnetron, but it doesn’t require it to be the big, heavy component. Because it’s digitally controlled, you get the regulated power. Instead of an on/off type of power control, it will actually run at 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent consistently. That makes for more even cooking.” Theoretically at least.
What to look forward to. As this guide neared completion, GE finalized the long-planned sale of its appliance division to Haier, the Chinese appliance giant. In a press release, Haier announced that “GE Appliances will continue to be headquartered in Louisville Kentucky and operated independently under the day to day direction of the current management team.” We’ll keep a close eye on changes to the GE appliance lines, but at least for the near future they’ll remain available and made to the existing styles and standards. The competition. Our previous pick was the.
We liked—and still like—it, but our own ongoing experience and user feedback taught us that a smaller microwave is preferable. Our original GE pick is a 2-cubic-foot model (versus the new pick’s 1.6-cubic-foot size), and is about two inches taller, wider, and deeper. That may not sound like much, but space is at a premium on any countertop, and the new pick is just as capable (and costs the same or less) as its bigger brother. If you have the older one, there’s no performance-related reason to upgrade. But if you’re a first-time buyer, we’d vote for our new pick.
Our previous runner-up, the, has exactly the same dimensions as the NN-SE785S that we tested this time. The chief differences are that the newer model features “Cyclonic Wave” technology and a touchscreen rather than buttons and a dial. Our tests convinced us that Cyclonic Wave doesn’t give performance benefits, and that the new touchscreen actually takes away from usability. See the following paragraphs and for details on these points; for now, just know that if you have and like the previous Panasonic runner-up, you’ve got no compelling reason to upgrade or switch manufacturers. The has an undeniably attractive minimalist aesthetic. But good lookin’ doesn’t always mean good cookin’. This Panasonic uses a supposedly superior device called an inverter to produce microwaves.
In practical terms, that means it can deliver continuous heating at any power level—50 percent power, for example, means continuous delivery at 50 percent of the unit’s max. GE uses a cheaper and more common technology, a transformer, which means that it delivers “50 percent power” by cycling between periods of full power and zero power. This Panasonic also incorporates the company’s new, proprietary “Cyclonic Wave” technology, in which the microwave generator rotates, theoretically delivering more consistent microwave dispersion than our pick, the GE. Yet the GE delivered objectively better cooking performance—see the marshmallow heat map, the popcorn test, and the baked potato test in, above). That’s a testament to the combined power of good basic hardware and sophisticated software. One other knock on this Panasonic: These supposed technological advances also make it considerably more expensive than our pick.
Adding to our frustration, The Panasonic’s keypad is a confusing jungle of icons, few of which announce their functions plainly and none in written language. (The icon that looks like weeping asterisks turns out to mean defrost, for example.) There’s not even a numerical pad to set the time for cooking; to do that, you have to go through an icon-based menu, then press an up or down arrow half a dozen times or more to set the time—with the increments jumping unannounced from 1 to 5 to 10 to 15 seconds depending on the ever-changing cumulative total.
Or you can hold the arrow down and face a race through time that proceeds at roughly Warp 6; miss your mark by a blink and you’re suddenly nuking your potato for Earth-years. To simply turn the thing on for a minute at default power requires reading the manual. And if you pause to read that manual for more than a few seconds, the backlit keypad goes blank, and it’s up to you to discover that turning it back on requires that you unlatch the door.
The (tested in 2014), despite sharing hardware with GE, gave markedly inferior performance—unable to even thaw a frozen burrito. What else is a microwave meant for? The (tested in 2014) failed the defrost test, and the internal lightbulb doesn’t come on when you open the door. The (tested in 2014) had a “dead spot” in the middle of the platter, and a complicated door-mounted chart for looking up cooking and defrost times and settings. The (tested in 2014) appeared identical to the Whirlpool and performed worse. In the defrost test, one spot on the bottom of the meat was fully cooked, but there were huge chunks of frosty meat in the center. The (tested in 2014) is the perfect example of how a well-designed, minimal UI doesn’t matter if the cooking is subpar.
In every test—from marshmallows to defrost—it performed poorly. For the premium price, we expected better.
My parents bought a sharp carousel in the 80’s. It didn’t die until 2012 and that’s only because someone drove into the pole outside my parents house who at the time had an old fuse box. The surge killed the Microwave. That sharp was not only obscenely old and reliable its also the absolute best microwave I’ve ever used. It was big enough to fit a turkey and it heated everything evenly and insanely quickly. I wish they had given it to me I would have had the PSU fixed. I ended up buying myself a more modern sharp microwave and it cooks nice and quickly too.
The big problem with modern units is people look for cheap and cheap is generally under powered. Spend another $40 and get a more powerful unit. Also remember Walmart culture has lead to these cheap appliances and to cut costs they use cheap component so if you spend a little more money and DONT buy it from Walmart or target you will get a unit that not only cooks better but also lasts a lot longer. Big box stores have destroyed quality products so avoid buying from them if possible.
Yea they are, I forget if I said previously but the one in my parents house bought in the mid 80’s worked great until 2012 when it was killed by a massive power surge when a truck hit a telephone pole right in front of of the house. Chances are it could have been repaired pretty easily since it was most likely some blown capacitors in the power supply but they tossed it and replaced it by “borrowing” my sharp carousel which I bought a couple years prior for my apt and which I wasn’t using at the time because of a built in GE microwave Unfortunately that sharp has apparently become their property lol. These days I consider appliances to be throwaway but not the sharp microwave.
These things are magic. They are built to last and they cook things fantastically. I’ve used many microwave ovens and I’ve never seen one compare and I’d feel silly continually talking about the damn things here but they are just that good so I don’t lol. Even my girlfriend fell in love with the thing. You say that a $100-$300 price range “eliminates a lot of the microwaves with extra features like convection, steaming, etc. Also, Consumer Reports said, “Our tests have shown that you shouldn’t expect these features to replace your range broiler or grill.”” Though I agree that a convection microwave doesn’t replace a range broiler or grill, it does do a great job for roasting (chicken and pork loin are better than microwave and faster than conventional), baking potatoes, and reheating or defrosting baked goods.
My Sharp R-820 (currently $234) just died after 20 years of good service, and I will definitely replace it with another convection microwave. I’d have hoped that The Sweet Home could help me decide whether it was worthwhile to stay with the Sharp, or pay less for a Cuisinart, or pay more for a KitchenAid, Bosch, GE, Samsung,. CR has its place, but I’d like an informed opinion about better options, not just CR’s assessment of the middle market. I’m really late to this party, but I just bought the GE microwave y’all recommendedand it’s everything you promised it would be. In the last 24 hours, I’ve used this microwave to soften butter, heat up milk for homemade ricotta, defrost 4 frozen bratwursts, make microwave mug cake from scratch, heat up several plates of leftovers, etc.
Compared to the Panasonic that it replaced–and that one was a Consumer Reports Best Buy with great ratings on Amazon–this thing is STELLAR. I was hesitant to buy it because I have limited counter space, but I got a thinner knife block to make up for the lost space (Bodum Bistro = holds 12 knives and only 3 inches wide), so it all came out in the wash. Thanks, Sweethome team!
A pro tip for Lowes shoppers: the stock number given here, JES2051SN, applies to the $179 stainless steel version. I bought the black version of this microwave for $20 less, item number 297375, model JES2051BB. The Lowes web site claims that the white version is on clearance for $129 thru 2/9/2015, item number 297376, model JES2051DNWW, but I didn’t investigate that route since I needed a black one. There are some major problems with the current brands of microwaves. Read the Amazon one star ratings – which are generally more than 20% of the total reviews.
I read a couple of the major brands – highly recommended models that had as many one stars as five stars. It would be hard to find another kind of product with such poor consumer ratings. The most common problems were broken latches and or was a total electrical failure of the microwave with days or weeks of purchase. Many reviewers were lamenting their old microwaves that had lasted for a decade or more. Read those one star ratings and compare them to the totals.
I think I will just have my three year old LG repaired, because it looks like I would be lucky to get three years out of a current model of the best brands. We had a GE microwave here for over ten years and never had any complaints. I’ve probably spent at least a man-week (I.E, 40 hours) trying to replace that microwave over the past two years, with two of them being returned, one dying, and none of them either working as well or being as easily programmable as that one, since its irreplaceable turntable motor (and believe me, I tried desperately to get one) stopped working properly. The lack of quality in microwave ovens today is truly shocking. The programmability of Panasonic’s microwave is horrifying, and it does a truly LOUSY job of defrosting (it cooked my salmon less than half way through “turbo defrost” last night.) In order to change the power level, you have to repeatedly push the power level button, meaning you have to push it something like 10 times to get to power level one. Any time I want to do almost anything other than heat liquids, I have to look up how to do it in their stupid book. You can’t even use the kitchen timer while it’s cooking, and the light turns off when you open the door!
Idiots programmed this thing’s firmware! How do you fail to make a microwave oven work as sensibly as they worked 10-20 years ago? I think maybe Panasonic spent all their money on “inverter” technology, which still does a lousy job of defrosting, compared to the “old tech” we had before.
The other microwave I bought at Costco before that one stopped working after about four months, though it was a bit easier to program. I’m not surprised over half of them are manufactured in the same cheapo sweat shop. I’d pay twice as much as I did for the current one to get a 1100 watt oven that worked as well as the one we were using that also felt in the limited space provided on our countertop. The “showerwave” (I think) tech GE had worked better than what we have now for even penetration, and its programming was sensible.
I literally can’t find a decent microwave to fit where the the previous one was (I didn’t bother to look at any under 1000 watts.) I may have to go to extreme methods to replace the motor in the GE I still have in my work shop (hoping for a miracle.) As for GE, I was told by a salesman at Best Buy they’ve stopped selling microwaves until their new US-based plant is finished. I hope there’s some truth to that, as I’ll return this POS Panasonic (and I told them most of their products don’t suck and they should be ashamed of their microwaves) to Costco in about 20 minutes when I can get a good 1000 watt or greater GE model to replace it where it sits. I’ll also pay twice the price.
After all, I’ve wasted many times more than that in my time. I’ve owned the Panasonic NN-SN797S since January 2013. I’m a long-time microwave user and owned a GE for 17+ years and then a Sharp for 18+ years.
Both were used several times a day. When the Sharp ‘died’ I replaced it with the Panasonic because it was a bit smaller, 1.6, it was powerful, 1250W, and because of the Inverter technology. My complaint is with the Panasonic latch. I started having problems with the door needing to be shut forcefully in the Spring of 2014.
In the past couple of months the door/latch situation has steadily deteriorated ( it would work after opening and shutting the door a few times, then several times ) and, today, the latch doesn’t allow the microwave to start at all. I have spoken to customer service about the issue with no satisfaction.
My stance — since I’ve become aware that this is a recurrent, ongoing problem with this microwave — is that Panasonic is negligent and should have changed the latch mechanism. And, they should repair the latch even if the warranty has expired because they know this is a well-known, widespread problem. I will not purchase any Panasonic products because of their blatant disregard and disrespect for their customers. Bottom line — if you can’t start it, it’s worthless. I think Panasonic’s microwave – such as your recommended model – are fantastic when microwaving. BUT the door latch is poorly designed.
It WILL FAIL after a time. The the microwave is unusable. This is a common complaint for the Panasonic Inverter Microwaves. And it DID happen to me around 18 months of owning the microwave. The problem is that you have to push hard to get the door to close.
This eventually bends the flimsy metal on which the switch mechanism is attached. This leads to the microwave not starting unless you slam the door shut even harder. Then eventually the mechanism gets bent so far, that it can no longer be triggered on by the door being shut.
Ge Transformer Connections Manual Meatloaf
Then the microwave is dead. There are YouTube videos show you the problem with the Panasonic door and how to fix this youself: It is sad when you have to fix a microwave yourself. Getting a repairman to do so would cost you nearly as much as the microwave itself. Shipping costs to Panasonic for repair costs a huge chunk of the price of the microwave itself. This makes repairing it uneconomical unless you do it yourself. Another issue is that with the amount of pressure needed to close the latch, the microwave ramp on which the latch rides wears out – it is made of plastic.
You see this as a groove worn in by the latch mechanism. The youtube video noted that it helps to lubricate the latch to ease closing it. I love the Panasonic. It defrosts better than any other microwave. Sad that the consumer has to do repairs on it themselves for the faulty door mechanism.
When it comes to cooking, it is one of the best. But longevity as an appliance is poor. Lots of good information.
Thank you for the research. I am looking for the ‘Over the range version’ of the GE JES2051SN ( Its going to be a present for an in-law). So, far I’ve compared the specs between GE JES2051SN to the ‘over the range’ GE options on Home Depot and Lowes site. The all seem to differ on watts, number of one-touch settings and a few others.
Does any one know the equivalent? Before I call the manufacture ( RABBIT HOLE ALERT! ), does anyone know the equivalent or a place that might have that type information? Thanks in advance. Or the Panasonic Genius Prestige NN-SD797S? (1) It’s been a year since your last update, and two years since the original publish date.
Any chance we’ll get a 2016 update? (2) In the photo of the 6 marshmallow tests, you mention a GE, but not the model #. Was this the GE JES2051SN’s marshmallow test result? (3) On yours, and every other site on the Internet, there are multiple photo versions of the GE JES2015SN front panel. The manufacturer-provided photos looks decidedly less cluttered than the photos you took (& the ones I’ve seen in-person). It’s driving me insane! Not your fault.
Just wanted to mention it if you edit this article. Thanks for your site. I’ve been following you (and Wirecutter) quite often. Looks like the GE OTR model (JVM6175) you recommend is discontinued I have purchased and installed about 20 OTR microwaves in my apartments. I am a fan of the GE microwaves – for a basic one and for a step up with sensor cooking. The second one is a special buy right now at HD at $220 in white, only $40 more than the basic one. That may be the replacement for your recommended model.
I advise people to stear clear of the very value priced $100 microwave they have at HD, – the mounting bracket sticks out quite far from the wall (a problem if it is visible), the fan that runs when it is turned on if very loud, and it has lots of bad reviews for longevity. The GE JES1656SRSS reviews on Amazon don’t seem that positive: 5 star: 36% 4 star: 13% 3 star: 16% 2 star: 19% 1 star: 26% Amazon.com is not even selling it direct. Not a good sign. Have you guys tested the Panasonic NN-SN661S?
It has 3,087 reviews with 51% as 5 stars. Not sure if the fact that it’s 1.2 cu.
Ft puts it out of the running There is a newer model, the NN-SN686S, which doesn’t have many reviews, I assume because it’s new. Panasonic has 24 different models of microwaves currently on their website. Perhaps the newer models with icons interface are inconvenient, but I find this review to be ignoring or dismissing many potential contenders. I have always loved the big Sharp Carousel OTC units. I especially use the sensor cook settings for fresh veggies and fish/seafood. I use a Pasta’n’more and put fresh veggies or shrimp on the rack and they are cooked perfectly every time. Sadly Sharp just revamped their units and cut the sensor cook programs from 5 to 3.
The two they dropped? Fresh veggies and fish/seafood. I found this out when I ordered a new Carousel from Best Buy and it didn’t have these two sensor cook settings.
So I found a different model Carousel online that showed all five settings and ordered it from OfficeDepot and what showed up was the revised model with just the three settings. Thanks Sharpyou just lost a customer. Anyone know of a 2.0+ cf microwave that has sensor cook settings for fish/seafood and fresh veggies? I think the Panasonic SD987SA might have them but I’m not sure. If I’m reading correctly, the JES1072SHSS wasn’t actually tested, correct?
“ lacks the cooking sensors that make our other picks so reliable at auto-reheating and not overcooking.” What exactly is meant by that? It doesn’t have the Vegetable or Weight Defrost sensor controls that the JES1656SRSS has, but that’s about all I can tell from reviewing the GE website.
It curiously has a sound on/off feature which the larger version lacks, but the larger version has a cavity light. (Neither of these facets are mentioned in the review. It is mentioned the volume can be lowered but I don’t see that mentioned in any of the owner’s manuals.) I’ve looked around and I do think I will be purchasing one of these GEs (or the JES1460DSWW) almost solely because of the control panel being so simple for all models, but this write-up comes across a little shallow to me. I bought the GE JES1656SRSS this summer and it has basically failed already. Most times when I close the door, the microwave starts running again, even though the cycle has ended and I haven’t pressed any buttons. GE offered to send a tech to my house to repair it, then called 2 weeks later to cancel the appointment and offer a “goodwill certificate”. It’s taken probably 2 hours of phone and hold time to get to this point and I still need to order a new microwave and do paperwork to get reimbursed for the replacement.
The same happened to me. After the warranty expired, The only thing that will keep it from running is to unplug it. This happened occasionally Then I’ve had times when it would not turn on. Again, I would have to unplug, wait, then try again. Not easy if you are female and over 60 and when the oven is not on the counter but in a microwave shelf above the counter. I need to get a stool, have someone help me hold the oven so that I can unplug/plug.
Finally, it refused to reset at all. The review here shows that it happen to this customer 22 days ago. Mine started to act this way about a year ago. I’ve when I’ve had it 2 and a half year. I’ve never known a microwave oven conk out so fast. The main link for this item is to JCPenney, but they charge a $70 delivery fee. That’s half the price of the item itself.
I called the local store too, and they confirmed that they.only. sell this online, so there’s no way around that fee. Home Depot also charges a $60 dollar delivery fee.
I’d suggest either changing the product link to Best Buy or recommending an item that can be purchased more easily/affordably. Best Buy seems to be the cheapest option – free delivery, though there is a 2 week back order atm (thanks @errational:disqus for the tip about Best Buy). I.love. my combined convection microwave. You say: Microwaves are primarily used for reheating leftovers, softening butter, and cooking TV dinners, potatoes, and popcorn.
I use my combo oven to roast chicken (with the mixed microwave/convection roasting function). I use it to defrost frozen bread (which leaves it with a crisp crust. You say: Appliances with this feature tend to be well above the $300 limit that our reader poll set.
The Sharp model I’ve had for many years (R930) costs only $170. Amazon shows several more under $300.
Please review combined convection microwaves! One of these days, I’ll have to replace my Sharp. GE apparently doesn’t sell counter microwaves in Canada, so it was a bit of a non-starter (and given the comments below maybe for the best). I bought a Panasonic from Costco with reservations – it’s replacing a Panasonic with a blown inverter, and my parents had problems with a Panasonic turning on whenever the door was opened. That said, Costco refunded the parents’ microwave, and mine was about 10 years old. (I didn’t bother trying to return it to Costco.) I notice that the newer microwave has smaller exterior depth, but they’ve added plastic spacers to keep it stable against the back wall so that it doesn’t move when you close the door.
We’ll see how long it lasts, I’ll keep the bill handy so that I can return it to Costco if it fails. For the people in Canada where GE countertop microwaves aren’t sold. Costco Online has the RCA Microwave Grill oven RMW1324 and it is awesome. Maybe it’s a rebranded GE – the interface is almost identical, with the express menu (don’t care for it) but the Add 30 Sec button can be used to start the microwave for 30s as well so the lowest resolution (without having to press the Cook button) is ok-ish. Best of all, my popcorn (same bowl, same popcorn) came out perfectly, all popped and no burned column. Also, I didn’t realize when I bought it, but it has an infrared grill on the top that can combination microwave-toast food with an included rack that raises the food to be closer to the grill element.
I’m looking forward to trying that, though I don’t care if it works really well and you do have to flip the food (although I’ve seen some grilled cheese recipes on Youtube that look great). And pricewise, it was the same as the non-stainless steel Panasonic instore and less than the stainless steel one. I’m so happy with it.
I bought the JES20511SN2SS in December 2015 and it died yesterday with similar symptoms (the relay clicks but the magnetron doesn’t start). I got a JES2051SN3SS from Lowe’s thinking it was the same model, but I didn’t pay attention to the SN3SS instead of SN2SS. They skimped big time on the display, which went from a nice 16-segment blue VFD to a nasty green 7-segment 4-digit LED that cannot adequately show alphanumeric characters, and for that reason has a dumbed-down UI with fewer choices. What’s worse, the display is not properly centered and is set back, so you can’t see the last digit at an angle. That makes it unusable in my kitchen where the microwave is in the corner, so it’s going back. I got the smaller GE JES-model microwave for my small kitchen–it was almost the only thing that would fit. What’s worse than the four-beep alert when your food is done is the CONTINUOUS beeping that happens when you use the timer.
Messages like “might want to rotate the quiche round about now so it bakes evenly” or “don’t forget that you put stuff in the dryer” are conveyed with a fire-alarm level of urgency. You also can’t silence it by hitting “cancel.” You have to press the correct “timer” button to make it stop.