Customer Reviews

Haier MWM12001SCGSS 1-1/5-Cubic-Foot 1000-Watt Grill and Convection Microwave Oven, Stainless Steel

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Bought this when my 1100 watt Sharp died after 10 years. Have been intrigued by the concept of convection microwaves. Now understand that this is, essentially, a countertop oven that also happens to microwave.

Dimensions of the product, out of the box, are 12.25 high x 20.25 long x 14.5 deep BUT it just barely fits on our 17 inch deep microwave shelf. Why? Because behind the microwave "case" there are about 2 more inches of metal for the oven AND our outlet is directly behind the microwave, which means the plug takes up depth. On our 17" deep shelf there is about a 1/4" inch between where the feet of the microwave are and the edge of the shelf. Microwave door is just over the shelf. Plan for a real-life depth of 20 or 21 inches because:

Another surprise we received were Haier's recommendations for clearance around the microwave. They advise:
. 3" clearance behind
. 3" inch clearance on one side
. completely open on the other side
. 12" clearance above the microwave - so they want you to have a total of about 25" from countertop to bottom of cabinet (or anything else) above the microwave. In our kitchen, actual distance from countertop to cabinet bottom is about 19".

Why do they recommend this much clearance? While the microwave and grill portions of the oven work just fine without getting the unit too hot, if you plan to use the convection portion, watch out. The unit becomes EXTREMELY hot on the top and rear. For this reason, we're not using much of this feature, which kind of defeats the idea of getting a convection microwave. But for the price, looks, and other functions, overall we're pleased.

Some other cons:
. Cooking plates get H*O*T, even when you just use the microwave function. Definitely need potholders to handle when removing from microwave, even after as little as 2-3 minutes.
. Clock on the unit has a nice blue backlight, but this turns itself off and one cannot read the microwave clock without pushing a button to get the light to go back on. Don't plan on using your microwave as your visible clock in the kitchen.
. Must set the cook time using the dial or +30s button. If you want to put something on for, say 20 minutes, there are no number buttons to push. One just spins the dial until the time desired, or push the +30s second button 10 times. It's possible we'll eventually view this as a pro.

Pros:
. Cooks well. I find that the cooking speed is about the same with the 1000 watt Haier as it was with our 1100 watt Sharp - maybe just a hair slower.
. Rotates food for even cooking, and changes rotation direction when you open the door to stir and then re-start.
. Defrost function works well for us. Even, without cooking the edges.
. Looks good.
. Like the combination feature - can set microwave and grill with one setting.
. Could replace or be used instead of a regular oven.
. Good size for family. Easily fits 9x9 pan.

Given that we have a toaster oven and wall ovens, now that I really understand that a convection microwave is essentially a countertop oven, I might buy a regular microwave next time. But this is a good little oven that also looks great, and was a great price.

I bought this microwave after spending an entire day at retail stores trying to make sure of exactly what I wanted. I knew I wanted a handle and not a "push" to open the door. I wanted a stainless interior and exterior. And I definitely wanted convection. I love all the features I described above and am very pleased with the overall functionality and design of it. The price was better than any I had found in the big retail chains. The only negative for me personally is when the door is left open, the light stays on. I like to air out my microwave after use so it doesn't have a smell on the next use. By the time I clean my kitchen after a meal, however, the light reminds me to close the door anyway. This microwave is exactly what I wanted/needed!

For a combo, micro/convection, oven, the price was very reasonable. The design is modern and, quite attractive, but it is way under-powered(1000W)compared to my previous microwave, which was Sharp Carousel (1500W). Which means, it will take more time to cook or re-heat things, e.g. a cold cup of water takes about 3 minutes to boil compared to 2 minutes in the Sharp. Also, the metal (very light weight) grate that came with for the convection cooking was broken (poor welding job) from the factory.

I just took this unit out of the box and set it up for a shakedown of the features.
First, the unit is light for its size and functionality, but feels well constructed. The door opens and closes easily and with a good feel. The blue backlit LCD display is easy to read when lit (the backlight turns off after 3 minutes of the unit sitting idle) but it would have been nice if the backlight was extended to the labels for the keypad and temperature setting.

The first thing I did was set the convection function to 250°F to burn off any "new unit" smells and then ran it for about 10 minutes. Surprisingly the instructions advise leaving the turntable in place all the time, even for oven functions. The oven hit 250 pretty quickly and did indeed let out some nasty smells.

I then microwaved a few cups of water and it boiled fairly quickly, even though the microwave is only 1000w.

My last test is where the unit failed. I set the convection function to 425°F (the highest setting) and waited. And waited. The oven was not able to get to an internal temperature of over 360°F according to my oven thermometer; the LCD screen indicated a temperature of 350°F. I waited about an hour and then the oven shut itself off and declared the end of cooking.
Given that most baking I would do would be at 350° and I should lower that to 325° for convection, this may not be a problem in daily use, but it is the reason I dinged the unit a star. it is advertised and marked to achieve 425° so it should, that it doesn't is a failure.

I've yet to try the sensor cook function, but did re-heat my lunch in the oven after the high-temperature test. With the oven still hot (>300°) I put in my food and set the microwave at 3 minutes of 30% power. My chicken came out hot and juicy and the potato was warm with the skin not mushy.

I've emailed Haier about the maximum temperature issue and will revise here when they reply.

If you like the idea of a small oven with microwave functionality, this is a nice unit... even if mine doesn't get as hot as it should.

This is a great convection/microwave. If you used it just for the microwave ability you would have a great deal! The convection works well and cooks things like regular convection oven or add microwave to your cooking and it is faster. Simple to use and understand. Seems to be well constructed and is very fashionable. Bought it to keep from heating large oven in summer time. Hope this helps as I rely on your reviews all the time when contemplating a purchase. Thanks

I purchased this oven in spite of the fact several reviewers complained about the door having problems closing. Most of the reviews were a year old and I naively thought this company would have addressed the problem by now. Wrong! When the unit is cold the door opens and closes fine. The problem occurs when the unit gets hot. The PLASTIC latches on the door bows out so the latches do not align with the locking mechanism on the unit. It seems like a simple fix. Use metal latches so they won't warp when hot. DUH! Anyway I sent it back.

Great Value for the money! I was a bit disappointed that the upper and lower rims are not stainless steel but a grey plastic color, the rest of the machine is stainless steel.

The first one we ordered had to be sent back as it arrived with a dent on its side. Thanks to Amazon's hassle-free return, it was picked up by UPS the next day and a replacement was sent to us. The second one worked fine for about a month, then it stopped functioning. Its' beeping signal stopped working. The beeping signal we used to hear when we pressed the buttons and when the cooking is done stopped functioning. Since it had only been 30 days since we bought the microwave, I contacted the manufacturer's customer service department to try to get it repaired under its' 12-month warranty policy. I was told by the manufacturer that the beep signal was cosmetic, not a mechanical function and therefore not covered under the warranty even though the warranty policy specifically states "all parts" are covered. I requested to speak to the manager (named Tim M.) who said he had to discuss the matter with his Engineering department and promised to call me back within 2 - 3 hours. He did not call back.

Thanks to Amazon's excellent customer service, we were able to return the second one and got our money back. We do not recommend this microwave because we feel it is unacceptable for an appliance to stop functioning only after 30 days of gentle use. We also find the manufacturer deceitful for not honoring the warranty.

We chose this product because of it's features, it's low price and it's generally favorable reviews. It has worked fine for us and I would have rated it higher except for the poor and unresponsive customer service. I called customer service after receiving this oven because the manual does not mention the little plastic feet on the grill rack and we weren't sure if they were to be left on or not during use. Also the manual claims to give instructions for using the microwave and convection oven together but it doesn't. Customer service didn't know the answers and said they'd call me back; this was over one month ago and they have not. So I went to the Haier US website and found that they don't even list microwaves (or convection ovens) as a product that they sell. I sent an email anyhow detailing the problems and a week and a half later, received an email saying that they'd sent me a copy of the manual and if I needed any more help, to call Customer Service! I answered back that I already had a manual but it didn't address either of my questions, and that I had already called their customer service and hadn't received an answer. Again, over a week later I received an email from them saying I should contact Customer Service. Both emails I received from them were obviously "canned" and sent by rote, no real humans involved. Fortunately I got a cookbook and manual put out by Sharp that is for their microwave convection oven and was able to get my questions answered using this book. It's too bad Haier has such lousy customer service, because this oven seems to be a good product at a good price.

After reading some of the negative reviews, I was a little nervous about this purchase. I waited 9 months before reviewing so I could give a fair assessment. Here's what I can share from my experience:

The good:
This is a very attractive unit.
The instructions must have improved since older units shipped because it includes instructions for all functions, including combo cooking.
No durability issues, so far. Everything is still in perfect working order.
The exterior surface heat issue that others speak of must have been resolved because it only gets warm to the touch on the surface, even after extended use (though I do have ample space around it).
The microwave is pretty quick and even during operation.

The bad:
The convection feature is nearly useless. It takes an absurd amount of time to cook anything using the convection function. I gave up on that feature and just bought a separate counter top convection oven ... but some people will not have the space for that.