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A microwave oven is one of those devices you’ll find in every home. When it comes to food prepping, we use them for almost everything – from popcorns to Thanksgiving dinner. In short, there’s no way you don’t have one yourself. So what’s so special about over-the-range microwave ovens?
Well, if you think about your kitchen, you’ll figure out that there is always a lack of space. And that’s not just the case with your kitchen – we all have the same issue. Anyone who’s spending some time in the kitchen will figure out that the lack of space causes the lack of time, and both, together, can turn out the meal prepping process into an unpleasant experience. That’s where the over-the-range microwave ovens come to the stage.
They’re, simply, offering you more space in the kitchen, since you don’t need to keep them on the countertop. But not just that – if you put them directly above the countertop, you’ll probably get a couple of decent cooktop lights, and you can connect them to the vent. That’s why a lot of people prefer over-the-range microwave ovens over the basic ones.
1. Frigidaire FFMV1645TS Oven
We’ll start the list with the Fridgaire’s microwave. This stainless steel over-the-range microwave, with a capacity of 1.6 cubic feet, and nice cold white LED cooktop lights are reliable and pretty easy to use. It’s simple, without a bunch of settings that you probably won’t use at all, but a nice looking device with clean classic lines. When it comes to ventilation it’s vented for inside but it can be connected to the vent over the oven.
It comes with mounting brackets, so you don’t need to worry about it, but there is one thing that should worry you. It’s pretty heavy, so if you’re not an experienced DIY guy, you’ll need some help with installing it.
The only consideration we could think of is that the front door glass is blurred so you actually cannot see what’s going on inside the oven. Why is that important? Well, it’s pretty hard to tell if food is, let’s say, cooked enough or overcooked. Otherwise, it makes a great balance of functionality and price.
Check Price2. GE JNM3163RJSS 30
The next item on our list is made of steel and almost of the same size as the previous one. The diameter of the turntable is about 13 inches with an ON/OFF function. It’s an attractive and functional but basic over-the-range microwave oven. You’ll be very pleased with performance and appearance.
It’s very easy to install it yourself, although you may need some help with holding it up.
It comes with three vent options – rear and top for exterior and front top for interior ventilation through a carbon filter. We must mention that some reviewers say it’s pretty noisy, so prepare yourself before purchasing it. Also, another important consideration we have about it is that the buttons should be more touch-sensitive since occasionally one gets the sense that they need to be pushed hard.
3. Avanti MOTR13D3S 24
This is one of the Amazon choices for an over-the-range microwave oven. It’s a bit of smaller capacity than the two previous ones – 1.34 cubic feet – and with a slightly different design. Besides that, we must note that it has the best reviews so far.
It’s very easy to install and the package includes everything you need to mount it. So, yes, you don’t need to be handy, to install it.
Besides, it has a really nice sleek look and comes with a bunch of features. Some of them are 10 power levels, sensor cook function, two vent speeds, night light, and child safety function.
Reviewers are especially emphasizing how fast it heats the food – almost twice as fast as the rest of the competition. The only consideration we could think of is a bit annoying beeping sound when the food is done. Otherwise, it’s more than a solid over-the-range microwave oven.
We must admit it’s our favorite, and we highly recommend it.
4. Sharp R-1514 Over-the-Range Microwave
Another feature-rich over-the-range microwave oven comes from the Sharp. It comes with 19 predefined settings and 11 smart and easy sensor settings for most popular foods. “Add a minute” button on the front of the doors comes especially handy and useful.
Having all those functions in mind, it’s still pretty straightforward, easy to install, and easy to use a microwave oven.
Many reviewers are disappointed with the poor light, but there is a quick fix for that. Simply replace the existing bulbs with the LED bulbs and you’ll get a lot more light in your kitchen using far less power. The only consideration we have and many reviewers noted it, is the two-speed fan. It’s advertised as a two-speed fan, but actually, changing the speed from low to high won’t make a noticeable difference.
Otherwise, this is a great microwave. If you opt to purchase it, you won’t be disappointed.
Check Price5. Cosmo COS-2413ORM1SS Over-the-Range Microwave Oven
The last item on our list is Cosmo’s microwave oven, which looks like it’s coming from Cosmos – like the black box that fell out from the spaceship. Jokes aside, we do think that the glass on the door could be a bit larger and brighter. To compensate for this, this microwave oven features pretty powerful interior lightning.
It’s one of those smaller capacity microwave ovens – the capacity is 1.34 cubic feet – which comes with a bunch of useful features. Among them, we’ll mention the touch presets for common tasks; the option to switch turntable on or off (same goes for light feature), and smart sensor cooking which turns off the oven automatically when the food is done.
It’s solid built using stainless steel and has a powerful two-speed fan to vent out the smoke, steam, and odors.
Overall, it’s more than a decent over-the-range microwave oven at a really affordable price.
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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
