Sour Grapes Relationship? You Decide.
The JVM1440 is the third GE Over-The-Range microwave we've owned. I bought it to replace another similar GE microwave that the door fell apart on after 3 years. The JVM1440 broke the prior time-to-landfill record by becoming total junk within 2 years. I will never buy another GE microwave. Why? Read on...

She's moving in: Installation Woes
I bought the JVM1440 thinking that I could easily slide it in where the old one had been, using the existing mounting pattern, right? WRONG. GE had changed the installation method from the prior model. For some reason they abandoned the overhead bolts that had held the prior two ovens and went to a wall-mounted hanger. Using the hanger would have required me to re-tile part of the wall over the range. Not an option. Instead, I modified the chassis, mixing parts from the old and new ovens.  This was no easy task. It took six hours of drilling, cutting, swearing, and unanticipated blood-letting to install it.

Year 1: Uneasy Relationship
The microwave itself worked reasonably well. The hood fan was close to worthless. The vent let cold air in. The lights were dim at best, and had to be replaced soon after installation. The hood was hard to clean. The scrolling screen prompts were obnoxious. We couldn't figure out how to use 99% of the "features", and really didn't need them. However, it functioned, and we were living together.

Year 2: The Honeymoon That Never Happened
Little after a year, the top grille cracked at the mounting posts and fell off in the middle of the night without prompting. It was just laying on the stove top one morning. The grille was made of plastic and there was no way to repair it. Soon afterward, one of the fans failed, so the already anemic venting capability was reduced to little more than fan noise.

It's Over: Irreconcilable Differences and Bad Gas
The final chapter in this rocky relationship came when the JVM1440 started making a humming noise during operation, and food took longer to cook. After a week or so of "cooking accompanied by monotone sonata", the humming got louder, angrier, and now featured a strong ozone smell. At this point the JVM1440 refused to contribute to the household besides nominally functioning as a clock; food came out at the same temperature it went in at.

Epilogue
We are now seeking a new long-term meaningful relationship with another brand besides GE.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): Too Much