I bought the Sharp Carousel 1.1 cu ft. when my old one died unexpectedly about a year ago.  As usual, I hit the Internet to check reviews by both consumers and professional reviewers.  This unit scored well. When  I told my mother-in-law what I'd done, she said I should have saved myself all that trouble and just bought a Sharp like hers.  I knew hers had worked well for years, but the outside, originally white, had yellowed slightly.  My solution was to get the Carosel 1.1 cubic feet model in stainless steel.  I've never been sorry.   I like cooking but hate (loathe, detest and avoid) cleaninging, so I was pleased to see how easy this microwave is to maintain.  I expected the stainless steel to be easy, but the interior is impressive too.  I've had tomato sauce and bean soup spatter and cook onto the sides and roof of the oven.  They wiped clean in a snap with just my dishcloth and dishwater.  There are no stains,  The brushed stainless steel exterior does show fingerprints, but not as badly as bright chrome would.  Of course what really counts is how it cooks and how easy it is to use.  I found the special defrost control to be useless--more trouble than it was worth.  The constant resetting needed to thaw almost everything is irritating.  I do not miss having a sensor; the micowave has been able to cook things evenly and thoroughly without one.  The Sharp has as much power and as many adjustable settings as anyone could need.  The cooking settings are accurate.  The Sharp cooks things exactly the way the manual says it will, and the estimated times are accurate.  (I do occasionally cook in it, though most often I heat soup or pop popcorn.)  I no longer listen for the popcorn sounds to slow down in order to avoid burning the popcorn.  The Sharp 1.1 cubic foot micowave oven automatically stops when all my microwave popcorn is fully popped and before a single kernel is burned. Unlike the over-the-range models, the countertop style requires no special wiring.  Thhis model is sturdy but  and can be moved easily if I need extra counterspace to lay a few dozen cookies out to cool.  The shape and size of the interior are perfect for a plate of food, a chicken, or a good-sized casserole.  Whoever designed the dimensions has obviously spent time actually using a microwave oven.   The unit takes up a little more counter space than smaller (usually underpowered) microwave ovens, but it is not bulky and the extra room pays for itself with the extra convenience of not having to re-arrange food or look for special sizes of dishes to use in it.   I hope the Sharp 1.1 cubic foot microwave oven lasts as well as earlier models.  It's a joy to use. 

budgiehawk

Sarasota, FL

We just remodeled our kitchen and this is the microwave i bought to put in it. This microwave is nice because it has a sleek design and it looks nice in almost any theme of kitchen. The door on the microwave is easy to open and it is nice because it does not swing back too far when it is opened. the round glass plate on the bottom of the microwave is removable so that i can clean it if i need to. The buttons on the right side of the microwave are nice because they are easy to push and they are clearly labeled. there are also some preset options so that i can choose a different button when i cook certain foods. The microwave can be set up above the range or on the counter. We put it on the counter, and it does not take up a lot of room and it is not bulky.

anger443

Green Cove Springs, FL

Sharp 1200 Watt 1.1 Cubic Feet Carousel R-180LS is only ok. Microwave is nice when it does work. Since it was not used much at the beginning, I did not return it at the beginning. I will not keep this as I am worrying that it is not functionaling as it should. I bought it from the store more than 12 months ago. It works intermittently, the timer would start and there would be no heating up. As I was using it more and more I realized it is not working properly more and more, it automatically starts whenever the door is opened, and the timer does not stop, and we could no stop it until we pull the power. I was afraid to let the kids use it alone because if this thing does not stop it could cause a fire, also the radiations that flashes out when you open the door since it turns on by itself can not be good. This doesn't cause a lot, but the fraustrations is not worth for you to deal with it. Buy a better unit from other brand.

jtsai005

Milpitas, CA

My microwave died so I needed a new one to replace the one I preciousl had. I decided to try this Sharp 1200 Watt 1.1 Cubic feet carousel R-180 LS. To me, it is an average performaing microwave. Nothing special about it. It isn't all that big so if you have a small kitchen this microwave might work for you. The carosuel performs as to be expected. It os not to fast and it is not too slow. Either way it never thaws perfectly. The setting have to be punched more thn one time because for some reason it will not take them the first time which can be annoying. The thaw setting in this microwave is a waste of time. It either cooks the food to much or it does not thaw the food at all which can also be a huge nusiance for time crunched people. This model was not expensve. it was fairly cheap for a microwave price. I just expect more out of my microwaves, so to me this is an average performaing microwave.  

KatyChadDaisy

Charlotte, TN

My college student came back over Christmas break and let me know the convienience his Sharp microwave brought to his day. He uses it to heat a quick snack, make hot chocolate, heat up microwave dinners, and boil water. Without a doubt, having it has made his college experience that much less stressful as he doesn't have to always make it to the cafeteria- a plus during a long session of studying. The unit is small enough that it fits comfortably in his rather small dorm room, yet spacious enough to make just about anything he needs. The device has several useful preset buttons, of which the popcorn one has had more than its share of presses. The Sharp microwave has heated food evenly for him, and definitely compares favorably in terms of pricing when stacked up against other similar models of microwave. The interior is easy to clean, when I manage to visit him that is, and is unobtrusive in its design.

dtekdahl00

Marysville, WA

I don't know how much you can review on a microwave but I'll try! It heats up my food quicker than my old microwave did, but I guess cause it was an old microwave! This one is quite spacious too! And looks sleek in my kitchen, and I would think so in any other kitchen, expect maybe one that looks too retro. The buttons are easy to press and isn't too loud when cooking my food. Although.. I might not know how to use the thaw setting because it doesn't quite do much for me. Maybe I'm just using it wrong?

svi3tdragns

San Jose, CA

I don't care what people say about the SHARP brand being substandard. I have always found Sharp microwaves to be of the best quality. I had an old one from the mid 90s that still works very well. I decided to give it away to my kid who is going off to college and bought this one I'm reviewing now and I have no complaints about it. It is powerful, heats evenly, and performs like or better than many top of the line, "groumet" microwave brands. Sure it takes up space on the counter, but I got a separate kitchen cart that I put my microwave on, and I have shelving space underneath for other things. It's economical and does the job that I need for a microwave to do. I like the turning carousel. It doesn't get stuck like many brands' turning plate does. The power to cubic space ratio is pretty good on this model as well. So even though it's small, it's not lacking in power, like many other microwaves of its size.

saverus

Houston, TX

I was looking for a microwave with nice features, good performance and reasonable price. However, my search failed so many times. But, finally I found this model which met all my requirements and needs.

davidrajan

San Francisco, CA

You don't always need a big, expensive, full-sized microwave oven to fulfill your family's cooking needs. The Sharp Carousel microwave oven is a smaller, less expensive alternative. Its instant action keypad lets you program a variety of dishes and its handy defrosting action is fast and efficient. It is perfect for preparing frozen entrees or for heating a cup of hot chocolate. Its revolving carousel means that whatever you are preparing is eavenly heated. It makes baked potatoes soft and tender in a snap and heats frozen chicken nuggets or fish sticks in a minute. Its small size means that it can occupy an area no lager than an electric skillet so you don't have to buy a microwave cart. Cleanup is a snap too. A wet sponge can have it sparkling clean in no time. It is recommended that harsh cleaning materials not be used on the inside as they might cause harm to the unit. I think you will agree that the Sharp Carousel microwave oven will be the one for you too.

taylorsnanny

Cowen, WV

This has been a very good microwave since I have owned it.  It has a built in carousel so you don't have to worry about rotating food in the middle of the cooking time. which is a very nice feature.  It has very good power, I believe it is 1200 W, for a small microwave oven.  Food heats quickly and relatively evenly.  It has digital controls for the power level and timer, as well as a built in digital clock.  It also has programmable defrost that is controlled by entering the defrost menu and entering the weight of the food, and then it programs the time automatically.  It also stops periodically on this setting so you can check progress and turn the food over if necessary.  Clean up of the microwave is very easy.  The carousel lifts of the the revolving ring just like a plate to wash in the sink or dishwasher, and the inside of the microwave wipes clean very easily.  I would definitely recommend this microwave to any one looking for a small countertop microwave.

GINGERBUDDY

Beverly Hills, CA