This is an excellent microwave for the money. I was not able to fault any of the cooking processes and the inclusion of an Air Fry capability frees up space in a kitchen, it also allows for a multitude of quick cooking options.
It’s actually one of those innovations that just had to happen and one that makes a lot of sense for people where space is a priority.
For me brand pedigree counts every time when it comes to buying a new appliance.
Research shows that the normal usage for an average family and with good maintenance, a microwave often lasts for 7 to 8 years.
If the microwave is used less frequently by a single person or a couple and is well-maintained, the lifespan can increase to up to 10 years.
As for me and my family Sharp is a brand that will make it into our kitchen anyday, not only do they deliver technical know-how when it comes to appliances, they are a household brand that in the past was #1 in appliances in Australia.
They also delivered an excellent range of TVs that were among the top three sold locally.
Stylish and Looks Good in a Modern Kitchen
Two Colour Combinations
34 Auto Menus, 9 Dedicated to Airfry Cooking
Manual
Are you one of those people who ran out and bought an air fryer, because they were cheap, and the cooking processor was kind of cool and convenient, and then discovered you had to keep it in cupboard, or it took up bench space in your kitchen where real estate is valuable.
During the past few years, a great deal of thinking has gone into the new generation of microwaves, no more so than at Japanese Company Sharp, where workflow and convenience is as important as the cooking process.
Recently Sharp release their latest Microwave in Australia the R321, the big difference is that it delivers five in one cooking capabilities and is no larger than a normal microwave when it comes to space management.
The standout is their new inbuilt air fryer which cooks as good as two other stand-alone air fryers that we have tested.
The Sharp R321CAF delivers the ability to cook or prep food via various cooking methods including a Microwave, Bake, Roast, Grill, and Airfry capability.
The good news is that the new Sharp offering is the same price as the stand-alone Philips 7000 Series Connected Air fryer that costs $649, and for that price Philips does throw in a Probe.
Retailing at $649 the new Sharp 5 in 1 microwave not only delivers value, it’s also manufactured by a Japanese Company, that has a global track record in the cooking space and above all as a Company who when they actually launch a new product will stand by it as they have been doing since the 1970’s when they sold their first microwave.
Back then microwave sensors were an unknown cutting-edge technology.
Sharp’s first microwave oven not only incorporated sensor technology to measure the degree of cooking needed, but it also delivered cooking data and how to cook derived from numerous cooking experiments, and advice from first-class chefs with the information embedded in the microcomputer that controlled the heating strength and time need to cook the perfect meal.
This led to Sharps microwave technology taking off worldwide.
Since then, Sharp has evolved their microwave technology allowing them to pack more technology into their microwaves while using a new generation of sensor technology to identify individual cooking processes.
My biggest gripe with their latest offering, is the lack of backlighting for the input panel which in a low light kitchen can be annoying as you then have to switch on the main lights to activate the cooking method you want.
I for one have been using a Sharp microwave for several decades and having gone through several models I was keen to check out their latest offering.
But before I get to the microwave one has to praise Sharp for their manual.
How many times have you got a new product which has been manufactured in China and the manual either doesn’t make sense or information is lacking.
With the new R321 the manual is over 40 pages long, with crystal clear instructions along with diagrams as to how to use and get the best out of each cooking function.
There are also recipes and, on the back, a quick reference guide for those immediate functions such as Defrost, grill cooking or convection cooking of a chook or a roast beef or lamb dinner.
Gone are the days of a microwave being just for reheating with the next wave set to incorporate AI technology.
At CES 2024 several unknown brands were showing off new microwave technology, but talk to any major appliance retailer and they will tell you it’s brands such as Sharp, that consumers are gravitating to, not only because of the technology packed into their appliance but because they trust the Sharp brand because it’s Japanese and that often relates to quality and the fact that they have been around since 1910 designing and manufacturing products for both consumers and business.
Ironically, they were the Company that invented the first mechanical pencil and a belt buckle that allowed a belt to be automatically adjusted without having to cut the leather to size.
They then went on to develop one of the first three-door refrigerator with a separate vegetable compartment and the world’s first LCD calculator.
The R321CAF series has a total of 34 auto menus, of which 9 are dedicated to Airfry cooking and of the ones I tested they all lived up to my expectations.
Sharp engineers also worked to customise these processes taking into account Australian foods and the way that we cooked in particular fresh produce in Australia.
Among the Australian customisation programs are settings for frozen products sold at Australian retailers including.
Frozen French Fries
Frozen Potato Gems
Frozen Squid
Frozen Onion Rings
Frozen Chicken nuggets
Frozen Schnitzel
Frozen Crumbed Prawns
Fresh Vegetables
Frozen Spring Rolls
Design
The new Sharp Microwaves come in two colour combinations, black stainless steel (R321CAFBS) or simple stainless steel (R321CAFST).
Both are stylish and look good in a modern kitchen.
This is an excellent microwave for the money. I was not able to fault any of the cooking processes and the inclusion of an Air Fry capability frees up space in a kitchen, it also allows for a multitude of quick cooking options.
It’s actually one of those innovations that just had to happen and one that makes a lot of sense for people where space is a priority.
For me brand pedigree counts every time when it comes to buying a new appliance.
Research shows that the normal usage for an average family and with good maintenance, a microwave often lasts for 7 to 8 years.
If the microwave is used less frequently by a single person or a couple and is well-maintained, the lifespan can increase to up to 10 years.
As for me and my family Sharp is a brand that will make it into our kitchen anyday, not only do they deliver technical know-how when it comes to appliances, they are a household brand that in the past was #1 in appliances in Australia.
They also delivered an excellent range of TVs that were among the top three sold locally.
Stylish and Looks Good in a Modern Kitchen
Two Colour Combinations
34 Auto Menus, 9 Dedicated to Airfry Cooking
Manual