New Microwave!

[Chetlaham]

Over the range microwave has a bad interlock, and as of recently the control board is also acting up. Display dims and cooking cutouts mid cycle. So after much searching I found a microwave that I have fallen in love with in every way. I was looking for an electromechanical model however they all come back NLA. So I settled on the next best thing. When I saw that the service manual and wiring diagram online I had to buy it. I really liked what I was seeing.   

 

 

Let me say this microwave checks nearly everyone one of my boxes. I love the the way it looks, I love the simplicity, I love the ease of control. I love the light up numbers. I love the large square cavity. I love the real 1000 watts of cooking power. I love the squeeze to open handle with option to close silently. I really like not having a silly loony tunes turn table. Strong fan with dedicated vents in back remove moisture and food odor out of the oven. Single beep at the end of the cycle is much more pleasant. The unit is so solid and well built in every way. Quality control it top notch. Looking in the back vents with a flashlight it appears with MOT is precision wound. Everything screams quality. Feel is amazing! Door moves so smoothly. Unit is easy to clean.

 

 

 

HOWEVER, BY FAR, I am have absolutely fallen in love with how this oven cooks. I was not expecting such a profound difference. I am blown away by it. Everything comes out evenly and perfectly heated. No dried out texture. Food is piping hot all around and the plate does not heat up. Food coming out also seems to taste a lot better. No burnt taste. With my over the range microwave food would burn on the outside edges while still cold in the center. One side hot the other cool, thin portions of the dish shriveled and dried out while thicker ones still cold. Random yet far from uncommon food bursts and sauce explosions on top of that. Yes the turntable spun. Plates and bowels in particular would become obscenely hot and not the food itself. I constantly had to stir/shift the food several times during a cooking cycle, microwave servings individually, change bowels or wait for temps to equalize. I've burnt my tongue many times. It was so inconvenient I found myself using my Breville for everything, even reheating small portions. Until I used my new Sharp microwave oven I had no idea my GE microwave was so awful. I can literally take a single plate with 5 different servings right out of the fridge, microwave it for 90 seconds and everything comes out perfectly heated without half the food looking like it was nuked by a military grade energy weapon the other half fresh out of the freezer. Simultaneous microwaving of foods in my over the range GE was inconceivable.  

 

 

In fact I'd go as far as saying that out of all the microwaves I've used this one has by far the best heating. It is a night and day difference. I cry that it took me so long to experience the luxury of a real microwave oven. It has been a very moving experience this past week.  

 

 

I highly recommend others at least try a Sharp commercial microwave oven, either this one of their electronic touch pad models. IMO this oven outdoes every make sold including those multi thousand dollar residential units. You're seriously telling me a $3,399 GE Cafe Advantium can't do away with a silly turn table?

 

 Put the micro you use now in storage and test drive this one. Trust me, you're going to fall in love the way I did. <span class="ILfuVd" lang="en"><span class="hgKElc"> </span></span>

[this post was last edited: 12/6/2023-19:04]

 

[Chetlaham]

Service Manual and Wiring Diagram

Can be found here:

 

https://www.dsvendinginc.com/images/pdf-manuals/R21LCF.pdf
 

https://www.dsvendinginc.com/images/pdf-manuals/R21LCF.pdf
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All manufacturers should have wiring diagrams, parts diagrams and service manuals freely available online. But than again, I could see why many choose not too. If I don't see elegance I ain't buying. But after I fell in love with what I saw here, I knew I had to buy a Sharp.

 

[combo52]

Nice looking new countertop, microwave oven

But performance wise it can’t begin to compare with my 240 V advantium microwave ovens

My advantium can cook many foods eight times faster than a conventional oven and more than four times faster than your new sharp countertop oven, so the two products are really not comparable at all.

I have several regular countertop, microwave oven as well, as a main of, and I certainly would want to have a turntable in it so it cooks more evenly.

You should try the test of melting cheese on small crackers, spread out over a whole plate and you’ll see how uneven it is without a turntable.

 

[Chetlaham]

Thanks!

 

 

But can your advantium truly cook evenly? I'd go on a limb and say it can't including the fact the oven cavity itself can not reflect microwaves evenly. 

 

With a good stirrer anatena, bottom energy feed and well designed cavity you just don't need a turn table.

 

Trust me when I say this oven outdoes all other turn table microwaves I've used.

 

[ea56]

Congratulations on your new MW Chet. When my Magic Chef MW thats a Sharp knock off eventually bites the dust I’d be interested in the Sharp Commercial if only it had the capability to cook with reduced power levels. I use my MW frequently to cook certain things and also to defrost frozen meat and other foods, plus to quickly soften butter at 10% power.

But I can believe that your new Sharp Commercial MW reheats quickly and evenly because I can recall using similar MW’s years ago in workplace cafeteria’s to reheat my lunch and recall how rapidly they reheated and how evenly even without a turntable. Also, I had an Amana Radar Range in the early 80’s that didn’t have a turntable and it also reheated and cooked things very evenly. I even baked cakes in the Amana RR MW, and they came out great, just didn’t brown, but for a frosted cake that didn’t matter.

I hope that you’ll continue to be pleased with your new MW.

Eddie

 

[panasonicvac]

Awesome!

I love these Thailand made Sharp microwaves especially the commercial models. I had a chance to use one down at a Disney hotel in Anaheim to reheat some hotcakes for breakfast one morning and it worked great.

 

[Chetlaham]

@eddie: Thank you Sharp's 3rd model up has power level control and multi stage cooking:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Medium...mzn1.fos.c3015c4a-46bb-44b9-81a4-dc28e6d374b3
 

Same internals as my Sharp, just with an electronic touchpad. The light on the above model also comes on when you open the door. I'd definitely buy sooner rather than latter.  You don't know what you're missing. I've never used a microwave that heats more evenly than this one. Maybe I'm just love struck, but I can't help but notice just how much better cooked everything comes out. 

 

@alex: These perform like no other. I remember these were everywhere in gas stations years ago. They did a great and fast job reheating but never gave them the through testing or time that I have now. I have to say that out of all the commercial models, or any model for that matter, these are simply the best.

 

Turn tables are the chintzy solution to manufacturers literally sticking the magnetron antenna out the side of the cavity wall. Sharp instead uses a wave guide which collects and channels energy downward then moves it upward through the cavity floor while a stirrer evenly distributes the microwaves around the food. Think about it- does anything sitting on the center of the turntable actual spin? Does food 6 inches from the center spin at the same rate as food 1/2 an inch from the center? Turntable is a cost cutting gimmick in my eyes.

 

[henene4]

"cost cutting gimmick"

A turntable works just fine for most things. Lived with turn table versions for most of my life and wasn't disappointed.

I do have a Panasonic flat bed inverter microwave now and love it too, though. Cooks beautifully evenly and fast.
That offers nice to haves like sensor reheat, full true power control and a grill and oven function.

There's really no need to go all commercial grade flat bed if all you do is heat some milk in the microwave.

 

[panasonicvac]

I bet these are similar to it's competitive brand Panasonic. Although I see more of the Panasonics at gas stations than I do with Sharp but I do know one gas station up in Montana had a Panasonic before and it got replaced by one of those Sharps recently. I think you can't go wrong with either one. Personally, I'd buy the Sharp because I've always liked their microwaves more than Panasonic. I'm not really into countertop microwaves but if I had to get one today, I'd get a Panasonic Inverter.

 

[circlew]

Nice MW, and one I'd consider. The last time I was at Wasserstrom, I looked at an Amana commercial microwave oven. I like it, but it was around $1000, so not in my budget right now. I'll have to make do with my cheap little Sunbeam for a while.

https://webfiles.acpsolutions.com/documents/RCS10TS-RCS10DSE_SS_20271701_EN_websize.pdf

 

[panasonicvac]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe those commercial Amanas are made in the USA still. I know the residential models are now being made by Midea over in China.

 

[Chetlaham]

Is my Sharp based on the Amana design? It bears a resemblance.

 

[circlew]

Yes, many of the Amana commercial models are made in the USA. They are made by a different company than the residential models. ACP licenses the Amana trademark from Whirlpool.

 

[Chetlaham]

Neat. I'm hoping the commercial versions outlast the residential versions. I read reviews on Amazon about premature magnetron failures after 2 years. Hoping it was just a bad batch.

 

[Chetlaham]

@circlew- Any idea how the Amana RCS10DSE compares to the Sharp R21LCFS? Perhaps its me but the Sharp seems better built and with thicker stainless. The Amana looks more diesel on the surface, but I feel that it might be thinner gauge stainless? I'm curious how the two compare in various categories.

 

[panasonicvac]

Reply #11

From my understanding, both Sharp and Amana go way back. They were one of the first brands to introduce microwaves, at least for the commercial market. And they were both similar in alot of ways, it's almost that they both looked like they could've been made by the same company. I just know that Sharp was the first to introduce a turntable hence that's where they got their "Carousel" nickname from. While Amana's motor driven stirrer rotated on top of the cavity that allowed to cook evenly without using a turntable. Both of the residential Radaranges in my house from the 90's don't have a turntable.

 

[Chetlaham]

The commercial Amana reviews seem to have some complaints about slow and uneven heating. It sounds like the Sharp design might be better with the bottom feed. I agree though, they do look like they could have been made by the same company.

One thing I've read about the Amana is that it runs the fan and stirrer with the door open and confirmed by the service manual. Also read it runs 1 minute after cooking is finished. Not sure why. Not a big deal breaker though.

Reviews by techs seem to indicate the Amana is more durable and of better quality, but not the same in terms of cooking.

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>From my understanding, both Sharp and Amana go way back.</blockquote> Raytheon discovered/invented microwave cooking, filed a patent in 1945.  Microwave ovens were developed several years later, largely for commercial use, initially not to much success on the home market.  Raytheon acquired Amana Refrigeration in 1965.  Amana introduced the countertop Radarange in 1967.

 

[panasonicvac]

Right

I knew Raytheon created them, I just said that Amana and Sharp were one of the first brands. Not the actual first like Raytheon even though they later acquired Amana.

Anyways back to the subject. I think those commercial Amanas are pretty similar to the two that we have in terms of performance. One of my local sandwich places originally had residential Amanas that looks just like the one we have currently in storage. They were very reliable, both of ours still work today. Over the years they were slowly getting replaced by the commercial ones that they're using today. I didn't recall about the uneven heating part but I do recall that they heat up pretty slowly. That's one of the reasons why we'd do a phone order ahead of time instead of doing it at the store. I did forgot to mention that one of my other local sandwich places has those commercial Sharps. They appear to like them. We'll see how they hold up in like the next year or so compare to the Amanas at the other place.

 

[me]

There was a programme about microwave ovens on the Beeb the other day, it wasn't very good, but they did mention the Miele Dialog oven, which uses a combination of 915mhz microwaves and conventional heating and claims to be able to cook stuff like meat and veg perfectly at the same time. I think they said it was about £10,000!

https://www.specifile.co.za/miele-reinvents-cooking/news/kitchens/

 

[henene4]

Miele Dialog oven

Retail price is like 8k€.
Never really ment as a widespread thing, made to order, more of a showstopper piece.
But incredible technology.

The lower frequency of the waves used means they penetrate deeper. The typical 2.4GHz microwaves most use (which is WiFi range) only penetrate about an inch, while the Dialog ovens lower frequency goes at least twice as deep.
That lower frequency is interestingly in the cell service range - for compliance reasons Miele made the door completely opaque to guarantee propper shielding.

The second big thing is the actual "Dialog" part.
Compared to a microwave oven, which just throws energy at the food, the Miele oven monitors how much energy is being absorbed where in the food.
That allows on the fly adaption of effective power output to the absorption characteristic of the food - adapting to more fatty and more watery areas.

 

[combo52]

915 mega hertz cooking

GE started selling these around 1965 in their versa Tronic ranges, all of these were combined with conventional heat, and a true P7 self cleaning oven.

GE sold these through 1974, even though I own four of these I have not used them extensively, but it will be interesting to compare them to my other micro combination ovens.

Back to current modern 2450 MHz microwave oven, there’s very little difference in cooking performance in comparable microwave ovens, yes, some of the very small cheap ones and models without turntables generally do not cook very evenly but if you compare typical thousand watt microwave oven there’s not much difference.

All newer microwave ovens over 600 W had magnetron problems magnetron do not last like they used to because they’re driven very hard to increase efficiency the typical 900 to 1100 W microwave oven do not have long magnetron life if you use them a lot it’s especially hard on them to do things like pop popcorn in them because you’re essentially operating it with very little load .

John

 

[Chetlaham]

I have to disagree. My JVM1540SP1SS along with other thousand watt microwaves do not heat as evenly as my new Sharp. The JVM is in particular very, very bad. Something about the Sharp is significantly better and reviews also mention the same thing I've noticed: bowls themselves do not heat up as much as the food does. The GE over the range microwave we had in the late 90s did not have a turn table and it heated food better than my current GE micro. Something about a stirrer in of itself helps, and something in the Sharp also seems to further compliment it.

I spotted an advert for an Inverter microwave over on Amazon, and while I am not sure how true it holds, I have to say its an excellent comparison between my JVM and Sharp- except the JVM also browns the mac and cheese around the edges LOL. (yuck)

Have manufacturer's resolved the early magnetron failures? Or is the Sharp destined to fail after two years? In my world the magnetron is the last component which ought to fail.

 

[Chetlaham]

POS JVM1540SP1SS

My current over the range (POS) GE microwave. As mentioned earlier the food explosions and liquid splatter are like fireworks in this thing. With the Sharp the paper towel I place over the food, including pasta sauce and chili, comes out spotless.

 

[ea56]

Hey Zeus Christo thats a whole lotta splattering! I use microwave plate covers and the interior of my 5+ yr old MW is clean as a whistle.

Eddie

 

[panasonicvac]

One of my friends had this Panasonic Inverter up at their cabin which was bought around the same time when we bought this Sharp Carousel for our cabin back in 2004. While I really did loved that Sharp as it's my all time favorite microwave ever but I have to say, the Panasonic outlasted the Sharp. I'm not sure why because it got replaced after we sold the place but that's one of the reasons why I'd buy myself a Panasonic Inverter if I had to have a countertop microwave today.

 

[tolivac]

Like Combo I have a GE Advantium oven.Love this-its a go to machine like my VitaMix.I have had two Advantiums.My first one lasted about 15yrs!They both came from Greenville Appliance.Both delivored and installed by them.Took away the old one.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

cost and availability

How much does it cost? Where are they sold?

 

[foraloysius]

I don’t like turntables in microwaves, makes it difficult to clean the cavity. My Bosch combo oven had a rotating antenna at the top, which did a decent job on even heating. The newer Panasonic with the rotating antenna under the bottom works perfectly, can’t praise it enough.

 

[combo52]

The best microwave, oven designs

Have both turntable and a stirring system for the microwave energy as it enters the cavity.

The magnetron still has a filament in it in all microwave ovens. It is really the only part of a microwave oven that has a definite lifespan, all magnetrons will fail in microwave ovens, if used enough, but the way the circuit is designed and the loading that’s placed on it will also heavily determine the life of it, as well as the cooling of the magnetron.

I’m glad most everybody here is happy with their microwave ovens, microwave, ovens like vacuum, cleaners and dishwashers always have a lot of people that either hate them or love them because of the way they work for them. It’s a very hard product to design where everybody loves it.

Variety is what makes the world go round.