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First ever microwave drawer with convection oven

4 years ago

We get to remodel our kitchen so I'm appliance shopping. We're trading our wall oven/microwave combo for an induction range plus a microwave. I've been reading old threads about microwave drawers, but I also love the idea of a micro/convection oven combo in case I ever need a second oven. Sharp has a microwave drawer/convection oven combo on their website, and they say it's the first ever. Is true? And would you buy this if it is the first ever? It's also quite expensive at around $2300. I guess my other option is to buy a countertop microwave/oven and put it in a cabinet, but the drawer option is really appealing.


https://shop.sharpusa.com/24-built-in-smart-convection-microwave-drawer-oven-smd2499fs/ 



Comments (67)

  • 3 years ago

    Can someone who has one of these ovens do a quick test to see if it will heat to the correct temperature? Very basic, just put an oven thermometer in the thing and preheat to say 400 degrees (convection). Mine never gets to the right temp and I would like to know if they all do this. I had my oven replaced because of this issue and the new one does the same thing. Oven thermometers are cheap and accurate. Thx, Eric

    https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Commercial-FGTHO550-Monitoring-Thermometer/dp/B005KDEIZ0/ref=sr_1_3?crid=4KQ236U2Y78A&keywords=oven+thermometers&qid=1641230689&sprefix=oven+thermo%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-3

  • 2 years ago

    Just wanted to revive this thread to see if there is any additional input. I ordered one of these and it's arrived, but my designer just realized he made a mistake and spec'd our cabinet out for the regular Sharp microwave drawer, not this one. So now I get to choose between returning this for the regular Sharp microwave drawer or getting the cabinet resized to accommodate.


    Of note, our kitchen has two gas ovens (24" and 36") without a convection setting. We also have a 4-slice toaster. But no toaster oven, no convection oven, no air fryer. Would it be worthwhile to keep this appliance?

  • 2 years ago

    No, it is a low power microwave and that is very noticeable. The convection works but I have to set mine to 425 for it to warm up to 375 degrees. It takes a long time to warm up and I think your 24" one will be faster. Forget the air fryer, it does not get hot enough. I'm surprised nobody has chimed in on this thread.....my wife is begging me to replace this with a simple drawer microwave.



  • 2 years ago

    We ended up getting a countertop microwave/convection oven and put it in a cabinet with pocketing doors. It was more of a space and cost issue than disliking this drawer, but based on @Eric Milne's review maybe it worked out for you for the best.

  • 2 years ago

    Thanks. Looks like we dodged a bullet. Regular Sharp microwave drawer it is, since that’s what we’re accidentally perfectly sized for anyway :).

  • 2 years ago

    We just installed our new Sharp SMD2499FS are we are very disappointed overall. I can live with a 900 watt microwave - if the convection/air fry features would produce as advertised. However, our first (and second) impression is that the air fry mode doesn't perform even close to what is advertised and the Toast mode is even worse. In the image below, the toast on the right is from my $20 toaster. On the left is toast from the $2200 Sharp SMD2499FS (as directed by the manual). As you can see, the "toast" on the left doesn't even resemble toast. Nothing on this unit has impressed me yet - and that's really sad. Now what? @Nicholas Sekmistrz...are you still happy with your unit? @Eric Milne, have you had better success since you've owned it for a while? I'm looking for feedback from other owners. Thank you!



  • 2 years ago

    No, ours is still not good. Even the 900 watt micro is poor. If you have a chance, put an oven thermometer in the thing and warm it up to say 400 on convection. Mine will be that warmup is complete but the oven will actually only be at 325. We have learned to work around this by setting the thing to much higher temps but this is a $2K oven....

  • 2 years ago

    Hi all, wanted to send an update on my question on this thread from May 2021. We ended up choosing the Miele H6100BM 24” 240v speed oven for our under-counter install location. 6 months in to living with it I’m really happy we chose it. The microwave is comparable with others I’ve used. Most of my microwave tasks are a few minutes of reheating, so I mostly use the basic 1 min controls.

    I love how capable the convection oven is. It heats up to 450 in under 5 min. It fits a standard home cookie sheet and is great at things like roasted brussels sprouts or crispy sweet potato wedges. With a preheated cookie sheet, it reheats an excellent slice of pizza. It’s equal to, and maybe better than, my Bosch oven for the above examples. I haven’t done an extensive comparison of Broil vs my full size oven, but I love it for browning cheese and other quick tasks you might use a toaster oven for.

    I liked the idea of the up-facing controls on the Sharp drawers, but I don’t think the ergonomics are bad on the Miele installed in this location. If a standard range with front controls above the oven door would work for you, I think this would too.

    Hope this is helpful for someone. I certainly appreciated your advice and reviews when I was making my decision!

  • 2 years ago

    @Eric Milne That is unfortunate to hear. I have reached out direct to Sharp USA and suggest you do the same. They need to hear more consumer feedback on this new top-of-the-line model.

    SHARP Electronics Corporation

    Phone: 1-800-BE-SHARP (1-800-237-4277)

    Email: corpcmwo@sharpsec.com


  • 2 years ago

    Does anyone know the reliability/durability of drawer microwaves? Seems dubious to me.

  • 2 years ago

    I did contact Sharp and they sent me a brand new oven to replace the original. Unfortunately the replacement did the exact same thing. They first sent a technician to confirm the problems I was reporting. So I think it is just a bad design.


    E

  • 2 years ago

    I'm so glad to see these reviews. We're redoing our kitchen island and the cabinet place is waiting on me to make a selection and build the microwave aroudn the specs. My choice is between the sharp SMD2499 and a 27' Cafe CSB912P2NS1 which is more of an oven with a microwave. I have a cuisinart TOA air fryer and i use it EVERYDAY, but i want to get it off the counter so i'm looking to have a microwave & great convection/cripser together.

  • 2 years ago

    Note that the Cafe CSB912P2NS1 ($3100+) and GE Profile PSB9100SFSS ($2400) are the same with the exception of appearance and display.

  • 2 years ago

    @wdccruise thank you, appreciate your response.

    Hopefully I can figure this out as i'm holding up my kitchen reno trying to combine appliances and not sure if that is the smartest move. I dont want to have a cabinet spec'd out just to hate the appliance I pick and then be limited due to space....


  • 2 years ago

    @Eric Milne When you received your replacement, did you work directly with Sharp for that to happen or the retailer you purchased from? I'm in the same boat so any info or recommendations on how you were able to make it happen (i.e. Sharp "case number" or similar) would be appreciated - even though the results were the same. Thank you!

  • 2 years ago

    I purchased the oven through Pirch and they had to get involved in order to get the replacement. The Sharp case number is 9403755. I have not contacted Sharp since the putting in the new oven and they did not contact me to see if it resolved anything. I basically gave up.

    E

  • 2 years ago

    Has anyone had any experience with ZLine or Kucht products. They seem to keep showing up with searching 24" microwaves/Conv ovens. Thanks in advance.

  • 2 years ago

    Are the Sharp microwave/convection drawer problems related to the combination of microwave and convention, to the drawer function, or to Sharp’s manufacturing? There is a Viking combination drawer that I assume would function like Sharp’s but I haven’t seen that confirmed anywhere. Viking’s regular microwave drawer gets good reviews — is it the introduction of the convection oven that throws everything off? The other appliances. are going to be Blue Star and the ovens will have a convection fan but we use our current air fryer a lot. I just want to get that greasy thing off the counter!! Appreciate any thoughts!!

  • 2 years ago

    Only the appearances and prices are different. All are manufactured by Sharp.

  • 2 years ago

    So the performance would be identical. Is it trying to be both things that causes the poor performance? Are microwave drawers decent microwaves if they aren’t also trying to be convection ovens? Are the drawers made by Sharp as well? Thanks!

  • 2 years ago

    "Are microwave drawers decent microwaves if they aren’t also trying to be convection ovens?"

    I'd read owners' reviews on sites such as Home Depot, Lowes, and Best Buy.

    "Are the drawers made by Sharp as well?"

    Yes. Amazingly similar 950-1000 watt drawers range in price from $750 to $2430.

  • 2 years ago

    My SMD2499FS was just installed. I had to wait 11 months for delivery. Fun. I have 2 issues so far. One is that the convection oven doesn't fully heat up (like Eric Milne). The other is that the oven stops heating after "reaching" the target temperature. i have a case open, 9493800, and I'll update this thread with the results.

  • 2 years ago

    Ugh. I was afraid of that too. I ordered the microwave only.

  • 2 years ago

    Sorry to hear that. We feel the same - it's super disappointing the SMD2499FS isn't living up to the marketing hype. We have a case open as well and it's been a joke so far. They do respond, but they aren't listening to the concerns. Very frustrated.

  • 2 years ago

    Amanda - Thanks for the information on the Miele. We're just building a home and our appliance guy suggested instead of the Sharp MW drawer get a speed oven and he recommended the Miele (not the Sharp). And I was concerned about the undercounter location but sounds like it's okay.

  • 2 years ago

    Blfenton - yes, we had the same considerations. Our appliance guy was not a big fan of the Sharp drawers, but highly recommended Miele (as well as Bosch). We set our kitchen counters slightly taller than average, so I think may help a little. The model of Miele speed oven that we have has a simple knob and button control. That makes it so my eyes don’t even have to be open to start the microwave. I think their higher end models have more complex touchscreen controls. If there’s a floor model, it’s worth spending some time trying the settings you would use most. If it seems like your fingers could find them within a tap or two, then I bet it won’t be annoying to work with installed at counter height.

  • 2 years ago

    Miele H6100BM: discontinued

  • 2 years ago

    Yes, it does appear they have replaced it with the H7240BM now.

  • 2 years ago

    Follow up on my SMD2499FS: after a couple of chat sessions (where i used mirror.me to submit pictures of the appliance) Sharp support arranged for a technician to come out. He arrived today and after I explained the situation he quickly resolved the issue. He pulled the microwave drawer out a little bit. Both sides have a small access plate right above the entrance for the drawer arms. Behind each plate are switches that detect opening/closing of the door and will disable either the microwave or the convection heat source when the door is opened. He said these switches were out of alignment and corrected the issue. My initial test went well! I set oven to 350 with no pre-heat and 1 hour cooking time. My thermometer showed approx 350 at the 1 hour mark. Microwave worked as well - as I was experiencing issues with it not working as well.


    So... good news for now. I'll report back after I use it for a while - especially on whether or not the convection oven heats to the appropriate temperature consistently.

  • 2 years ago

    @Phil Caple Quick question. Now that it was serviced, are you seeing good results for air fry, toasting, etc??

  • 2 years ago

    I did a quick air fry test. the user interface is annoying in that it only has 4 preset options instead of allowing you to pick temp/time. I did have good results with some Brussel sprouts. I put them on chicken tender setting, pre-heated, put on upper rack in mesh tray, and cooked for 9 min. I just added olive oil and salt/pepper. they were very good with lots of browning and good texture. Oven was at 400 f, based my my thermometer. i'll try doing this again, but I'll use one of the convection settings.


    So.. good news after the repair.

  • 2 years ago

    Good to know. Perhaps the service call you described is something I may need to try. Have you tried breaded items in air fry mode? Mine did cook (eventually), but never looked/tasted crispy when following the air fry directions. I greatly appreciate your comments!

  • 2 years ago

    The air fryer mode worked well for us for breaded chicken fingers but did leave a mess inside.

  • 2 years ago

    These are impressions of the first month of using our Sharp Microwave Convection Drawer SMD2499FS. There was a delay of several months from ordering our unit to delivery to installation. When we placed the order, there were few, if any, reviews. It was finally installed at the end of January 2023.


    Our first and biggest problem is the frequency of tripping of the Arc-Fault Circuit Interruptor (AFCI). An AFCI is required by the Ontario electrical safety code on new circuits for a microwave. Our microwave is on a dedicated 20A circuit installed by a master electrician whose work passed to the customer two inspections, that is, the convection microwave drawer is the only device on its circuit. For what it is worth, I have confirmed what Google tells me is the reliable test that an AFCI is properly installed. The first few times we tried the appliance, it tripped the AFCI almost every time. In this past month, the nuisance tripping has become less frequent, and seems to occur only during long cooking times at high heat, e.g. convention cooking a roast. I intend to file a claim with Sharp stating that nuisance tripping of the AFCI is a code violation.


    There are other issues to possibly raise with Sharp:

    1) the first time we tried to use the drawer (which was on convection bake), the drawer closed and then re-opened 2 or 3 inches. After checking carefully that the foil wrapping did not overlap any of the edges, we gingerly pushed to door closed again those last few inches;

    2) our subjective impression is that others' comments are justified about the convection cook function never reaching its stated temperature. I am ordering a proper oven thermometer;

    3) there is usually a loud, long rattle when we open and close the drawer. Is that likely to be more than just the racks and drip trays moving a little?;

    4) at first, the sensor function appeared to overheat liquids drastically. I am continuing to test, but it appears to be working better.

  • 2 years ago

    @Eric Milne, you mentioned calibrating the thermometer that you used to test the temperature of the convection microwave drawer during convection baking. How did you do that? The suggestions that I have found are to use ice water and boiling water.

  • 2 years ago

    I have a digital thermometer (with a cable) that I used to compare with the oven thermometer. I put them both in my Wolf convection and they had the same readings at normal cooking temps. So I know both thermometers are accurate. Can't use the digital in the Sharp because the door won't tolerate a cable running out, but the regular oven thermometer can be read through the glass.


    I would like to know what adjustments were made by the Technician on Phils oven.


    E

  • 2 years ago

    I'm having the same issue as Eric Milne and Phil Caple with my SMD2499FS. We bought this at the outlet of a local fancy shop. It was in there because there was a little dent on the back. At first nothing seemed to work--not the microwave, the convection oven, nor toaster. I set the toaster on dark and it had to go through twice to even get toasty! The tech person came out, but came with no termometer in his toolkit to check temps and also Sharp hadn't passed along the correct info so he thought he was coming to fix the fact that the control panel didn't pop out correctly. So he looked at a few things and confirmed that it wasn't heating up correctly. Something he did during that visit made the toaster better. The next time he came out Sharp sent him a new temperature gauge which I think he installed. Next I tried to bake a cake in the convection oven. After 27 minutes--when it should have been done--it was still completely raw so I'm waiting again for Sharp to send the tech back. I've noticed that there doesn't seem to be good communincation in the customer service. I've sent photos, videos, and detailed information about what is working and then the customer service people call me and don't have the info I've sent in so then I have to explain it again. My unit was manufactured quite awhile ago so it would have been out of warranty, but since I just bought it, it is still covered. Both times I've called they have first told me that they won't cover it and then I have to explain that my invoice is recent, so it is still covered. They also seem to be trying to hurry me along. They followed up in morning after the second tech visit and asked if everything is now working. I told them that I'd have to actually try to cook in it to answer their question! Here is what is still not working 1. The convection oven will not bake and I can even set my hand on the rack after heating for 27 minutes at 375 . 2. The toast gets done on the top. Will this always be the case? Does the unit come with an automatic setting to play "Englishman in New York" when toasting? 3. The little flip down control panel door will pop out slightly and then I need to pull it down with my finger to get it to pop down all the way. The tech fixed this and then it immediatly stopped popping out correctly again. Phil, I'm going to give your commentary to the tech to see if that is the issue with my drawer. I'm hopeful. I'm so angry that I just spent all this money and my old countertop microwave and toaster oven are still sitting in our diningroom from the remodel because I don't feel like I can trust that Sharp is going to make this right.

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    We've been in the house for 13 months now. Only tried to use the Sharp MW/Convection once and the pre-heat time was ridiculously long and cooking results unremarkable.

    We had a tech in to check the MW after I dropped a mug of tea on the keypad. I was able to ask about the oven functions and slow heating times. He said that it was just the way it was designed, specially for a low voltage appliance. He is hearing and seeing the same complaints.

    I probably will only ever use the MW function. I have a 36" oven and a 24" Miele CSO XXL, so it isn't like I thought I was getting a second oven and now only have one. The Sharp was supposed to be a third option.

    The MW function works fine, but not as powerful as others we have owned. I do like the tilt out panel and that works much better than the Wolf branded MW drawer we put in our previous house that had a fixed vertical panel.

    I suggest you save your money and not buy the Sharp MW/Convection combination.

  • 2 years ago

    Regarding the Adjustments done to my microwave, the technician physically aligned 2 sensors, one on each side. The microwave needs to be pulled out so that the sides can be accessed. it is pretty clear that there are access ports on each side for service. He told me that he has seen this before. The sensors detect whether the drawer is open or shut and will things on/off accordingly, one side for the microwave the other for the convection. unfortunately i did not observe what he did i was working from home and had an issue to deal with.


    I did a temperature check today. I set convection bake at 400 and did a preheat. When the oven beeped to tell me the pre-heat was over, the aluminum baking tray was showing 320 on my infrared thermometer. i then put a simple oven thermometer in and set timer for 20 minutes and came back later. when i did I found that it was at 390. So, it seems that the oven is getting heat slowly and not very accurate. That said, i know ovens do not keep a constant temperature. all in all, pretty disappointing for a $2000 appliance.


  • 2 years ago

    Thanks for the info. I will pass this along to the tech who should be making a third trip out to my house.

  • 2 years ago

    Oh, the infrared thermometer reminds me. My son is working on a paper for his calculus class and we bought an infrared thermometer for that reason. His experiment had to do with measuring the temps on an instrument made of metal. He found the thermometer wasn't accurate on the metal because it was getting reflected off the shiny surface (some kind of alloy that has silver in it). So it could be that you were having the same problem with the aluminum.

  • 2 years ago

    Sharp gave up and sent me a new oven today. I tried to bake a cake and the oven heated to 90 degrees, but wouldn't get any warmer. Then I tried the micowave, the butter melting function, and the toaster. None of those functions worked either. The unit is completely usless. Don't buy this item!

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    I bought the product 18 months ago. Not what I hoped for in my Dream Kitchen. Temperature not accurate, no microwave setting for soup, Wifi repaired twice and now unit dead and its not the fuse. . Not under warranty. I would look at other brands that are more reliable for the money.

  • last year

    We are at 19 months in the house with the Sharp MW convection oven combo unit. I have never tried using the convection oven again after my test month ago.

    I have no complaints with the MW function and really like the tilting keypad. I would buy the Sharp MW drawer again , but skip the combination unit. You'll save money and cabinet space!

  • last year

    So, if you follow my comments you'll see that they sent me a new one that never worked. It heated up to 90 degrees and then never heated again. I hounded them until they agreed to give me my money back. Now I'm waiting to get that cabinet space converted into a normal cabinet and that will cost me $1000. The cabinet makers are not fast. So there has been a giant hole in my new kitchen for 4 months now.

  • last year

    I just finished a new home build and also installed a Sharp drawer convection microwave SMD2499FS. I noticed that anything I heated in there never became very hot. Fast forward to trying to make my grandkids hamburgers. Didn’t want to wait for the charcoal grill to heat up so I tried the convection grill function on my Sharp. Followed the directions in the book exactly. Preheat the ceramic cook/drip tray, cook etc. while the burgers came out pretty good, upon cleaning the cook tray I noticed two diagonal cracks in the ceramic. I thought perhaps it was crazing but when I turned it over the cracks went straight through to the other side. The pan did not come apart, but it was concerning to me that this cracked during cooking. I called the customer service number and was told that although my microwave is under warranty for parts and labor,this tray is not considered a part. No one seems to know where I can order a new one, including the high-end appliance store, where I purchased my appliances for my new home. There’s no information on Sharps website for replacement pieces or accessories. I asked to speak with a supervisor when I was on the phone with CS and of course the supervisor was busy, I really wish I read the reviews before I ordered this. I really feel like I made a very expensive mistake.
    That being said, for those of you who use the convection portion of this microwave, can you use metal pans? I’m trying to think of what else I can use for convection cooking. Stoneware? Pyrex? I saw metal pans on a video. I also read that there’s a lot of sparking and potential fires in this, so I am concerned about using any metal in the microwave other than those racks that come with it.
    I’m feeling taken advantage of here. This company has the worst customer service.

  • last year

    I have had my Sharp SMD2499FS for 17 months. I absolutely would not recommend it. It has never heated as well as my old cheap microwave. I tried the convection oven a few times, but it takes so long to preheat that it wasn't worth it (more than 20 minutes). I have also had issues with it tripping the circuit breaker numerous times. Now, it has stopped heating all together. I called Sharp and was informed the warranty is one year three months. I am two months to the day out of warranty. $2000 for a microwave that barely lasted more than a year and only reheated decently.

  • last year

    I was persistant and got them to give me my money back. You should do the same thing. Just keep calling them and insisting that they should give you your money back.

  • last year

    Just an update about my SMD2499FS.... mine has been working, both for microwave use and convection. The microwave is not as powerful as my old countertop Amana RadarRange - which was also a microwave/convection oven. I do use the reheat sensor functionality, and it works well as long as you are willing to wait a bit. In general, I'd say that the microwave is ok but not nothing special. I've used things like the melt butter feature, but it limits you to 2 sizes which doesn't always work for me - in general, the user interface is not flexible and is hard to use.


    As to the convection, I've used the air fryer for some tater tots and they came out ok. I've reheated pizza slices, used speed oven for baked potatoes, and toasted English muffins (which requires a flip half way through). Although it did heat things up, it is no where near as good as our old toaster oven nor does the microwave or convection functionality match my 20 year old Amana RadarRange. I would never use it to bake a cake or any type of cooking that requires an accurate temperature.


    For $2000 I rightfully had much higher expectations for this appliance. I would never recommend purchasing it and have warned several of my friends who were remodeling their kitchen. The concept of the appliance is great, but Sharp needs to get their act together.


  • last year
    last modified: last year

    @kimhildefaust I have contacted customer service numerous times via phone and chat. I can't get any help other than being directed to having it serviced on my own. Each time I have asked to speak to a supervisor and either been told no or hung up on.