The only other shallow microwave I'm aware of is the Sharp R-1214 but it's intended as an over-the counter MW - don't know if it would fit in your space.

I've had the JEM31 for over 4 years now and haven't had a single problem with it. Where did you hear that it has poor reliability?

I read the OP and my heart sank, we have to get that model (size constraints, and it's the only one in the size range with an on/off switch for the turntable; a must-have for us). I am glad to hear that you are happy with yours Weissman. No problems at all, then? I just ordered that micro last week, and can't deal with the thought of doing another search at this stage of the game.

Rumors are flying in another post re: our range (Jade), and there's a chance we'll be looking to change our order to a different range....(if the Blue Star AG 36" had a self-cleaning oven, I'd feel better about a possible change).

No I haven't had any problems but I have the older version of the JEM31 which doesn't have a turntable.

I can't comment on home Jade ranges, but I take cooking classes with a chef in a professional kitchen and he has a commercial Jade range which he loves.

On the reliability, I read all these terrible reviews on Amazon's web site:

http://www.amazon.com/General-Electric-JEM31SF-Microwave-Oven/dp/B000BJ1NFG

And a couple of other online review sites as well. Although maybe review sites give you a skewed impression, because people are likely to write a review only when something breaks and they're upset :)

I have the JEM31 - have had it for a couple years and it works great. Lots of reliability problems with lots of appliances these days - no matter how expensive they are. At least this one is relatively inexpensive and can easily be pulled out and replaced - at least mine can since it's not built in in any way.

OK - amazon has 4 negative reviews and no positive ones and epinions has 5 negative reviews and 4 positive ones. Clearly there are some disgruntled owners but also happy ones too. Mine is built-in to my upper cabinet with a trim kit so if/when it goes I'll end up buying another one - just hope they keep making one that size! :-). At around $200 a pop I'm not going to worry about it. I actually considered buying a second one at the time in case I needed to replace it but chose not too. I wonder if the older model that I have the JEM31SA is more reliable than the new one with the turntable the JEM31SF?

I would have prefered one without a turntable (have had my huge Panasonic micro/convection oven for almost 21 years, convection died eons ago, but micro still going strong, NO turntable and big enough to nuke two bowls at a time). The JEM31 is the only one that will fit, and allow us to turn off the turntable, so it had better be reliable. We will have a trim kit and wood trim around that as well.

weissman--I sure hope you are right about the Jade. Ask your friend if he knows anything about the home ranges. Others on the forum have mentioned negatives re: the company, and it does make us a little uneasy. I've actually been tempted lately to change our order to a Blue Star (all that burner power is tempting), but I just can't see getting an oven that isn't self-cleaning....

I also have the JEM31 (although it's only been in use for 6 months) and have had no problems. I use the turntable, turning it off when necessary (thanks, Gibby, it was on your recommendation that I got it in the first place).

Thanks dmlove. There has to be a few things with this kitchen reno that we don't have to second guess!

By the way, catmom, I also had a 20 year old convection/micro (Quasar brand, which I'm pretty sure was bought out by Panasonic) and BOTH still worked when we started the remodel. Still, the max on the micro was 650 watts (top of the line back then), which is less than the JEM and most tiny micros now.

Yes dm, they were both made by the same company way back when! Our micro max is 700 watts I believe. I hope it lasts awhile longer!

How many watts is the JEM? I thought it was pretty high in the wattage dept, despite the small size. That'll be another disappointment if it's not.

cat_mom: my friend is only familiar with the commercial Jade range which he's thrilled with - his was custom-built to his specifications. I don't know what to tell you about the range you ordered - even if the company itself is in turmoil you may still get an excellent product. I believe Whirlpool owns Jade now so at least you've got a big corporation there now. I have a DCS all-gas self-cleaning range but it's 30" - they don't have self-cleaning in the 36" all-gas model. I think Capital is coming out with self-cleaning gas ranges - don't know the specifics. Good luck.

catmom, it is 800 watts, and it's plenty.

I have to say, I hope I haven't hijacked this thread, if it appears so, I apologize profusely.

weissman--thanks. From what we've heard, the distribution of the range is really what's in question. Supposedly (according to our salesperson) nothing else has changed re: the range itself. DH is concerned that there won't be any support if the company goes out so fingers are crossed that that won't happen.

I had looked at the DCS way back and discovered then that the 36" AG model doesn't have a self-cleaning oven (which was why we didn't consider the Blue Star either). I just can't imagine owning a range without a self-cleaning oven (although, even with it, I let it go way too long!).

dmlove--thanks. We don't have much choice anyway, so it's good to hear that!

I have seen some at Home Depot that are designed to hang under a cabinet but can also sit on a counter or in a cabinet. I think one was a Panasonic and the other may have been a Goldstar. They are around 13" deep. The lady at the store said they just receive occassional special shipments. I haven't found them when searchng the web. I was thinking about using one in my remodel--would love to hide it in an upper cabinet--but I'm worried about replacing it when it gives out. Would love to know what models others have used to hide behind cabinet doors.

We finally replaced a 25(!) year old Kenmore microwave with the JEM31 when we redid our kitchen. The old Kenmore was a beast by today's standards, but I'll bet it would have lasted another 25 years. It was just too big and didn't have any of the modern features of the current microwave ovens. BTW, my parents still use their original Amana Radarange that must be 35 years old. It doesn't even have an digital timer, just an analog one.

Anyway, back to our new GE JEM31. The first one we brought home made a fast clicking noise when it was running. It sounded like the old baseball card in the bicycle spokes trick. It worked fine and we used it for a couple of weeks like that until it was convenient to return it. The new one works fine, but I don't expect to get 25 or more years out of it. At $200, it's not exactly disposable, but I'm not going to worry about it much.

I have no idea how well the current Spacemakers work, but bought my first one in 1984 to hang under a cabinet in a very small apartment. It was still going, with no problems whatsoever, when we gave it away and bought another Spacemaker for our new home seven years ago. It has worked perfectly all this time and I am reluctant to give it up when we build our new home, even tho' I won't need it as have bought a wall oven with microwave (GE). So, maybe the bad reviews are not representative of the over-all reliability. I heard once that if a customer is pleased with your product or service, he/she will tell four people. If he/she is displeased, he/she will tell eleven.

Can a regular sized dinner plate fit in one of these MWs?

Yes, you can fit a regular sized dinner plate in the JEM31.

Weissman, I have a 12" deep cabinet which I will need to put the microwave in...how's that Jem going to look in there??? Will it hang out much at all? (Sometimes actually having one tells you more than seeing the box with the measurements).

I have mine mounted in an upper cabinet with a trim kit. Mine is flush with the cabinets but we did have to recess it slightly into the wall to get it flush. You can see pictures on my home page or in the Finished Kitchens Blog

I am going to put my MW in the walk-in pantry. That's where I have the old one now. It's kind of big, so I wanted to scale down. Is it a bit slower Weissman? The one we have is 1100 watts and of course DH is sceptical about 800 watts.

I mainly use it for reheating leftovers and things like that - it seems to work fine - I have no basis for comparison but it doesn't seem to take particularly long for the things I use it for.

I never cook in a MW, just like you, we only reheat leftovers, so that should be good enough I guess. Thanks.

The PEM31 GE Spacemaker MW (new trip design from the JEM) I bought has 2 issues. Brand new, right out of the box, it does not sit level, i.e., it rocks and the stainless steel trim on the front has a small dent. the appliance store (independent) said they could 'order a new door'. (I didn't give him a chance to say what he'd do about the tippy problem but am guessing he'd stick some sort of rubber pad on the 4th corner.) I told him that was unacceptable and I wanted a replacement.
Also, the corners of the stainless trim are sharp.
Am I being ridiculous in requesting a replacement? I haven't used it, it still has the plastic film on it; to me, it's damaged. of course I didn't think to take it out of the box and inspect it right at the store when I picked it up.
I thought going to an independent I'd get very good service and am disappointed. I'll be bringing it back tomorrow. please comment.

No, you're not being silly - something that's damaged right out of the box should be exchanged for a new one - you generally have 30 days to do that - after that it's handled as a maintenance issue - sounds like yours was banged up in transit.

Just curious - is the PEM31 a replacement for the JEM31 or is it an additional model? Also, are the dimensions exactly the same?

thanks, Weissman: hindsight is 20/20. I picked it up on 11/7 and didn't open it up to inspect right away. I reported the damage on 12/7; we'll see what they say.
the PEM has different trim; the dimensions are 24Wx12Dx11H. I think it's the JEM with a facelift.

Have you looked at the Cuisinart CMW? The dimensions are: 16 x 12 1/4 x 12 3/4. It is 1000 watt, has a 12" turntable and good reviews. I just bought one from Amazon today for $149 with free shipping.

Wow! I got all excited about a very small microwave. For naught though. Well, it is smaller but not as small as Taylor relates above (those may have been inside cavity dimensions perhaps?).

The Cuisinart CMW-100 is the only micro Cuisinart shows at their website and is MSRP'd there at $149 also. However, no dimensions are listed at the Cuisinart.com for it.

SmallAppliance.com lists the Cuisinart CMW-100 with these dimensions: 15H x 22W x 17D , with a 12-inch turntable, 1000 watts, and also a $149.

Someday I'll find one that IS small enough.

I am happy to report that when I returned my damaged GE spacemaker MW, ready for battle, the salesman I had talked to on 12/7 said they had ordered a new one for me and expected it to be at the store tomorrow. I had him take it out of the box, place it on a flat surface and the tippiness was obvious as was the dent in the stainless trim. it goes without saying I will inspect the new one before I take it home. Don't know what prompted their change of heart from "we'll order a new door" to an easy exchange. restores my trust in the independents.

one last followup on my GE spacemaker MW issue; when I picked up the new one they had ordered for me (to replace the one that was tippy and had a dent in the front), the salesman removed it from the box and set it on the counter to make sure there were no flaws. He said they had 'scrapped' the other one. happy to say it is looking good and working fine!