Tappan Frigidaire TMS083E1W0 Microwave Oven Review

(No, I don't know what that orange grime on the bottom is)

My microwave oven has been with me since I first went to college, the first time. It was new then, but it didn't stay new very long. When it first came out of the box, it was dropped, and thus the dent on the top, that you can still see there today. However, that didn't stop this little Wal-Mart purchase from feeding me for the next 11, yes ELEVEN years. This microwave has moved with me everywhere I've lived in the past decade plus one, from out of the dorms and into a duplex with two other guys. After college, it went into storage for a year, but as soon as I moved to Dallas, this little baby went with me, in the first trip, as I moved into an abandoned chiropractor's office, then into my two bedroom apartment, into a three bedroom town-home, into a shared domicile with the ex, then into the single man's Shangri La that it finds itself in at the moment. And never once has it not given me well cooked food and the correct time.

Specs:
I don't know what this bad boy can do besides cook food using microwaves, which to this day I still think is magic, but I do know that it entertained us many times when we would put blank CDs in it, turn it on for a few seconds, and watch the lightning storm inside. Don't forget about all those Peeps that got cooked in there as well. Have you ever seen what happens to marshmellow chickens when you microwave them? No? Then try it out at home.

Accessories (yes, it too came with accessories):
It comes with a turning wheel, so you don't have to turn food, which every microwave should have. (And now that I think about it, they probably all do now, but at the time this was cutting edge) It also has a glass plate for the turning wheel, which I'm proud to say is the ORIGINAL glass plate that came with it. After all the moves, that's one of the only things I've been able to hold onto. It also has a toaster oven on top of it, but that was a later customization that I put in myself.

Installation:
Unlike the before mentioned model, this bad boy was ready to use right out of the box. I took it out of the plastic and styrofoam, dropped it and dented it, plugged it in, and I was cooking HungryMan dinners in no time. And one thing that tylerkeen failed to mention in his review is that someone had to be standing underneath his microwave while he attempted to install it. You know who that person was? It was me.

Usage:
Unless you're a complete retard, you can operate this bad boy. It pretty much spells it right out there for you on the front. What it does have are some nifty little buttons for things like defrosting meat, cooking popcorn, changing power levels. In the ten plus one years I've had this thing, I can count on one hand the times I've used those buttons.

Pros (in no particular order):
This is a no-frills, do it all microwave oven. And it's still working after 11 years. That includes 4 years of college, 7 different roommates, and countless blank CDs! And after all those years of cooking microwaveable popcorn, it doesn't smell like popcorn! Anymore, at least! The only thing wrong with it, it's plain white, but after doing this review, I'm thinking of spicing it up a bit with maybe some flame detailing, or possibly some pinstripes. Or I might clean it.

Cons (in a particular order):
Well, I am disturbed that this microwave doesn't play music, let me watch TV shows on it, allow me to venture into Azeroth and fight evil, shoot digital pictures, keep my food from spoiling, or wash or dry my clothes. Luckily, I have an iPod, TV, computer, digital camera, refrigerator, and washer and dryer for all that. Now that I think about it, I have warmed up socks in there before.

In short, I've got to say that I honestly love my microwave, and I would want no other microwave besides it. Even if I moved into a place that a built-in model, I would still use my old trusty Tappan. And since researching this review, I've found that I can still get parts for it should it ever break down (knock on wood it doesn't). This might be something I can hand down to my kids someday. The only thing it doesn't do is toast bread for me, but that's why I've got the toaster oven. Which sits on top. So...it's kinda like an accessory.

I hope you've enjoyed this review. For those wanting to get their own Tappan Frigidaire TMS083E1W0 Microwave Oven, I'm sorry, but I don't think Tappan makes microwaves anymore. They're making heating and AC units now. Some other company makes the microwaves, but they're only for boats and RVs. Weird.

I'd love to hear from you, so please leave comments, unless they're something like "This review was gay." I hate those.