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Why every microwave sucks these days

moth.monster

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Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#111

Post by mackeyja92 »

ForkMeOnTinder wrote: post #11

As a chronic comparison shopper, this is a first-world problem that's near and dear to my heart. I think the reason microwaves (and appliances in general) suck is because comparison shopping is so hard. I wish I could get a list of all microwaves and filter by criteria such as: - Does the +30 seconds button start cooking immediately, or do you have to also press "start" afterwards? - Does it beep every 30 seconds aft…

Most microwaves have a mute setting. Often it’s set by holding 1 for 5 seconds. Varies by brand and model of course. Definitely worth looking up if it bugs ya!

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#112

Post by _dark_matter_ »

thayne wrote: post #92
ChainOfFools wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The kind of review you're looking for is what Consumer Reports is, (or at least used to be, as I'm not sure of the current state of things,) famous for. Because it's a paid subscription, and all of the items they review are actually purchased from retail suppliers who have no knowledge that Consumer Reports is the buyer, they can take their time and do very thorough comparisons incorporating tests of real world usabi…

The problem with consumer reports is I only need it every once in a while, so it isn't really worth paying a continual subscription for.

I do it anyways, because I need them the most on expensive things, so my subscription evens out. But they do have common household items as well.

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#113

Post by eszed »

smegsicle wrote: post #87
ForkMeOnTinder wrote: post #11

As a chronic comparison shopper, this is a first-world problem that's near and dear to my heart. I think the reason microwaves (and appliances in general) suck is because comparison shopping is so hard. I wish I could get a list of all microwaves and filter by criteria such as: - Does the +30 seconds button start cooking immediately, or do you have to also press "start" afterwards? - Does it beep every 30 seconds aft…

> Does the +30 seconds button start cooking immediately, or do you have to also press "start" afterwards? i've seen one where buttons 1-6 immediately start cooking for that many minutes, alongside a +30 button, so that every 30s interval between 30s and 6:30 can be activated in one or two button pushes; fastest nuke in the west

Ours does that. I never touch any of the (indeed useless) Potato / Popcorn / Soup (yes, soup... What?) buttons, but the instant-on time-interval buttons are lovely.

It's "Magic Chef", for those of you who are curious. We didn't buy it (came with the house), and I'm not pulling it off the shelf to look for a model number on the back (I moved the vinegar bottles next to it, and there's no sticker on that side, nor the other, either), but that's a place to start.

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#114

Post by Nursie »

aerophilic wrote: post #94
Nursie wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. We moved house recently so do fall into the articles “no reason to buy one except…” But when we started shopping we were pleasantly surprised that there had been at least two major developments in the tech since last time I bought one. First, an inverter gives you actual power-level control instead of the old-fashioned on-off modulation. Second, flat-bed models have rotating emitters so you no longer need that r…

What was the model/brand you went with?

We ended up with a Sharp flatbed inverter, I think it's a "SM327FHS"

I still wouldn't routinely cook much food in it, but it's been pretty good so far for a microwave, and does defrost better than my old one (more even, less cooking stuff at the edges that you don't want cooked).

Also it fit pretty perfectly in the microwave nook that was already in the kitchen!

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#115

Post by yummypaint »

sfmike wrote: post #109

Not to be tin foil hat, and I have no idea what I'm saying, but something just felt unnatural and wrong about microwaves, so years ago started using a toaster oven and I use it now over microwave and oven as well for toasting and baking everything. Please tell me how I'm doing it wrong my mind is open.

Microwave ovens heat things mostly by heating the water they contain. Microwaved stuff can absolutely end up different from other cooking methods and there's nothing wrong with having a preference. Most people prefer toasted bread to microwaved bread, but a microwave is the champion when it comes to things like bringing milk to a near boil and defrosting.

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#116

Post by sytelus »

udia wrote: post #45

Instant Pot died primarily due to private equity greed, not because of Instant Pot reliability. In 2017, Cornell Capital bought the company for a total $500M of which $300M was financed by debt. Then 4 years later in 2021, it refinanced and added on debt, bringing the total debt to $535M. $245M was immediately paid out to shareholders as a dividend. Cornell Capital got paid back all the cash it invested in the compan…

Wow... I have heard this story so many times. Question is how do you get $300M debt which probably everyone involved knew that it would be written off in short order?

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#117

Post by hyeonwho22 »

ChainOfFools wrote: post #70
ForkMeOnTinder wrote: post #11

As a chronic comparison shopper, this is a first-world problem that's near and dear to my heart. I think the reason microwaves (and appliances in general) suck is because comparison shopping is so hard. I wish I could get a list of all microwaves and filter by criteria such as: - Does the +30 seconds button start cooking immediately, or do you have to also press "start" afterwards? - Does it beep every 30 seconds aft…

The kind of review you're looking for is what Consumer Reports is, (or at least used to be, as I'm not sure of the current state of things,) famous for. Because it's a paid subscription, and all of the items they review are actually purchased from retail suppliers who have no knowledge that Consumer Reports is the buyer, they can take their time and do very thorough comparisons incorporating tests of real world usabi…

I got a CR subscription to look at air filters. For good air filtering you really only need a hepa filter ($20) in front of a fan ($20), but CR only analyses the performance of brand name products ($200).

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#118

Post by kadoban »

solardev wrote: post #58
dreamcompiler wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Inverter microwave ovens do PWM (which I guess doesn't sound as sexy as "Inverter"?) so you get much finer-grained power control than standard microwaves. Still they don't give you direct wattage control, which perhaps is what you're asking for. https://www.techlicious.com/review/microwave-ovens-with-inve...

Don't regular microwaves also do PWM? How's that different from just cycling on and off?

If the new ones are doing PWM (I hadn't heard that's how it works, but have no reason to doubt it), it must be cycling several times per second. It's indistinguishable from having true control over the wattage.

The old cycling on and off, it's full power for several seconds and then off for several. The full power sections are long enough to nuke the shit out of many items. Butter doesn't do well, soup and pizza either, just to name some.

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#119

Post by ISL »

We are considering purchasing a new microwave, so I dipped my toes into the review-water earlier this week. The Wirecutter folks have done an interesting job of disassembling the microwaves from many brands and visually demonstrating that they're all made by one manufacturer. Unsurprisingly, when they test them, they all perform the same, too:

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-microwave/

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#120

Post by Aloha »

I have a fancy GE Microwave, its a built in, over the stove job, that is also a convection oven (a lousy one perhaps), but when used in hybrid convection cook mode, its pretty spiffy.

The boyfriend does not like using it with the moisture sensor active (he strongly likes to cover his food with a lid, to prevent splatter), but I find just a paper towel is good enough for me - and when left to its normal pre-programmed modes it works surprisingly well when I just let the intelligence the engineers at GE programmed into it at the factory do its thing.

I am also the least likely person in our household to actually use one, I have a perfectly good stove and oven, and I'm much more likely to warm my leftovers with that. Then it doesn't come out being uneven in temp, with a weird rubbery texture, or devoid of moisture.

Of course - it cost 600 dollars - as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

The wife and boyfriend however? the microwave was for them.

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