Sharp R-230KK 800-Watt 4/5-Cubic-Foot Compact Microwave Review

Power-level settings of 100%, 90%, and right on down--I am amazed. I think the very-low settings are for drying food; can you imagine being able to do dried foods yourself? Then quick-buttons for nearly everything. It'll take a while to learn all the features but even right out of the box it was just so easy to use! All I wanted was a small simple one that wouldn't take much counterspace and never dreamed it would have all this, not for this price. My old microwave had just given out--after 23 years of daily use--and the one thing I wanted was defrost, that's all. I'd always used the microwave, on defrost, to simmer foods that needs long, slow cooking--with no pot-watching and no chance of burning. You ought to try that! Much better than on the stove--and this does have defrost, of course of course--but so many other settings that will be even better for slow cooking. Then you can choose to defrost meat according to how much the chunk of meat actually weighs, of all things--there's a setting for that too! Never heard of that! One more feature I especially wanted was for the light to go out when the door is open and here's why: The way to make a microwave last simply forever is to leave the door open a while after each use and let it dry out. Then it will last for decades--like my old one did. But wouldn't want to leave it open if the light stayed on, no; so another highly desirable feature right there. I just don't think a better microwave could be bought at any price, period--many more features aren't even listed here. The more expensive ones seem to only have features I'd never use anyway--a built-in toaster or something--so why pay for that! No, if it's microwaving you're after, this is just IT. Also, if you're wondering about size, it says compact but holds a regular-size Pyrex loaf pan with room to spare as it turns, or a big mixing bowl with a pretty big hen or whatever in it, so that's plenty big for most people. It's the design--there are scooped-out places in the inner walls that allow space for the rim of a bowl or a pan to turn. That's why it holds so much. And hey, it looks nice too--and is light enough that I can easily move it to clean under it yet it does feel as heavy and solid as can be. My hat is certainly off to the designers! (And as always, to Amazon! It got here in no time with Amazon's free SuperSaver shipping--days before I was told it would arrive!) I don't have a single negative to say after a week's use and every day am still discovering yet more wonderful things about it that save a busy person's time and energy--as well as money. Thought I'd let other shoppers know! I bought this Microwave to replace an older Sharp model. I have had very good luck with Sharp Microwaves and this new one is no different. It's a very good compact microwave for one or two people. It was very easy to set the clock and use right out of the box. I love the look of it. The buttons are very simple to use. I don't use my microwave for cooking that much, I use it mostly for reheating and defrosting. I am a single mom with one teenage son who never eats at the same time as I do so it comes in very handy. I do sometimes cook bacon and pototoes in it. It makes great baked potatoes. It you have more than two people in your family you might want to get a larger oven. I have been using Sharp microwaves for many, many years, they make a great product. I highly recommend this model and all Sharps for that matter. For the size and cost of this microwave, it's a great microwave. I wouldn't say it is the best microwave, but it does a good job for our family of 3. In comparison and in all fairness, it is louder than other microwaves. But the pluses outweigh the one minus, especially since the size of the microwave is one of the smallest avail. We also bought a Toyota Rav4 that is louder than the competition, but we are happy with that purchase too (so maybe our family is just hard of hearing, or maybe it just doesn't that big of a deal to us to know when the microwave is on). It actually seemed to get a little quieter after we used it for a few days. Out of the box, it seemed to have a small vibration for the first 1/2 second that the microwave was turned on (my wife didn't even notice it, [...]). It is still louder than a larger microwave which will have more power and not have to work as hard, but its not a deal breaker for us. At any rate, the pluses are that it cooks/warms great, clock display is easy to read (well lit without being too bright or too dim), not a loud beeping sound, it has a add a min. feature, no light when the door is open (so you can leave the door cracked and let the moisture can escape when not in use, which I'm sure helps the life of the microwave). Our last microwave lasted 16 years.

I first tried a fancy Panasonic microwave that cost me $[...]. It was beautiful at the store. Got it home and it smelt like plastic was burning for the 3 weeks that I had it, even when it wasn't in use it smelt like toxic chemicals. And the best part was (jk) was that the clock display went all red if you were not right in front of it's display (meaning any angle other than straight on it was impossible to read, which mean you couldn't put the microwave on a normal counter and read it if you were an avg. size adult). & the fancy stainless steal easily got dirty with greasy fingers. & it didn't have a "add a min" feature. And to top it all off it was larger than the Sharp 230, which meant more counter space was taken from this microwave. But surprise, the fancy $[...] microwave was much quieter.

I found none of these problems with the Sharp R-230. My only real complaint is that the black one wasn't avail. in any stores around my neighborhood, so I had to order it via amazon. The end result, I was glad I did order it. The Sharp 230 is a great size vs. cost microwave. And this is coming from someone who was willing to fork over $[...] for a microwave.