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Thursday, January 23rd
Bosch (also known as Robert Bosch GbmH) is a German engineering and technology company that was founded in 1886. The company's operations are spread across four main sectors including consumer goods (household appliances and power tools), mobility (software and hardware), industrial technology (drive and control), and energy and building technology. A fun fact about Bosch is that they're the largest automotive supplier in the world. They're most commonly known for their kitchen appliances like mixers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and of course, microwave ovens.
4 main categories
There are four main categories of microwave ovens distributed by the Bosch brand. They include speed ovens, built-in microwaves, over-the-range microwaves, and drawer microwaves. If you're unsure of the main differences among these types of microwaves, Bosch gives a quick overview of each of them for you to distinguish them from one another. Built-in microwaves are designed to match the wall ovens sold by Bosch and they're quite a bit bigger than standard over-the-range microwaves that have basic cooking and ventilation technology. Drawer microwaves can be disguised under counters to be flush with cabinets and reheat something as large as a 9x13 baking dish. Speed ovens combine the perks of a standard microwave with cooking modes like convection bake and broil.
Few models listed online
Although Bosch is a well-known brand and they have many models of their products, their website highlights very few of them. For example, they only have 5 over-the-range microwaves you can view, 2 drawer microwaves, 2 built-in microwaves, and 6 speed ovens. You can check a box and quickly compare different models that you're interested in (not that this is totally necessary with such a small selection).
Not the cheapest choice
If you're shopping at Bosch for a microwave oven, plan to spend a bit more than you might somewhere else. For example, their speed microwaves start at $1,949 and go up to $2,599. Built-in microwaves are $1,449, over-the-range models start at $599, and drawer microwaves are listed at $2,049. Usually, these prices reflect the technology that goes into these products, so it's not necessarily a bad thing. But if you need a quick replacement for a basic microwave, you'll definitely overspend here.
Plenty of detail
For any given product you can view photos of the inside and outside of the microwave, what it looks like after installation, and review all the dimensions to make sure it would fit properly. You will see the cavity capacity, microwave modes and power, number of power levels, and more. You can read the whole user manual, product specification sheet, and CAD file. We like the product listings here and see nothing that would make the information confusing for customers.
Register through Bosch
Bosch will provide a recommended retail price to give you an idea of how much you might spend on a particular microwave oven. To purchase the microwave, you can use their "local dealer” function and see what stores carry it and then compare pricing this way. After you purchase a Bosch microwave from a third-party retailer, you can go back to Bosch's website to register your microwave, review the warranty (usually 1 year limited warranty), find a servicer, and review FAQ and cleaning tips.
Mixed BBB ratings
Bosch has two pretty opposite listings with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). As a whole, Robert Bosch LLC has an "A” rating without too many reviews of complaints on the profile . However, BSH Home Appliances Corporation (that takes you to Bosch's website) has a "D-” rating because of a pattern of complaints where customers allege that there are delays in repairs and replacement of their defective appliances. People say technicians cancel appointments or do not fully complete repairs even when they are under warranty. Bosch has failed to respond to the BBB when they have reached out for a response about this issue.
Poor customer reviews
Customers can leave reviews about the microwave ovens on Bosch's website. Some of them have a few hundred, so this is really helpful. We noticed that most of them only have around a 3.5 out of 5 star rating, which isn't super high, so we recommend reading through exactly why people give these microwave ovens the ratings they do. On third-party sites, Bosch has pretty poor ratings overall (relating to a variety of products they sell) mostly regarding warranty issues and problems dealing with customer service.
Underwhelmed
We didn't see a lot of options from Bosch as far as the microwave ovens they have available. All of them are stainless steel, so this is already limiting for people looking for other options. Their customer reviews aren't great and neither is their Better Business Bureau rating, so we can't come up with a good reason to give this company one of our highest ratings.
More than likely you moved into your home and a microwave oven was already there, ready for you to use at your convenience. We rarely think twice about these powerful little appliances that allow us to nuke a hot pocket, reheat last night's takeout, and quickly appease a child's demands for chicken nuggets. If yours suddenly breaks and you find yourself in the market for a replacement, you'll quickly realize just how much you depended on your microwave. Can you even live without one?
You may not have paid much attention to it before, but there are actually quite a few different designs for microwaves. Do you want stainless steel? Black? White? Red? Most people choose to match the color and design of their microwave to their oven and refrigerator, but you could always switch things up for a more modern style you like better.
Many homes have a place built into the wall specifically for a microwave so that they don't stand out or take up counter space like they used to. Still, microwaves differ a bit in which features they come with and their size. Most over-the-range ovens are around 30”, open from the side, and have basic heating functionality.
More advanced microwaves act more like an oven with pull-down doors and convection technology that allow you to make things like cookies or rolls within minutes. Some even let you air fry, allowing you to have lots of important cooking functions without needing multiple appliances to get the job done.
Most microwave oven brands all get their microwaves from the same manufacturer, so rather than focusing or worrying too much about which brand provides the best quality, you'll want to pay attention to the designs offered, selection, prices (and how often they run sales), warranty, policies, and feedback about customer service. More specifically, here are some things we recommend paying close attention to when you're browsing all the different companies you might choose to buy your microwave oven from:
The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched the most important things you'd need to know about choosing a microwave oven. We hope this helps you find a microwave that makes cooking food a breeze and lasts for years to come.
Select any 2 Microwave Ovens to compare them head to head