The General Electric 0.7-Cubic-Foot Microwave Oven JES735 is a tremendous bargain. A quality name brand microwave oven, this unit can be purchased at the same price as compacts by manufacturers we've never even heard of. All you need to do is a little shopping around.

A great little oven, this model makes a perfect choice for the office, dorm or bar -- if you don't mind a stripped down microwave with just a few special features. In place of a vast array of convenience settings, you'll have to settle for just a few instant-on buttons. These buttons can handle the cooking of one standard bag of microwave popcorn or a single-serving of frozen pizza. They can also reheat a single beverage or an average plate of cold food. What they can't do is adjust for variations in the number of servings or serving sizes. The technology is not sophisticated enough to handle these common variations, so you risk overcooking or undercooking your food. The good news is that if you feel comfortable calculating your own cooking times and controlling the program yourself, you can do so with this model.

What the JES735 does offer in automation is a programmed defrost. Although not as precise as the defrosts on more expensive ovens, it still does a reasonably good job of getting small portions of food thawed for dinner. Once again, as an option, you can program your own defrost times if you wish.

In spite of its small size, GE's JES735 offers a full 10 power levels. With 700 watts of power, this compact microwave can be expected to be a bit slower than some larger units. We found that you may need to add a minute or two of time to package and recipe cooking instructions to achieve satisfactory results.

Available in black or white, the compact GE JES735 won't take up much space on your counter and it won't take too much money from your wallet either.


Pros: Great price
Cons: Limited convenience features, bit slower cooking than those with higher wattage

Warranty
1 year