The best microwaves for every family size and budget.
The greatest microwaves will be dependable and provide you with the ease of swiftly cooking and heating your tasty meals. The greatest microwaves will not only be easy to use and clean, but they will also have useful functions. Automatic programs that adjust the time based on the weight of the food, as well as multi-functional ones that can grill, bake, and air fry, are examples.
However, with so many various varieties on the market, deciding which microwave is ideal for you can be difficult. We’ve done the legwork for you and compiled this guide to assist you. Here are the best microwaves for any kitchen, lifestyle, and budget, ranging from a smart-enabled microwave to a small version.
To keep your microwave looking new, you may need to know how to clean a microwave. Alternatively, if you’re in the market for a new refrigerator, these top refrigerators will keep your vegetables fresh.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: CountertopSize: 19.2 x 15.9 x 11.5 inchesTurntable: 10.6 inchesCapacity: 0.9 cubic feetPower: 900 WFinishes: Stainless steel, Black stainless steelPower Levels: 13Features: Preprogrammed settings, Express keys, Control lockApp Control: No
REASONS TO BUY:
+Inexpensive
+Very even cooking performance
+Preprogrammed and express settings
REASONS TO AVOID:
-No sensors for automatic reheating
Most appliances have a sweet spot where the price, performance, and features are all balanced. That is the case with the affordable Toshiba EM925A5A microwave oven, which cooks evenly and rapidly and has preprogrammed settings for popular foods like popcorn, “baked” potatoes, and pizza.
There aren’t many fancy features here; there’s no voice control and no sensors to properly detect the setting and time. However, there are some wonderful convenience features, such as Express Cook: You can microwave for 1 to 6 minutes by pressing any of the buttons from 1 to 6, then pressing Start. Toshiba even includes a mute button to eliminate beeping, so you can nuke a midnight snack without letting anyone know you’re breaking your diet.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: CountertopSize: 17 x 10 x 13 inchesTurntable: 10.75 inchesCapacity: 0.7 cubic feetPower: 700 WFinishes: Stainless steel, Black, WhitePower Levels: 10Features: Preprogrammed settings, Express keys, Auto defrost, Control lockApp Control: No
REASONS TO BUY:
+Simple, clean design
+Compact size
+Preprogrammed and express settings
REASONS TO AVOID:
-Slightly long cooking times
If you just have a small amount of counter space, the GE JES1072SHSS is a good choice. You get a stylish design with a small footprint, yet a turntable that’s the same size as larger ones. However, because it only has 700 watts of cooking capacity, cooking times may be longer than expected. This GE is a fantastic choice if you can’t live without a microwave for a quick cup of tea or reheating frozen dinners, but it’s probably not the ideal choice if you use your microwave to cook dinner on a regular basis.
Despite its compact size, this oven has a number of preprogrammed settings for things like popping corn, reheating, and defrosting, which you’ll probably use a lot.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: CountertopSize: 14 x 24 x 19 inchesTurntable: 16 inchesCapacity: 2.2 cubic feetPower: 1,200 WFinish: Stainless steelPower Levels: 10Features: Sensors, Popcorn button, Add 1 minute, Auto Defrost, Keep warm setting, Delay start, Control lockApp Control: No
REASONS TO BUY:
+Large turntable holds large dishes
+Heats evenly
+Sensor cooking
REASONS TO AVOID:
-Expensive
If you make everything in the microwave, such as poached salmon or tamale pie, you’ll need a larger one. On its massive 16-inch turntable, the GE Profile JES2251SJ can hold a big baking dish for a ziti or enchilada casserole. Its enormous size will come in handy over the holidays for zapping a tray of roasted veggies or turkey slices to warm them up. Thanks to 1,200 watts of electricity, this oven heats evenly and rapidly, according to reviewers.
The GE has a sensor that determines when items are done cooking. You can utilize the more or less button if you prefer your vegetables crispier or more tender than the sensor “thinks” they should be. There’s a special warm setting on this oven for keeping a meal at serving temperature while you wait for everyone to arrive.
The size and technology of this oven, as you could guess, raise the price. This microwave is more than double the price of our smaller picks, at over $300.
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.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: CountertopSize: 12 x 21 x 10 inchesTurntable: 13. 5 inchesCapacity: 1.1 cubic feetPower: 1,100 WFinish: Black stainless steelPower Levels: 10Features: Sensor, Convection, Grilling, Air frying, Auto defrost, Stick-resistant interiorApp Control: No
REASONS TO BUY:
+Convection, Grill, and Air Frying capabilities
+Sensor cooking
REASONS TO AVOID:
-Expensive
When it comes to adaptability, the Samsung MC11K7035CG/AA is unrivaled. It can bake, broil, toast, and air fry in addition to microwaving. That means getting rid of your toaster and air fryer will give you more counter space. To get both speed and browning, combine microwaves with convection or grilling. While in combi mode you may lose some browning and crisping, it may be worth it when the kids inquire, “When is dinner going to be ready?” And, during the holidays, you can use the second oven to heat up dinner rolls or a casserole while the main oven is busy cooking a turkey or ham.
Sensors and preprogrammed settings are in handy while microwaving. The oven cavity features a scratch-resistant ceramic enamel finish that’s designed to be easy to clean, something you’ll appreciate if you roast splatter-prone meals like chicken.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: CountertopSize: 15.8 x 12.2 x 29.7 inchesTurntable: 13.4 inchesCapacity: 1.1 cubic feetPower: 1000 WFinish: Stainless steelPower Levels: 11Features: Preprogrammed settings, Sensor cooking, Quick 30 seconds, Turbo Defrost, Infrared broiler, Keep Warm, Control lockApp Control: No
REASONS TO BUY:
+Infrared broiler
+Sensor cooking
+Keep warm setting
REASONS TO AVOID:
-Expensive
If you want the quickness of a microwave with the browning and crisping of a broiler, the Panasonic NN-GN68KS is the finest microwave for you. Both functions can be used at the same time, which is excellent for recipes like macaroni and cheese that need to be soft and creamy on the inside but crunchy on the outside. It also comes with a variety of preprogrammed microwave cooking, reheating, and defrosting options.
This microwave, unlike most others, features a keep-warm function that can keep a dish warm for up to 30 minutes. You won’t have to reheat or serve a cold casserole if the family is late to the dinner. While this model is more expensive than other countertop microwaves, it’s well-made, and you can even buy a trim kit if you want to incorporate it into a wall to free up counter space.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: CountertopSize: 21.3 x 12.4 x 16.1 inches turntable: 12.8 inches Capacity: 1.4 cubic feet power: 1000 WFinish: Stainless steel, black with stainless steel, WhitePower Levels: 10Features: Preprogrammed settings, Sensor cooking, Quick 30 seconds, Auto Defrost, Express keys, Certified for Orville Redenbacher popcorn, Control lock app Control: No
REASONS TO BUY:
+Streamlined look
+Sensor cooking
+Certified for Orville Redenbacher popcorn
REASONS TO AVOID:
-Expensive
With the Sharp SMC1442CS and Orville Redenbacher popcorn, you’ll get the best results. The popcorn button in the oven has been tested and programmed using Orville microwave popcorn, which has been confirmed by the brand as having the best taste, aroma, and yield. Even if you never eat popcorn, this is an excellent microwave to consider. It contains sensors and preset pads that give you perfect results with everything from a “baked” potato to frozen lasagna.
If you don’t like multistep programming, you can simply press one of the buttons from 1 to 6 to receive a certain length of cooking time. It has a huge turntable that can rotate a baking dish of reasonable size. This stainless steel Sharp is not only affordable, but it also has a sleek, modern appearance.