Customer Reviews

HA SH R-530EK METALLIC BLACK 1 (Sharp R530EK) (MICOVEN R530EK)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Our Sharp Carousel microwave finally died after 18 years of faithful service. Even the light bulb lasted 18 years. It was heavy and reliable; an awesome appliance....Naturally, I planned to replace it with another Carousel. The reviews were not spectacular. Poorly designed touch-pad, plastic latch mechanism, etc. Unfortunately, other manufacturers seemed to be as bad or worse. I needed a microwave and couldn't find anything better, so I ordered a Sharp R-530E (R-530 EKT according to the label). That's the very large, 1200 watt oven in gleaming black with a 16 inch turntable. Now that I've used it for a couple of weeks, I'm ready to offer my appraisal.

The Good:

Good price. Hard to believe how inexpensive these are.
Awesome size. This bad boy can accept your largest dishware and has a substantial glass turntable.
Good power. A large cup of water will be piping-hot in 2 minutes. Re-heating a large casserole dish of leftovers is quick and reasonably even, but is likely to make a mess unless covered.
Unit looks great. The gleaming black is unobtrusive and looks great on our dark granite counter. The digital readout is OK and the clock is easy to set, although it lacks a 12/24 hour choice. Odd since it offers foreign language choices.

The Bad:

Flimsy plastic latch mechanism. My previous unit had plastic latch hooks, but they were substantial. If you barely brush against these, they WILL snap off. Much worse than I expected.
Ridiculous touch-pad. The ON, OFF, and MINUTE PLUS are hard to find and way too small. The pad is cluttered with lots of choices you probably will never use.
A lightweight. Although some electronic components have gotten lighter, the light weight of this unit is perhaps indicative of the overall move to cheaper components. I don't expect it to last.
No turntable disable or 30 second quick heat buttons.
No easy access to change the light bulb. When mine fails, I will rewire it with a LED, assuming I haven't already thrown it away because the cheap plastic latches snapped off.

Bottom line: Looks good, great size, good price, works adequately, but probably won't last. What were they thinking with those cheap plastic latches ready to snap off? Did any of those engineers use that horrible touchpad before they put it into production?

I'm looking at buying the 4th one of these in 5 years. Why the same model every time? The space was custom built for it & so far haven't been able to find another that fits as well. First one had to be repaired after a month as the door refused to open, ultimately that one burned out after cooking microwave popcorn for the lowest amount of time listed on the package. (Everything cooks in lower range of recipe recommended times or less - have never dared to try any higher time amounts.) 2nd one came & door would not open at all - bravo Amazon - they replaced it quickly. 3rd one has worked for 18 months - door is starting to fail - it will still open if you pull up on the handle while pushing the button, but it's only a matter of time...

We had a Sharp convection microwave combo prior to this one and loved it. Didn't use the convection part that often but the Sharp was always dependable and works well. This new one is no disappointment. I like the defrost program - it works well compared to previous microwaves we have had. With anything - you learn to use it based on your preferences but the Sharp brand has been dependable and the power and 2.2 cu is great.
I would not hesitate to recommend this microwave to someone.

The microwave works excellent. The only problem is the door does not open properly all the time. When you push the large button to open the door sometimes it works fine and other times it does not release and open. You must repeatedly push the button - hard! It is going to be a real pain to correct and I believe it will eventually break due to all the hard pushing.

I have owned this microwave for over a year and have NONE of the described problems. Remember people, its a microwave not a rugged design Jeep accessory. If your door is breaking and the panel seems flimsy maybe try using your fingers to press the buttons instead of fists. It cooks well and rarely needs more time or even the full amount of recommended cooking time although I do agree that the inside seems to stain somewhat easier than other products I've used and purchased; but if you cover your food when you cook it and clean it more than once in a while (like when the spill/splatter happens) the stains don't hold.

One week with the microwave and the control panel segments started to fail. 3 months and the thing got very loud. inside stains easier than most. uneven heating. We use it alot (2 meals a day). Shopping for a new microwave.

I bought this Sharp R530EK microwave to replace my old one and it works the same, just a few more features. I love the performance of it, my only thing is the top left front of the door seemed loose to me. I sent my first one back with no problems and received a second one. It has the same problem so I took it to a place here that was covered on the warranty and had them check it out. They said it was fine and just the way it is made, no loose hinge and no leaks of microwaves. That was my main concern so I am very happy with my microwave and the way it works.

Love the mirowave and features. Bought at a good price.
However, who ever packed it put tape on the front top and when we removed the tape it took the shinney finish off. Would have gottena a replacement but it was out of stock.

Dose a great job heating things up. Has to many buttons to push to make popcorn. or heat pizza. If you lose your book you won't be able to cook. At least I can't.

Was a good microwave while it lasted. But sure didn't last long. Only 16 months and the warrenty is 12 months. We also had a problem with the door not fitting right when we first got it.