Review: Emerson 1000W Microwave Oven

I recently moved into a new rental house that does not come with a microwave, a convenience that was luckily provided by my last apartment (even if the one they provided was 20 years old and leaking dangerous cancer causing radiation all over my kitchen, it was nice to have). Being an essential component of any lazy man’s kitchen ensemble, I was unfortunately forced to buy myself a new microwave. After quickly scanning craigslist, I decided to forget the minefield of trying to buy a used one, and instead my girlfriend and I headed over to Walmart to get something cheap.

Not wanting a piece of junk, but at the same time not wanting to break the bank, we ended up with an Emerson 1000W Microwave for about $60. It is model number MW8119SB. It has a sleek outside design, with stainless steel trim, and black plastic. One thing I noticed after the first day of use is that it is easily smudged, and even un-greasy fingers seem to leave marks on the stainless steel - not a good thing for someone with a mild case of cleaning-OCD. Beyond the smudge problem, this is a very modern looking microwave that does a great job of looking good.

Of course the most important question is, does the MW8119SB heat up food efficiently? The answer, thankfully, is yes, it is so much better at heating than my old microwave that I am having to re-learn how long to put things in for. Also, I am happy to have something new that I can be somewhat confident doesn’t leak radiation - although I have yet to test it out (is it true that if a cell phone gets a signal inside a microwave it has radiation leaks?).

The only thing that I really do not like about this microwave are the controls. I am so used to having an “add 30 seconds” button that every time I go to use this microwave, I am momentarily baffled as I search for the button, only to be disappointed. Also, when pressed, the buttons are just a fraction of a second slower at responding than any other microwave I have ever used, and it is a little bit off-putting to have a machine move slower than your fingers. The box claims that this microwave has 6 “one-touch” settings, but I have yet to figure them out, and I dread having to find where I put the manual in order to look it up.

Although I haven’t had this microwave long enough to know for sure, it seems pretty well built, and I think it will last longer than average in today’s built-to-break appliance culture, but I guess only time will tell. So, on to the ratings,

Cooking Ability: 4/5

Controls: 1/5

Appearance: 4/5

Durability: 4/5

Overall Rating:

So, do you need a new microwave?

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