A built-in microwave in a tall cabinet and a microwave drawer in the island of one kitchen.

Which kind of microwave, and fix or replace

Choosing and comparing
guides.

A hood combination, a built-in or speed model, a drawer or a countertop unit, and when an aging microwave deserves a repair and when it is time to buy another.

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Choosing and comparing,
guide by guide.

These guides are for two moments: planning a kitchen, and standing in front of a microwave that has stopped heating with an estimate in hand. They compare the forms a microwave takes rather than the makers that build them: the hood combination hung above the cooking surface, the built-in in a tall cabinet or trim kit, the drawer under the counter, the countertop model, and the speed oven that browns as well as heats.

All 18 guides

A stainless microwave drawer pulled open in a kitchen island beside a built-in microwave in a tall cabinet above it, a plain glass dish of vegetables inside the drawer microwave.

5-minute read

Hood combination, built-in or drawer: choosing where the microwave lives

How each installed form changes the lift of a hot dish, the air above the cooking surface, the outlet behind the cabinet and the day a technician has to take it out.

A built-in speed oven microwave set in a tall kitchen cabinet with its door and mesh window closed, a plain glass dish of browned vegetables visible inside the microwave.

4-minute read

Speed oven or plain microwave: what browning heat adds, and what it asks

Magnetron, convection element and broil element in one cavity: which dishes gain from them, why the walls get hot, what the installation guide asks for and the extra parts that can wear.

A countertop microwave on a kitchen counter with its door open and a plain glass bowl of soup on the turntable inside, a second microwave built into the tall cabinet behind it.

4-minute read

Repair or replace a microwave: the door, the part and the opening it fills

Why a damaged door settles the question first, which parts are small jobs and which are not, and how a hood combination, built-in or drawer tips the answer toward repair.

Which kind of microwave, and fix or replace.

They are written from the repair side of the kitchen. A showroom talks about capacity and finish; we look at how a hot dish is lifted out, which extra parts each form adds, how the unit comes out of its place when a technician needs to reach it, and what a replacement would have to match years from now.

Where a maker or a federal agency states a fact that matters to the choice, such as the rule that a damaged door is not used, the standby-power limits for built-in convection models, or how a drawer is cleaned, the source is named beside the paragraph it supports. Where the answer depends on your model, the guide says so and points to the installation or owner's manual.

The comparisons cover every make we service, from compact countertop models to premium built-in speed ovens, so the advice holds whatever name is on the door. When the choice leads to a repair instead of a purchase, the troubleshooting and problem guides on this site pick up from there.

Not sure where to start?

The short answerHood combination, built-in or drawer: choosing where the microwave lives

The choice of microwave drawer vs built-in microwave, or a hood combination above the cooking surface, is mostly about reach and installation.

The short answerSpeed oven or plain microwave: what browning heat adds, and what it asks

In the speed oven vs microwave choice, the speed oven combines microwave energy with convection and broil heat, so it browns and crisps while cooking faster than heat alone.

The short answerRepair or replace a microwave: the door, the part and the opening it fills

To repair or replace a microwave, check the door first: a bent, warped or loose door means the unit is not used until it is repaired or retired.

When reading
is not enough.

If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop.

What repairs cost

01A cup of water, timed
02The price before the work
03Usual parts on board
04Heating again before we leave

The problems
these answer.

Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking.

All 17 problems

A stainless microwave hood combination under wall cabinets with its side-hinged door with a mesh window closed, soft steam rising from below past the front of the microwave and drifting up against the cabinet doors, one mesh grease filter under the unit dark with grease.

Problem

Microwave Vent Fan Not Pulling Steam

6 causes, cheapest first

A stainless microwave drawer built into a kitchen island below the counter, its drawer front closed with a slim glass lid panel at the top, a wooden stool and a thick woven mat pushed up against the drawer front on the floor.

Problem

Microwave Drawer Won't Open or Close

6 causes, cheapest first

A built-in stainless microwave in a trim kit set into a kitchen cabinet, its side-hinged door with a mesh window open and a plain glass measuring cup of water standing on the glass turntable inside the microwave cavity, the cavity lamp lit, a quiet kitchen around it.

Problem

Microwave Runs but Food Stays Cold

7 causes, cheapest first

A countertop stainless microwave on a kitchen counter with its side-hinged door with a mesh window closed, a half-heated plain glass bowl of soup visible on the glass turntable inside the microwave cavity, the unit pushed tight against a tiled backsplash with no gap at the back.

Problem

Microwave Shuts Off Before the Timer Ends

6 causes, cheapest first

A family warming plates of food at a built-in microwave in a bright kitchen — For the heart of your home.

Questions about
choosing and comparing.

Which kind of microwave is least likely to need a technician?

The simpler the unit, the fewer parts can wear. A plain countertop or built-in microwave has fewer parts than a hood combination with a fan and light, or a speed oven with heating elements.

Is a drawer model a good choice in a home with small children?

It keeps hot dishes low and easy to lift, but it also puts the touch controls within a child's reach. Use the control lock the manual describes.

Should the microwave match the other cooking appliances?

Matching looks good, but it ties a future replacement to one maker's sizes. Keep the installation guide, so a later model can be checked against the same opening.

When is replacing better than repairing?

Usually when a countertop model needs a magnetron or board. Fitted units in a cabinet opening or on a wall plate lean toward repair, and a damaged door is fixed or retired, never used as it is.

The other
sections.

Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns.

All guides

A plate of food on the turntable of an open microwave, one half steaming and the other not.

What the microwave is telling you

Back to your everyday

Let’s get your microwave working again.

Three short steps online, or one call. Tell us what you are seeing and pick a window that works.

Schedule a repair Call (844) 393-5858

Choosing and comparing
guides.

Choosing and comparing,
guide by guide.

Hood combination, built-in or drawer: choosing where the microwave lives

Speed oven or plain microwave: what browning heat adds, and what it asks

Repair or replace a microwave: the door, the part and the opening it fills

Which kind of microwave, and fix or replace.

The short answerHood combination, built-in or drawer: choosing where the microwave lives

The short answerSpeed oven or plain microwave: what browning heat adds, and what it asks

The short answerRepair or replace a microwave: the door, the part and the opening it fills

When reading
is not enough.