Description
The LG MVEM1825F is a connected over the range microwave with SmoothTouch glass controls, and it sits just below LG’s 2.1 cubic foot models in the same family. LG records 1.8 cubic feet, 120 volts, an energy use figure of 1600 watts, a listed weight of 61 pounds, a PrintProof stainless finish, and first availability in October 2022. The described features are Sensor Cook, LG Range Sync for the vent and light, SmoothTouch glass controls and Scan to Cook through the ThinQ app.
What it is and where it fits in a home
This is designed to be bought as part of a matched LG kitchen. Range Sync only does anything if the cooktop underneath is a compatible LG range, and Scan to Cook only does anything with the ThinQ app on a phone. Bought as a standalone hood replacement over another brand’s range, roughly half of what distinguishes it from the Samsung ME16A4021AS stops applying.
Two fields in the listing data contradict the product and should not be planned around. The installation type reads Countertop on a unit that is unambiguously over the range, and the published dimensions of 34 by 20 by 21 inches are far larger than a microwave built for a 30 inch opening, which points at the shipping carton. LG also records the oven cooking mode as Radiant and Convection without describing a convection program anywhere in the feature list, so convection is not something to state as present.
Living with it day to day
A 1.8 cubic foot cavity handles a dinner plate with room, a 3 quart casserole, and usually a 9 by 13 pan turned to fit. It is a practical size for a family, and the extra 0.1 or 0.2 cubic feet over the mainstream 1.6 and 1.7 cubic foot units is not something anyone notices in daily use.
What is noticed is the glass control surface. SmoothTouch is a flat panel rather than raised buttons, which wipes clean in one pass and has no crevices to collect grease, an advantage on a surface mounted directly above a cooking range. The tradeoff is the usual one for flat glass controls: no tactile feedback, and wet or greasy fingers can be less reliable than on a mechanical key.
Sensor Cook ends a cycle on humidity in the cavity rather than a set time, which suits reheating and steaming and does nothing for a dry item. PrintProof is LG’s fingerprint resistant finish, and on a panel this close to a cooktop that is a practical rather than cosmetic feature.
LG publishes no CFM figure and no fan speed count on this listing, and no sone or decibel rating, so the ventilation cannot be assessed at all from the data. That is a significant blank on an appliance whose second job is replacing a hood.
Controls and what still works without the app
Scan to Cook is the feature that most needs this section. It works by scanning the barcode on a frozen meal package with the ThinQ app, which then sends the cooking time and power to the microwave. It is a genuine convenience and it is entirely app dependent: with no phone, no app or no network, the barcode does nothing and the meal gets cooked by reading the box and entering a time, exactly as on any other microwave.
Range Sync is the second app assisted feature, though the vent and light response to the range below is handled between the appliances rather than through the phone once paired. The rest of the appliance is local. Sensor Cook, the auto cook presets, all the manual power levels, the vent fan speeds, the cooktop light, defrost and the timer all work from the SmoothTouch panel with the router unplugged.
The honest framing is that this is a complete microwave with a convenience layer bolted on, not a machine that needs an app to function. Buyers who want none of that layer can get the same cooking and venting from the GE JVM3160RFSS or the GE JVM6175SKSS with a keypad and no account.
Running cost and upkeep
The metal grease filters underneath wash, and how often depends entirely on the cooking below. If the installation recirculates rather than ducts outside, a charcoal filter becomes a consumable. LG does not publish the charcoal filter part number, the interval, or whether a change indicator exists on this model, so unlike the GE units that publish an indicator light, filter changes here are on the owner’s calendar unless the manual says otherwise.
The cooktop lamp is a routine replacement. Longer term the vent fan motor, door switches and turntable roller ring are the wear items, and at 61 pounds any removal is a two person job with a support underneath.
The electrical data needs care. LG publishes 120 volts, which is the sensible figure for a North American over the range microwave, and a 1600 watt energy use figure. It does not publish the amperage or state whether a dedicated circuit is expected. A 1600 watt input on a 120 volt supply is a heavy draw, so that is a question to settle from the installation manual before delivery rather than after, and it should not be guessed at. There is no Energy Star statement and no annual kilowatt hour figure, so no efficiency claim can be made in either direction.
Highlights
- SmoothTouch glass controls wipe clean in one pass, which matters directly above a cooktop.
- Sensor Cook, presets, venting and defrost all work with no network at all.
- Range Sync automates the vent and light with a compatible LG range.
- PrintProof finish on a panel that gets touched with cooking hands every day.
- 1.8 cubic feet is a genuinely usable family size for a 30 inch opening.
Things To Consider
- No CFM figure, fan speed count or noise rating is published anywhere on the listing.
- Installation type reads Countertop, which is wrong, and the dimensions look like carton figures.
- Scan to Cook is entirely app dependent and does nothing without a phone and a network.
- Range Sync requires a compatible LG range, so the feature depends on the rest of the kitchen.
- 1600 watts is a heavy draw and no amperage or circuit requirement is published.
Who it is not for
Anyone pairing this with another brand’s range loses Range Sync, which is a large part of the reason to pay for this model over a simpler one. Anyone who wants to compare ventilation on paper cannot do it here, and should buy from a listing that publishes a number, such as the 400 CFM GE JVM7195SKSS. People who dislike flat glass controls will prefer a keypad. Renters cannot install it, so the units in countertop microwave ovens are the route. And anyone who assumes Scan to Cook will still work in ten years is making a bet on an app rather than on an appliance.
