Please note: This was placed in the GE category "somehow." I am moving it to the correct category.

When we moved into this house 1 ½ years ago, the Whirlpool Microwave Hood Combination was there. We were very lucky because the refrigerator is old and I hope it breaks soon so I can get a new one and the same for the stove. The microwave appeared brand new. I love it.

I will tell you some of the features I especially love about it but first I want to tell you what I learned as I was starting to write this review. I pulled out the Use and Care guide, which is fantastic. There is nothing about this microwave that it doesn’t cover including a cooking guide including a reheating chart and cooking tips. You may have already attempted to bake a potato without pricking holes in it first so you know what happens, but if you don’t I will tell you that foods that are covered by a membrane (eggs and sausages also) will burst if not pricked first.

I learned that I can use small flat pieces of aluminum foil and shallow foil trays can be uses as long as they don’t touch the sides. I must admit I am so conditioned to not using foil that I still won’t although it is a nice feature to be able to.

I will also tell you that although I believe microwaves are safe and I’m not sure what I did without them, I do not stand in front of them while in use.

This microwave has a lot of features that I love.

•It has a fan with a low and high speed and it really does work to eliminate odors of food cooking. Some food’s odors are wonderful and you wouldn’t want to eliminate them, but there is something about cooking fish that makes me want to eliminate it. I will use this feature even if I am cooking in the regular oven. Your microwave doesn’t have to be on to have the fan on.

•I also like the light feature, which includes a night-light. It is just a little touch that I don’t use often but it is nice to have.

•It has the usual cook time and cook power but it also has, for example, an auto defrost button which I use all the time. If you are defrosting chicken, you hit auto defrost, it asks how many pounds, you put in 2 or 3 or how many and hit start and it will defrost for as long as it takes to defrost 2 pounds of chicken. You can do this with meat and fish also. There is a guide for how to defrost your food in the best possible way.

•It is extremely easy to clean. Everything but the handle is flat on the outside so you just need to wipe it down. The inside is also easy to clean except for the top. You may have to scrub a bit if you heat spaghetti sauce because it may stick to the top of the microwave. The most difficult part to clean is the vent and because it is white, the dirt shows. I just take a damp paper towel or cotton swap and wipe it down. I didn't give this 5 stars because I think the vents could be easier to clean and the same with the roof of the microwave.

•Whirlpool’s warranty included a full one-year warranty on replacement parts and repair labor and a limited four-year warranty.

Although this microwave doesn’t have all the features that other do, for example, my mother’s General Electric Spacemaker XL Microwave oven; it is perfect for my needs. In fact my mother doesn’t use 90% of her microwave’s features so why spend the extra money?

In summary, this is a comprehensive, full-service microwave that is easy to use, easy to clean, durable and one that has worked extremely well for me. I would definitely recommend it.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 299