Best Microwave Ever Built For Home Use

[panasonicvac]

Clarification

I think my posts have gotten you confused here John. That Sharp wasn't my great aunt's, it was the one I took a picture off from a listing on eBay cause there aren't any other pictures of it online. She had one just like it but it's not really hers. And from what I recall, hers didn't had broken plastic. I don't know why she had hers replaced.

Yes you can have a over-the-range microwave anywhere you'd like in the kitchen. But if you had to relocate it, you'd need to do some cabinetry work. We had to redo some of our cabinets when we bought our black Whirlpool cause it wasn't going to fit at first, almost returned it but I'm glad we made it work cause it's been the best microwave in our house. My aunt had this white Whirlpool in her old home similar to ours and never had it repaired in all of 21 years she's lived in that house when my uncle built it.

 

[combo52]

White whirlpool MH 7140 over the range microwave

Hi Alex, these whirlpool units were very good units. They were made in China to whirlpool specs, of course the one you pictured that your aunt has was repaired once it went through the safety rework because of a fire hazard we did hundreds of those for whirlpool

The best thing about that microwave is it had a very good exhaust blower much higher quality than most over the range microwaves had.

It doesn’t look like your aunt used that one much and I hope she knew that she was not supposed to have that metal rack in there when there was not a large item of food on it.

John

 

[panasonicvac]

Yeah maybe it was repaired once cause it did had a service sticker, although I did remember it was slowing down in the later years. But definitely for certain ours never had a repair done though it's also slowing down on us as well. We did do a couple of modifications to it, ever since we got rid of our Jenn-Air stove we had it vented outside, and we put a metal ventilation sheet cover underneath to prevent from steam getting the outside of the microwave dirty. That'd be another downfall I have with over-the-range microwaves. Actually I don't think she ever used her metal rack, it was put back up there when she sold the place a few years ago. I really do miss that microwave, had many fun times making popcorn or bacon in it. Probably my most favorite over-the-range microwave if I had to choose. My grandfather had a stainless steel Whirlpool up at his cabin, pretty sure it was a model WMH1163XVS (picture #1). It replaced the stainless steel Frigidaire back in 2011 that only lived for about 8 years. I thought they were both good but wasn't too impressed when the Frigidaire died, it may have been a Professional Series PLMV168CC1 if memory serves correctly (picture #2). I was hoping the Whirlpool would stick around but unfortunately the insurance company bought us a replacement from the flood. I don't know one what we got but I'll find out when I go up to Montana this weekend.

Another model that I really liked is a white Amana Radarange MVH250W (picture #3). I used one when I was living down in Lake Powell for one summer. And a couple of my neighbors had one similar to it as well, really did enjoyed using them. I think my cousin's Magic Chef at their cabin was made by the same company as that Amana cause they're both from Korea.

 

[Chetlaham]

<blockquote>
Microwave ovens always cook more evenly with a turntable and even better yet when they have both a stirrer and a turntable is the best combination.


 

 

</blockquote>
This is pertinently false. Uber false.  I've used commercial flatbed microwaves which out cooked by order of magnitude compared to any turntable unit I have ever used.

 

 

Sharp is definitely one of the biggest junk brands in microwave ovens you can see by the picture in reply number 11 what junkie plastic they used.


 

GE has them beat by far in the amount of junk microwaves they've sold. Sharp quality varies highly depending on the age and model. Sharp has easily produced some of the best microwaves in existence as it has produced some mediocre ones. It greatly depends.

 

As for their commercial side they are among the best if not the best microwave oven one can purchase.

 

I highly advice you pick, buy and try one. You'll rethink you're 34 microwaves even if you won't publicly admit to it.


 

 

 

 

 

https://shop.sharpusa.com/products/commercial-microwave-ovens/

 

[mattl]

Commercial Microwaves are good at the one thing they were built for -reheating a gas station burrito or a grab and go meal. There is no subtly there, it's on blasting energy for the duration. I use my microwave for cooking, I use various setting based on what I'm cooing - not possible in those commercial units.

 

I really like my OTR KA convection microwave.  Does a nice speedy job on chicken - mico + heat, is great as a small oven and does a decent job as a vent fan, IIRC it's 500cfm with 4 speeds. If I had to replace it I'd find something just like it.

 

[Chetlaham]

Matt, the oven I listed above has a "selectapower" membrane. The oven can do multi stage cooking such as defrosting frozen food on a low power level, warming it on a medium level, then finishing it on full power automatically with one programming sequence. All commercial microwaves have power levels except the very basic ones intended for front of house/self serve. 

 

My question to you is, have you ever tried various commercial microwave ovens such as an Amana Menu Master, Pansonic NE, or Sharp Twin Touch or even a combination impingement oven?

 

These ovens don't just blast microwaves, but evenly distribute, reflect, attenuate, and blend them where multiple magnetrons are involved. There is tremendous finesse involved. There has to be in that the owner has to please and maximize the quality of the food involved not for one but for a minimum of thousands of customers. Nearly all commercial appliances are specifically engineered to maximize their intended goals- in the case of cooking appliances absolute congeniality- ie texture, flavor, evenness, appearance, color, ect. This concept entirely behind the success of restaurants and fast food corporations. They can take ingredients of any kind, even those of very low quality, and with the help of congeniality maximizing appliance produce very tasty results that would otherwise not be obtainable. Classic example, a commercial BUNN coffee maker can extract the full flavor of economy food service coffee grounds producing a smooth bitter free taste rivaling or exceeding organic/gourmet coffee in a residential drip machine that may produce a bitter/burnt taste on top of the rich flavor due to a lack of temperature control and poor water distribution capabilities. 

 

How food is cooked depends just as much, if not more, than its quality or how it was made. The entire American economy was and is built upon maximizing the outcome of cost efficient materials. No commercial appliance maker will ever stay in business otherwise.

 

Try a Taylor clam shell grill, Taylor ice cream machine or a Henny Penny pressure fryer with some slightly above average ingredients and your perception of flavor will change forever.

 

 

 

[gelaundry4ever]

I agree with you.

Chetlaham, I agree with you. My dad had one of these at his old work. It heated up a slice of pizza to perfection. No cold spots, no drying out, just perfection.

 

[mattl]

I've only used the basic units in break rooms and such,  not impressed. I'd be curious about the higher end models but I've never come across any.

 

[combo52]

Commercial microwaves

Are notorious for very uneven cooking, I’m sure almost everybody reading this has tried to use a commercial microwave in a 7-Eleven or something and seen the poor results that sometimes occur from uneven heating.

I can’t imagine why anybody would hold this up as an even cooking Appliance, they’re made for speed and durability but microwave you’re talking about chat has nothing to do with a true commercial microwave they’re made for speed and durability but microwave in you’re talking about chat has nothing to do with a true commercial microwave.

The oven you got would be lucky to last six months in a 7-Eleven or Burger King, etc. it’s not commercial quality at all. Why don’t you post some pictures of your oven in 7-Elevens, etc. that would be a good project for you.

John

 

[Chetlaham]

Jerome, indeed, I get the same results. Even heating, no hot or cold spots, no burning, , no shriveling, no drying out and nothing exploding.

 

@john- based on the replies here its safe to say that you nor anyone else opining on commercial microwaves has no real experience using a commercial microwave oven. Commercial microwaves are not just made for speed and durability but also maximum food congeniality far above anything residential. Commercial microwaves come in three tiers: Light Duty, Medium Duty and Heavy Duty. The model I posted above is a light duty unit intended for relatively occasional use such as offices and front of house dinning areas. It features introductory commercial quality cooking, basic durability and NSF certification. Light duty commercial units are perfect transplants for home use given their cost, size, weight and power requirements (NEMA 5-15p). A Burger King or restaurant kitchen would use a Heavy Duty, High Volume oven intended for near continuous use.  

 

https://webfiles.acpsolutions.com/documents/20001703.pdf
 

 

 

 

[Chetlaham]

Even Cooking

To give you an idea what a high volume, heavy duty unit can do- 12 inch chilled pizza in under 3 minutes- no turntable- great results:

 

 

 

[DADoES]

 
Pizza ... combination of microwave, convection, and radiant heat.

 

[Chetlaham]

Tri Energy Combo

Indeed, the best type of microwave oven there is, the above engineered to cooking perfection, all without a silly turn table.

 

Even this $3,199 MSRP GE has a turn table and can't cook well. For $1500 more I can get infinity better cooking through a commercial unit.

 

 

https://www.geappliances.com/applia...ll-Oven-with-Advantium-Technology-PSB9240SFSS
 

 

[foraloysius]

But that Amana JET19V has a rotating antenna.

For that price I will skip having an experience with it. My Panasonic combo was less than 10% of that.

 

[Chetlaham]

4 rotating antennas (two top, two bottom) and 3 magnetrons. Non combo unit yet similar microwave platform starting at page 32:

 

 

https://www.partstown.com/modelManual/AMA-KFC1_sm.pdf
 

 

If you're willing to test drive introductory yet true, even microwave cooking with 11 power levels far exceeding any residential unit they make a 230 volt 50Hz version of the Sharp R-21LT for under 400 euros:

 

https://comcatsw.com/product/sharp-r21at-2/
 

Several models are offered:

 

https://www.bluebadger.co.uk/mwdownloads/download/link/id/623
 

If you like the way the Sharp R-21LT cooks you can move to more higher end commercial models including convection and impingement models.

 

 

[panasonicvac]

I disagree that turntables are silly. I grew up with two commercial grade Amana countertops with no turntables and had uneven heated areas where alot of times they'd go back in to heat up some more. Same went with my grandparent's vintage Kenmore countertop. Our Whirlpool over-the-range with a turntable does a better job and that's one of the reasons why we got it in the first place. Plus it even has an option to heat without the turntable on. My grandparents then later got a Maytag over-the-range to replace the Kenmore that didn't had a turntable but more like a slide table inside which also does a better job. When I was living at a ranch up in the evergreen state, we had several microwaves including a Panasonic Commercial. My primary microwave was a Panasonic Inverter and was rather impressed by how evenly it heated up, that's one of the reasons why if I had to get a countertop today that it'd be something like a Panasonic Inverter but in 2.2 cu-ft where I can be able to put almost all of my corningware dishes inside. I know with a over-the-range I can fit all of them inside.

 

[Chetlaham]

Commercial grade or an actual commercial unit? There is a difference. JCPenney, GE and others offered flatbeds but few of those truly heated evenly.

 

[panasonicvac]

From my understanding

Both of our Radaranges based on my research are the ones that uses the same parts as the commercial models back then just with extra features on the residential versions like the clock for example. So basically it's like comparing the Speed Queen residential and commercial models with VERY little differences, btw Amana and SQ were once sister companies owned by Raytheon. There isn't anything wrong with ours, they both sound and still work like new to me. Even there's a local sandwich place with commercial Amanas but doesn't fully nuke my sandwiches up evenly. I agree with John that turntables is what made our Whirlpool work better so that's why I couldn't rank the Amanas as the best for me. Had we gotten a Sharp Carousel II or a Panasonic NN-6372AWM instead, we probably would've not gotten the Whirlpool and still had our GE range hood for a bit longer.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

chetlaham...

This was back in 2004 when I had that slice of pizza that was heated to perfection with no stupid turntable. I bet you that microwave would've heated a mountain of food on a plate.

 

[Chetlaham]

I'm curious how well radar ranges compare to modern commercial units. I don't have enough experience with radar ranges as compared to menu masters. How are the sandwiches shaped and put inside? Do you know the age, make and model of their Amanas? Microwaves can't penetrate food roughly more than 2 inches, so if the sandwich is many inches thick the insides will remain cold. In such cases power-levels may (key word) help if enough time is given for heat migrate to the center however in those cases I simply open the sandwich up in two halves- cook on high power level- then close the sandwich back up.    

 

Jerome- my Sharp R21LCFS can heat up a fully loaded plate no problem. Nothing gets burned, dried, or bursts. Buy one and don't look back. The turntable is stupid and doesn't work well with towels over the plate, popcorn bags, ect. The flat bottom lets you cook multiple bowls at once: