SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: CountertopSize: 17.3 x 10.1 x 14.1 inchesTurntable: 10 inchesCapacity: 0.7 cubic feetPower: 700 WFinish: BlackPower Levels: 10Features: Preprogrammed settings, Express keys, Auto Defrost, Auto Popcorn Replenishment, Control lockApp Control: Yes, Amazon Alexa
REASONS TO BUY:
+Voice-control
+App control from a smartphone
+ Reorders popcorn automatically
REASONS TO AVOID:
-Longer cooking times
-Preprogrammed settings don’t work well
Do you need a little more Jetson in your life? The AmazonBasics Microwave has voice control, but only in a limited way: When you press the Alexa button on the microwave, your commands are relayed to a nearby Amazon Alexa device (such as an Echo Dot). That means you’ll need an Alexa device in your kitchen to command the oven to “microwave for 60 seconds,” “reheat a cup of coffee,” or “defrost a pound bag of peas.” Reviewers found that the built-in Amazon Alexa assistant understood and followed directions clearly and that the voice-control feature worked well.
Auto Popcorn Replenishment is an intriguing function. The microwave keeps track of how many bags of popcorn you’ve consumed and orders more — from Amazon, of course — when you run out.
There are a couple of snags with this microwave, though: The presets didn’t work well with numerous quantities, according to CNet. When the oven microwaved three potatoes at once, they came out hard in the middle, despite the fact that they worked properly with a single potato. It’s a slow-heating microwave with only 700 watts of power. The AmazonBasics is the greatest budget smart microwave, and it’s ideal for heating up ramen noodles or making a cup of cocoa in an office or dorm room. If you plan to cook from scratch in your microwave, go for a larger, more powerful model.