What's this? This score is based mainly on evenness of heating, ease of use, and auto-defrosting ability. The displayed score is out of a total of 100 points.
Price range:
$109.99 - $149.00
Summary:This Sharp 1.1 cubic-foot 1000-watt midsized countertop microwave has and touchpad controls. It offers a stainless or ss-look option.
The Sharp R331ZS is part of the microwave oven
test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, countertop microwave oven
models like the R331ZS are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.
Heating evenness:
This reflects how evenly a model reheated a dish of cold mashed potatoes.
Defrosting evenness:
This is based on how well the automatic-defrost program defrosted one pound of frozen ground chuck.
Speed of heating:
This score is based on the temperature rise of water heated in the microwave.
About This Brand
Sharp sells a wide range of countertop models through retailers such as Target, Best Buy, Lowe's, Sears, and Wal-Mart. Sharp is planning to introduce a steam-assisted microwave oven. The company also offers the only microwave drawer on the market (in a single- or double-drawer unit). Sharp microwaves cost $70 to $800. Sharp over-the-range (OTR) models measure about 1.5 to 2.0 cubic feet with wattage ratings of 900 to 1,200 and cost $200 to $1,000.
Features & Specs - Sharp R331ZS
Claimed capacity (cu. ft.) Capacity as listed on the product or packaging.
Claimed capacity (cu. ft.)
1.1
Watts This is the manufacturer's figure of the microwave power output. In general, the more watts an oven offers, the greater its cooking power-and the faster your food will be cooked. That said, differences in claimed wattage of 100 watts or less are unlikely to result in significant differences in performance.
Watts
1000
Convection mode A few microwaves include a convection oven feature, which has a heating element and a fan that distributes heat. In convection mode, you can set the oven temperature as you would in a traditional oven to bake or roast items.
Convection mode
No
Sensor Controls the cooking and reheating time automatically. It shuts off an oven when it determines (usually by sensing steam) that food is hot enough.
Sensor
No
Detailed prompts Display offers instructions to guide you through the cooking process.
Detailed prompts
No
Stainless/SS-look option Stainless-steel is stylish, but it shows fingerprints. Another option: a vinyl-covered metal finish that gives you a stainless-steel look but resists smudging.