TOSHIBA EM131A5C-BS Countertop Microwave Ovens 1.2 Cu Ft,

Was not prepared for this microwave
Allow me to paint you a story of our time before this microwave.My husband and I have gone through exactly 2 microwaves in our 11 year relationship before landing on this one. Our first was a tiny thing made in 2004 that could barely manage cup o’ noodle. It finally died sounding like the cries of a thousand whales back in late 2017. It had a good long life of burnt popcorn and cold reheated food.We went without a microwave because we were dirt broke at the time from finally becoming homeowners (oof our savings), and then my in-laws graced us with their microwave that *they* had gotten as a wedding gift in Canada in.. 1988. I used to say that the microwave was almost as old as I was until we found the manufacturing date was April 1988. Dang, the microwave was now officially one month older than me. Still had to deal with uneven cooking, burnt popcorn or half popped bags, and a defrost function that only seemed to work half the time and literally cook the food the other half. This beast of a microwave is an enigma in the fact that it has somehow survived all these years without even needing anything replaced. Honestly the microwave still “works”. I can relate heavily to this microwave.After the last few years of me completely swearing off of trying to make microwave popcorn, my husband complaining about even more burnt popcorn and unpopped kernels at the same time, I finally asked if we could manage to scrape some money together to get an actual working microwave. After much debating, I was tasked with researching a good microwave that was big enough and mostly inexpensive enough. I had heard a bit about this microwave and a few others and ultimately decided on this one. The price was right, the size was perfect, the functionality was great, being able to turn off literally all the beeping was fantastic. Unfortunately the first one we got was mostly DOA and it was really disappointing, especially since I had to move a microwave that I’m sure weighed about 50lbs, I wish I was joking. Amazon took care of the return and replacement real easy and quick, and the new-new microwave came today.The first test was popcorn. Oh boy. Since everyone says “don’t use the popcorn button”, I definitely didn’t. Unfortunately the microwave did burn the bag of popcorn at full power. So, I decided to actually use the popcorn button. I hit the popcorn button twice (setting for a 3oz bag) just to make sure it would have enough time to heat up and pop. Oh boy. I was not prepared for what happened. The popcorn actually popped! And it only took maybe a minute and a half! No burnt popcorn *and* most of the kernels were popped. Our toddler rejoiced that mommy had actually popped a bag of popcorn, “Yay! You did it mommy!”Second, I defrosted a 1lb package of frozen ground beef. Woo, that was a breeze. Set the defrost for the weight and let it go, though it did warm the edges a bit too much but it was quick and didn’t cook it like our last microwaves.Third and most terrifying. Before this microwave, I had gotten used to putting a mug of coffee/tea/water/whatever to heat/reheat for a minute or more and it not even being hot-hot. I stuck a mug of water (with a few tapioca pearls in it) in the microwave to test and set it for one minute, after a short time I glanced into the microwave and discovered it was actually boiling. A very loud proclamation of “Oh my god!” rang from myself in the kitchen. I promptly called my husband over to also observe what the mug of water was doing. He also loudly proclaimed “Oh my god!”In short: I can’t believe what I used to consider “normal” for a microwave. This one is more than leaps and bounds better than what we “had to just deal with” in a time of penny pinching and saving money. We’re finally mostly comfortable and were in desperate need of a good quality microwave.In very short: I love this microwave.

Needed a simple microwave w/o all the bells n’ whistles
This is about as “simple” as they come these days. Arrived double boxed – intact, door lined up, 0 issues. Wasn’t keen on a black m.wave but honestly, w. stainless front and only 1 side that isn’t parallel to a wall – pretty happy w. the sleek appearance. Love the door handle (old 1 was push button – LOUD) Noise level when running is negligible compared to our old m.wave. Interior light stays on while it’s cooking. Do wish manufacturers would make an illuminated control panel for those of us who are up before daylight… small quibble but it would be very helpful. ☺BEST feature? MUTING the !#*%?#!, incessant beeping. Thank You, Toshiba! I’m up at 5:00, hubby sleeps until 6:30 – 7:00. Just warming a bagel would result in a very sleep deprived, grrrr-ouchy man stumbling into the kitchen. Every m.wave should come equipped w. this feature!Still figuring out how to use this, but I muted the beeps, set the clock and made a cup of tea before my husband got home so instructions are pretty straight forward (and I am NOT tech savvy!)Interior is spacious, turntable moves smoothly… Will be making rice today, so we’ll see how that goes?! Hoping this m.wave lasts because I loathe shopping for appliances, brick & mortar or online… ugh. Time will tell, we’re only 2 days in. Will update if any issues arise. Thus far, pretty pleased w. purchase.UPDATE July 19: Makes perfect brown rice every. single. time. (1 cup rinsed rice, 2 cups water, seasonings. Cook on high 10 min.s. Reduce power level to 50% – cook 15 – 18 min’s. Let sit for 5 min’s once done to finish steaming rice. (I use a rice cooker, 2 liter – similar to “Axim”) Fluffy, never mushy rice!I’ve used the defrost feature… happy w. it!Love the 30 second feature for reheating tea or a sm. dish of food. Buttons are pretty straight forward. I would 100% recommend this microwave (assuming it continues to work over time) So far… so GOOD!

I’ve been using the product link since April 2021, and it has been a dependable addition to my kitchen. Here’s my experience:Pros:Essential Functions: While I don’t use all the bells and whistles, the core functionalities—defrosting, heating, and sensor cooking—work flawlessly. It’s great to have reliable basics.Efficiency: The microwave efficiently does its job without any fuss. It’s become an essential part of my daily routine.Things to consider thought :Limited Exploration: Since I haven’t explored all the features, I can’t speak to their performance. However, for what I need, it’s been excellent.If you’re looking for a straightforward microwave that gets the job done, this one is worth considering. It’s not overly complicated, and sometimes simplicity is the key to satisfaction.

Have had this microwave for about a month now, bought it to replace my 20-year old Panasonic that had suddenly started taking much longer to heat. Chose this because it also has the convection/air fryer function. The ‘regular’ oven function works great – heats fast (minutes) and cooks well (chicken wings, roasted garlic) – very useful alternative to using a full oven. The microwave timer is set with a dial, and changes time increments as you pass 60 seconds, 5 min, etc. This is a bit annoying, but only because I am used to entering an exact number on the keypad of my last oven. Still getting used to the individual features and “quirks’ of this oven, so I keep the manual close by. Clock very easy to set. Stainless steel interior is easy to clean, but recommend always covering the top of ‘messy’ food as the ceiling of the oven has an element, making it harder to access for cleaning.

The box had side damage, but did not damage the microwave. The item was well packaged. We purchased to replace old microwave, was a bonus that this had the air fryer. A little of a learning curve to use, but watched a you tube video 1st, which really helped. Tried the air fryer last night to make chicken wings, I put parchment paper in the basket/tray, which helped with clean up. Did the wings at 400, for 12 min each side, turned out perfect. If you’re short on counter space, like myself, and didn’t want another appliance taking up limited space, I would recommend this unit.