Buyer beware: GE Advantium 120 Oven/microwave/speedcooker

My wife and I purchased GE profile applieances including a wall oven and advantium microwave 3 years ago from a local appliance dealer.  Within the warranty period we noticed the oven temperature was out of whack.

We had the GE rep in to check the unit to find out that our suspicions were correct and that the unit needed to be re-calibrated. in addition the temp. probe needed to be replaced.  Now a few years later the unit is once again operating incorrectly and we called GE again.  The service tech came out only to discover that the unit had been adjusted to it's maximium of 20 degress and now requires a new part to correct the issue.  When my wife asked if the part should have been replaced back when the oven was in warranty she got the run around and was told she would have to take that up with customer service in order to avoid having to pay for the part. Now since we are waiting for the tech to arrive to install the new part doesn't the advantium oven cease to work entirely.  I have had my electrician check to be sure that we have power to the unit and that has checked out.  Of course this is an additional expense that I have incurred.  In the meantime my wife has gotten the run around with GE service on parts coverage, having to hold on the phone for an eternity trying to get the right person to talk to.  It seems strange to me that we would spend all the money we did on these 2 key appliances only to have issues on both items.

Something must be wrong, I have never had these types of issues with any other appliance manufactuer.  If you are in the process of shopping for new kitchen appliances I would suggest looking at other options than GE.

Disgruntled in Mendon

I am getting ready to renovate my kitchen and have been looking at all GE appliances.  I was very interested in the GE Advantium but after reading your review and reviews at epinions.com I am very apprehensive.  I would like to know what brand/model you WOULD recommend.  We are replacing ALL appliances.  We are looking for a duel fuel range (gas top, electric convection), microwave, dishwasher and fridge.  Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Holly

I was also planning to buy a convection electric oven, lucky for for that Dan had posted reviews on this product. Now, I'll look for other brand when it comes to oven. :)

I bought the GE Advantium 240. The only disadvantage for this machine is the need to run an additional 7200W run from your 220/240V supply however this is the machine you would probably want to buy. We have owned our machine over 5 years now and I can honestly say it is used every single day. We have not had a single incident even though we've done entire roasts in this oven. It does really nice baked potatoes and frozen fries. I've even managed a duck in this oven (but it was very messy and I would not recommend).

I have read many negative reports about the Advantiums which run on 120V. Put simply they aren't as good, but equally they aren't as expensive either. We did a lot of research before settling on this machine - it wasn't cheap but it has earned its place in our home. The rest of our kitchen is top of line Bosch (automatic coffee machine, dishwasher), Kenmore induction top (very good value) and a Miele double oven.

My wife is a celiac so I cook almost every day; I'm not a professional chef but I routinely cook for parties up to 14 people. The only appliance to fail in the past 5 years was the Kenmore Induction top, but in fairness the failing component was replaced with an upgraded part that permanently fixes the issue we experienced.

At the time we bought our Advantium we got a manufacturers and in-store rebate saving us almost 30% of the purchase price. The manufacturer's rebate took six weeks to arrive.

Bottom line; if you want an Advantium (and they are wonderful machines to own and use) please consider the 240V version over the 120V. You will have a much better experience and everything cooks faster!

Our experience with GE products has been not good. The Advantium 120 has not had serious issue but the handle has broken twice! No reason for that and we never have had an appliance with adefective handle before. Of course, the repairman put another handle of the same quality construction and it broke also! I just glued it back with extra strenth glue and have not had any problems. Tried to complain using the published numbers on the appliance manuals and got ZERO response from GE. Tried to complain to the number give should customers have no reponse fromGE and got ZERO response. The refrigerator bottom compartments for vegetables was not installated correctly and they kept comming out of the tracks. No response from GE. They WILL respond promptly to rather expensive service calls except on the weekend. Our refrigerator needed repairs because it froze over due to the defrost cycle being broken on Friday. But no one available until MOnday!! You kind of need a refrigerator for every day. How can this be? Will not buy GE products again, ever! The lack of customer care from a multinational US company is irresponsible and not acceptable. There products are built in China and lack quality design/construction. Defnitely a no buy recommendation.

I sincerely hope your experience with your advantium 240/220 does not mirror mine.  I bought my first in 2001 and loved everything about it -- except the price, of course.  Loved it for three years until the microwave died.  My son still lives in the house where it is located and continues to use it for ventilation, fixing a really good grilled cheese sandwich, and cooking hamburgers.  I built a new house in 2004 and being really hard headed, bought another.  Fell madly in love but sure enough, the microwave died about three years later.  I am about to sell this house now and am checking to see if it can be repaired or if I will need to replace it.  I really loved it when it worked.............it still looks brand new.........I spent over $4,000 for those two ovens together !!  BUYER BEWARE

@mleighcov. I only have experience of one machine, but we use the beast every single day - in particular the microwave.  To-date I have had no problems with it whatsoever. We cook fries, chicken, junk microwave food, vegetables, roasts, sauces etc.. I usually check out widgets for repairs when I buy them. For instance I buy spare run capacitors for my home HVAC system. The microwave module on the advantium 240 is very easy to replace once you get through the metal frame/case. I had expected, by now, to replace the infra-red lights but even those continue to work without any issue.

My Advantium is the 220V, 6.3KW, in-wall system so it has no ventilation (other than internal cooling). The model number SCB2001KSS 02. The machine wasn't cheap (about $2,500) and has since been superseded by the PSB2201NSS (which is considerably cheaper but has very similar specs). The over-the-range units are not as well made - presumably they are manufactured to be lighter.

@rayman. Our unit was manufactured in Korea (label behind the door, on the right hand side when it is opened) and the date of manufacture is 2006. The handle is metal and the fitting to the door is very robust - hard to see how it could break. So I am presuming you had a different model?

This is the only GE product I currently own. Miele and Bosche remain my preferred manufacturers but I will be buying another Advantium when this one fails.

My husband and I remodeled my Mothers levitt home (purchased in aug 1947) redoing the kitchen down to the rafters. We installed a 120v advantium over the range unit in 2004. It was manufactured in Korea in March 2003 model #63699. It has never had an issue and continues to work perfectly just like the day it was installed. So I guess we are lucky, good thing we didn't read the reviews. My mother (age 86) so she was 79 when it was installed. She had no trouble learning how to use it. As I sit here today I have forgotten all the steps you have to go through just to heat some tea, I am impressed that at 86 my mother remembers how to use this complicated oven!

It is complicated but does just about everything she needs.  She has a small kitchen but we were able to remodel it to include much more storage than she had plus it has a built in glass hutch to display special dinnerware etc. It gives the kitchen the "wow" factor. Anyone who has been in levitt homes has been wowed by the remodel my husband and I did. We remodeled the entire first floor. I have to say the remodel is absolutely gorgeous. The entire remodel including all new appliances, extending bathroom by 4 feet into the small bedroom next door, turning bedroom into a great walk-in closet housing new washer and dryer,  making the masterbedroom a "suite" every room except the living room was taken down to the studs. We created a front hallway, before you entered right into the kitchen, and although it took room away from the small kitchen it actually looks larger and created better functionality by adding a wall that houses the refrigerator and computer desk with additional storage in wall cabinets above both the desk and the refrigerator. the entire remodel was 20k and two years of traveling just about every weekend from Harrisburg, PA to Levittown, NY. Unbelievable transformation! The advantium oven was a fabulous find to replace a regular stove or stove and microwave. BTW it also encompasses peninsula in the kitchen which houses both the sink and the diswasher.

I also have this over/microwave.  Twice during warantee it died on me.  First time they replaced a circuit board which overheats.  Second time, same thing but they also changed out a baffle which directs heat through the appliance in a different route.  I had one month left.  Talking to the service guy he said thats all he does is replace those baffles now, every one of these advantiumn ovens has this problem, every one will eventually die.  I would suggest calling and raising hell so they replace that board and the baffle.

I have a GE Advantium 240 and could not live without it! We just got a new one after a seven year run with our first one. I use it every day. This new one has been updated with a few new features that are a great addition to our old model. It too was a 240. I have have heard and read alot of complaints about the 110 model and I think there end lies the problem. I would buy another one if needed. I am not made of money but this 240 will pay for itself over and over with time saved and energy : )

I can't believe all that I am hearing about my favorite appliance.  After three years it did die and I called GE repairs and they sent out a technician and he fixed it temporarily. When it died again they sent  another technician and he  replaced a part and the thing has been working like a charm ever since.  The service representative was wonderful and even offered to discount a replacement if I wasn't satisfied with the repair.  But, things are great. 

I use my Advantium daily and what I love the most about it is that I can use the conventional part of the oven to make three cookies for a one evening binge and not have to heat up my regular oven.  I love he fact that it has a conventional oven and I don;t have to convert any numbers to use a convection oven.

So, I saw the new one and thought maybe I would get it since it has two shelve.  But, I am nervous now thinking that maybe the new model is not as great as the old one.  One question I have is does the new model have the regular conventional oven.

I love my Advantium and wouldn't get a regular Microwave if my life depended on it.

I purchased the GE Café Advantium Oven Model # CSA1201RSS.  This is suppose to be one of their top of the line Microwave/Speedcookers and at the price of it, it should be.  Within the first few months with little use, it made a loud buzzing sound and it went dead as if the breaker tripped.  It was under warranty and a GE Tech came out and repaired it free.  The problem was the Magnetron, a key component inside the unit.  I was shocked to see that the Magnetron was made by LG.  I bought a GE because I did not want an LG, but I ended up with a GE with LG parts.  The unit worked for several months and now it will not heat anything.  I have only had this unit for 13 or 14 months and it is broke for the second time.  I called the 1-800-GE-CARES to learn that they do anything but care.  They told me it was out of warranty, but the parts are covered.  It will cost me $99.99 for the tech to come out plus the cost of labor to repair the unit, which varies based on what needs to be repaired.  This is unaccepted.  There is clearly something wrong with this unit.  I have had microwaves last 10+ years with no issues, and one of them was a GE!  I thought GE would stand behind their products better, especially since they can see I had prior problems with this unit.  An expensive tin can.

 After reading your horror story I must inform the public that the same thing occurred to my Advantium Model CSA1201RSS after three years. Completely went DEAD...Just stopped

Albert

I owned the GE Advantium 240 and had to leave it in the house I sold. I used it everyday for 7 years and never had a problem with it. I miss and plan to buy another one. The quick cooking and the quality of the food is wonderful. I keep hoping my built-in microwave will quit working so i can buy an Advantim. The electrical work that needs to be done is well worth the product.

Rayman, I just found your review of the GE Advantium.  I have had the same problem with the broken handle.  Has now broken 3 times!  Other than that, no other problems...knock on wood!  What type of glue did you use and has it remained successful?  Thanks!

I would be wary of buying another one. We just purchased a house about 7 months ago that has one of these GE Advantium Microwave/Oven's in it and it just quit last night for no reason! No power, no warning, just quit! The previous owner had it for several years and got good use out of it I am sure, but now we are stuck with a dead built-in GE! I will not replace with the same appliance after this and after reading all of the reviews! Good luck though!

I am really disappointed in my advantium 120 model sca1000hwwo4 have had it since spring 2009 and it is a nightmare. the door is cracked (in a place where no one touches, the inside fabric like material on side wall is cracked and falling out (looks like it dried up and is crumbling and yesterday it decided to start arcing.. yea. I paid good money for this one and now I have to replace it. the new advantium is in the 999 $ cost (compared to 500-600 for other brands) . going to call GE today but am not expecting much. will not buy the new adtvantium.

GE is made for looks not work.

Hi All,

We built a custom home with  a viking stove, meli dishwashers, sub zero refrigerators.

and an Advantium oven  the 240 volt ; only type on the market at the  time.

Ge replaced two units, only after 8 to 12 service calls.

this all was in 13 months after purchase.

We would have been better off with  a College dorm room microwave.

The third unit quit two months after instillation.

We  now  know "GE"  stands for good enough.

I have an advantium which is about 2 years old.  Last year, just before the warranty from GE expired, the door cracked and the vent cover came loose.  It was repaired under warranty.  However, now the door is cracked again in 3 places (one place the same as before) and the vent cover is cracked and hanging.  I have an extended warranty which I got thru Home Depot when I bought the unit.  The warranty people are telling me that they will not fix the door or the vent cover because they are just cosmetic.  What a farce this is from the way it was explained when it was sold to us.  Supposedly, Home depot is going to get it fixed for us this one time, although the GE guy came to fix it today and wanted $300 before he did anything.  We did not give him the $300 because Home Depot was supposed to have it fixed for us at no charge to us.  We are waiting to see what happens next.  I love being able to use the Advantium as a regular oven, but at the price, I will not buy another GE product or an extended warranty.  It just seems you can't trust anyone anymore.  Remember when you could buy an appliance and it would last for years?  Guess those days are gone.

Thanks for this review and all the comments.  I was looking for a new oven and this seemed something I would be interested.  However, as we have so often learned through other's experiences, the bells and whistles don't always mean quality and longevity.   I will stick with a basic oven, a basic microwave, and a basic toaster oven to cover all the bases. If one goes out, it will not affect any other and is replaced cheaply (microwave/toaster oven) compared to constant repairs necessary and breakages with this oven.  I will not spend this kind of money (over $1800) on a piece of metal.  I must add, I have GE appliances (basics) and have not had problems at all, but I will definitely research any I plan to buy in the future.

Hey, so the sife and I are planning on moving then renovation the new kitchen and we have been looking for at all the GE appliances. We were pretty keen the in the GE Advantium however we did a little research and a lot of reviews were not that good. Any advise would be great.

We have had an Advantium 120 (27" wide version) for just over 6 years. Not a single problem with it, it's been rock solid for us. We use it daily to both nuke and speedcook. It's tripped the breaker a couple of times when running both the oven and a toaster on the same circuit, but that's no fault of the machine. Other than that, it's been a great appliance for us, our "real" oven doesn't see much action anymore.