On Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:41:48 -0800 (PST), Chemo
> wrote:

>On Jan 18, 11:02*pm, "Cheri" > wrote:
>> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
>>
>> ...
>>
>> > The new microwave is great! *My only complaint is that the light does not
>> > come on when you open the door. Only when you are cooking. *Not such a big
>> > complaint I guess. *But it is smaller than the old one. *I wanted smaller.
>> > We mainly only use it to reheat a plate of food. *Although once in a while
>> > I will do a casserole in there if we want it quickly and don't care if it
>> > browns on the top. *I checked the casseroles that I kept and several will
>> > fit in there so it's all good. *Plus the red color looks great!
>>
>> Is it a Panasonic? Mine is, and I really like it but the light doesn't come
>> on except when it's cooking. I would like to have a light when I open the
>> door, dunno why they designed it that way.
>>
>> Cheri
>
>Why? Do you cook in the dark or not have lights in the kitchen?

For the same reason most stove ovens have an interior light... ovens
by the very nature of their configuration shade their interiors from
external light... maybe you wear a miner's lamp. Very often I will
check to see how food has progressed in my microwave, I would be very
annoyed if the light didn't come on when I opened the door. It's just
wrong for a microwave light not to come on when the door is opened...
it really doesn't need the light on when it's running because when the
door is closed it's near impossible to see food through that screen.
The microwave manufacturers who designed the unit so the light is on
when cooking but off when the door is open got it back assward.