Kenmore Elite 64289 Microwave Oven

Hate cooking in a microwave oven?

By Les  Dec 20, 2006 | 14 out of 15 found this Kenmore Elite 64289 review helpful

Pros: All the advantages of fast microwave cooking, plus all the advantages of convection cooking, in one package.

Cons: The "do-it-all" dial takes some getting used to.

A predudicial comment to start: I've always found that Sears' own branded versions of someone else's appliances were just a cut above what was marketed under the original manufacturers' name. Sears, as I was told, wanted more, not les...s, in their own version. With that caveat, here's my review: As a microwave oven, it puts 1000 cooking watts into a 1.0 cu. ft. cavity, enough to take care of anything less than a Thanksgiving turkey, and in a hurry. As a countertop convection oven, it sure beats those 'toaster ovens' (with supposed convection ability) that sell for a quarter of the price, but not as good as a 'real' built-in convection oven, but that's an unfair comparison. Within its capacity, it does what a convection oven of larger size should do, which is bake without scorching. Fit and finish are up to Sears' usual standards. The instruction manual is written as clearly as can be, considering all the bells and whistles that come with the oven. This would be a great addition to a summer home, where you wouldn't be making huge dinners, nor want to light off the oven, just to make some brownies. Or, if you're trying to cut down on your electric bill, heating up a 1.0 cu. ft. counter-top oven sure beats a 15 (or more) cu. ft. conventional oven. I've done some conventional microwaving in this, and some basic baking, but not the combo the oven is capable of doing. Still, it's pretty awesome. I ordered up a pizza, the other night, and knew it would arrive late. So I preheated the oven, and when the pizza arrived (late), I just popped it into the oven and let it heat up. Hey, no limp crust, as from a conventional microwave oven! Read more Less