Kenmore 80333 Microhood Stainless Steel Over-the-range Microwave Reviews
best over-the-range microwaves
Microwaves used to be a luxury item, but today they're a necessity in many households. Modern designs are more efficient, sleek, and convenient than ever before. Over-the-range (OTR) microwaves represent the adjacent footstep in integrated microwave design. These appliances cook your food while leaving your counter space free and keeping your kitchen well ventilated.
If you're in the market for an OTR microwave, simply you're not certain what features you demand or where to start your search, nosotros're here to help.
Our shopping guide dives into the facts and features to give you a adept overview of what to wait for. We've also provided our top picks for the models we'd like to install in our own kitchens. Relax, have a seat, and go ready to start cooking.
Key considerations
Types of OTR microwaves
OTR microwaves come in the same types as countertop models, only here is a quick refresher:
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Traditional: Traditional microwaves are used for heating, defrosting, and cooking. They can be loaded with features like cooking sensors, preset buttons, quick keys, multiple power levels, and a turntable. You are probably already familiar with this type of microwave.
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Convection: Convection microwaves do everything a traditional microwave does but with the option of convection cooking, which moves warm air throughout the interior of the microwave. Unlike traditional microwaves, these models can also toast and broil. Convection microwaves accept many features, adding to the overall cost, but they function nigh like a second oven. If that'southward something you lot need, information technology might exist worth the steep price.
Size
Carefully measure the available space in your kitchen and then measure again. Information technology'due south a pain to have to box upward your brand-new OTR microwave and transport it back considering it doesn't fit! The width of OTR microwaves ranges from 30 to 36 inches, superlative from fourteen to eighteen inches, and depth from xv to 17 inches. The space to a higher place your stove can vary just as widely, so we'll say it again: mensurate carefully.
Capacity
OTR microwave chapters mostly ranges from 1.one to 2.2 cubic feet. Keep in mind that manufacturers typically advertise a larger capacity than is more often than not usable. Information technology's also important to recollect that microwave size and microwave capacity are two dissimilar things. Some large microwaves accept a surprisingly modest chapters.
OTR microwave features
Ventilation
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Fans: OTR microwaves pull double duty. They not but cook your nutrient just also remove odors, fume, and steam from your stovetop – and some do a better job than others. Models with multiple fans motion more than air and therefore vent better than models with a single fan.
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Motorcar-venting: This is another ventilation feature you might want to consider. Models with auto-venting accept a temperature sensor that turns on the ventilation system when temperatures on the stovetop become high enough. It so automatically turns off the ventilation system in one case the stovetop cools. This type of system tin can keep odors and rut from building up unnoticed. On the downside, once the auto-venting has turned on, it can't exist turned off until the temperature decreases, taking some of the control out of your hands.
Turntable
The turntable rotates while the food cooks, eliminating one of the downsides of microwave cooking – uneven heating. Some models allow you to close off the turntable for extra flexibility in how you cook your nutrient.
Controls
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Power levels: OTR microwave power levels can be basic – low, medium, high – or as many as ten. The more ability levels, the more precise the cooking. Models that besides include custom presets automatically use the correct power level for the foods you lot cook almost often.
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Presets: Preset or shortcut keys take the guesswork out of cooking mutual foods. With the affect of a push, the power and time settings are adjusted for yous. Some presets include popcorn, baked potato, and frozen vegetables. Check the presets. If they include foods you lot eat often, they're probably worth a few actress dollars.
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Quick keys: Quick keys add to the heating time without disrupting the cooking process. They're usually plant in 30-2d and one-minute intervals. They're great considering you tin striking a preset key and and then add time with the quick key based on the book of food you're cooking. Yous can also press quick keys more than than once to incrementally add to the cooking time.
Rack
Do you desire to cook more than one dish at a time? A cooking rack adds flexibility and chapters to your meal preparation. With a convection model, a rack tin can likewise help move air effectually all surfaces of the dish, evenly distributing heat and reducing the cooking time.
Sensors
OTR microwaves may come with one or more types of cooking sensors. There are popcorn sensors that detect the sound of popping corn, while other sensors detect humidity to determine when food is done. Other models have a temperature sensor that connects to a probe that'southward inserted into nutrient. The microwave and so shuts off once the food reaches a predetermined temperature.
Depression-profile
Low-profile OTR microwaves have the same width and depth of regular models simply aren't equally tall. These microwaves don't have extra features like preset or quick keys, but one might work well for you if you'll be using information technology for the basics – heating a dinner plate, defrosting meat or vegetables, and heating water. If you want a microwave that leaves more cupboard space but however vents and lights your stovetop, a low-profile model might be correct for you.
Hood lights
Information technology'southward so much easier to cook when you can come across what you're doing! OTR microwaves with lights illuminate everything that takes place on your stovetop.
Finish
The finish makes a deviation when it comes to the look and experience of your kitchen. In general, we suggest matching the cease of your OTR microwave to the residue of your kitchen appliances. These microwaves come up in all the classic and mod finishes, such equally white, blackness, stainless steel, blackness stainless steel, and fingerprint-resistant stainless steel.
Did you know?
In the 1940s, Dr. Percy Spencer (1894–1970), who worked on radar tubes chosen magnetrons at Raytheon, noticed one twenty-four hour period that radio waves melted a candy bar in his pocket. It wasn't long before Raytheon introduced the get-go microwave oven.
OTR microwave prices
Inexpensive: A basic OTR microwave starts at around $130 to $150. These models typically have a smaller capacity, ranging from 1.1 to 1.6 cubic feet. Though they're small, they still come with a few convenience features like preset keys, cooking sensors, and turntable.
Mid-range: In the $150 to $300 range, the capacity increases and the features get-go to pile on. You lot're looking at stainless steel finishes, preset keys, quick keys, turntable, sensor cooking, child locks, cooking racks, and sleek, elegant designs.
Expensive: The jump to the $300 to $500 price indicate adds more capacity, with models reaching up to 2.2 cubic feet, and multiple sensors that adjust for humidity and temperature. You'll run into the same features you find on less-expensive models plus extra filtering systems and better ventilation options.
Premium: It's non until you're around or well above the $500 marking that yous start to see OTR convection microwaves. Some cost more $1,000. Convection cooking adds the ability to grill, brown, and more evenly cook nutrient.
"Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) developed the concept of electromagnetic radiation. He probably didn't foresee cooking with microwaves, merely his work did pave the fashion for many other scientific advancements, including Einstein'due south special theory of relativity."
Tips
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Don't pay for features you won't employ. Be honest. If yous only use the microwave to reheat last night's dinner and occasionally brand popcorn, yous don't need a convection model.
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Always use microwave-safe containers. Some plastics can melt or release harmful chemicals at high temperatures, while metals can damage the microwave.
- Don't utilize the microwave if the door doesn't shut properly. The U.Due south. Food and Drug Assistants (fda.gov) advises that you lot periodically bank check the seal on the door, the hinges, and the latch for damage. If there's a trouble with the seal, microwave radiation can leak.
Other products we considered
The number of OTR microwaves on the marketplace continues to grow, and we simply can't include all of the swell models out there on our top five list. Here are a couple that didn't quite brand the cut just might however exist perfect for y'all. The Sharp R-1214 OTR Microwave has a capacity of 1.v cubic anxiety, a popcorn sensor, also every bit preset and quick keys. And we dearest the horizontal button orientation, especially if you're on the shorter side. For a reasonably priced convection oven, you might want the Sharp OTR Convection Microwave Oven. It comes loaded with preset and quick keys and lets you switch between convection and microwave mode. Plus, if you really don't want to mess with settings, it has several features and settings that have the guesswork out of cooking.
FAQ
Q. Are there features that make some OTR microwaves easier to clean than others?
A. Some microwaves accept a patented "like shooting fish in a barrel clean" interior. According to the claims, the surface resists caked-on nutrient, making information technology easier to clean. However, if you wipe down the interior of the microwave later on each use, you shouldn't need to pay extra for a special interior. Remember, the longer the splatters and spills stay in the microwave, the more difficult they go to remove.
Q. Are at that place boosted installation costs with an OTR microwave?
A. You might want to pay a professional person to install information technology if you've never installed a kitchen appliance before. The compatibility of the OTR microwave with your kitchen depends on your kitchen'south setup and pattern. In that location could too be added installation costs if your kitchen doesn't take the ductwork for ventilation.
Q. Are there any child safety features available?
A. Some models take a child safety lock that prevents any unapproved cooking or tampering with the settings once the cooking starts. Such a device requires holding a certain push for a designated number of seconds to lock and unlock the microwave.
Source: https://bestreviews.com/kitchen/microwaves/best-over-the-range-microwaves
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