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a good little microwave for a corner

We bought a microwave! I’ve often said that we didn’t have room in our tiny kitchen but this one is a microwave that fits into a corner (queue triumphant music). The back is rounded (shown below) and since it’s as tall as it is wide it doesn’t take up too much countertop space. It’s cute right? It looks like those big tvs some of us grew up watching. When we were surveying the kitchen trying to figure out where we could put a microwave we decided the corner was really the only option and I was shocked to find out that somebody actually makes one.

This little number goes by the sexy name of the Whirlpool WMC20005YW which is white. There are also black and brushed silver options.


Showing the rounded back of the microwave, cute huh?

The back of the inside of the microwave is also rounded, there is a turntable inside. The microwave is tiny but it does fit an 11-inch dinner place. In the picture above I showed some plates from Ikea (the Ikea 365 brand) that feel like really large plates but fit just fine inside. It’s got buttons for Defrost, Reheat and Popcorn and you can choose your power level.

Note: This is what I originally said, see the next paragraph for why the microwave is awesome and I’m dumb. It’s not all perfect though. The inside of the microwave is only six inches high from the surface of the turntable to the top of the inside and it looks like it might be a bit cramped. That said, the orange mixing bowls shown above are pretty tall and fit inside with plenty of clearance. When I am taking a soup bowl out of the microwave it does take a little more care since I have to grab it from both sides to ease it out. The microwave lacks a keypad so you cannot just type in “2-0-0″ to zap something for two minutes, you have to hold down the time button. It doesn’t take long for it to count up to the 2:00 mark (it counts by five second increments for the first minute, 15 second increments for the second minute and then thirty seconds after that) but it’s not quite as convenient as being able to hit a few buttons. There is an “add 30 seconds” option for when things area already heating and I’ve already started taking the lazy girls option of hitting the heating button just once, hitting start and then pressing the “add 30″ button a few times once it’s already going. These are all compromises I was happy to make for something that doesn’t take up all my countertop space.

Update: Martha mentioned in the comments that you can put food inside, close the door and hit the start button to get 30 seconds going, then you can just hit the start button again for 30 second increments. Which is perfect! Huge thanks to Martha for pointing out the lazy shortcut I was apparently too lazy to find on my own. I will note that this is in the manual, I just didn’t actually read it.

It’s the first time in years and years that we’ve had a microwave. We decided to get one because we’ve pretty much cut bread out of our diets and the toaster wasn’t getting much use. Up until now we’ve reheated leftovers by steaming them on the stovetop, a process which works out nicely but does take a wee bit more time than a microwave. Aaaand since our schedules mean we don’t end up home together for dinner most nights having the option to zap leftovers was sounding better and better. Since we got it I’ve been making excuses to heat things up and I stand there watching them turn around and around like I’m six years old again.

· comments [20] · 01-23-2013 · categories:shopping ·

20 responses so far ↓

  • 1 serena // Jan 23, 2013 at 4:40 am

    This post is very useful to me, because I have the same problem, and right now I haven’t a microwawe… so when I have to reheat something I have to use oven… I think I’ll buy it! thank you! ;)

  • 2 Martha // Jan 23, 2013 at 7:48 am

    My parents have what appears to be the same microwave and you can also start it by pressing the add 30 seconds button on theirs multiple times. So then to do 2 minutes it is only 4 presses!

  • 3 Seanna Lea // Jan 23, 2013 at 8:48 am

    I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly forever, and once when making meat for friends I was defrosting cornish game hens in the microwave. It was so much fun watching them go round and round in circles.

  • 4 Marika // Jan 23, 2013 at 9:22 am

    Be careful putting ikea plates in the microwave! We have some that we used in the microwave and they have gotten tiny lines running all through them and now many of them have broken.

  • 5 amanda rose // Jan 23, 2013 at 9:33 am

    This is genius! What an adorable and practical little design.

  • 6 megan // Jan 23, 2013 at 10:31 am

    Martha – Oh thank you! It works and it’s perfect. So glad you told me about that.

  • 7 CitricSugar // Jan 23, 2013 at 11:28 am

    That’s a super cute microwave! Can’t say that I put anything larger than a dinner plate in mine anyway – though I do sometimes cover leftovers with a mixing bowl to prevent spatters and dryness… But I’d love something smaller like that! Rice Krispie squares are easy enough to make on the stovetop, anyway. :-)

  • 8 Sarah // Jan 23, 2013 at 11:39 am

    Oh, I can’t believe it’s so expensive! Did you find it cheaper somewhere in Seattle??

  • 9 megan // Jan 23, 2013 at 11:48 am

    Sarah – It didn’t appear to be much more expensive than the other microwaves we saw at Target and places like that, and the space it saves is really significant so we went with it.

  • 10 Nathalie // Jan 23, 2013 at 3:17 pm

    We don’t have a microwave, so we use our toaster oven to heat up leftovers. I would love to hear more about your steaming method though. Did you just put things in one of those metal flower-petal-like folding things and steam? What does that work best for?

  • 11 Heather // Jan 23, 2013 at 3:38 pm

    I saw these on amazon and wondered if I should get one… I like how it looks in your corner, and my corner is very similar. Maybe I’ll go for it!

  • 12 Kat // Jan 23, 2013 at 11:11 pm

    So cute!

  • 13 Nora // Jan 24, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    I’m also microwave-less like Nathalie, so I’m also curious about your steaming method for reheating leftovers. Do share!

  • 14 megan // Jan 24, 2013 at 6:38 pm

    Nathalie and Nora – Here is what I did. I used a low silicone steamer (the Chef’n Sleekstore), then I made a cup out of tin foil – I’d usually just mold it around the bottom of a cereal bowl. I’d put the leftovers (usually Thai) into the tin foil, put that on top of the steamer, cover the pot and steam. Since the food isn’t wrapped all the way in foil the steam keeps the food from drying out. It can take a while, but it’s effective. If I was heating tomato-based something or something that would definitely stick I’d line my foil bowl with a square of parchment. Does this make sense?

  • 15 Dinah // Jan 24, 2013 at 10:21 pm

    We had exactly the same sequence of “There’s got to be a better way to arrange this kitchen” problem solving and the same solution. We are LOVING all this extra counter space!

  • 16 brianne // Jan 25, 2013 at 10:55 am

    This thing is so stinkin’ adorable! Good to know that its a little tricky to use, but I use a microwave so minimally it might be perfect!

  • 17 Cussot // Jan 27, 2013 at 11:02 am

    A friend of mine has an ancient adorable Sharp Half Pint and I vowed I’d never own one until I could have something that shape. I guess my time has come!

  • 18 megan // Jan 27, 2013 at 1:39 pm

    Cussot – I knew I’d seen a small square microwave before but I could only remember it vaguely, thanks!

  • 19 Debbie // Apr 1, 2013 at 9:51 am

    How does this do with popcorn? Is it big enough for the full size microwave popcorn bags to spin?

  • 20 megan // Apr 5, 2013 at 4:49 pm

    Debbie – I bought some microwave popcorn just to answer your question and I’m happy to report that YES! Microwave popcorn bags fit inside just fine.

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