The Verdict
The GE countertop microwave is a reliable, high-performance appliance offering a 1.6 cu. ft. capacity and 1,150 watts of power, making it a great fit for busy kitchens. It balances essential features like sensor cooking and one-touch controls to ensure that everyday meal prep is efficient and consistent.Why We Love It (Key Features)
- Sensor Cooking Controls: This technology monitors moisture as your food cooks, automatically adjusting the time so you get perfectly heated meals without the guesswork.
- Powerful 1,150-Watt Performance: With this much power, you can tackle everything from reheating leftovers to defrosting frozen items quickly and evenly.
- Convenient One-Touch Presets: Eight auto-cook settings—including favorites like popcorn, pizza, and nuggets—allow for simple, express operation when you're in a hurry.
- Safety-Focused Design: The unit includes a two-step child lock feature, providing peace of mind for families, which can be easily deactivated when not in use.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Powerful 1,150-watt output ensures fast cooking results.
- Sensor technology prevents overcooking by monitoring moisture levels.
- Black stainless steel finish offers a sophisticated, modern aesthetic.
- Flexible defrost options include both auto-weight and manual time settings.
Cons
- Requires significant dedicated counter space, necessitating 3 inches of clearance on the sides and top, plus 1 inch at the rear.
- Large 1.6 cu. ft. footprint may be too bulky for cramped kitchen layouts.
Who Should Buy This?
This GE countertop microwave is an excellent choice for families, apartment dwellers, or office breakrooms that need a dependable, mid-sized appliance. Its combination of generous capacity and smart presets makes it ideal for anyone who relies on a microwave for consistent daily tasks like reheating snacks, cooking frozen dinners, or defrosting proteins.Frequently Asked Questions
How much space do I need for this microwave?
To ensure proper airflow and performance, you must provide 3 inches of clearance on each side and above the unit, as well as 1 inch of clearance at the rear. You must also keep the area beneath the GE countertop microwave fully unobstructed.Does this model have features to help thaw frozen foods?
Yes, it includes both manual and auto defrost modes. You can either set your own time or enter the weight and type of food, and the microwave will automatically adjust the power levels to thaw items evenly without overcooking the edges.Is the child lock easy to operate?
The microwave features a mandatory two-step child lock designed to prevent unintended use. It provides added security for shared spaces or households with children, and the feature can be easily deactivated if you don't require it.
5.0 out of 5 stars So far so good ... No reviews for this model yet so I’ll start:(1) I believe this is identical to the GE JES1657BMTS microwave oven that has 70-ish reviews on Amazon with the exception that this model adds the child safety lock feature which you can disable. I don’t have kids so I disabled it almost immediately.(2) We bought a house that had a Cafe CEB515P3M1DS matte black microwave oven (also manufactured by GE) installed in a cabinet with a black Cafe trim kit. Only a couple of the buttons on the Cafe microwave’s control panel worked (which seems to be a common problem) so that was frustrating. A replacement Cafe microwave costs roughly $1k if you can find them so that was also frustrating. This microwave fit perfectly with the existing trim kit. The black stainless steel of the microwave is not a perfect color match to the trim, but I like the slight contrast. I actually think it looks better than the microwave it replaced.(3) Has worked perfectly since installing it a few days ago. Good size, power, and presets.Variation: Color: Black Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I was looking for! Let’s begin with this was exactly what I wanted. It took me a while to figure out how to replace my broken 4 year old Whirlpool (Model WMC30516HZ0). I looked for a new Whirlpool but of course they discontinued that model. So I considered the newest model but it was priced at $299. I then found this GE Microwave. I read the below reviews, checked and rechecked the size of it, and decided to give it a go! The most important thing to me was for it to be the exact same size so that I could literally swap the microwave but use the exact same mount and trim piece. And it worked perfectly! Now if I get another 4+ years out of it, I will consider it a success!For those that care, the control panel on my old Whirlpool microwave went out. I believe it would still work but the actual Start button stopped functioning. And there was no other way to just get it to start warming. Oh well.. I’m a GE customer now.Variation: Color: Black Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Microwave Replacement for Built-in I was in the market to replace an existing old built-in microwave. This one fit into the opening and had the features I was looking for. After using it for awhile, it has been working well. The power is more than capable & stronger than our old one. The child lock feature was easy to disable as we have no children in the household. The latch seems fairly robust but I still open/close it gently. The panel buttons are not quite as touch sensitive as I’d like though. It takes a harder push to engage them as opposed to a touch screen. I suppose it’s a safety feature to prevent accidentally turning it on. Overall, it’s been working well so far & we’re happy with it.Variation: Color: Black Stainless
1.0 out of 5 stars Broken It’s a beautiful looking microwave and that’s all it has going for it, I expected better from GE. I also should have read the reviews like I usually do here and on other sites. I forgot it does have the push button to open, it has that going for it also. I don’t like all the functions on it though, too many. It’s not easy to use for the average person. I’m more old school. Punch in the minutes or hit the add minute button multiple times, hit start and you’re good to go. The inside is roomy enough and it’ll fit my dinner plates. I didn’t like that the inside light seemed dim. Oh, one other thing I liked, this microwave is super quiet, I was almost scared. The power was perfect but after the first use the top of the microwave was really really hot. That was concerning so later on I got out something else to microwave to test it again. (By the way if you have no food in it, it will not start) This time I heard the worst loud noise coming from inside and I quit. Came back later, checked the turntable was set right. Here we go again, there’s that awful noise and it was internal somewhere, not the turntable. That’s when I started my research. As far as the value for your money…not worth it. You’re taking a chance it’s going to break down at some point soon and if it’s broke when you get it, just the repacking and lifting is a killer.Variation: Color: Black Stainless
4.0 out of 5 stars Good quality Good quality and works well….just wish we could turn off the child safety feature now that he’s olderVariation: Color: Black Stainless
3.0 out of 5 stars Be sure you want that lock feature before you buy... Seemed great at first, but found the child lock feature quite inconvenient. Once the item is heated up the door won’t release until you push the cancel/unlock feature. So essentially you have to push the 2 bottom buttons in order to get your meal/drink out. Otherwise it works like most microwaves at this size/price.Variation: Color: Black Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars Great microwave Great microwave so far. Easy to use and child safety feature is able to be turned off since I have teens in my house.Variation: Color: Black Stainless
5.0 out of 5 stars Great microwave! This microwave looks beautiful on the counter and wors very well.Variation: Color: Black Stainless