what to look for in microwave?

**monkeywrangler71** · 06-25-2010, 12:35 PM

Mine is 16 years old and still works fine - so make sure you like whatever features it has because you are probably stuck with it for awhile.

We have quick set button for 1, 3 and 5 minutes - no setting time and pressing start, just one button. I love them and never use anything else (pressing the 1 minute button twice gives you 2 minutes, etc.)

**mek42** · 06-25-2010, 05:26 PM

Well, the fire department just left. No fire, but check out this story. After I returned home today I felt the scorch mark to see if it was melted plastic or just something that could be washed off. It was hot to the touch (mind you, the microwave was un plugged and nothing else in the outlet. So I said something that might have been, "Yowsers!" had a brief moment of panic and then had my wife plug in a lamp that if fried we wouldn't care, then went down and unplugged the fuse.

The burning smell was back and when I took off the cover plate it looks ugly! Called and asked the FD to stop by and take a look. The verdict is that in addition to a new receptacle (they suggest GFCI due to kitchen sink proximity) I'm going to need to cut an replace almost all of the wire from the inner wall, as much of the insulation off one wire was burned away.

To do this I'll need to get a new tool - it doesn't look like I have a pair of end nips in my pliers drawer.

I'll try to post pics when I get everything done. Depending on how the GFCI goes, I may ask my friend who is an electrician what his going rate is to stop by and take a quick look see.

I'm feeling very lucky about this. Could have been very bad.

**frugalwarrior2** · 06-25-2010, 06:45 PM

Yes,it could have. Lucky it wasn't. And on the bright side you get to buy a new tool!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 06-25-2010, 10:10 PM

The microwave we have now that we just unboxed has pretty much all of the bells and whistles you will ever need in a microwave. We got it for free and it's stainless steel, plus it mounts above the oven. We're just too lazy to call the electrician.

**frugalfranny** · 06-25-2010, 11:15 PM

My most important thing is power and size......won't look at anything under a cubic foot or 1000 watts. BUT......must be under $100 too.

I like my defrost, carousel, and my 'quick start' buttons go from 1 to 6 minutes.......I use then a lot. Also power level, but think lots of this is on most micros now.

think mine is programmable and have never used it.

**greekislandgirl** · 06-26-2010, 03:07 AM

This thread made me think... I haven't had a microwave in years. They are not very common in Greece. When I did have one (in the US), I can't remember using it for anything except defrosting, and that was only when I forgot to do it earlier. Do they save money over the stove/oven? I had no plans to get one, but if they save a considerable amount in electricity, I would definitely consider it. Even though I don't know how to cook anything using it!!

**mek42** · 06-26-2010, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by greekislandgirl

This thread made me think... I haven't had a microwave in years. They are not very common in Greece. When I did have one (in the US), I can't remember using it for anything except defrosting, and that was only when I forgot to do it earlier. Do they save money over the stove/oven? I had no plans to get one, but if they save a considerable amount in electricity, I would definitely consider it. Even though I don't know how to cook anything using it!!

Two words: reheating leftovers. My wife also uses it for popcorn bags. Don't know about energy cost savings, but it sure does save time.

For primary cooking it it an accessory. We'll pre-heat burrito shells (one less pot to wash) or do nachos in it, but not to much actual cooking.

**mek42** · 06-26-2010, 01:37 PM

Argghhh!!!! The receptacle that the stove and fridge run off of is serial, downstream, to the one I replaced. One of the load wires snapped while I was wrestling with putting the receptacle back in the box last night. Our fridge has been without power for not quite 24 hours now.

Oh well, better some tossed food than a burned down house. I really hope I can figure out how to post pics here when I get all done with the job as the old, melted and charred receptacle is kind of impressive in a "how did that not burn down the house" sort of way.

**frugalfranny** · 06-26-2010, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by mek42

For primary cooking it it an accessory. We'll pre-heat burrito shells (one less pot to wash) or do nachos in it, but not to much actual cooking.

I use mine a ton and unless circumstances dictated, probably wouldn't be without one. Seldom use my stove....oven yes, but not the burners on the stove.

Originally Posted by mek42

Oh well, better some tossed food than a burned down house.

Is there any way you can get busy and cook some of the food and save it?? Or is this part of the elec. you are fixing too???

but you are right........better tossed food than charred house!

**mek42** · 06-26-2010, 11:54 PM

The fridge and the stove are on the same downstream outlet and a lot of stuff was just bad according to my wife. I've learned long ago not to argue with her about food safety. More for marital bliss purposes than for food poisoning events. We have a when in doubt toss it policy here.

Here is a pic of the receptacle that we replaced.

receptacle_rear3.JPG

We're going to try to go a week without a microwave to research it and not use the EF for one as I also learned that I need to put rear brake pads on our one car while getting an oil change today.

**Luckybustert** · 06-27-2010, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by mek42

Well, the fire department just left. No fire, but check out this story. After I returned home today I felt the scorch mark to see if it was melted plastic or just something that could be washed off. It was hot to the touch (mind you, the microwave was un plugged and nothing else in the outlet. So I said something that might have been, "Yowsers!" had a brief moment of panic and then had my wife plug in a lamp that if fried we wouldn't care, then went down and unplugged the fuse.

The burning smell was back and when I took off the cover plate it looks ugly! Called and asked the FD to stop by and take a look. The verdict is that in addition to a new receptacle (they suggest GFCI due to kitchen sink proximity) I'm going to need to cut an replace almost all of the wire from the inner wall, as much of the insulation off one wire was burned away.

To do this I'll need to get a new tool - it doesn't look like I have a pair of end nips in my pliers drawer.

I'll try to post pics when I get everything done. Depending on how the GFCI goes, I may ask my friend who is an electrician what his going rate is to stop by and take a quick look see.

I'm feeling very lucky about this. Could have been very bad.

I am so glad you found this before it became something bad....very lucky!

**mek42** · 06-27-2010, 01:25 AM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior2

Yes,it could have. Lucky it wasn't. And on the bright side you get to buy a new tool!

Oh, hehe, I frugally decided to try to do what I needed to do with just sidecutters and managed. So, no new tool.

On the other hand, after losing most of our fridge food and being without a way to cook anything since yesterday until after dinner tonight, we did eat out far more than planned. We didn't need to use the emergency fund, I still have something in my checking reserve and we definitely didn't use debt. I did elect not to make the big extra payment on BS2 that was planned this week, but I'm trying not to berate myself and tell myself that this was an extraordinary event.

**mek42** · 08-08-2010, 07:51 PM

Replaced it this weekend. We had decided to try to wait until we moved. This week I went out to breakfast more than I was happy with, so we decided to get the cheapest 0.7 cu. ft. one we could find just to reheat leftovers and get a bigger better one after moving. Specifically, my wife told me not to get the Tim Allen "More Power!" special that could, in her words, "defrost a turducken in 6 seconds."

So I went looking. The price point seemed to be $40 for an off-brand 700 watt, 0.7 cf. Then I found a GE 1.1 cf, 1,100 watt unit on sale for $45 at Best Buy. It was only a little bigger in section than 0.7 cf (deeper, but since door needs to open, not much wasted space wrt smaller unit). So we're all set now.