Review on GE Profile PEM31SFSS Countertop Microwave: Stylish and Efficient Kitchen Appliance by Ron Turner

In summary this is a good small/medium compact microwave, but I am not happy with some of GE's installation options. I have a GE compact microwave in my kitchen. mounted directly under a 24" cabinet. When the kitchen was built (1994), GE was almost the only company that made a 12" deep microwave that fitted perfectly under the cabinet. My first lasted maybe 10 years, but when he died I had no trouble finding an updated but virtually identical GE to replace - unscrew the old one, screw the new one in. All this took me less than half an hour.Fast forward to today and it is time to replace the microwave for the second time unfortunately the ZEM200 I had is no longer made and the next sized microwave I need is either this or the GE Monogram version (ZEM115) Okay , it's more expensive than last time but it's the same overall size and shape so it should match what it was before well yes and no for some reason GE changed the bracket screw pattern slightly soda ss this model couldn't just hang where the older one went. Unfortunately, the bolts aren't *that* different. Those on the left are maybe 1/4 inch farther from center and those on the right are set back about an inch. That means you can't just reuse. Installation location from older model - you will have to drill new holes and mess up the existing cabinet. Also the power cord is a bit thicker at the back of the oven making it difficult for the oven to approach the back wall. In hindsight I figured I would have to take the case apart and reposition the mounting holes to match my old stove. like Swiss cheese. Otherwise, this oven is about 1.5 cm higher than my old one. Oddly enough, although the closet is larger, it doesn't feel larger inside. The build quality is about average. Very similar to my old ZEM200 and having lasted almost 10 years I don't think I'll have any problems with that. However, I would like the interior to be stainless steel. In operation, I would classify the PEM31 as about average. At 800 watts it's not exactly a powerhouse (I have a 1200 watt microwave in my country house and it seems to cook MUCH faster than this 800 watt model). However, food generally cooks evenly, surfaces seem easy to clean, and almost every control you might need is there. It's basic but gets the job done - which is fine by me as I'm not a huge microwave user. Bottom line, if you need a microwave of this particular size, this is probably your only choice. With a countertop or brand new installation, you shouldn't have any problems, except maybe getting near the back wall due to the power cord. If so, I would add a star. But if, like me, you're trying to replace an old GE compact microwave, get ready to get creative with your setup.