Toshiba EM245A5C-SS Microwave Oven with Inverter Technology, LCD Display and Smart Sensor, 1.6 Cu.ft/1250W, Stainless Steel

1.6 cuft Inverter MicrowaveReasons Why I Chose this Microwave: attractive design, inverter cooking, less than $150 on sale, Toshiba microwave reputation (they were the first in Japan!)After the purchase, I learned that Toshiba microwaves are no longer Japanese however. They are made at the Galanz factories in China, owned now by Midea. That being said, these are the folks that make one out of every two microwaves in the world (something like 25 million a year). As a result, the parts are basically all the same as every other microwave with a different veneer on the outside and a Toshiba logo. I can live with that as long it works well and lasts.Things I like: It is attractive, the glass turn table is quality, it has an inverter which seems to work well, it’s very quiet compared to my old microwave, it’s powerful – cooking 25% to 30% faster than my old 1000w unit, the microwave shielding is very effective as it doesn’t affect my WIFI or my TV antenna reception like the old microwave did, it cooks MUCH more evenly than my old unit. This unit pops all the kernels in my popcorn without burning a single piece… which sounds like no big deal, but my old unit would simultaneously burn the popcorn AND only pop about half the kernels. This evenness is a vast improvement over my old microwave. LED lighting is pleasant. The front panel had protective plastic (see pic) which kept it nice.Things I don’t care for: Interior panels feel cheap – the metal is very thin and has no sound deadening, I greatly prefer mechanical buttons to a touch panel display, the unit is too light – it can move slide forward when you pull the door handle if it’s on a smooth surface, the numbers of the clock are partially blocked if you look down from above due to how it’s positioned within the display (not a big deal, but tall folks will probably notice this).Actual Problems: Product was misrepresented on Amazon – stainless interior was shown for the 1.6cuft inverter model (it’s really a basic white interior) and 1200w was indicated (it’s 1250w output with 1350w input). The base is uneven or bent – someone else mentioned this problem too; the base must be warped as it totters back and forth on three legs; quality control needs to be better (or they should include adjustable feet to solve this). The worst problem I experienced was a persistent high pitch wine from front panel transformer (see picture) audible from 10 feet away. My wife didn’t notice it, but I have good hearing and notice things like this (a lot of CFL bulbs make a similar noise that I find irritating).Fixes: *Please note* I know my way around a microwave. You can kill yourself messing with these or cause a fire, so don’t do this if you aren’t trained for it. First, I put noise-dampening rubber pads under the feet. This solved the unbalanced feet issue and prevents the whole thing from sliding when you pull the door open. Second, I opened the unit and added sound deadening to the area around the humming transformer; this eliminated 90% of the whine (it can only be heard from about a foot away now). I also added some sound deadening to the flimsy panels that make up the interior and lastly the cover shell… made the unit much quieter and gives all the panels a more premium “thud” noise.Random Observation: while microwaves are being made cheaper and cheaper, this one seems to be designed to die when something common (like a door switch) fails. My other microwaves have all had easy-to-change fuses that a bad door switch will trip. The fuse in this is soldered into place… so replacing it will require you to de-solder/solder or replace the power board altogether. Most people will just buy a new microwave. This is either unnecessary cost cutting or planned obsolescence (or probably both). For the sake of my wallet, the environment, and general busyness, I would prefer to see manufacturers making these easier to repair, not harder.Four Stars is my final rating – it looks nice and microwaves well, but there are a few quality shortcomings that don’t fully offset the low cost of the unit’s premium inverter technology.

Yep, yet another victim of the infamous E-5. Worked for me for almost exactly one month (12/4 – 1/4), then started displaying this E-5 error. It’s funny that the Toshiba manual doesn’t even have troubleshooting error codes, and this “your package may have been damaged in handling” excuse from Toshiba is utterly laughable. If you are selling your product on Amazon, maybe make a product that can be shipped? I honestly wish I’d spent a little more time on the one star reviews. Skipped the Panasonic microwave because of reviews on failing after one year — well, one year sure beats one month. Planning to just return to Amazon for refund, no interest in a replacement of this obviously completely poor quality product. Buy at your risk.And frankly, I rarely leave bad reviews unless they are truly deserved. I work in IT and understand there are occasional defects, but this E-5 error seems pretty systemic, and has been going on for a year with no resolution. If this is just a “damage in handling” thing” then either add extra reinforcement to the wires or better packaging. Not rocket science. Seems to just be a bad defect they don’t want to address.Edit: checking back a few months later and the volume of E-5 reviews is like quadruple what I saw last November. This is a seriously defective microwave, and buyers are playing Russian Roulette with 3-4 bullets in the gun. Look elsewhere if Amazon won’t discontinue carrying this.