GE - 1.6 Cu. Ft. Over-the-Range Microwave - White

This microwave is attractive, quiet, heats well, and has all the basic functions we need: hence a Consumer Reports "Best Buy." We bought it to replace a GE Spacesaver that served us well for an impressive 35+ years (RIP). My husband and I work from home and use the microwave all day long. We are not picky; we just need basic features to reheat food and beverages. Despite this microwave's good qualities, I deeply regret buying it. (I wish we had simply flushed $200 directly down the toilet and saved all our installation time.) I'd return it but we are past Best Buy's short 15-day return window. (With any luck this one will die within a year as it has for so many other buyers.) Until then, we are trying to tough it out because we hate to waste our $$ and all our installation time. Multiple times a day I want to smash this microwave with a sledge hammer. Why? We underestimated the ongoing annoyance of the poorly designed keypad and a "done" buzzer that (like a smoke alarm) won't shut off on its own. In particular, I hate that an appliance that was once my slave is now my master. Example: if I heat a beverage and run upstairs, I MUST race back to the kitchen when summoned: otherwise the beeper keeps chirping intermittently--annoying my nearby husband. It does NOT shut off on its own as our previous microwave did. Also, in the past, I was able to use my microwave timer for other tasks---but no more. I had to buy a portable timer so I don't have to keep racing back to the kitchen as summoned by the microwave. In addition, the poorly designed keypad is a constant annoyance. It's hard to read and use because of: 1. the poor color contrast between the button text and background (for us light gray on white) 2. no backlighting and 3. poor button placement. I hate that the most used "Add 30 seconds" is buried in the middle of other less-used buttons like "Turntable." Ideally it should be in the bottom right--easier to find and closer to "Start." I tried to adjust to the layout for several weeks. But in the end I got tired of scanning and just put bright stickers by the most needed buttons. (And yes, it's not fashionable to have bright stickers on your microwave. But it works--whereas the keypad layout doesn't.) The first rule of design is that Form should follow Function..and that doesn't happen with this microwave. As Randy Pausch taught his students (by destroying an annoying VCR with a sledgehammer on his first day of class): When you “make something hard to use, people get upset. They become so angry that they want to destroy it. We don’t want to create things that people will want to destroy.” And that is precisely what GE has done with this microwave. It's too bad that such a nice microwave is spoiled by a poor user interface: but it is. And for that reason, I give it a single star.

First, I'm easy to please, and don't use the microwave for anything more complicated than heating up frozen food or boiling water. I've not tested out any of the more advanced features, and can't comment on them. I read a bunch of online reviews in making a product selection, and overall most people seemed pleased with this unit. The complaints seemed to be about minor stuff, like the button labels being hard to see in low light or the dark, which is true, but it doesn't bother me (I turn on the overhead light so I can see the buttons). I installed the unit myself, am not a pro, just a regular old DIYer. Installation was straightforward, the instructions were clear, and all the parts I needed were present. I ended up using some different lag bolts because the ones included with the install kit are not very beefy: they take a philips head, or you can use a 3/8 or 1/2 ratchet (can't remember which), and the philips receptacle on the screw stripped out quickly when applying a reasonable amount of torque. I tossed them and used the stainless lag bolts with a square head inset from the last install. The instructions seemed a little bit unclear to me about how the fan blower motor housing needs to be manipulated. The pictures are good, but I believe some of the words are in error. But if you understand what the basic premise is of what you're doing, it will work out fine. The instructions provide a drilling template for the overhead screws, and everything matched up well. The mounting plate seemed a little bit flimsy, but seems to work fine. It fit perfectly into the spot where the previous microwave went, and the microwave unit itself also fit perfectly. As far as operation goes, I found the unit to be quieter than its predecessor, and can't say if this unit is more or less quiet than other current units. It does what it is supposed to do, heat stuff up. I like the way the rotating plate sits on the spindle. It is simple and works well. I also like the generous amount of light the unit provides from the bottom of the unit to the top of the stove. The door feels solid, and the open/close internal latching mechanism also has a solid feel to it. It has been in operation now for about a month, with no hiccups or trouble. If things change, I'll update this review accordingly.

I took measurements of my old microwave and verified that this one had the same dimensions. However, upon installation, this microwave projects out from the wall over my stove almost an additional inch. This is because this microwave's mounting hardware attaches to the back splash wall. My old microwave was attached to the cupboard above it, so there was nothing between the back of that microwave and the back splash wall. At first, I was really upset about this extra projection. I was also worried that the indoor venting (I don't have a vent pipe to the outside) would blow upwards into the cupboard above it since the exhaust vent points upward (my old microwave's vent blew straight out into the room which was awful for us tall people because it would blow directly into our eyes). However, this extra projection into the room actually ensured that the exhaust vents completely cleared the cupboard doors and therefore I don't have to worry about warping the wood. The microwave feels solid. Some microwave doors feel plastic and flimsy, but this one feels very solid. The handle feels sturdy (you simply jerk on the handle to pull the door open, there is not a button to press to pop open the door). The keypad doesn't seem to collect any finger prints. The turntable is surprisingly large and moves quietly during operation. I like that this microwave has a feature to stop the turntable from rotating. This feature is really helpful when I've put in a 13"x9" casserole dish of leftovers to reheat.

I threw out a 30-year old microwave that worked great, just because I wanted stainless steel vs white appliances... Before choosing one, I checked Consumer Reports, and bought the (this) best rated microwave by GE, which was also on sale at Best Buy. It worked for 1-year, and then it started tripping the breaker. When I turned the breaker back on I could use the light, exhaust fan, and clock, but not the microwave. I had an Electrician change the breaker, but it still kept tripping it. He tried plugging it into a different outlet/breaker, and it tripped that one too...so it was clear that the microwave was the problem. While conducting these tests, the microwave then turned off completely, died. I called Best Buy, but they said the 1-year manufacturer warranty has expired, so they can't help. Seems like it was made to only last 1-year... They offered a Technician to come out for $99 p/visit. REALLY?!? This is the WORST microwave oven I've ever had. GE should be ashamed. My husband reminds me daily how I threw out a good old appliance to purchase a crappy new one. I will never hear the end of it...and now I have no microwave. I'm so upset!!!

I bought this model in July 2016. It is now Oct 2018 and it no longer works. About a week ago it tripped the breaker. After reseting the breaker and testing a few times and trying it plugged into a different outlet on a different breaker (which resulted in tripping the breaker again), there was a spark in the unit itself and now it is totally dead (before, once the breaker was reset, the clock and lights worked; the breaker tripped when the unit itself was turned on to heat something up. now, it is dead, no clock no nothing. obviously some kind of electrical problem internal to the unit. very disappointing. this replaced an older equivalent GE model that lasted 10 years. obviously they are not making them with the same quality as 10 years ago. and of course the warranty is only 1 year which is a joke. if they are only going to be accountable for this operating for 1 year, this should be a lot cheaper. Very disappointing. Piece of crap. And my house is full of GE appliances too. Going to shop around for something else now. Fool me twice shame on me, right?

I replaced a ten year old Spacemaker XL1800 (HDM1853WJ) with this and overall I’m very pleased. I wanted to share my thoughts. Installation: First, make sure you turn the vent motor and install the charcoal filter (included) if it’s going to recirculate. This is laid out very clearly in the instructions and is simple to do. One of the reasons I bought another GE was because I was hoping to be able to use the existing wall bracket and maybe the holes required in the cabinet above the microwave would also line up. Got lucky with the former, not the latter. It sat on the wall bracket OK, and although the holes pattern was close, I had to drill new holes. Use: As another reviewer pointed out, it’s difficult to see if your food is boiling over. Cooking oatmeal poses a challenge! It’s not impossible to see, but harder than it was with my previous microwave. I also don’t like that it “forgets” you put food in it. What I mean is that if you put food in it, walk away for a few minutes, then come back and turn it on it tells you to put food in the microwave. All you have to do is open and close the door, but still a pain and different from the previous GE I owned. On the positive side, it does a fine job doing what it’s supposed to do. Plenty of power settings and cooking options. I also like that it has two levels (high and low) for both the surface light and the vent fan.

I don't "trust" consumer reports for everything. I remember one time they down rated a great motorcycle (I liked and bought) because they tested it and found the flip up gas cap popped up after a crash. What about the positive weighting of great handling, rocket ship acceleration, great hardware etc. The GE 3160 microwave tested well. However, I have found these inexpensive microwaves have small power supplies that tend to burn out more easily. Look at the more expensive computers and you will see nice heavy duty power supplies compared to the budget computers. The average life of microwaves is around 9 years and I will be happy if I get that lifespan from this inexpensive unit. The big issue with this microwave is the flimsy door and chassis. The door is not rigid and the closure is locked via 2 fragile plastic clips. Others have complained about this and once one of the clips cracks it is all over. SOLUTION: Do not slam the door. When you close the door bring so so gently. In one motion close the door up to the 2 holes that lock the 2 door door clips without closing the door all the way. Be sure the 2 male clips are aligned into the openings, then GENTLY push the door home so the clips lock in place. Lotsa luck and hope this helps you.

My 18 year old GE Microwave died and after looking at several 2018 models/makes in my Best Buy store and online, I decided to go with a GE that fit the space over my cook top, was shiny black and had a similar panel to our previous one, so that my husband could figure out how to use it. When it was installed and plugged in, I noticed that the panel was almost unreadable - there was very little contrast between the pale, white lettering and the black background on the buttons. On my 18 year old panel (and online), the lettering is distinct. Now I must put on reading glasses to see the words. The door has a window, but I can't see what my food is doing during cooking, reheating, etc. due to the heavy black grid on the glass. The interior light inside is very dim, as well. The digital time on the panel is an extremely, bright white, unlike all of my other digital appliance clocks, temperatures, etc. which are green. I like the beverage button on this microwave because it gives you choices in ounces - 4, 8, 12, 16 oz. Also, the size of the turntable is large enough to accommodate dinner plates and glass baking dishes.