DISAPPOINTING AT BEST
Pro Remodeler
6/13/2021
My 20-year-old mid-priced microwave finally gave out. This was the impetus to replace all the kitchen appliances.We had great expectations that a High-End ™PROFESSIONAL™ series unit would be a luxury to be enjoyed. As a Home Remodeler/ Mechanic for 40 years, I™™ve installed over 100 Micro-Hoods of every type and price, in a multitude of homes.INSTALLATION:Upon opening, I discovered there was no full-size rear wall mounting plate, just a thin-gauge metal band to hook the bottom of the unit. It™™s so thin, that during install, I had to bend the flimsy ™J™ tangs several times, to get them even, and able to capture the slots in the case. Unlike a normal mounting plate, this band was too short to actually catch any wall studs in the box-framing placed in the wall to hold a microwave. All the mounting screws had to be driven at a 45-degree upward angle, in order to catch any meat.The full-size plates allow you to securely mount them, with multiple areas with which to catch wall studs. They also place the EXACT location of your rear-exhaust ducting, if you use that.I then discovered the folded (Thin, cheap) paper templates, to mount the unit. For some unknown reason, the exhaust duct on the template is 4™ X 12™ and NOT the unit™™s 3™ X 10™ standard vent size, as is my existing ductwork. The cheap templates are a pain to work with, and taping them up resulted in them tearing in several places. A decent cardstock template, or a full rear mounting plate would have eliminated the need for the aggravating paper, and assured me this unit would align with my existing rear exhaust duct. There is no reason you should need a plumb bob/ tee square/ laser level, and prayers, in order to be sure the venting will align with your house-NONE.COSMETICS:As I tried to calculate the duct alignment, my Wife pointed out the sides of the unit were black, and not stainless, as are any top-tier stainless appliances with exposed sides. My ™So what™ was met with ™The one side of this micro-hood will extend past the 12™ wall cabinet by several inches, and looks like crap™. After looking at pictures of installed units, I had to agree. I then spent more money purchasing and installing a stainless-steel veneer to the exposed side of the cabinet. Call me crazy, but a ™PRO™ series stainless appliance should be stainless where seen.FUNCTION:After install, I verified the ducting was correct, and the fan worked. The single item I™™m happy with on this unit is the ™TURBO™ fan speed. Most low and mid-range micro hood fans are useless, even when ducted directly outside. I ran thru the touch-pad operations, and made sure it would heat a cup of water. Even though our kitchen is well-lit, the controls are dark, not back-lit, and very hard to see, another VERY frustrating issue we didn™™t have on the old unit. I then attempted to set the clock, but after 20 presses, got no response from the touch-pad. Turns out, both the clock and the light buttons are NOT the light-touch pads as on every other set-button, but an extremely ™Hard Press™ to get them to operate. If you press any harder, it feels like your finger will go thru the glass. ™Touch here, put your body weight there™ makes zero sense to me on a modern, supposedly well-engineered (It™™s NOT) unit like this.
Originally posted on frigidaire.com
No, I do not recommend this product
