That looks a bit like the one my parents had when I was growing up. It was a JCPenny branded one with a slot where you could insert cards with preprogrammed cooking instructions. I wonder if Kenmore was the OEM or if this was just the general style of them in the late 80s. Theirs was losing steam throughout the 2010s, but continued to work and was only replaced when the entire kitchen got renovated in 2020.
athennna on
Mine came with one. We chucked it in a cabinet somewhere the first day.
Konig2400 on
Mine has one. It’s mostly for settings or food that don’t need to spin. My microwave has a soften setting for butter and you’re supposed to put it on the shelf
HieroJux on
Modern higher end microwaves have them too.
anaboogiewoogie on
My microwave has a spinny glass plate and an optional shelf I can put in and pull out. Is that not normal?
TheVascularFern on
I though items had to spin as the microwaves amplify and are higher in some regions and lower in others and if the plate didn’t rotate/move you’d get uneven heating
ardvark_11 on
I have one. What do I use it for?
SexReflex on
Is that shelf not metal? Does the microwave not rotate? lol what kinda microwaves is this
Captain_Ashley_Bob on
My microwave has a shelf too! Metal rack as well,
We don’t use it often but cool to have.
MikeyB_0101 on
That microwave looks old school like something my parents had in the 80s
nostradumbass7544678 on
But does it have the temperature probe option?
JKAdamsPhotography on
And my car has headlights 🤯
pedsmursekc on
Yeah, microwaves with metal racks are built for them. The rack isn’t dangerous because it’s thick, smooth, and designed to sit in the microwave, not like random foil or a fork, where sharp edges create the issue. Instead of sparking, it mostly just reflects the microwaves like the walls do. The microwave waves bounce around, heat the food, and pass through the gaps in the rack. The rack’s only job is to lift food up so you can cook two things at once and get more even heating.
CreepyAd8409 on
Mine has one of these and I’m too scared to use it. Apparently when the metal has two contact points it doesn’t arc but that doesn’t comfort me. No metal in the microwave is engrained in me like stop, drop and roll.
eddyb66 on
The last two above the range microwaves that I purchased had a shelf. Never used it.
TwistedClyster on
Ours does too, but I’ve never used it.
Just have to take the shelf out when I have a tall mug.
35 Comments
Maybe im stupid but wouldn’t a metal tray in a microwave cause issues
Err I’ve never seen a microwave without a shelf… at least included on purchase
I’ve always wondered how these work. I guess the antenna shoots straight downward onto the food?
I’ve never seen a microwave with a shelf. I’m used to a single glass tray that rotates as the food heats/cooks.
I think I know that model. Is it from the late 80s/early 90s?
Is it a microwave or convectional oven?
Previously seen (a different photo, same microwave model) at [https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/comments/due8c2/my_parents_31yrold_kenmore_microwave_with_metal/](https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/comments/due8c2/my_parents_31yrold_kenmore_microwave_with_metal/)
I have that same microwave, sadly missing a the wire shelf. It’s old but a workhorse.
I have a brand new microwave, and it also has a tray.
My microwave has a shelf and it’s nowhere near that old.
This thread makes me feel old. Every one i grew up with had a shelf
Is this not normal lol? Mine has a shelf, I just kinda assumed that’s how it was lol
I had one and it was so long ago I can’t even remember when I had it.
The first microwave i remember having back in the 80s had a shelf. We eventually took it out.
How is it that you can’t put a spoon in the microwave but you can have a metal shelf?
I just bought a new microwave earlier this year and it has a removable rack, as well as an air fry feature.
My timeshare condo has this because it’s supposed to double function as a convection bake if needed.
My microwave came with a searing plate.
https://www.breville.com/en-ca/product/bmo700
That looks a bit like the one my parents had when I was growing up. It was a JCPenny branded one with a slot where you could insert cards with preprogrammed cooking instructions. I wonder if Kenmore was the OEM or if this was just the general style of them in the late 80s. Theirs was losing steam throughout the 2010s, but continued to work and was only replaced when the entire kitchen got renovated in 2020.
Mine came with one. We chucked it in a cabinet somewhere the first day.
Mine has one. It’s mostly for settings or food that don’t need to spin. My microwave has a soften setting for butter and you’re supposed to put it on the shelf
Modern higher end microwaves have them too.
My microwave has a spinny glass plate and an optional shelf I can put in and pull out. Is that not normal?
I though items had to spin as the microwaves amplify and are higher in some regions and lower in others and if the plate didn’t rotate/move you’d get uneven heating
I have one. What do I use it for?
Is that shelf not metal? Does the microwave not rotate? lol what kinda microwaves is this
My microwave has a shelf too! Metal rack as well,
We don’t use it often but cool to have.
That microwave looks old school like something my parents had in the 80s
But does it have the temperature probe option?
And my car has headlights 🤯
Yeah, microwaves with metal racks are built for them. The rack isn’t dangerous because it’s thick, smooth, and designed to sit in the microwave, not like random foil or a fork, where sharp edges create the issue. Instead of sparking, it mostly just reflects the microwaves like the walls do. The microwave waves bounce around, heat the food, and pass through the gaps in the rack. The rack’s only job is to lift food up so you can cook two things at once and get more even heating.
Mine has one of these and I’m too scared to use it. Apparently when the metal has two contact points it doesn’t arc but that doesn’t comfort me. No metal in the microwave is engrained in me like stop, drop and roll.
The last two above the range microwaves that I purchased had a shelf. Never used it.
Ours does too, but I’ve never used it.
Just have to take the shelf out when I have a tall mug.
Now THIS is a microwave oven