Nostalgia Retro Countertop Microwave Oven

I used the microwave a month to make sure it wouldn't fall apart...based on some of the reviews here, I'm lucky the rotating plate didn't break, the handle didn't fall off, or the oven didn't burn down the kitchen. Instead, it survived, though it's only been a month, so who knows. Bottom line, this microwave is not only the best-looking microwave I've ever had, it's the easiest I've ever used. Hit the big round button and it turns on for one minute, then rotate the button to quickly scale your time up or down. There are a bunch of other features that are also easy to understand for anyone with a fifth grade education, but I've cooked meals and reheated items more than once a day for a month and I'm delighted with the overall performance. Yes, the interior light only comes on when the oven is running, not when you open the door. Are the other reviewers blind or something? That just isn't a big deal. Yes, it beeps three times when the cooking session ends. I don't live in a monastery under a vow of silence, so that's okay. The beeping is no louder than any other microwave I've owned. Yes, the power plug forces the microwave to sit about 2½ inches from the wall (see pics)...and the owners manual recommends it sit 3 inches from the wall for venting purposes. I'm okay with that. None of the hundreds of other reviews showed photos of the black version of the microwave, so I'm showing it in several pictures here. It is a handsome devil, even in black, and it harmonizes beautifully with my granite countertop. The interior is plenty big enough for a standard dinner plate (see pics), and therefore big enough for any frozen dinner. The 800 watts of power is slightly less than my usual 900 or 1,100 watts, but it cooks well and cooks evenly. I just follow the directions on a frozen dinner (which are written for 1,100 watt microwaves), maybe adding 10 or 20 seconds to the timing, and it comes out piping hot. Anyone who says it doesn't heat has a bad microwave and should return the oven within a week of purchasing...not sit around complaining about it. So I love my microwave. If it breaks in six months or six years, I'll just buy another one (hopefully when they are on sale, like I did this time). For intuitive microwavers like myself, it is unbelievably easy to use. And it's the most attractive retro-style microwave on the market, whatever color you choose, and it's really not a very close competition with any other design. I could not be happier.

The Nostalgia Retro Countertop Microwave Oven (0.9 cu. ft., 800W) is an absolute gem for my kitchen! Not only does it add a charming vintage touch with its classic retro design, but it also performs beautifully. The 800 watts of power heat food quickly and evenly, and the LED digital display is bright, clear, and incredibly easy to use. I had a similar Nostalgia microwave before, and after about seven years of daily use, the enamel inside finally started to wear through. That experience actually made me confident in buying another—seven years is impressive for such a stylish and affordable appliance! This new model feels just as sturdy and well-made, and I’m expecting it to last just as long, if not longer. I love how intuitive the controls are—simple buttons, straightforward presets, and a smooth-turning dial that keeps the retro charm alive while offering modern convenience. Despite its compact footprint, the 0.9 cu. ft. capacity is surprisingly spacious and fits full-size plates with ease. It looks fantastic on the countertop, works reliably, and adds a fun, nostalgic vibe to the kitchen. If you want a microwave that’s stylish, functional, and delightfully retro, this one is definitely worth it!

Awesome color n quality! Love the retro look n works great!

Super cute, love the knob dial. Love that you can disable the child lock. Super simple and functions well. We've had it for about 4 months so far

Excellent little lavender microwave! I bought this to match my kitchen things and to replace my 30 year old microwave which was rusting under the rotating plate. It's a bit hard to figure out all the different controls and presets, and apparently you can program it, but I haven't tried to figure any of that out yet. Mostly what we put in it we just push the default knob and it starts for 1 minute, and when it gets to X amount of seconds, we pull out whatever we were heating up. Cheesy nachos take 25 - 30 seconds. Nothing we've made has taken over 3 minutes to make, so it's pretty easy to push the button and turn the knob to the time you need. I don't think I've seen in the manual, or have figured out how to just use it as a kitchen timer yet, which I thought was a major oversight on the maker's part, but I have a phone with a timer too, so it's not a dealbreaker. I love the retro look, and the compact size. I would have preferred a slightly larger model, but didn't realize how small it would be until we got it. It still works great, looks cute as heck, and takes less time to cook/heat things with half the power my old model had! Awesome, right? I give it 5 stars for cuteness and features I haven't figured out yet. 5 stars for noise level - it's very quiet! 5 stars for efficiency! I have to give it 4 stars because of the learning curve. I mean it has pictures of things on the screen for presets, and there are things I wouldn't even think to put in a microwave on it! Maybe its more multifunctional than I knew I nuker could be? And lastly, 4 stars for size. If you've always dreamed of a pastel lavender kitchen, get this microwave! It matches my Beautiful lavender appliances perfectly, too! :)

I love this microwave. easy to use and has a child safety lock. no noise, great color. easy to read instructions and dials. I would recommend this one, especially if you love the retro look.

I bought one of these microwaves in approximately 2011 to replace a really huge one I'd bought way back when microwaves were just getting popular around 1985. The big one worked great but I just had to replace it with something more compact when I moved to a house with a smaller kitchen, so I bought this one in 2011. It gave me perfect service till my century-old house in Detroit finally needed major electrical work. Something went wrong--a power surge or something--and it was fatal to the microwave, so after the electricians charged me an arm and a leg for new electrical service--new wiring and grounding, etc. I had to replace the microwave because of the damage it suffered because of low voltage (or something like that.) Fortunately I found the exact same model at Amazon, and here it is in my kitchen looking new--just as good and even better, since it's brand new. I consider the old (2011) one to have given me enough service (about 14 years of reliable daily use) for it to be retired and replaced with a new copy of the same model. The feature I like best about it is the "express" key. You put your food into it, close the door, and you already know how long you want it to run and the power level. To reheat a cup of tepid coffee, it's a minute on high. So you push the "express key" twice and the "power" key once and voila. If the coffee cup is only lukewarm and not cold, you push "express key" just once and the power key once and voila. You get used to that and you do it without thinking, and your kitchen experience is quick and automatic. If I'm thawing a container of my good chili mac (chili with cooked pasta added) I know exactly how long I want to zap it and at what heat level. Three taps on the "power" key, twist the timer knob to about six minutes and voila. Hot chili mac for lunch. This is an example of how important a "new" appliance becomes when its usefulness is realized. What would we do without internet? Personally I couldn't live without it. Of course the refrigerator, introduced around 1920, became "a kitchen essential" immediately--"spoiled food" became nothing but an ugly, dangerous memory. Other appliances that soon followed and became instant essentials--the electric toasterr, and then the electric mixer, the electric coffee maker, and then the electric frying pan in the 1950s--one of my favorites. And finally the microwave. And this Nostalgia Electric model is dynamite! It's a cool-looking "retro-style" addition to the kitchen counter--compact enough not to take up too much space--and does perfect work for me every day just as the first one did for 14 years. So do I like this microwave? Uh...yeah, I guess I do.

I bought this microwave for the retro design, which I really like, and it does work once you learn its quirks. Unfortunately, normal timed cooking is not explained in the instruction manual, and the controls are much less intuitive than they should be. Turning the dial by itself only scrolls through preset programs. What the manual does not explain is that you must press POWER first (even once at 100%) to unlock the ability to turn the dial and set cooking time, then press START. This is effectively the real “timed cook” mode, but it’s undocumented and very easy to miss. Another frustration is the 30-second “express” mode. You still have to press START, and then press CANCEL just to open the door. Requiring an extra button press to stop or open the door makes the express feature feel not very express at all. Once you know all this, the microwave is usable, but the learning curve is unnecessary. The manual should clearly explain how timed cooking actually works and why the door behavior is different. I’d recommend it for the look, not for ease of use.