Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
deadstk

Thermador Model SMW 272--replace the microwave

deadstk
14 years ago

Thought owners of Thermador SMW 272 oven/warmer-draw/microwave might like to know that despite what others might tell you, including Thermador you can replace the microwave in these ovens with an updated model from Thermador!

The back story: my microwave just flat out wore out after 9/yrs of constant use but the oven and warmer-draw worked perfect. I contacted Thermador twice (once by email and by phone) to find out if the microwave could be replaced. They told me no that model was no longer available and there was no substitution or update. Many of the so called appliance technicians on the web with umpteen years experience said the same thing. I check with my local appliance dealer (Thermador dealer at that) and they concurred that I was simply SOL.

Resided to the fact that I was looking at a whole new oven, I went back to the dealer I had originally purchase the oven from thinking I was going to be buying a new oven. I mentioned my dilemma to the sales person there and he said no way! He personally owned the oven and new for a fact that the current Thermdaor model MBES/01 microwave fits that oven just fine. He assured me that it was no big deal.

Well $800 and four days later I had the replacement and sure enough it was identical to the original. I had it installed in about an hour and it looks and works perfect.

Hope this helps some of you out there.

Comments (101)

  • ajayla
    6 years ago

    More than four months after installing the Panasonic NF-T945, all is well. It is a far better machine than the original, cooking in a fraction of the time, with no more racing fan after cooking is done. The lack of ventilation ductwork seems to have no impact on performance or maintenance.

    But I have come to share the concern expressed by others about the door opening mechanism. I've experienced no major problems as yet. But, on rare occasions that I press the door open button hard, the button does not rebound until the door is closed. (I never experienced this in 15 years with the original Thermador-branded microwave with what appeared to be the same mechanism.)

    I did purchase an extended protection plan from Walmart, which was $26 for four years, which would presumably fix the problem if it renders the machine inoperable. I'm including a photo.




  • samuelsyoung
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I had a MBBS purchased in 2004. I reviewed this thread, and got a Panasonic NF-T945SF from Walmart ($159), however, the bottom screw holes from the metal from don't fit the T945SF, and the oven height position is a bit too high, even I removed the bottom plastic cushions from the T945SF.

    Luckily, I found LG LMC2075ST from Bust Buy ($180), it has the exactly bottom screw position to match the metal frame! Only thing to do is to take away the plastic cushions from the oven, then secure it with a new set of screws (I reused the ones removed from the T945SF).

    I knew that LG LCRT2010ST has the same configuration, but I didn't had a chance to try, since I selected LCRT2010ST which is a newer model.

  • Nancy O'Neill
    5 years ago

    thanks so much to everyone who shared their stories about their microwave. I went out to Walmart and happened to get the last panasonic model everone mentioned and it fit perfectly. I couldn't be happier. I saved well over 500.00.too!! My husband and I put it in together following all your directions and it took less than 1/2 hourThanks to all.

  • wdh05
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    The Thermador microwave in our SMW 272 built-in self-destructed 2 nights ago (while we had 5 dinner guests naturally). I was concerned that this was going to require a $6,000 plus revision to the kitchen, but I found the posts on this site and was given hope.


    The LG-LCRT2010ST may have changed since some of the earlier posts because the feet didn't come close to fitting my Thermador bottom tray for the microwave. The venting on the left side of the LG extended well below the 6" Thermador sheet metal attachment. Also, others have noted that some snipping of the right rear sheet metal venting would be needed. I opted not to pursue the LG option.


    Home Depot had an NN-SN965S which (as everyone has said) works perfectly. All 7 bottom tray screws (including the feet) lined up exactly. The two safety screws (sort of a torx head) on the rear right side of the unit were removed with a pliers and replaced with Phillips head screws. The right (external air intake) and left side (exhaust air vent) sheet metal venting all fit exactly (the exhaust vents on the left side of the NN-SN965S did not extend below the sheet metal which extends down the left side of the unit about 6"). I was concerned that the plug on the NN-SN965S unit (which was not an "L" shaped plug like the original unit) would interfere with the unit when it was pushed into the enclosure, but it didn't. Dryer venting tape (good to over 200 degrees F) replaced the strapping tape found on the original unit. It only took 30 to 60 minutes of work, once I had the new unit and the tape. Minimal tools were needed.


    A huge thank you to everyone for all the posts and insight!

  • pierre0214
    5 years ago

    Thank you all for your posts and suggestions. I'm on my way to Home Depot to get the Panasonic NN-SN965S as suggested. Wish me luck :-)

  • HU-968806326
    4 years ago

    Thank you...thank you...Thank you !!!! We are so appreciative of the sage information and advice you all shared. We too, had the same problems with the microwave oven in our Thermador wall unit / model SMW272YP. Exactly as stated, Thermador was neither helpful or interested in servicing the microwave and instead, wanted $2400.00 for it's replacement plus installation charges. I am so glad I went onto the web and sure enough, found the plethora of other folks who have experienced the same dilemma and were able to resolve the issue by replacing the defective unit with Panasonic NN-T945SF microwave oven, which is basically the same unit. Fits like a glove and the entire installation process was exactly as stated by so many of you. I was suspect from the beginning when I saw the Panasonice label on the Thermador 'wave. 'Found the new unit , still in stock @ the Walmart in Dayton, OH, still $159.00 + tax. Shame on Thermador, now Bosch. Never again will I buy their product. Thanks again to all of you for your assistance!!! BTW- a little nail polish remover will remove the "Panasonic" name from the front door of the microwave oven.

  • HU-714013705
    4 years ago

    I have a Thermador model SM272 (version with warming drawer) purchased in 2002. The Panasonic microwave replacement suggested so far won't work. I only have a 13" opening. I've been looking for any brand that would fit. No luck so far. I agree with everyone that Thermador service is terrible. I talked to several service and technical personnel at Thermador. All I got was "go look at our web site......" and their attitude have been nothing short of shocking. Don't think we'll ever buy Thermador products again.

  • HU-714013705
    4 years ago

    I meant version without warming drawer.

  • Willem de Lange
    4 years ago

    I replaced the microwave oven with an LG microwave a couple of years ago.

    I had commented on this and if you have trouble with Panasonic go evaluate the PG. I bought it at Home Depot for about $ 150. Thusfar happy

  • HU-714013705
    4 years ago

    Based on your advice I just replaced our defective Thermador SM272 microwave with a Panasonic NF-T945SF from Walmart for $159. Looks like the price hasn't gone up since 2014. That's amazing. It's necessary with our unit to remove the left vent from the microwave in order to slide the unit out. That was a bit of a challenge requiring separating the vent from the microwave which was taped to the top and side wall and anchored by a screw in the back . I managed to pry the back side of the vent off the screw. I did not put the vent back on since the new unit exhaust opening is on the left side instead of on the top as is the case with the SM272 and it would have blocked air flow. It works fine without it. Took me about 2 hours and all went well. We're very happy to have a functioning unit. Our experience showed how wrong Thermador and their dealers were telling us that it's very expensive to repair or replace if possible at all. We appreciate everyone taking time to share their experience. Ajayla's step by step instructions was most useful. Thank you.

  • HU-447593954
    4 years ago

    Anyone have an MBES microwave/oven combo without the warming drawer? I can’t get the trim off!!


  • Patricia Robertson
    3 years ago

    I was over the moon to find this thread!! My microwave didn't die like others posting here...it was rusting. I didn't call Thermador, but I did talk to two appliance dealers, both of whom said that the microwave couldn't be replaced. To replace the entire system would have been very expensive, plus I would have had to retrofit it into my existing cabinetry, which has been faux painted and would likely be impossible to match. I followed the lead of HU-12478 and bought the Panasonic NN-SD945S Countertop/Built-In Microwave with Inverter Technology - 2.2 cu. ft. - Stainless” on Amazon with two-day free Prime delivery (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KNUHBJU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I had it professionally installed for $150. So, happy!



  • M
    3 years ago

    Panasonic make great microwaves. Have had them for years and really like them. The only downside is the door latch mechanism that is bound to fail after a couple of years. If you open it up, you can see that it is really flimsy. So, try to be really careful with the door and don't slam it, so that you maximize the time that you can use it before needing a replacement. When it fails, hope that somebody has designed a replacement part that you can 3D print. It's pretty obvious what breaks. It's not quite so obvious how to fix it though.

  • Ryan O'Herrin
    3 years ago

    Hi - sort and sweet results comments - same problem as everyone else. We tried two models that FAILED to fit first (Panasonic NN-T945SF - Walmart and Panasonic NN-SD987SA Best Buy). Both had feet that were too high and it was off center. Then we tried an LG LMC2075ST (Best Buy) as recommended by another poster and worked great - perfect height with no adjustment to the feet needed, although the rear duct did take some work.

  • PRO
    South Peak
    3 years ago

    Anyone who owns a Thermador SM272 needs to read this thread. Thank you everyone and to HOUZZ for sharing! I am a luxury real estate agent and deal with so many homes where the microwave has broken and the repairs are either considered impossible or the replacement cost is prohibitive. My SM272 conked our after about 15 years, I wasn’t particularly fond of it anyway so I just bought a new countertop one. One thing to check is your manufacture date as this model did change slightly over time. Mine was made in 2001. I replaced it with the Panasonic NN-SN 965S Bought it at Hone Depot for $179. It took me less than 2 hours to remove the old one and install this one. No alterations needed anywhere fits perfectly and looks great. You don’t even need to remove the little plastic feet; just drill the screw right in. Thanks again and share with as many people as possible!

  • sddana
    3 years ago

    The previous posts were so helpful! We have a 18 yr old Thermador SMW272 unit with the microwave, warmer and oven. The microwave lost power, and was told by the appliance repairman that it was not the fuse, but the control board, which is no longer available. Thermador does not make a new microwave that fits this unit. The microwave was 14"H, 23 7/8" W, 19 5/32D. It is also important to note that the feet that need to be attached to the lower support shelf are 20" apart. I found a new PANASONIC SN965S - $179. It is exactly all the same dimensions including the feet. I took out the old unit. I had to drill small holes in the plastic feet to attach the screws to the lower metal support shelf. I then moved the ventilation metal from the old Thermador to the Panasonic. I used strong tape and it worked great. It was easy to pull off the trim and put it back. It took me the research time and then about 2 hours to do the installation (I am slow and non-mechanical). It saved me having to replace the whole unit till later.

  • Mark Minervino
    2 years ago

    I'm looking for a thread exactly like this one except the object is a thermador oven being the broken appliance in the 1 piece set (electrical display pad at top, microwave below, warmer below that and oven at the bottom). Warmer and microwave still working.

  • Jeffrey Schonberg
    last year
    last modified: last year

    20 year old microwave component of my Thermador SMW272 bit the dust... Thanks to this thread above I utilized a Panasonic NN-SN966S (easily swapping trim) and it fit perfectly. Thanks all, for your guidance and instruction.

  • James Zientek
    last year

    Did you buy the trim? If so, how did you attach it

  • Jeffrey Schonberg
    last year

    Just use existing trim (see above posts). The visible surround grate just pulls off and gets popped back in, and follow previous posts advice for microwave mounting ... you will further see how to swap ventilation channel when you pull the old microwave.

  • Kay Gee
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Thanks to this post and others, we bought an LG 2.0 cu.ft. to replace our 16-year old arcing Thermador microwave. However, after a few months of LG usage, we found the power outlet for microwave and one of microwave plug's three prongs both burnt. We replaced the LG microwave as it was under warranty and the new one works fine in any other outlet. An electrician found only 87V in Thermador power outlet (we are in Canada). He did not want to replace the outlet because he was scared about screwing something in the control panel. Any suggested remedy here? We have control panel on top, then microwave, then warming drawer, and then oven. The microwave power outlet is on the ceiling of microwave slot, seemingly connected to the control panel.

  • Mike O.
    11 months ago

    Any update on a fix for your problem?

  • Mike O.
    11 months ago

    Any fix for your problem? My outlet has no power.

  • Oren L
    11 months ago

    I have a Thermador SEMW272BS/02 with a MBBS/01 microwave (made in 2004) that stopped working. Many of the microwaves mentioned here are no longer made, so I had to try the newer ones:

    * Panasonic NN-SN966S - didn't work for me. Overall dimensions were almost the same (slightly taller), but the feet and some of the screws in the back were not well aligned with the holes in the trim kit

    * LG LMC2075ST - almost a perfect match! Feet position is good and the screws in the back and sides are mostly well aligned. It took some work (cutting and drilling) to make the trim kit fit, mostly because of the back bulge size. I also enlarged the sizes of the holes in the bottom peice of the trim kit so that the microwave feet can just slide in. I did try drilling into the feet and secure them to the bottom trim peice, but gave up after a I realized there's nothing preventing the feet from turning with the screw when I try to drive it in. Instead I just added some HVAC tape to secure it. I figured it's fine because there are screws holding it in the back of the microwave.


    After reading all the messages here, and seeing the slightly different feet positioning in the two models above, I suspect that there are two different trim kits. The trim kit showing in Sergio Cuquerella's images seems very different than mine. If I had to guess, his trim kit would fit the Panasonic.


    One way to tell which microwave would work for you, I think, is to measure the distance between the centers of the front feet. Mine measured about 47.5 centemiters (18.7"), which matches the LG feet. The panasonic measured about 51cm (about 20").


    Hope this helps! Thank you all for the inforamtion you shared.



  • Dave Freimuth
    10 months ago

    I want to thank everyone that has posted anything on this thread! I read them all and they were very helpful! One thing in common is that Thermador is not a customer friendly business. They are really over priced and under serving!

    The only clue inside the 16-10-585 microwave was the FCCIC "Panasonic ACLAP 4M01" label. That led me to believe that Panasonic made the original box and that it is really just a countertop unit installed in a cabinet.

    My original supplier said that we would have to buy the entire unit. He had tried to replace the microwaves but he just could not get one that would fit the rails and or the trim kit originally installed.

    I tried my hardest to find the last unit listed, NN-SN966S, but could only get it on special order. So with a leap of faith I purchased for $279.98 a NN-SN96JS today at Home Depot. I asked for an open box one but they did not have one. If this did not work, they would take it back. Therefore, I was careful opening it and having removed my old one, after grinding down the rivets on the cabinet side, I laid them on their sides and matched the feet together. Wala! The foot print was identical and the dimensions of the box are all the same! Joy, joy, joy! I proceeded to tap the rubber feet and installed the tray. The vent sheet metal matched up perfectly. The screws in the back of the microwave have Torx screws needing a Torx screwdriver with a hole in the center. I got one out with my standard Torx driver, and had to use Vice Grips on the second one. I only replaced one and used a normal Phillips from the old unit. I used good old silver duct tape to secure the vent metal the rest of the way. The tray slid right in with some tight clearance on the left side. My wife plugged it in and I pushed it back with no problem.

    I feel great about it!

    We are still going to get a price on replacing the oven and change away from Thermador. Glad to help anyone if needed.

    Dave F - Ohio

  • Wendy Donoho
    10 months ago

    Well done . Love this forum. We replaced ours 7 years ago and now the replacement microwave isn’t working so we’re going to replace the door contacts and see how that goes. If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to replace the whole microwave like we did before.. thanks to the latest post, we’ll have a model to try!
    Thank you everyone!
    Wendy DC

  • Wendy Donoho
    10 months ago

    So we figured out that it is much harder to fix a component in a microwave than the you tube “do it yourself” video leads one to believe. So we had to buy a new microwave… We’ve been down this road before so knew what to expect…as others have commented, there are different trim kits around your microwave depending on the Thermador model trio (microwave, warming drawer, oven) that you own … ours has the trim on the sides… so that requires the current model LG LMC2075ST as a replica to the original Thermador microwave (you can find it at Best Buy.) if your trim is top and bottom, apparently the Panasonic model Panasonic NN-SN966S mentioned in the earlier posts is the one that works for your configuration! (You can get it at Home Depot,)
    We popped out the old microwave and took off the aluminum housing around it that we had customized to fit it, and reattached those to the new microwave., fit perfectly and took us less than an hour.
    This site has saved us so much time, $ and energy.. Thank you ALL!!

  • twchambers
    9 months ago

    Hello all fellow Thermador owners. I too am blessed with a Thermador SW272 with microwave. Initially, I opened the defective unit to discover a blown capacitor on the power module. After purchasing the replacement part on Alibaba, I tested the system to discover it would turn on and heat for only 3 seconds. I reset the demo mode to off to no avail. I'm thinking one of the door switches have failed resulting in the 3 second cook time. Well, enough time and money wasted, I'm headed to Home Depot to purchase the Panasonic NN-SN96JS. I sounds like an easy fix. After opening the Thermador unit, it appears to be all Panasonic parts. So, you think you're purchasing a higher quality Thermador to learn it's a Panasonic disguised as a Theremador. Good luck to all and thanks for the tips.

  • HU-477613998
    9 months ago

    We also had the microwave break down in a Thermador SW272 combo unit that we piurchased 15 years ago. This is the second time that the Thermador microwave has required replacement, Several years ago we were fortunate that we were able to purchase a Thermador replacement from a major kitchen and bath company and easily replaced the old unit. This time the same company insisted that microwaves could not be replaced in these combo units and we would have to replace the entire combo unit. They said that the microwave was hard wired into the oven circuitry, which is total BS (even after I sent them a picture of the separate microwave outlet at the back of the cabinet). My high school senior grandson (who is an electronics wizard) verified this by safely disconnecting the 20A fuse on the microwave power recepticle and verifying that all functions on the warming drawer and oven were fully operational even with the microwave power outlet disconnected. Since we have a trim kit with top and bottom vents we purchased a Panasonic SN966S from Amazon ($259) and were easily able to install it using the existing mounting hardware, thus saving more than $10,000 from whatb the kitchen and bath company said that bwe had to do. This blog site was very helpful.

  • HU-303740310
    8 months ago

    Great solution and very easy. I am glad to get some more life out of the SW272. Long term I still think it needs to be replaced since the oven is not working well. Has anyone found a combo unit that wil fit in the same space? It seems to be a non-standard size.

  • montulli
    7 months ago

    I had the same problem. My Thermador was from 2000 and lasted all these years. I took off the front assembly and replaced it with a Panasonic NN-SN96JS. All the screw holes lined up perfectly, there is absolutely no difference between the 23 year old Thermador and the 2023 Panasonic in terms of the case dimensions and screw alignments. It all fits perfectly. The only blemish is the 'Panasonic' logo on the front. :)

  • Dave Freimuth
    7 months ago

    I had the same problem and the supplier said I was better off to buy a whole new unit. Instead I bought a Panasonic from Home Depot for $289 and had it installed in a couple of hours. I refuse to pay so much more for the Thermador label since the original unit was manufactured by Panasonic. New one has better temperature control and heats things quicker and more thoroughly. Thermador gets a lot of markup for their name.

  • HU-775457850
    6 months ago

    Thank You to All that submitted information on Thermadore Triple Oven. I went to Home Depot today and purchased the Panasonic NN-SN96JS $ 279.00. I was able transfer some the necessary parts from Old Micro to New Micro relatively easy based on all the info on prior posts.

    Took about an hour. Perfect fit and My Wife is very Happy too.

  • Brian H
    4 months ago
    last modified: 4 months ago

    I have an old Thermador SEMW272 and having difficulty removing the failed MBSS/01 microwave. After removing trim & all visible screws it won’t slide out. The vertical sections on either side of the microwave (see photo) are connected at the top to other pieces that extend up behind the control unit above, with no direct access. I tried removing the control unit and found that it is connected at the top with screwed-on angle brackets rather than clips, so there is no access.

    Any suggestions would be appreciated.


  • HU-685578216
    4 months ago
    last modified: 4 months ago

    It will come out but requires some finesse. Angle it slightly, left side out more, and flex in the part on the left that causes the interference. When that edge clears it will slide out easily assuming the two bottom slide screws and the four corner clips have been removed.

  • Brian H
    4 months ago
    last modified: 4 months ago

    Thank you for your reply, but unfortunately the SEMW272 is different than SMW272 and removing all the screws does not allow unit to slide out. It is locked solidly in place.

    See the screen shot attached. The arrow shows the microwave chassis is connected to the chassis of the oven control directly above. The oven control is attached by “L” brackets that can’t be accessed from the front. I discussed this problem with an online tech and he indicated they had to remove the entire assembly for access. But, suggestions welcome!


  • Wendy Donoho
    4 months ago

    When we changed out ours .. we had to take the entire unit out, meaning the microwave AND THE runners AND BRACKETS that it was attached to.. it’s like a sled and comes out as one big unit. (very heavy by the way) Then and only then were we able to detach the microwave and replace with the new one, make appropriate adjustments for the new microwave and slide the whole unit back in.. if that makes sense.

  • Brian H
    4 months ago

    Thank you Wendy! Did you use a lift of some sort to pull & push, or just lots of struggling?

  • HU-685578216
    4 months ago

    It is moderately heavy but an average guy can lift it out if someone else is there to unplug it. I just did one yesterday by myself so I could completely clean the microwave. I think you might just need to unstick the tray. Try placing a flat blade screwdriver at the lower right edge between the tray, that will slide out, and the chassis. Push and then twist the screwdriver slightly and that might get it to start moving.

  • Wendy Donoho
    4 months ago

    My burly husband and I pulled it out and had a strong work table handy to put it on so that we didn’t have to put it on the floor.. keep in mind that as you pull it out you also have to unplug it. Once you get it out .. you’ll see that the microwave feet sit in holes in the bottom runners..very easy to unscrew or just lift out.. and some pieces are attached to the microwave that are part of the housing and are easy to take off and reattach on new microwave.
    We’ve had to replace 2 microwaves in this manner. In the case of the initial change out of the Thermador microwave, we had to modify the housing of the sled framework in the back somewhat to accommodate the new microwave.. sounds complicated but I promise, very simple.. some tin snips did the trick to open up the back area a bit. Then it sits in the original position that the old one did .. in our case, the feet of the new microwave lined up perfectly to the holes already in the runners so it dropped in. (most recent microwave had caps over the feet, we took them off and again, slipped right into the holes.) We then reattached the other housing items (double sided utility tape will help you reattach) and slid back in to the wall .. keeping in mind you’ll need a person to help you plug it in as you’re inserting it which can take a little contorting to do since you have to hold the microwave close enough to plug it in but keep from blocking access when lining up the runners.. Again, it sounds complicated but I promise, it isn’t. The second time we changed out the microwave was even faster since the housing had already been adapted to the newer models. Good luck .. it’s totally worth the effort!!

  • Brian H
    4 months ago

    I had already removed all visible hardware around the microwave several days ago, including runners & brackets and it is still fixed rock solid. See picture below. Have I missed something? I even sawed off the four bolts holding the microwave's feet in place and still nothing moves. The chassis sides continue up into the oven control unit directly above, which is also not accessible and this seems to be at least part of the problem.


    Thus, it seems there is no choice but to slide out the entire stack (control, microwave, warming oven & oven) and work from behind. I have a lift table, so maybe not as bad as it seems.



  • Brian H
    4 months ago

    Well, I took out the entire assembly (oven control, microwave, warming oven and oven). This was a last resort (>300 lbs.). I managed to free-up the microwave by removing the sheet metal screws on both sides of the cabinet adjacent to the microwave. Several of these screws were interfering with the microwave, holding it solidly in place. After removing the microwave, I reinstalled the screws since several are necessary (See photo). I plan to hacksaw them off before installing the new microwave! The second photo is an example of a dented area on side of microwave, caused by one of these screws.



  • Wendy Donoho
    4 months ago

    Oh Brian… it sounds like your microwave swap was a much more complicated process than what we experienced … I’m so sorry! Whoever initially installed yours did so with the idea that you were never going to take it out, that’s for sure.
    It sounds like you were still on target to accomplish the desired result, however
    so well done! You’re a rock star and have now potentially helped someone else with a similar issue! All the best to you!

  • Brian H
    4 months ago

    Two items that might be helpful to those with same issues in future:


    (1) Since the feet on the LG LMC2075ST Microwave match the locations of Thermador’s mounting holes, the holes were drilled out to ½ “diameter, allowing the LG to lock in place w/o screws, tape, etc. The feet insert only about 1/16th inch depth into each hole.


    (2) With no help plugging-in the power cord while reinstalling the microwave, a 6’ extension was added (w/same amp rating). This allowed plugging-in the microwave while it was still sitting on the counter. The cord was temporarily taped & routed through the open center channel (see photo). After the microwave was reinstalled, the cord was pushed-in as far as possible behind the microwave and any extra length was pushed into the channel.


  • Jean Constantini
    3 months ago

    This model from Home depot was a perfect fi! Panasonic Model # NN-SN96JS. Looks good too! Thank you for your help!



  • Matthew Glotzbach
    24 days ago

    Hi all, thank you so much for this thread. We recently got hit by a massive power surge during a storm that fried most of my appliances (refrigerator, cooktop, microwave, toaster oven, coffee pot, etc.). I have the Thermador MCES/01 microwave atop the MEDMC301JP oven. The repairman pulled out the microwave (when I wasn't there) and declared it unfixable. I'm following this thread with positive anticipation that I can go buy a Panasonic or LG and drop it in the slot. I have a few questions that hopefully this group can help clarify:


    1) my MCES/01 plugs directly into the oven itself. Is it ok to plug the replacement directly into the Thermador oven outlet?


    2) it sounds like from this thread, given I have the MCES, that I likely need to go the LG route. My trim kit has some on both the top/bottom as well as the sides (see photo).


    3) There are a few additional sheet metal pieces that must have been installed on the MCES/01 but I can't figure out exactly where they go. There are 3 pieces that mount the trim kit, but then there are two more pieces that I can't figure out. Any suggestions welcome!




  • R Rico
    8 days ago
    last modified: 8 days ago

    Another huge thank you to EVERYONE who has contributed to this thread. So much info here for a very specific problem that we all share. I too have Theramador SEMW272BS/02 combo with a MBBS/01 microwave (made in 2004). The microwave went out about 3 months ago and I just wish that I had found this thread sooner! I ended up purchasing 3 separate microwaves trying to make them fit in the space and the to the trim/sheet metal spacers (luckily I was able to return all of them once I found this thread).

    Big thanks to @Oren L your note about measuring the distance of the front feet was 100% accurate and I was able to get the LG LMC2075ST within the hour from the Best Buy near me. This was a total hallelujah moment (not only that I found this thread, but it was actually in stock). As others have mentioned, once you have the correct replacement, the trim fits just right (except for the back panel because of the back bulge) and the process is really quick and easy (about 1-2 hours).

    For those of you who have searched through the bowels of the internet searching for this information... congrats, you have found the holy grail! You have probably been told by Thermador, home appliance dealers, and various repairmen, that what you're trying to do is impossible. This thread proves the power of the internet bringing us together to share information is so powerful. As others have said in the thread, this info will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars and hours and hours of time (this isn't hyperbole if you've found this thread because you have the same problem).

    If you gain valuable info here, please continue to pay it forward by posting your experience for the next person.


  • janet call
    5 days ago
    last modified: 5 days ago

    Has anyone replaced the Microwave from a Thermador SEMW302BP Triple Combo Pro Oven. It has wider side around the micro so I'm not sure if the replacement micros mentioned in the above threads will work. I bought my oven unit in 2006. see pic.


  • Mike C
    9 hours ago

    I also have a SEMW 302 needing microwave replacement.


  • Janet Call
    1 hour ago

    I read through the comments above which were extremely helpful. As with the other models the thermador people told me i would need to replace the whole three tiered unit. Instead I pulled off the micro surround. The top corners just snap off(use a flat screwdriver to help pry it off) Mine had 3 screws at the bottom edge. You can only see them when you open up the warming drawer. Then my husband and I slid out the entire micro with all the metal venting attached There were a couple screws in the front to remove, the sled was a bit sticky so useing the flat screwdriver to loosen the sled and the whole thing came out. The micro was plugged in to the underside of the oven controls We removed the two upper corners that hold the micro frame to give us more room . we rotated the micro and the attached sled to reach in and unplug the micro. once we had the micro out we could dismantle the sled venting and attach it to the new micro..we bought the LG LMC2075ST for $207.00 at home depot. the feet fit perfectly in the bottom sled area i didn’t put back the upper venting portion so I hope thats ok,, anyway it fits beautifully. I’m so thankful I found these comments on Houzz