Customer Reviews

Sharp R-230KK 800-Watt 4/5-Cubic-Foot Compact Microwave, Black

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(61)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(50)

 

 

I bought this Microwave to replace an older Sharp model. I have had very good luck with Sharp Microwaves and this new one is no different. It's a very good compact microwave for one or two people. It was very easy to set the clock and use right out of the box. I love the look of it. The buttons are very simple to use. I don't use my microwave for cooking that much, I use it mostly for reheating and defrosting. I am a single mom with one teenage son who never eats at the same time as I do so it comes in very handy. I do sometimes cook bacon and pototoes in it. It makes great baked potatoes. It you have more than two people in your family you might want to get a larger oven. I have been using Sharp microwaves for many, many years, they make a great product. I highly recommend this model and all Sharps for that matter.

Power-level settings of 100%, 90%, and right on down--I am amazed. I think the very-low settings are for drying food; can you imagine being able to do dried foods yourself? Then quick-buttons for nearly everything. It'll take a while to learn all the features but even right out of the box it was just so easy to use! All I wanted was a small simple one that wouldn't take much counterspace and never dreamed it would have all this, not for this price. My old microwave had just given out--after 23 years of daily use--and the one thing I wanted was defrost, that's all. I'd always used the microwave, on defrost, to simmer foods that needs long, slow cooking--with no pot-watching and no chance of burning. You ought to try that! Much better than on the stove--and this does have defrost, of course of course--but so many other settings that will be even better for slow cooking. Then you can choose to defrost meat according to how much the chunk of meat actually weighs, of all things--there's a setting for that too! Never heard of that! One more feature I especially wanted was for the light to go out when the door is open and here's why: The way to make a microwave last simply forever is to leave the door open a while after each use and let it dry out. Then it will last for decades--like my old one did. But wouldn't want to leave it open if the light stayed on, no; so another highly desirable feature right there. I just don't think a better microwave could be bought at any price, period--many more features aren't even listed here. The more expensive ones seem to only have features I'd never use anyway--a built-in toaster or something--so why pay for that! No, if it's microwaving you're after, this is just IT. Also, if you're wondering about size, it says compact but holds a regular-size Pyrex loaf pan with room to spare as it turns, or a big mixing bowl with a pretty big hen or whatever in it, so that's plenty big for most people. It's the design--there are scooped-out places in the inner walls that allow space for the rim of a bowl or a pan to turn. That's why it holds so much. And hey, it looks nice too--and is light enough that I can easily move it to clean under it yet it does feel as heavy and solid as can be. My hat is certainly off to the designers! (And as always, to Amazon! It got here in no time with Amazon's free SuperSaver shipping--days before I was told it would arrive!) I don't have a single negative to say after a week's use and every day am still discovering yet more wonderful things about it that save a busy person's time and energy--as well as money. Thought I'd let other shoppers know!

I purchased this microwave as an addition to my dorm room. I would have liked a high-powered microwave, but restraints on space and money stopped me. For the price and for the size, this microwave works rather well. There are some extra functions, but I just use the regular microwaving. The only thing that I do not like about the microwave is that its internal rotating dish is not very stable, and is prone to shifting off its base with even a slightly unbalanced load. Even so, it was a worthwhile purchase.

This microwave oven worked fine for 7 weeks.
I used it to heat soup, and for oatmeal in the morning.

One morning it just broke.
The door closed, the light and fan came on, but there was no heat.
It emitted a burning plastic smell.

Sharp service told me that I needed to have a Sharp-authorized technician examine it before it could be replaced.

Unfortunately, the nearest Sharp-authorized service location is a two-hour round trip drive for me. They don't accept shipments, nor are they are not open on weekends.

This means that in order for me to obtain warranty service on this relatively new product I would have to *take a day off work*, as it is too far to drive on my lunch hour.

Also, one cannot return a product to Sharp for examination; as per the warranty you must "hand carry" or ship the item to a service location
(if the service location accepts shipments; mine doesn't).

So I believe my current options are:
1) find a local microwave service place, and pay for the service myself
or
2) throw the oven away

I recommend not purchasing this microwave oven because it may break soon after purchase.

I recommend not purchasing any Sharp appliance unless you know that a Sharp-authorized service location is close by.

Best Regards and Good Luck!

Mark

We bought this microwave when our old one broke. We have limited counter space, so the size is perfect. We don't often use the preset times for defrosting/reheating, as they don't seem to work for the amount of food we put in (thus the reduction in stars). For the most part, we manually set the times and things heat/defrost great. The one preset we still want to try is the popcorn setting. Our old microwave consistently burnt our popcorn, so we're looking hoping this one works better! We don't use our microwave for cooking, just reheating, melting, defrosting and heating beverages.

Well, the only reason I feel qualified to write a review was due to my unique experience ordering this item. Let me first explain the circumstances and then you'll see how this fluke informs my assessment. After ordering one of these units from Amazon, I one day found that the item was listed as "delivered" when I clicked on the UPS link, yet I had been home the entire day and no one from UPS even knocked on my door. I was nervous about my microwave being delivered to the wrong address, so I called Amazon immediately and long story short was that they rush-shipped (two-day air) a second unit to me. Well, later that day the original microwave showed up, but it was too late to stop the shipment on the second one. I plugged in the first one and while it worked and was perfectly in tact there was this very loud grinding noise which didn't sound right. I then waited for my wife to get home from work for a second opinion and she agreed that this one was going to have to be returned. Well, if I hadn't had them send me a second one I would have given up (not knowing whether the unit was defective or just loud) and would have picked up a different model at Costco.

However, we decided to wait a few days for the second one. And to our pleasant surprise, the second one sounded "normal" and has been functioning perfectly normal ever since.

First, I don't understand what other reviewers are complaining of: when I push the button to open the door, the microwave does not slide back from the force (though I have it positioned on a wooden table, not a countertop). Also, the whole issue about a start button not being larger than the others has been blown out of proportion as a negative issue by some, I feel. Unless you have really poor eyesight, this should not present a problem.

Most important, it is big enough for a large dinner plate, the reheating of which (along with making popcorn) will serve as it primary duties under our roof. Its been a few weeks now and everything works great. Very attractive, very functional and very compact.

My only strong suggestion is to purchase directly from Amazon because, as in my case where I got a dud, their stellar customer service covered return shipping with the ease of printing out a label. All it cost me was quick trip to the post office (didn't even have to wait in line) which was well worth it.

We lightly used this microwave about 6 months before it went "POP!" one day while heating some soup. After that, it never turned on again.

Buying a compact microwave should be straightforward, right? We thought so. We purchased this one and paid more for this Sharp brand than other lesser known brands. We've had it for 5 months, and the membranes covering the buttons are about to wear through. You can barely read the buttons now, and I fear once the membrane is stripped that the buttons will be inoperable. For a simple product from a premium Japanese brand this is simply unacceptable. Try your luck elsewhere.

I decided to purchase this microwave after reading most of the customer reviews and the product description. Here is what I found.

Packaging:
This microwave oven arrived undamaged on the expected day. The unit was shipped in the original packaging and included styrofoam inserts to protect the oven with extra styrofoam to protect the glass carousel and rotating support.

Product:
The unit has a three-pronged electrical plug and will need an adapter for use with older two-pronged electrical outlets. The white exterior is easy to clean and hides fingerprints.

Measurements:
* Exterior: 18 inches wide (front) x 13 inches deep (exterior) x 11 inches tall (from counter)
* Interior: 11 13/16 wide x 12 3/4 inches deep (center of interior) x 8 inches tall (center of carousel)

Items included:
The unit shipped with an instruction booklet and registration card. The instruction booklet was very informational and easy to follow.

Pros:
* The buttons and timer display are easy to read.
* I was able to set the clock and cook food without ever opening the instruction booklet, though I read the booklet later.
* The interior light is only illuminated when the oven is in the process of cooking. The light doesn't stay on when the door is opened after cooking is completed - I like this as it doesn't waste any electricity.

Cons:
None at this time.

Thoughts:
I mainly use a microwave for popcorn, heating water for tea, cooking food less than 10 minutes and reheating leftovers. This microwave oven fits perfectly on my kitchen counter and works great for my needs.

EDIT: I've owned this microwave oven for over a year and it's still running strong with no problems.

The sharp r-230kk is an excellent microwave oven.I bought one for myself and another as a gift.Both were delivered double boxed to protect the unit.The only downside is the display is rather dim even in bright light.The cooking buttons are placed in a rather odd order,which takes some getting used too.Foods soups popcorn and the like cook to perfection.The oven door is a little clunky,but what do you expect for 70 bucks.A best buy with free super saving shipping.Thank you for reading my review 07/25/07.