MicroWave Tribulations

Just had our 6 year old microwave oven go down in a rather pyrotechnic display which usually indicates a magnetron (that always sounds like a super-hero in the sort of movie I take pains to avoid) has left the building. Options are to fix or replace.

Our appliance guy tells me that he owns a combo unit that can be used for baking, roasting, broiling, and air frying (now if it would only walk the dog after dinner...). I was asking recently about air fryers and decided that the extra fuss of unlimbering it from a cupboard every time I wanted to use it didn't warrant a purchase.

Now I get to revisit that and decide whether to get the existing unit fixed or consider and all in one unit. Does anyone won one of these multipurpose devices and of so do they have any advice?

Looking at this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-NN-CD87KS-Microwave-Convection-FlashXpress/dp/B085SV35MT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TVYLCXR4XI6A&keywords=Panasonic+Slimline+Combination+Inverter+Microwave+Oven+with+Air+Fryer+-+Stainless+-+NNCD87KS&qid=1675009752&sprefix=panasonic+slimline+combination+inverter+microwave+oven+with+air+fryer+-+stainless+-+nncd87ks%2Caps%2C839&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.2b70bf2b-6730-4ccf-ab97-eb60747b8daf

[Jenise]

Bill, first of all I must pat myself on the back for advising you to create a shelf for your microwave instead of going the built-in route just in case you ever needed or wanted to replace that machine. Didn't expect you to appreciate it so soon, though.

I'm sure you read the five star reviews on Amazon, but did you read the one stars? The second and third that come up, from Kat and Deep Thought, are pretty compelling.

"This oven tries to do do too much with too little: it isn't a very good air fryer (you can't set the temperature), it isn't a very good convection oven (the broil elements are used to heat the air and IR radiation will definitely broil your food), it isn't a particularly good microwave (you can't actually set the exact time nor power to use, the oven only has presets that you can select (example: 900 watts is not a pre-set, so you can't use 90% power). In any case, aside from all the rules about when to use the enamel plate, the stand and the airfry basket, the much too loud cooling fan, and sparsity of controls and settings, the oven is unreliable. The one we were shipped lasted about 3 days before it would only turn on the cooling fan and do nothing else. Even if this oven were still functional, I would not recommend it based on the difficulty of using it: following all the rules regarding when to use the enameled plate and the stand, the poor performance in any function but microwaving."

You have to presume that one you bought would last longer than hers, but otherwise heed her words about it "trying to do too much with too little" and "the poor performance in any function but microwaving". I am reminded of long ago when my MIL decided to ditch her regular range for a cooktop and a microwave/convection combo. She believed it could do everything. And it did--poorly.

Thanks - that is a great synopsis of my misgivings.

Think we'll take the dead one in for analysis and see if it can be repaired before we decide on anything.

[Jenise]

The cost of repair vs. replacement might negate going to that kind of trouble, Bill. You probably can't find anyone to even look at it for under a hundy and microwaves are pretty cheap these days.

[Jenise]

So I just checked out microwaves on Amazon. If they're cheaper down here than up there, you can have one shipped to my house (or I can order it for you, as I'm on Prime and you may not be).

Pro tip: Amazon's robots and forklifts apparently inflict cosmetic wounds--sometimes just on the factory box with no injury to the working parts of the appliance itself--that requires them to sell them for less than brand new. They'll list those as "used" even if human hands never touched them except to re-package the item--you can tell these from other actual used items because the seller is the Amazon Warehouse. I have bought many many such things this way, saved lots of $ and never had a problem with any single item. In fact, if anything, we've been impressed with how small a scratch constitutes a "large cosmetic blemish".

Thanks for the advice - we decided to take it and will get the simpler model. Will be here tomorrow.

I currently have a Viking convection/Microwave. I Wouldn't have bought it but they were giving it away when I purchased my new range. This is my second convection/microwave. I can't remember the brand on the first one. I really like them. It is convenient to have both a small oven and a microwave and not have to loose that my shelf space.

My sister has an air fryer and loves it. I'm not sure that I would use one often enough to justify one. But if I had a three-in-one, I might consider it.

Also, I'm not a fan of built in microwaves. Especially when it is coupled with a 'exhaust' fan over the stove.