Top Microwaves Under $200

There is nothing worse than having your appliances fail you. Well, maybe I am wrong. Perhaps having to go shopping to replace your failing appliances is actually worse than them going out! I recently ran into this problem when the last ray of heat faded from my aging microwave unit. I sadly discarded the microwave that had given me a good seven years of its existence and tried to focus on the new problem at hand: finding a reliable replacement.

Upon arriving at the store of my choice, I found an entire aisle dedicated to the sale of microwaves. Which one to choose? Truth be told, there are so many wonderful models on the market today, that this simple task turned into a shaky and uncomfortable decision making process. After reviewing many, if not all, models and exhausting my salesperson’s patience, I finally succumbed to a GE brand countertop microwave unit, model JES1384SF.

This microwave really caught my eye with its sleek design and stainless steel exterior. It looks so modern and new in comparison to my older unit. The GE microwave has a 1.3 cubic feet capacity, which is a great size for all kinds of microwave needs. It is powered with 1100 watts. Some of the best features of this unit include the standard timer with a reminder that will let you know when the heating process is complete. This timer is optional, you can turn it on/off with a touch of a button. There is a removable oven rack, which allows you to heat or cook more than one plate or container of food at one time.

For your defrosting needs, there are two handy options to choose from: automatic defrost, which will defrost for a certain amount of time, or the manual timed defrost, which you can select the defrosting time yourself. There are electronic touch controls on the panel that allow you to select whatever detail you choose with one touch of a button, and other great one touch options like the cooking and reheating buttons. If you are like me, you might frequently misjudge the time it takes to heat an item and need to add time to the heating process. The GE makes this step a snap with their one-touch button that, when pressed, automatically adds thirty seconds to the timer for you.

The GE offers ten power levels for maximum cooking flexibility. Those ten levels range from the minimal warm, to defrosting and reheating, to maximal speed at high power. Another great feature this GE microwave has is a child lock option to keep your younger ones from powering the microwave without adult supervision.

The purchase of this GE microwave includes a factory limited one year warranty on the entire appliance, its parts, and any labor involved in the repair of your microwave should something break. When I was replacing my microwave, I almost forgot to take the measurements of the space from which I removed my old one. This can be a big problem if you are installing your new microwave in an actual space and not just loading onto your countertop. The measurements for this particular model is as follows: height: 12-1/2 inches, width: 22-3/16 inches.

I highly recommend this model, and have to say that I was incredibly impressed with the technological advances microwaves are making. My new microwave performs in leaps and bounds above my older model!

You can find this wonderful GE microwave unit at several locations such as Best Buy, Circuit City and Sears. I personally purchased mine from Lowes, and it was priced around $120.