Tee Ball:

Our last Sharp oven lasted seven years, but not without some issues. The display went funky two or three years ago, but it was still usable. Lately, the unit would shut off while cooking for no apparent reason, and it was becoming more frequent. We started looking for a replacement online and consulted Consumer Reports. Generally, microwave ovens don’t seem to get good reviews. Reliability overall seems very poor. The top rated models in CR get horrible subscriber reviews in the very same publication. The best Kenmore models are receiving one or two stars from consumers.

After much searching and scrutiny, it seems Sharp was the choice for a replacement. We have only had this oven for a couple days, but I can draw some comparisons to my previous oven.

My old oven had white screening over the door, and the R-410LW has a black one that is much easier to see through. The overall look is similar to my old R-319F, but the number pad and power level buttons have been moved to the top of the control surface, which is easier to read and reach. The 410 does not have sensor cook, but we never used it anyway. The power settings on the new oven are a little less convenient to use, having to press the power lever repeatedly to toggle down from 100%. The 410 is hotter then my old unit, even though the wattage is the same…1100. This one takes about 30 seconds less to boil 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water.

And finally , some nitpicking. The door on our old unit yellowed with age. The 410′s door is plastic too, so it could do the same. That said, this model does look more modern with it’s white front and silver, stainless looking applique on the door. My next nitpick is one that universally irritates me. That is, using hard to remove adhesives to affix labels on a product. Sharp places a clear protective sheet on the door, but UNDER that is an oval label that leaves it’s adhesive when removed. This could not be removed with fingernails (it’s that gummy stuff), and alcohol just smeared it. We had just read that cooking spray removed tar from autos, so we tried that. It worked, but too late to prevent the scuff marks from other attempts. Finally, can’t someone make a microwave oven that doesn’t sound like a ball bat against a garbage can when the door is closed? I would pay extra for a quiet closing door. How hard could that be?

In summary, this is a decent unit by comparison. It’s all you need, and not too many whizzbangs pushed through by the marketing department that just never get used. The R-410LW stands out among online reviews as a winner, even if that’s by default. Time will tell.

UPDATE:

After only nine months of use, our oven stops running mid-cycle. The magnetron kicks out, and the time display stops. On one occasion, it would not shut off at all, forcing me to unplug it. This gives credibility to all those poor reviews here and at Consumer Reports website. Like many other shoppers, I did a ridiculous amount of research and purchased very tentatively knowing the odds were against me. Microwave oven manufacturers should take note. They are failing miserably in features and reliability. Brought home a Panasonic with Inverter yesterday. Stay tuned…
Rating: 4 / 5

From Michigan:

This Sharp microwave is very good,however we were sent a black model instead of the white one we ordered.We picked this particular model because it shows a white microwave and thats what my wife wanted.After the initial disappointment we decided not to send it back,we wanted this particular microwave and didn’t want to take a chance there wouldn’t be one left. It is a very good product for the money.
Rating: 5 / 5