They're pretty much all junk. Panasonic is my favorite, followed by Sharp.

Part of the problem is that I need a microwave that is no deeper than 16.5" and no wider than 23". That doesn't leave me with much.

The reviews for the Magic Chef I'm looking at are better than the ones for the Panasonic or Sharp of similar size. I thought Magic Chef wasn't very good, so I don't know what to think.

Magic Chef microwaves are just generic Chinese crap that someone paid Whirlpool for the privilege of slapping the logo of an old American stove manufacturer on. To be honest, microwaves are pretty much disposable anyway so it doesn't really matter which one you buy. But I wouldn't buy the Magic Chef thinking it's better than other units because of a few reviews. User reviews are weird, and I tend not to put much weight on them unless they agree on specific things... sometimes you get the exact same product under different brands reviewed completely differently.

I usually stick to sharp or panasonic...I think they all function very similarly. I had lots of microwaves die on me until I started plugging into a quality surge protector.

I'm not going to disagree with anyone about Magic Chef being crap or about Panasonic and Sharp being the better brands, but I'd like to understand why reviews are showing otherwise.

I looked up all the brands and models that had 4 star or better reviews that would fit in my cabinet/shelf. From there, I calculated the percentage of 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 star reviews for each model. I did this at numerous store websites. So for a particular model, I gathered reviews from multiple websites and calculated them. I also read the 1 and 2 star reviews looking for a pattern of complaints to see if a particular model had defects.

The results show that of Magic Chef, Danby, GE, Panasonic, and Sharp, that Magic Chef ist at the top and has the most 5 and 4 star reviews with less 1 and 2 star reviews. While Panasonic and Sharp would be on the very bottom of the list. The results also show that Panasonic has (known) defects in particular models.

So, while I'm inclined to think that Magic Chef is an inferior brand compared to Panasonic and Sharp, the data is showing otherwise. I'm really having trouble wrapping my brain around that. Especially since you would think that the Magic Chef microwaves would have the worst reviews. And yes, I am aware that reviews aren't always accurate. But I'm seeing consistent numbers from various websites for the same models. The only reviews that are strange are the ones coming from Amazon. I'm slightly inclined to think that this has something to do with people purchasing their microwaves from unreliable 3rd party sellers who are selling damaged microwaves.

Any opinions on this?

Additionally, while I realize microwaves nowadays only last a few years (supposedly 7), I have a hard time with spending $170 on something that will die in a year or less. That is why I'm doing all this research.

Thanks for all the opinions and advice I've gotten so far.

You want shallow depth? GE makes several models. They used to be called spacemakers but now they don't use that term. You have to look at the sizes. NOT cheap but worth it for the size.

OK, buy a Tragic Chef if you are more comfortable with that. My comments about Sharp/Panasonic being better are based on personal experience. Additionally, both companies have been at this far longer than whoever makes the Magic Chef MW's. Some Sharp models are American made instead of imported. Panasonics have inverters to downregulate power levels instead of timed cycles like the generic Chinese brands. The keypad is peeling off of the Magic Chef at my office. As I said they're all pretty cheap, disposable, and easily replaceable, it doesn't matter much. They should all last throughout their warranty, despite that most of them are poorly made, microwaves are pretty simple so there's not much to go wrong. You should expect 5 years on average from any of them, give or take some.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Tue, Nov 18, 14 at 18:55

I have had a cheap Emerson MW in my office for about 3 years. It isn't huge, or terribly powerful, but it gets the job done. I think I paid $60 at Target. It's 19"w x 12"h x 14.5" d (plus handle).

My Panasonic died after two and a half years. Magnetron went. So, that's a nope to me.

Am a Panasonic fan, have one that lasted 20+ years, needed a smaller one, bought another Panasonic and love it.

Part of the problem is that I need a microwave that is no deeper than 16.5" and no wider than 23".

Amana RMS10T maybe?

I have a 3 plus YO 1.6 cu ft Panasonic Genius w/ Inverter Technology. Love the Sensor Reheat, Turbo Defrost, Keep Warm & Quick Minute features. Not crazy about the turn dial to set time but seldom use that. I've used the Sensor
Cook a few times and that feature works remarkably good. Unfortunately, I can't remember how it works so have to dig out the manual to use...otherwise, I would use that feature a lot more.

Pretty heavy microwave users here--multiple times per day.

Linking to the one we have...I paid around a hundred bucks for mine three years ago. Rather dramatic increase in price since then. At the current price, I'd probably hesitate to replace it with another just like it...would buy something cheaper and then end up regretting it, most likely. But at the much lower price point, it was a no-brainer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Panasonic

Have this one - LOVE it, esp. reheat function.....Think it is faster to set times, using the turn dial, but also rarely use it, most often use the reheat button.....BTW - does an AMAZING job with leftover pizza (not too soggy [like most MW's] or crisp [like reheating in oven]).

it is 16'' deep, 20'' wide, and 12'' tall.

This post was edited by mdln on Sat, Nov 22, 14 at 13:49

I've got a GE Profile countertop that is 14 years old and still going strong. The problem with this information is GE may not be making nice microwaves anymore. They could be crap. All I can do is relate my experience. It's been good to me.

I'm planning on putting it in my new kitchen renovation rather than buy a new one. I'll live with it not matching everything else. I'm also planning on replacing it with another slide in model. No way am I going with a built in model and the ultra expensive trim kits.

I wish we could be more help. But, it seems that any appliance purchase is a crap shoot today.