Maytag over the range microwave models differ less in size than in what they add to basic cooking. The MMV1175JW is the plain white over-the-range model, the MMV5227JZ adds Sensor Cooking, the MMV4207JZ adds Dual Crisp and the MMV6190FZ adds EvenAir convection. Two flush built-in models, the MMMF6030PZ and MMMS4230PZ, sit differently in the cabinet run. A countertop model, the UMC5225GZ, covers buyers who do not want to mount anything. This guide helps you pick by what you cook and where the microwave must fit.
What does an over-the-range microwave do besides heat food?
It also works as the range hood. Underneath is a vent fan and a light that serve the cooktop below, so the unit needs space, a safe mounting and a way to deal with the air it moves. Most of these microwaves can vent to the outside through a duct or recirculate the air back into the kitchen through a filter. If you cook with a lot of smoke or steam, outside venting is better; our guide to ducted versus recirculating venting explains the difference. For how the whole unit works inside, see how a Maytag over-the-range microwave works.
Because the vent fan, the light and the microwave share a cabinet, a fault in any one can look like a problem with the others. Keep that in mind if a feature you rarely use is the reason you are choosing one model over another.
Which model should you pick for basic reheating?
The MMV1175JW. It is the entry model: an over-the-range microwave in white with the standard vent fan and cooktop light. If you mainly reheat, defrost and cook frozen meals, extra cooking modes will rarely be used. A plain model also has less to go wrong. White also matches kitchens that still have white appliances. Check the width of the cabinet above your range before ordering, because over-the-range microwaves are made for a standard 30 inch opening.
What do Sensor Cooking, Dual Crisp and EvenAir add?
Sensor Cooking, found on the MMV5227JZ, uses a sensor to detect the steam from food and adjusts the cooking time on its own. It suits people who cook vegetables, potatoes or a plate of leftovers and want the microwave to decide when it is done. Maytag’s related AccuPop feature works the same way for popcorn, and our AccuPop guide explains the idea.
Dual Crisp, on the MMV4207JZ, adds a crisping function for foods that normally come out soft in a microwave. EvenAir convection, on the MMV6190FZ, adds a convection fan and heating so the microwave can bake and roast as well as reheat. If you hope the microwave will replace a toaster oven for small jobs, the convection model is the one that comes closest, though it is still smaller than a wall oven. Pick on how you cook, not on the longest feature list.
What about the flush and countertop models?
The MMMF6030PZ and MMMS4230PZ are flush built-in over-the-range microwaves, designed to sit evenly with the cabinets rather than hang below them, which gives a cleaner kitchen line. They fit only where the cabinet and wall are prepared for them, so confirm the opening before you commit. The UMC5225GZ is a countertop microwave in fingerprint-resistant stainless; it needs no installation, but it takes counter space and does not serve as a hood. If you cannot mount an over-the-range unit, for example where the range has no cabinet above it, a countertop model avoids the problem.
For the clearances and mounting requirements of an over-the-range unit, read our Maytag microwave installation clearances guide before you buy.
What should you measure and check before ordering?
Start with the width of the opening above the range, then the height from the cooktop to the cabinet bottom, because an over-the-range microwave must clear the burners by the distance given in its installation sheet. Look for a nearby grounded outlet in the cabinet above, since the microwave plugs into it. Decide whether you will vent outside through the wall or the roof or recirculate; a recirculating setup needs a charcoal filter that you replace from time to time. Make sure the wall studs or a mounting plate can carry the weight, because a microwave is heavy and hangs above a hot cooktop.
Think about who will use it. A microwave mounted high is awkward for a shorter cook, and a hot dish lifted from a high microwave is a real burn risk. If that is a concern, the countertop UMC5225GZ or a flush model at a lower height may be the better choice for your household.
How do these models compare on cleaning and daily use?
A basic model has fewer buttons and fewer surfaces to clean. Convection and crisping models have extra cooking surfaces and more to care for, and they have more settings to learn. If you prefer a clean, simple panel, the plain model is easier to live with. If you cook often and want the microwave to share some work with the oven, the added features may repay the learning curve. Either way, plan on wiping the interior after splatters, cleaning the vent grille and replacing the cooktop light bulb when it fails.
What should you know about care and repair?
Keep the interior clean, wipe the vent grille and clean or replace the filters according to your manual. Our microwave cleaning and maintenance guide lists the routine. If a microwave runs but does not heat, see our runs but will not heat guide, and for the decision on an older unit, read microwave repair or replace. Never open a microwave’s casing yourself: its high-voltage capacitor holds a dangerous charge even when it is unplugged.
We are an independent repair company, not the manufacturer. If a microwave of any of these models fails, our Maytag microwave repair service can diagnose it, and you can schedule a visit online.
