Customer Reviews

Kitchenaid KHMC1857WSS Microwave Hood Combination Oven

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We found these reviews before buying our Kitchen Aid Microwave. We decided to go ahead and make the purchase. We couldn't be more pleased. The product is outstanding, despite the negative review entered above. We like the way we simply followed the directions and the installation went perfectly. (The problem the negative reviewer had ... not reading the instructions!) A big plus for us was the softening/melting feature. The stick of butter came out perfectly easy to slice but not so soft that it melted in the dish. We were quite impressed. We now have all appliances but one that are Kitchen Aid and have NEVER been disappointed. They stand behind their products and don't question any issue you might find. We first had a mixer that was a refurbished model. When we found an intermittent problem in the switch, we called, they sent another refurbished one, and arranged a pickup for the other mixer. We knew then, that if they would do this much for a refurbished model we'd try their other products. We followed with a dish washer (great!) and a range (awesome!) I think I'll never own anything other than Kitchen Aid/Whirlpool products. They are terrific!KitchenAid KHMC1857WSS 1.8 cu. ft. 1000 Watt Over-the-Range Microwave - Stainless Steel

This microwave replaced my 10 year old Kenmore MW. After using this for a week I wished my older one had died sooner. ;) This is a far better product considering my older MW didn't have a convection cooking option.

Pros
* Has all the features we need. Two level cooking is a plus.
* Convection oven cooks evenly and quickly.
* powerful vent.
* This microwave looks great!

Cons
* The vent fan is powerful but very loud - louder than the average microwave.
* the light under the MW far back so it doesn't provide lighting right above the range beneath it.

I am a DIY kinda guy and I installed this microwave myself in under 2 hours. The microwave comes with instructions, a template and a bracket like all other over-the-counter microwaves come with. If you plan to install it yourself, then you will find buying the microwave from Amazon as the cheapest option. However, if you are going to hire someone to install it for you, it will cost you around $150 more. One of the local stores was willing to give $75 towards the installation costs which would've made it the cheaper option if we would've got it professionally installed. So factor that in before making your purchase.

Full Disclosure: I ourchased this from Best Buy Online but disgusted enough I am posting my experience anywhere I can to save people the experience of having to deal with KitchenAid for product issues.

I could not believe that I was going to spend this much on a microwave, but with the convection feature and the KitchenAid name, I thought it was a decent investment.

First, the microwave and convection features are great. The unit is a nice unit and works wonderfully out of the box. I love being able to use it as an oven and not heat up the entire kitchen.

The issue started 1 year 4 months after the purchase. The convection feature still works, but the microwave stopped heating until 1 minute passes. For example we would heat our son's milk for 25 seconds, now we have to do 1:25. At one minute it sounds like the magnetron finally kicks in and starts to heat. Exactly 1 minute each time.

I emailed Kitchen Aid and they called me back three days later. It was by far one of the worst customer service calls I have ever experienced. The lady was rude and completely did not care. Her suggestion was turn off the breaker for 10 minutes. If that did not work, then I would have to call service. I explained that this is a $600+ microwave and 16 months for it to stop working is crazy. She didn't say anything. I truly feel it is the magnetron and asked if they would just ship me that and I would replace it. She said the parts were not covered anymore. Understand fully, you are only getting a 12 month warranty. It was my own fault for not buying an extended warranty as I obviously misread the 5 year warranty part. I explained to her that I would never buy another KitchenAid product again, to which she simply replied "Is there anything else".

I contacted BestBuy and they are coming out to service it at the tune of $100 service charge plus parts, which I estimate to be $75. I can promise you this will be my last KitchenAid/BestBuy Online purchase. When you drop this kind of money on an appliance, stick with someone local who can service your product or at least steer you in the right direction. If you do buy the product, make sure to get an extended warranty as I have a feeling you will need it.

[...] - Have to add 1 minute to get magnetron to kick in for every cooking cycle. Resetting breaker does not fix problem.

This was an abysmal experience for my family. I bought this and gave it to my wife on Christmas Eve for us to use when preparing Christmas Dinner tomorrow... It failed miserably and now we don't have a microwave at all because I've pulled out the old one.

The construction is shoddy at best. I say this because the main bolts that support the microwave in place are only tiny clips that are only connected to about 18 ga. steell. Ours pushed through during the installation and was lost inside the microwave forever. This design is very pss poor and any designer worth their salt would have recognized the potential for a problem like this. My old Kenmore was much more stout than this ( Maybe I'll re-hook it up since it sitll worked.)

Let me say that I have installed my share of microwaves in the past. I'm a construction professional and a carpenter / welder / fitter / finish carpenter / mechanic etc... you get the picture. I have never seen construction this bad. when I did pull apart the outside cover to retreive the part I noticed that the inside was not much better than the outside. Parts were loose and just slightly pulling on them would separate them from the others. The seals that were surrounding this were all coming off and there was no possible way that I could imagine keeping this thing. Additionally the part that fell in never came out.

I bought this thing thinking that Kitchenaid would be a very top notch product. Boy was I wrong. I will never buy another kitchenaid product after this utter disappointment. The only good thing they make is a mixer (of which I have one and we like it a lot...)

Steer clear of this stuff and save yourself the trouble. Buy a Whirlpool or Kenmore...

Merry Christmas...

Matt

Convection cooking provides more even results in less time and allows the microwave to act as a second oven and Motor exhausts up to 300 CFM and gives versatility to microwave hood combination ovens.
Features:
# Add-a-minute control adds time in one-minute increments during or at the end of a cycle
# Auto-cook, reheat, and defrost cycles adjust cook time and power based on quantity, weight, or humidity released
# True 10-level power control helps to eliminate cold spots and overcooked edges
# Sensor Steam/Simmer Cook cycle provides precise steaming for a variety of food types
Specifications:

Microwave Features
Cooking Power Wattage: 1000
Convection Element Wattage: 1600
Warm Hold: Yes
Add A Minute: Add-A-Minute Control
Control Lock Out Feature: Cancel Key for 3 Seconds
Power Levels: Ten
Cooktop Surface: Lighting High-Low-Off
Night Light: Yes
Cooking Rack: Yes
Convection Rack: Yes

Ventilation Features
Exhaust Rating (CFM): 300
Odor Removal Filter (charcoal): 1
Grease Filter: 2

Design
Stoppable Turntable: Yes
Capacity: 1.8 Cu. Ft.
#

Dimensions
Depth: 16"
Height: 17 1/4"
Width: 29 7/8"