[VAC] Microwave oven for old or solar trailer

["Fred Coldwell" <Agrijeep@xxxxxxxxx>]

  For over a year, I have been looking for a small microwave
oven to hid out of view in my 1957 Flying Cloud.  I don't
want to ruin the vintage atmosphere with a "back to the
future" appliance visually polluting the galley.  Target has
answered my prayers.

  My local (Denver, Colorado) Target has on sale at $46.98
each an Emerson model MW8627W microwave oven.  Oven capacity
is 0.6 cubic foot, and it uses 600 watts at the highest
setting (5 amps at 120 volts).  At 18.1" wide, 9.7" high and
13.6" deep, it is small enough to fit inside the pantry
cabinet above my refrigerator, so remains wholly out of view
behind a solid birch door when not is use.  To use, I just
swing the pantry door to the right and the microwave oven is
right there at eye level.  To see what I am talking about,
go to RJ's photos-by-year web site; my Flying Cloud is the
first 1957 model pictured there.    

   The best feature is the absence of a modern "touch pad"
operating panel that is always on and sucks precious
electrical fluids from the battery (if you operate the
microwave with an inverter) even when the oven is not being
use.  Instead, this model uses two rotary dials for
operation: one selects from 5 power levels and the other is
an electrical timer from 0 to 35 minutes, complete with a
tiny "ding" when the time is up.  These dual rotary dials
avoid the phantom ("always on") electrical loads that are
endemic to all touch pad applicances and an anathema to
solar powered trailer use.  Having five power levels is
better than the slightly more common and cheaper microwave
ovens with only a timer and one fixed maximum power
setting.  I'm so happy to find an brand new, old style
manual/mechanical appliance that (thankfully) is not too
much smarter than me. 

   Emperical testing reveals it took 4 minutes to warm up a
cup of coffee to piping hot, versus 2-1/2 minutes in my
trusty 1000 watt microwave oven at home.
      
   The storage space lost with the new microwave now
occupying the pantry closet will simply be shifted to the
oven in my Princess stove, which I never would have used
much anyway.  This keeps the galley looking  properly
vintage and converts a seldom to-be-used propane oven to a
higher and better use: food storage.  

   I imagine Target has imported a shipload or so of these
microwave ovens.  My local store had perhaps 200 in stock
last weekend.  They might reappear in a sales flyer this
weekend, so keep your eyes open if you are in the market for
a small microwave oven for an old or a solar-powered
trailer.  Happy nuking!

Fred Coldwell
Denver, CO.  
1957 22' Flying Cloud
1950-51 18' Clipper