Hamilton Beach 1.1 cu ft Countertop Microwave Oven, Black and Stainless Steel

An elderly relative had her microwave just suddenly stop heating -- everything else worked -- light, turntable, etc. It was also a Hamilton Beach, but it was about 8 years old. Not sure how long this type of appliance is supposed to last these days, but I think the old one just wore out; it was used almost daily. At first, she wasn't too happy about spending the $$ for a new one, but she relies heavily on it rather than regular cooking right now, due to health conditions. Found this one listed for $80 online at Walmart %26 very similar to the old one. It ended up being a little over $100 with taxes %26 tip, but really not a bad price at all. It was easy to set up, and instructions were clear %26 easy to understand. Been using it a little less than a week, %26 so far it seems to work quite well. Have had to reduce cooking/re-heating times in some cases, as this one is stronger %26 more efficient; the old one was probably not heating as well in its decline. My aunt also really likes its appearance -- white with stainless steel/silver tone handle %26 accents -- so she's very happy now with that %26 its overall performance, %26 she can be a picky customer sometimes! Good product at a fair price, would recommend. My only "con" on this would be that the interior cooking cavity inside is smaller than I expected, as the whole unit is about the same as the previous one. So, you may not be able to fit in a large or extra-large pizza, for example, but really that's a pretty minor concern, given all its other good points.

Just got it today - the white one looks good on the counter - I know some people have problems with the child safety lock but I read the manual, did what it said, had no problem. Question for anyone else: It comes with a big "Turntable Ring Assembly" to spin the glass tray. Does this come out for cleaning? Mine seems to be attached to the gear assembly. I don't want to pull hard and break anything but the "Turntable Ring Assembly" looks like it will be in the way for cleaning or sopping up moisture:(