A hot shot: Is this microwave right for you?

Consumers looking for a countertop microwave may be intrigued by Kmart's new Black Friday doorbuster deal. This season, the store will be selling the Kenmore 1.1 Cubic Foot 1100W microwave for a a mere $55.00, half the price of its usual $110. On the surface, this looks like a steal. The Kenmore 1.1 boasts nine cooking speeds, three defrosting options--and it's a nice compact size.  But is this appliance really worth your hard-earned cash?  After a bit of detective work, we unearthed some clues.

Though we failed to find any professional evaluations of the Kenmore 1.1, we did sleuth out some insightful user feedback on Kmart.com. Here, the microwave receives mixed reviews (nine out of 25 users give it a perfect five star rating, while 11 say it only deserves one star). Though most users adore this microwave's candy apple red color (it also comes in white), many complain that it demonstrates hot spot cooking and can be very loud during operation. Several others say their unit broke down after only a few months of use.

Our advice: The price may be right, but it appears this microwave isn't. Save your pennies and buy a product with a better track record. To help you make that decision, check out our latest report on the best-reviewed microwaves.