My Sharp Microwave Saga - The Last Shout

[launderess]

Repair service returned my microwave yesterday and it works a treat. Good as new, one would say, though they did scuff up the unit a bit in transport and repair, nothing major.

Costs?

1 Monitor Switch - $7.00
1 Mica Wave Guide - $2.50
1 CPU Unit - $97.36
1 Labour 1.5 Hours - $75/hour = NC
1 Magnetron - NC

Service company got Sharp Electronics to spring not only for a new magnetron, but labour costs as well. Do not know what they said or did, but am very thankful for their efforts.

As a coming home present for the unit, used a NIB vintage Corning Ware "grilling" microwave dish and whipped up some chicken breasts. The results were'nt exactly like grilled chicken from the range top or broiler, but pretty good. Am here to tell you those Corningware grilling/browning dishes get pretty darn hot. Clean up took a bit of effort as one had so finally get out scouring powder to get off the "burnt" on food bits.

Thanks to all in the group who offered support and assistance on this matter. You guys are the best.

L.

 

[panthera]

Great!

I think that is wonderful - you'd be hard pressed to find a better microwave today.

Oh, question.

Have you ever seen an "Ironrite" pretending to be a 1950's HI-FI on metal legs?

 

[launderess]

*LOL*

Yes, I have!

That sort of listing goes on all the time for those wood cabinet model Ironrites.

Apparently wood was not a highly valued surface for such appliances, and despite some very attractive designs,the wood Ironrite versions never sold as well as their more sanitary appearing metal cousins.

L.

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Can you feel the power?

With a new mag, your cooking performance should be just as it was out of the box. Yours may not have been old enough for the mag to degrade enough so you would notice a huge difference, but I've put new mags into 10-15 year old units and the first thing I hear is about how the microwave was taking forever to heat and now it just screams thru like it used to...

Good for your servicer! If I can get the factory to eat a high dollar part and/or labor, the customer sure remembers it and comes back!

RCD

 

[ronhic]

That is...

...a fantastic outcome...

I'm very pleased that you have got your cooking companion back and in 'as new condition' it would seem...

I reckon that Sharp in Oz would not be anywhere near as generous....

May you get another 10yrs plus....

 

[sudsmaster]

Speaking of new mags....

When both my Panasonic and Kenmore microwaves were new, my main complaint was that they seemed to over cook on the automatic sensor settings.

Now, after the Panasonic is about seven years old, it doesn't seem to overcook stuff like it used to. I can stick any old frozen entree in it, press a button, and get a relatively evenly cooked meal when the chime rings.

The Kenmore hasn't been getting that much use and I don't recall trying it out on frozen entrees in quite a while. But maybe it's worth a go.

So I'm wondering... is it me, or do these MW manufacturers try to anticipate the aging and reduced power of the magnetron and aim their automatic cooking selections towards the power to be expected in the middle of the magnetron's expected lifespan? This would seem to explain why things that seemed overcooked when the MW was new now seem to be perfectly prepared.

Of course, the entrees could have improved as well. ;-)

 

[launderess]

When doing research on my microwave oven situation, everything one read clearly stated that most if not all microwave ovens loose power over time. How fast and much probably depends upon usage.

Being as this may, vintage RadarRanges and other older units seem to keep on going with seemingly no loss in cooking power, so not sure if this is a modern trend, or blanket across the board thing.

Something must be going on with modern microwave ovens, as they rarely last on averge more than five years, and warranty on magnetrons are normally much shorter than microwaves from even the 1980's.

 

[whirlcool]

We have one of those Corningware Browning casserole dishes. You put it in the microwave for a few minutes to heat it up and then put your food in to brown and cook it. The one we bought must have been back around 1982 or so.
We had a dinner party one night an a friend of ours said he'd remove it from the microwave when it was done. A few minutes later we heard a god awful scream come from the kitchen. We ran in to find he picked up the browning casserole dish by the bottom. His fingerprints are still seen on the bottom of the dish even today.

 

[ronhic]

I dread the day when my Sharp has 'issues'....I don't like the new ones at all...too much power

My mother replaced her 27 year old Sanyo (about the size of a 20"TV) last year...she nearly cried when it went to the tip....

 

[launderess]

Corningware, Corelle, Littonware and every other maker of these browning/grilling dishes for microwave ovens have clear warnings all over the boxes and manuals NOT to touch with bare hands once heated. Furthermore they are not to be placed on non-heat resistant surfaces once heated either.

Quite honestly was pretty surprised when after heating the dish in the MC for five minutes, then taking out (with pot holder), and placing the chicken pieces on to hear a loud and strong sizzle sound. As stated the surface was hot enough to sear each side of the chicken, and leave enough brunt residue that only scouring would remove.

Am considering scouring fleaBay and elsewhere for other pieces, as the design works well (rounded corners, material that really heats up), in the MC.

Believe it or not, Corningware stopped making their browning/grilling ware for the MC, after initial sales were poor upon introduction. Apparently housewives and others didn't understand how to use the dishes, and saw no benefit.

Am not too sure how well beef would come out on one of these things, but white meat like fish, chicken and even pork should yield good results.

L.

 

[sudsmaster]

Well, my Panasonic is still going strong after about eight years, so I guess it's living on borrowed time... ;-)

Good thing I have two "backup" units, lol...

 

[launderess]

"Too Much Power"

IMHO, as microwaves have moved into becoming a second or even first oven, power levels have increased in an attempt to get the near impossible from such an oven, the same baking, roasting and such results one has with a range.

Fans, browning elements, and so forth will only get you so far, and at least according to Consumer Reports, for the most part roasts and most baking is still best done in a normal oven.

 

[ronhic]

Agreed...

I love my microwave and certainly cook more in it than many people but give me a conventional oven every time for cakes, roasts, puddings, tarts etc....

 

[twinniefan]

Amen

Amen to that Ronhic,
We use our Sunbeam convection oven for roasts,rissoles,sausages.pies and pastries etc and we use our microwave oven,(L.G. 1100 watt,funny strange uneven wattage but works terrific.),for cooking vegetables,reheating,and cooking casseroles in winter.,in fact I make a chicken vegetable casserole in it by using diced chicken breast fillets,a packet of frozen mixed vegetables,a couple of stock cubes and a full container of liquid stock.
I then cook it in the microwave for 5-10 minutes on full power and then for about 90 minutes on defrost(about 10% power.),the chicken is cooked all the way through and literally melts in your mouth.

 

[ronhic]

ooooohhhhh

I think I am going to try that one....sounds good

 

[j2400]

I don't know anything about magnetron tubes, but given that they are tubes, they logically will have a loss of power as time goes on.

But it's also logical to assume that some designs will last longer. Audio equipment tube life seems to vary wildly, too. And so, I imagine magnetron tube life will vary, too.

Early microwaves--particularly higher end units--probably will last longer, and age better. That era was better for quality overall. Then, in the early years, microwave companies had incentive to make sure the products lasted a decent period. A microwave that died after one year then could have lost countless customers--the person who paid the minor fortune, and decides "I like this idea, but I can't afford to dump this much money every year!" And the people he or she warns: "Yes, they heat stuff fast--but they don't last! Don't buy!"

Now, of course, that microwaves are a common thing, so common that they are the only cooking appliance many people use. When it fails, they will replace it, ASAP, no questions asked.

 

[frigilux]

Launderess---Glad your microwave repair worked out so well! As long as you didn't have to pay for labor, it was certainly worth it, especially since you like your Sharp.

I had one of those Corning Ware grilling dishes. Mine looked like a big, square casserole with a textured bottom' depth of about 2", maybe. Came with a clear glass lid. Does that sound like the one you have?

I went off my university's meal plan my sophomore year, which would have been (activate the Way-back Machine, Sherman!)....1978.

Anyway, my roommate and I cooked all of our meals in our RadarRange. We made burgers, steaks and chicken with the grilling dish. I'd also use it to saute onions, etc. for recipes. I'd brown sausages for pasta sauces, all that sort of thing. And I did all this in a freakin' dorm room, LOL! We used to make some really wonderful meals with nothing but a counter-height fridge and a big-ass microwave.

Of course, I'll stick with traditional methods now that I have access to real ranges, but at the time, it served its purpose very well.

 

[launderess]

Labour Charges

Seen to have been covered, but upon closer inspection of the invoice, they sneaked in a "technical charge" of $112. Can only guess this was for various testing and such to determine what was wrong. Who knows.

Corningware Grilling Dish,

No, mine is a flat shallow some what oblonged shaped dish, but it does have the textured surface underneath. My understanding is that surface is some sort of metal and or ceramic, which is responsible for obtaining the very hot surface when heated.

Have seen the dishes you mentioned, they have a raised surface, much like other grilling plates and such. Considering snapping of of them up as well.

L.

 

[sudsmaster]

"Technical Charge"???

So it sounds like this repair cost about $220. Is that correct?