Samsung's 1.6 cu. ft. Over-the Range Microwave SMH 8165ST is an elegant unit that delivers state-of-the-art features and performance. Designed for mounting over a stove, this unit is styled in brushed stainless steel and black with a smooth touchpad control panel and fluorescent display screen that offers an array of cooking options. It has an extra-large 1.6-cubic-foot capacity interior, a 13.5-inch glass turntable, a powerful, yet surprisingly quiet 300 CFM (cubic feet per minute) ventilation system, sensor technology, one-touch instant cooking and a bright cook top light.

We found this unit to be extremely user friendly. We loved the one-touch convenience of the sensor cook buttons. This feature detects the amount of moisture in the food to gauge doneness and adjusts the temperature and cooking time accordingly. Our only disappointment was that there are just three sensor cook buttons: popcorn, potato and beverage. While both the popcorn and potato buttons delivered perfect results with their respective tasks, the beverage button was less reliable, heating a single cup of coffee or tea past the boiling point. When two beverages were placed on the turntable, it heated them to a pleasant 160-degree Fahrenheit temperature. This model also has a sensor Reheat button, which is perfect for reheating leftovers.

For heating beverages and other short-duration tasks, we found it extremely convenient just to press the one minute "+" button to get instant cooking at 100 percent power. Another nice option on this model is the more and less buttons (buttons 9 and 1 on the keypad), which lets you customize the Reheat, Auto Cooking and Time Cook settings as needed.

The vent fan has an auto-on feature that activates itself if the temperature becomes too hot around the microwave oven. The fan turns itself on at the low setting to cool the oven and then turns itself off again. You can also operate the fan manually by depressing the vent Hi/Lo/Off button once, twice or three times to reach the desired setting.

A superb feature on this model is the Auto Defrost function, which lets you defrost small to large cuts of meat, breads and more. We were able to thaw one pound of ground beef in a little more than 8 minutes. The oven stops and signals after each stage telling you to turn the food over. You can defrost foods weighing up to 6 pounds using this feature.

We especially liked the Handy Helper, Kids Meal and Snack Bar buttons, which are an unusual and welcome addition. These buttons let you melt or soften butter, chocolate and cream cheese; prepare convenience foods, such as chicken nuggets, hot dogs, French fries or frozen sandwiches; or cook popular snacks, such as nachos, chicken wings, potato skins and cheese sticks. While the oven won't crisp these foods, it does produce nicely heated results.

There are several ways to customize your cooking with the Samsung SMH8165 ST, including changing the power level, entering a custom cook cycle (the unit will remember your instruction for time and power lever), setting a multi-stage cooking cycle, and using the supplied rack to cook multiple plates of food simultaneously.


Pros: User friendly touchpad controls, customizable cooking options, one-touch instant cooking
Cons: Limited sensor cook options

Warranty
1 year, parts and labor; 10 years, magnetron tube