Budget And Premium Over the Range Microwaves

Disclaimer: we may receive commissions from purchases made via our links at no cost to you

‘Over the Range’ microwaves aren’t just space-saving appliances that free up valuable kitchen real estate; they also have an air of professionalism that will look excellent in most contemporary kitchens.

While there is a wide range of different sizes of over-the-range microwaves, you’ll generally find a majority of units will exceed 1.0 cu.ft of cooking space, with most having between 1.5 and 2.0 cubic feet. They’re powerful appliances, too; it’s rare to find an over the range microwave with less than 1000 Watts of power.

This list is composed of some of the most highly-rated products in the genre, produced by some of the world’s most popular brands. We base our opinions on customer ratings, affordability, size, features, versatility, functionality, and durability.

Specifications

• Type: Over the Range
• Dimensions: 29.9 x 15.5 in x 17.1 inches
• Appliance Weight: 63lbs
• Capacity: 1.9 cu.ft
• Turntable: Yes
• Available Colors: Stainless Steel
• Wattage: 1000 Watts

Things To Love:

1. Cavernous Capacity: With 1.9 cubic feet of cooking space, this Whirlpool over the range microwave has the (joint) largest internal space, which is ideal for large families.
2. Excellent Performance: Of all the appliances we’ll look at in this list, this Whirlpool over the range microwave has the highest consumer praise and lowest customer complaints regarding performance. It performs exactly as advertised.
3. Dual-Layer Cooking: Use this handy rack to simultaneously cook two different foods and further improve this machine’s already enormous capacity.
4. Nine Presets: A wide range of presets remove the guesswork from cooking. They include popcorn, potato, vegetable, frozen entree, steam/simmer, warm hold, reheat, defrost, soften/melt.
5. Sensor Cooking: Internal sensors track your food’s humidity levels and alter the power and time levels to ensure your meals are perfectly cooked.
6. Turntable On/Off: Deactivate the turntable when cooking larger dishes to avoid unwanted accidents and unnecessary cleanup.
7. Non-Stick Interior: Using Whirpool’s ‘CleanRelease’ technology, this microwave is super easy to clean and remove unsightly splatters and stains.
8. Hidden Vent: This Whirlpool over the range microwave with vent helps alleviate unwanted odors in your kitchen. The vent is hidden so as not to detract from the superb appearance of this appliance.

What’s Not To Like?

1. Challenging to Install: While ‘over the range’ microwaves look excellent, they’re notoriously tricky to install, according to consumers, this one is exceedingly challenging.
2. Control Panel Not Backlit: The control keys can be difficult to see, especially at night as it isn’t backlit, which is insane in this day and age.

Final Remarks

Whirlpool’s 1.9 WMH32519HZ is a superb example of a top-quality microwave for a reasonable price point. It’s by no means the most affordable microwave on our list, however considering its enormous capacity, first-class performance, and stylish appearance, we had little trouble naming it the best ‘Over the Range Microwave’. It makes the tricky installment worthwhile.

Specifications

• Type: Over the Range
• Dimensions: 29.8 in x 15.2 in x 16.5 inches
• Appliance Weight: 63lbs
• Capacity: 1.6 cu.ft
• Turntable: Yes
• Available Colors: Stainless Steel / Black (JVM3160DFBB) / Slate (JVM3160EFES) / White (JVM3160DFWW) / Bisque (JVM3160DFCC)
• Wattage: 1000 Watts

 Things To Love:

1. Affordable Price Point: While this GE over the range microwave doesn’t boast the features and performance of the Whirlpool 1.9 appliance, it’s still relatively large and costs far less, which gives those on a tighter budget the opportunity to save some space and add a little style to their kitchen.
2. Cooktop Lighting: Illuminate your kitchen with this subtle yet adjustable lighting system. Includes ‘night light’.
3. Pre-Programmed Settings: While it doesn’t have many presets, this GE microwave has a couple of one-touch settings to give you a helping hand. These include popcorn, beverage, and potato. Three staples of microwave enthusiasts.
4. Turntable On/Off: You can choose whether the turntable rotates or not based on the contents of your microwave.
5. Easy to Clean: This GE microwave’s interior sports non-stick materials, which makes cleaning up after yourself a cinch.
6. Color Options: Choose from five striking finishes to match your kitchen’s decor.
7. ‘Add 30 Seconds’: Add a half-minute to your cook time with the single touch of a button.

What’s Not To Like?

1. Not Easy on the Eyes: The text on the buttons, and throughout the microwave in general, is far too small, and the panel is poorly lit, which makes it difficult to read. Oddly, the numbers on the LCD are too close together, despite the extensive background. 
2. Low on Features: This GE over the range microwave doesn’t have much to it. While it performs well, it leaves the user to perform most of the calculations.
3. Fingerprints Everywhere: While there is a fingerprint-resistant version of this GE over the range microwave, this model most certainly is not.

Final Remarks

If you want a professional-looking over the range microwave but don’t quite have the budget for a high-end model, the GE JVM3160RFSS appliance could be just the ticket. While it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of its Whirlpool rival, this microwave performs well with minimal fuss.

Specifications

• Type: Over the Range
• Dimensions: 29.8 x 10.3 in x 18 inches
• Appliance Weight: 57.2lbs
• Capacity: 1.1 cu.ft
• Turntable: Yes
• Available Colors: Stainless Steel / Black (WML55011HB) / White (WML55011HW)
• Wattage: 1000 Watts

Things To Love:

• Stunning Appearance: Whirlpool has made a break from the norm with this gorgeous appliance. It has a simple yet striking aesthetic, which is accentuated by the concealed control panel.
• Low Profile Design: Despite having a relatively small 1.1 cu.ft capacity, Whirlpool has made the most of its limited space to maximize your cooking capacity while ensuring this over the range microwave fits perfectly in your kitchen.
• Easy to Install: Unlike many of its rivals, this microwave doesn’t require a degree in engineering to install it.
• Tap-to-Open Door: Gone are the days of doors with push-buttons that are ludicrously awkward and stiff. A gentle tap will open the door, making it easy to use when your hands are full.
• Safety Lock: Avoid unwanted access with this handy safety feature.

What’s Not To Like?

• It’s Very Expensive: You’ll have to pay extra for the premium quality of this whirlpool over the range microwave. It’s by far the most expensive appliance on our list.
• No Sensor Cooking: Sensor cooking is a staple for expensive appliances that helps avoid over or undercooked food. Despite the high price point, it’s absent from this Whirlpool microwave which is extremely disappointing.
• Poor Instructions: The instruction manual for this appliance is poorly written, and the microwave will take some time to get used to.

Final Remarks

This striking Whirlpool over the range microwave is as eye-catching as it is expensive. Though it doesn’t come equipped with many features, it still performs relatively well, though the absence of sensor cooking (which is present on the less expensive Whirlpool WMH32519HZ) is a huge disappointment. Nevertheless, this machine is a lot easier to install than most of its rivals.

Specifications

• Type: Over the Range
• Dimensions: 29.7 x 16.9 x 17.5 inches
• Appliance Weight: 55lbs
• Capacity: 1.9 cu.ft
• Turntable: Yes
• Available Colors: Stainless Steel / Black Stainless Steel (ME19R7041FG) / Black (ME19R7041FB) / Tuscan Stainless Steel (ME19R7041FT) / White (ME19R7041FW)
• Wattage: 1000 Watts

Things To Love:

1. Budget-Friendly: This Samsung over the range microwave has a very reasonable price point for an appliance of this nature.
2. Large Capacity: Suitable for large families and sizable meals, with a 1.9 cu.ft capacity, this microwave is on a par with the Whirlpool WMH32519HZ.
3. Sensor Cooking: Avoid poorly cooked food with sensor cooking, which detects humidity levels in your food to ensure it’s cooked to perfection.
4. Ceramic Enamel Interior: This microwave’s interior is scratch-resistant, stain-resistant, and easy to clean.
5. Reminder Tone: Suppose you didn’t hear the notification beeps the first time around, the Samsung over the range microwave will remind you if you haven’t opened the door.

What’s Not To Like?

1. Misaligned Doors: While it certainly isn’t the case on every unit, many consumers have reported issues with the doors being misaligned, making the build quality look sloppy.
2. Unresponsive Buttons: This microwave’s control panel has buttons that are more difficult to press than you would hope.
3. The Logo Wipes Off: Stainless steel products require continuous cleaning; unfortunately, when you clean the front of this microwave, the Samsung logo will eventually rub off, calling into question the overall build quality.

Final Remarks

While the Samsung 1.9 ME19R7041FS performs well and is the most affordable over the range microwave on our list, there are serious questions about the build quality of this appliance that makes us wonder how long the microwave will last.

Specifications

• Type: Over the Range
• Dimensions: 29.7 x 15.5 x 16.5 inches
• Appliance Weight: 55lbs
• Capacity: 1.9 cu.ft
• Turntable: Yes
• Available Colors: Stainless Steel / Black Stainless Steel (JVM7195BLTS) / Black (JVM7195DKBB) / Slate (JVM7195EKES) / White (JVM7195DKWW) / Black Slate (JVM7195FLDS)
• Wattage: 1000 Watts

Things To Love:

1. Tons of Space: The third and final over the range microwave on our list with a substantial 1.9 cubic feet of cooking space.
2. Time/Weight Defrost: Choose your preferred defrost method with either a time based cycle or based on the weight of your food.
3. Steam Clean: Use the ‘steam clean’ function to quickly and easily clean your microwave’s interior.
4. Mute: Grab a cheeky midnight snack without disturbing your household with the ‘mute’ function.
5. Customizable LCD: There are a variety of functions to set the display to your liking with the ‘surface light’ ‘reset filter’ ‘display on/off’ and ‘set clock’ features.

What’s Not To Like?

1. Not Much for Your Money: This appliance isn’t the most expensive on our list, but it’s right up there. And while it’s a decent microwave, you’d expect more bang for your buck.
2. Bland Appearance: While we wouldn’t label this microwave ‘ugly’, it’s a little boring with no eye-catching features.
3. Control Panel is Hard to Read: The color of the control panel and the text for the buttons is so dull it makes everything difficult to read.
4. Loud: Though it’s not exactly deafening, this GE microwave operates more loudly than you would want.

Final Remarks

While the GE JVM7195SKSS isn’t a bad appliance by any stretch of the imagination, it’s difficult to recommend it when for the same price point you can buy the Whirlpool 1.9 (WMH32519HZ) microwave that not only has more features and functions, it’s better looking too.

Specifications

• Type: Over the Range
• Dimensions: 17 x 30 x 16 inches
• Appliance Weight: 59lbs
• Capacity: 1.6 cu.ft
• Turntable: Yes
• Available Colors: Stainless Steel
• Wattage: 1000 Watts

Things To Love:

1. ‘Multi-Stage Cooking’: You can program power levels and cooking times in advance, giving you complete control over your food, it has sensor cooking too for evenly cooked meals.
2. Concise Control Panel: Far too often we see microwaves without cluttered control panels that have small text and aren’t backlit. This one is beautifully clear.
3. Melt/Soften: Few over the range microwaves implement the melt/soften feature as well as Frigidaire have here. Works to perfection.
4. Weight/Time Defrost: This appliance lets you choose between defrosting your food based on its weight or a period of time.
5. Two-Speed Ventilation: This two speed vent helps you keep your kitchen odor-free and moisture-free.

What’s Not To Like?

1. Obnoxious Beeps: The notification beeps on this Frigidaire microwave are awful. They get increasingly louder, which most consumers absolutely hate.
2. Extremely Bright LED: While being able to see inside your microwave is a good thing, the LED in this one is far too bright, and with no “night light” setting, this thing will illuminate your entire kitchen when it’s dark.
3. Poor Popcorn: This setting doesn’t work very well, and while inefficient popcorn cooking wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for most people, we thought it worth mentioning.

Final Remarks

Frigidaire’s FFMV1645TS 1.6 over the range microwave is a superb appliance that not only looks great, but it cooks efficiently and evenly too. While there are a couple of minor annoyances, there’s a lot to love about this microwave. However, you can get more cooking space with a smaller footprint (not to mention a few more features) by opting for the Whirlpool WMH32519HZ 1.9 over the range microwave for a similar price point.