LG NeoChef 1.5 Cu. Ft. Countertop Microwave in Smooth White LMC1575SW

Replaced 15 year old microwave. Yup a new one is different....after reading a few negative reviews such as: oh it doesn't beep like my old one, or the touch screen is behind the door, oh no...10 second timer increments etc etc. I was a bit concerned. Good news! Its a slick little micro, works great, the screen behind the door is no big deal, cause there is a shortcut screen on the front of the door that lights up when in use. Instead of a loud beep beep beep, it has a sing song beep which is just fine.You put the food in and press start....then just slide your finger on the front of door timer pad to increase time to what you want....or poke the + sign.It increases quickly in 10 second increments (who times anything to a microsecond!). If you want to use defrost etc setting, you set it on the more elaborate keypad with door open, close door, hit start. Easy peasy.YES it has an LED light inside, you can see food cooking. Good looking too, modern, not clunky.

Not sure why this product isn't popular on Amazon. I got a Toshiba one and had to return it for this one. I was a bit skeptical because it's an open box version but I am quite surprised at how well it works. Food cooks evenly. Makes little noise. It's very light and the basic function is just simple at best. We only use microwave for heating and once in a while defrost and popcorn. For heating, the function is at its best similar to moist smart devices - you only need to slightly touch the start button and it just starts. That's simple and functional compared to others which are still stuck in the past where you have to press hard or hit buttons twice. I also love the quick way to adjust cooking time up by 10 seconds interval while cooking. This is also smart design in my opinion. Bottom line, it is really a very good microwave for low 100 used in excellent condition.Perhaps, the price for the new device ($300) is what makes people not wanting to buy it. I can see myself pushing 200 to get it once I know of it design and functionality but not 300 for a new one.

So, my wife wanted a white microwave... I know, I know. But determined to make her happy, I figured I'd find one that still worked well. This microwave had great reviews (more than other white microwaves), so I bought it.Day 1 of Arrival:Wife: You found a white one! Thanks, babe!Husband: No problem, Honey! (20 minutes later, microwave has found a new 'clear' spot on the counter and I triumphantly plug it in...)Microwave: Duh, da, da, da, da, da, daaaa!Wife: What the hell was that?Husband : Oh, it's just letting us know it's all set up!Wife: Does it do that every time?Husband: Well, err... I don't think so, but uh, I read in the reviews there are great video tutorials to change the features.Wife: Good. I don't like what it did. Where'd the cats go?Cats: (remain hiding from the creepy new 'singing' litter box).Husband: Oh, they're probably just taking a nap. Anyway, I'll figure out how to mute it later. But really, I kinda hope it keeps singing. It's kinda charming isn't it?Wife: (not looking happy)2 days later, I couldn't agree with her more.Oh, and after 30 minutes on the phone with LG cust service while researching online, it is official that every way to get the sound to stop will include having a broken and/or displaced microwave.

As with my TV, this LG microwave is a superior and attractive product. It is half the weight of my 10 year-old Whirlpool. It has a glossy white body with most features placed on the interior behind the door. For good or bad, LG has found a way to minimize its feature rich controls: there is no numeric keypad; it is all touch sensitive digital. Time is measured in 10 sec intervals; the longer you press, the faster the time goes. Minutes or Seconds can be achieved through a touch area for increasing/decreasing time by seconds; the longer you touch the fast it goes so you can get from 10 sec to 10 min in a flash. On the door, you still have the option for touch 30 sec heating; double-touch and you double the time and so on. My only real complaint is that the control panel inside the door is the same charcoal grey as the interior and the lettering is black, which means it is very difficult to see the functions, at least in my kitchen. I have solved this by having a tripod flashlight next to it to illuminate the pad. With this feature I think they sacrifice utility for elegance. It runs quietly and has distinct digital chimes to signal tings like when cooking is done, or when 30 sec pass if you haven't opened the door.

I do not hand out many one-star reviews. I don't even hand out many four-star reviews. This microwave however has fully earned it's one star. After replacing my previous microwave of 20 years, I researched the options and came across this well-regarded microwave. True, it had odd features such as no number pad (that should have been my first warning). A microwave is a microwave I thought. When it stopped working this week, I contacted LG's customer service. Their response was less than helpful. The best part of their customer service experience was that the comment button did not work for complaints. How is that for outstanding customer service?! My recommendation is to stay away from LG microwaves unless you want to unexpectly upgrade every few years at your own cost.

We did a lot of research, we got this one and we like it. It is just a few months old for us. The instructions are a little more technical than for our previous microwaves. E.g., there are no numeric buttons on the outside. They have a simple, but different way of setting the time, though they do have the simple add-30-seconds feature, too. We like it and recommend it. Let's hope that the nice start holds up for a few years. Oh, yes, I like the short melody when cooking is done better than the mechanical "beep-beep-beep" of other brands.