Review of Sharp R-216LS Compact Size 0.8 Cu-Foot Microwave, Stainless Steel (reviews, purchase)

[reviewer]

Sharp R-216LS Compact Size 0.8 Cu-Foot Microwave, Stainless Steel

Rating: 3 out of 5

• Currently 3.0/5.0

We bought this microwave oven when we decided to find a cheap microwave to put in the wet bar area in our basement. We already have a small refrigerator down there for soft drinks and juices and other snacks, but we were tired of running up and down the stairs to heat microwave snacks or pop popcorn. We have a lot of movie nights in our basement and the kids also spend a lot of time down there with thier friends, so we decided that an inexpensive microwave oven would definitely be worth our while.

We chose this one partly based on reviews we'd read and partly because it is stainless steel and rather compact. Our mini-fridge is a counter top model, also stainless steel, so we thought this microwave oven would blend in nicely, and it does. It doesn't take up too much of our already small counter space downstairs, and it almost matches the mini-fridge.

We don't do any actual cooking in this oven, or in our regular microwave oven, either, so I can't attest to how well it cooks. We use it for heating up frozen pizzas, French fries, Hot Pockets and other snacks of that kind, and it does the job just fine. We also use it a lot for popcorn, and it does well with that job as well.

That being said, the microwave oven is a bottom of the line model, and is fairly cheaply made. The door is plastic, not glass and the stainless steel body is very, very thin. We already have two dents in the sides from it being bumped into other things.



I wouldn't purchase this microwave for everyday use in our home, due to its small size and cheap design, but it's fine for a den or basement, dorm room or RV, I would think.

Review by professional reviewer, Aug. 25, 2011