Product Review: GE JEM31 800 Watts Microwave Oven

It has been a long time since I've been in the market for a microwave. Unfortunately my old one stopped working, so it was finally time to head out and find a new one. I needed one that didn't take up much space and I eventually came across the GE JEM31 800 watts microwave.

This is a very compact microwave that offers all the features you would expect in a new microwave. I put it on my countertop and it definitely doesn't take up much space, which is a good thing. The GE JEM31 is an 800 watt microwave. You can find microwaves that are more powerful but they will be much bigger. I think that this microwave is the perfect compromise between power and size. There is also plenty of space inside the microwave. The dimensions are:

Inside: (W x H x D) : 16-1/2 x 7-7/16 x 11-1/4
Overall: (W x H x D) W 23 25/32 x H 11 3/16 x D 12 9/32

Of course the microwave includes a digital clock that shows the time and cooking time. The neat thing about the digital display though is that it will provide additional information with scrolling text. It's a very innovative feature.

Inside the microwave you will find a turntable with a glass plate. The turntable rotates for even cooking and can be turned off by pressing a button. The digital display will let you know whether the turntable is on or off. The GE JEM31 800 watts microwave also has several pre-programmed buttons for cooking things like popcorn and potatoes.

One very nice feature which is pretty standard these days in microwaves is the express cook buttons. These are buttons that will automatically start the microwave with a set cooking time. For example, if you press express cook one, it will start cooking for one minute. The express cook buttons go all the way up to six minutes.

The microwave also comes with a hanging kit which allows you to mount it so that it hangs from a cabinet if you don't want to set it on a shelf or counter top.

The Verdict

The GE JEM31 800 watts microwave has a very sleek look and comes in either black or white. It definitely has a very modern look. It also works very well and is easy to clean. You can remove the turntable for easy cleaning. For a price under $200 you get a lot of features in a compact design and I definitely recommend it.