Customer Reviews

Sharp R-930CS 1-1/2-Cubic Feet 900-Watt Convection Microwave, Stainless

5 star:		(94)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Wow, after reading the other reviews I had to throw my 2 cents in. It's big all right but that's the only point I have in agreement with the other reviewers.

I've had the R-930CS for almost a year. It really lives up to what Sharp says it does. It bakes, broils and microwaves -- all well! I use it to cook meat and it's done a great job on steaks, fresh sausage and chicken.

It also has a nifty feature called Sensor Cook, which is intelligent microwaving. It works for a number of foods including vegetables, frozen entrees and hot dogs. I use it for hot dogs, actually frozen hot dogs. I had no idea how long to cook a frozen hot dog. Not a problem. Slap a couple on a plate, hit Sensor Cook - Hot Dog and the oven does the rest. They come out perfect.

Would I get this oven if I just needed a microwave? Of course not. ( I'm not even sure what you use a 1.5 cubic foot microwave for.) But if you need a microwave and a regular oven all in a countertop package, the R-930CS is great.

The cleanup of this oven is easy too. None of the horror stories from the early generation microwave convection combos. This one is stainless steel on the inside. No protruding parts. It (so far) cleans up with a damp paper towels or sometimes with a bit of dishwashing liquid.

I have been using this product for 2 years. The cooking results are good and food preparation is speedy. However the turntable motor is of very poor quality (weak plastic gears) so make sure to stay even below the listed food weight limit. I had to replace the motor in my oven (52 bucks if you find the part and do it yourself, otherwise about 140). Also the door and some other parts are not aligned properly. One other review I found on the Net had the same complains about this product quality, in particular the turntable motor was faulty and had to be replaced as well.

I was hesitant to purchase this unit after seeing the less than stellar reviews posted here, but I decided to give it a try anyway. So far, it does everything that it is advertised as being able to do. I made a devil's food bundt cake and it came out bakery moist, not dried out as I usually get from my regular electric oven. The control panel is intuitive and it has many useful features. The unit is larger and heavier than I expected, but it does have a fairly impressive interior volume. I like the high and low interior racks which allows you to bake two 9" cakes pans simultaneously. I checked the interior temperature of the oven with a professional grade oven thermometer, and it was within a few degrees of the stated temperature. Overall, this seems like a versatile and useful appliance. I hope that reliability is not an issue. I'll keep my fingers crossed!

This was the best and largest unit we could use in the available space. I wanted a convection microwave regardless of cost or features. This unit seemed perfect on paper and although several reviewers were not complimentary I must say this is the best microwave we have ever owned. The unit arived on time, well packed and was easy to handle since I am 6'-2" and have no trouble with heavy stuff. It should be a two man job if you have the help. The unit is very easy to clean, heats, cooks, and does the wifes popcorn perfectly. She even tried some new recipes and they turned out great.
I would reccomend this unit and have had nothing but good comments on it so far.

Update: February 2, 2008
So far everything is working great, no issues to report. The only minor problem was that the door open switch would not consistently release the door fully, a little WD-40 sprayed into the latch mechanism and it is working fine now.

Based on a couple of weeks use, I am very pleased with this oven! It does everything I wanted it to do and I'm learning to do more all the time. Directions were a little overwhelming at first but they're clear and after trying a couple of procedures, I found the whole process more intuitive than it first looked. Of course, I have no idea about longevity yet, but it seems to be sturdily built.

One word of caution: measure carefully before ordering. I made the mistake of just paying attention to width. The height and depth were also considerably bigger than old unit and it FILLED my countertop. I ended up buying a cart for it but found a great one that fit perfectly.

One week before our warranty expired, the microwave stopped working. The turn table stopped moving and it ceased to heat. Sharp gave us the address of a repair shop, an hour drive away, to take it to.

So, we did. They kept it for a week and said it was the magnetron. After we got it back, it worked for a little while. Luckily, the place we had it fixed at warranted their work, and since it was the SAME problem, they "fixed" it again, free of charge. But they took an entire month! (Luckily we had my little standby microwave... a GE from 1989, which still works without any problems!)

Now after two times in the shop, the microwave is very temperamental. If you use the convection part, it stops working, period. It is impossible to use the convection part of the oven now without it stopping. (So, what's the point in having a combo?) If you wait awhile and use the microwave part only, it will work again.

When the convection function did work, though, it was difficult to learn to use. I did alright for the most part, but my grandmother had a hard time learning what was the best setting for cakes and so forth. I would say if you have someone in your family that has a hard time setting a VCR, they might have difficulty with the more advanced mechanisms of this convection-microwave.

None of us were able to make a decent cake in it, to be sure. And we are excellent bakers, normally. TV dinners, pot-pies, french fries, all cooked well with convection. But, cookies did not do well.

As a straight microwave, it does alright. It is plenty powerful, heating a cup of water for tea in one minute. I love the sensor-reheat function. But, a decent microwave doesn't cost nearly as much as this convection-microwave and works at least as well.

I would not buy this convection microwave again, if I could do it over.

It is true that it is very heavy, but that is to be expected.

Edit, December, 2006....

After breaking again, they sent us a new, "updated" model. The updated model shocks us with a steady current when we touch it while it is running. Now, the turn-table does not turn.

We are too weak to continue carrying it to the repair shop. Sharp doesn't want to refund our money. I don't know why, it would be cheaper than all these repairs they are having to pay for.

I was shocked to read some of the positive reviews. I'm not sure if they've had theirs very long, though. If sharp did make this particular model 19 years ago and there are some that still work, the manufacturer has certainly lost their touch. All the repairmen who have worked on ours said that sharp uses cheap, plastic parts and that is why they keep breaking.

This is the second Sharp microwave convection oven I've owned. My first one lasted for 15 years!!! When that one finally died in September, I had to have another just like it. Yeah, Amazon had it! I've now had this unit since early October and I've had no problems at all.

Sharp has improved this model since I bought my first one in 1989. It now prompts you as to the next button to push for programming the "sensor" cooking, has a separate button to use as a kitchen timer, allows you to preheat the convection oven at one temperature and then set the actual baking temperature at a different temperature, and has a higher wattage (than my old one).

The one thing I most like about the convection cooking of this unit is how evenly it bakes everything...and all my baking products (cookies, pies, etc.) seem to finish cooking at least 5 minutes sooner than the suggested cooking length.

In reading the other reviews for this item, I certainly have NOT had the same experience. I bought this item directly through Amazon as a NEW item, not through the "new & used" option.

I believe you will be very happy if you decide to purchase this product.

After much researching, I purchased this combination unit about 6 weeks ago. I cook small amounts, use frozen foods much of the time, and disliked having to heat the large oven for this. The dual function rocks, and so far, the unit has met my expectations 100%: the 900 watt microwave is faster than my old 600 watt; the convection is about 25% faster than my regular gas oven; and it browns and makes things crispy just like the regular oven. So cool!!!!

I haven't tried "real" cooking, like roasting meats or baking, but I don't doubt that it would perform just fine.

It is big, and that is ok with me. If I need to do larger amounts, there is plenty of room. There are two round racks, one for broiling and one for baking, which are removed when using the microwave. One curious thing is that the instructions say that when popping microwave popcorn to put the bag on top of an overturned glass pie plate or dish. They do mean this!! I tried just putting the bag on the turntable and about 10 kernals popped in 4 minutes!!! When I did as they instructed, it popped just fine. Also, since this is counter-top level and the door swings out, it is much more convenient to use than the regular oven.

So far I have no complaints. The free shipping from Amazon was great and it got to me in just a few days. I haven't needed to contact Sharp for customer service so can't comment on that.

One final note: I suspect that I won't be using my gas oven again. If not for the burners on top, I'd probably not need the range at all.

I do not have a "regular oven" in my kitchen. When I built my home in 1985, I chose the Sharp Carousel convection oven rather than have a conventional oven. In 27 years this is the third one I have had. It has been a great product and still is.

I have been using my Sharp Carousel for a month or so now. I am very happy how pretty and nice it is. I ordered the stainless steel front and it is built in above my oven. It has many very nice features and has so many different ways to cook. Since it has been hot, I have enjoyed using the convection portion, as it is small and does not heat up the whole house like my regular oven. I really can't think of anything that I don't like about it. This one is a new version of the one I used for 10 years. I suppose it should have lasted longer...I hope this one does.