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15 Best Countertop Microwave in 2024 - Buyer's Guide & Reviews

Alex MataChristine Kinahan
  May 20, 2024 4:23 PM

Microwaves are essential appliances used daily in most household kitchens. Many microwaves feature cooking presets that can perform various tasks with a button, like fresh steamed vegetables, defrosting chicken breasts, melting chocolate, softening butter, and baking potatoes. Some microwaves even have grilling and convection heating capabilities.


Overview

Microwaves deliver quick results, are simple to operate, and have a wide range of applications. Microwaves make quick work of tasks like defrosting poultry rapidly, softening brown sugar that has become hard, and making quick meals and snacks microwave.
 
The Best House Reviews has researched and evaluated hundreds of appliances that appliances such as toaster ovens, air fryers, and over-the-range microwaves are used to cook and reheat meals. When evaluating countertop microwaves, we were pleased to see that they don't have particular installations, are portable, and are typically inexpensive. There are several excellent compact microwave options, even if your kitchen is small and has little counter space.
 

TOP PICKS

1. Best Overall: TOSHIBA 7-in-1 Countertop Microwave Oven

Product’s Specifications

  • Dimensions: 20.6 x 16.3 x 11.8 Inches
  • Wattage: 1,000 watts
  • Size: 1 cubic foot
This microwave outperformed all others in a recent test we conducted by having the most evenly distributed heat. The inverter in this model eliminates the guesswork involved in microwaving food by automatically adjusting the time and power level based on the humidity level of the food. This option also features a mute button to turn off alarms and warnings when the cooking time is up (press and hold the 8 for five seconds).
 
 
Pros
  • Ideal wattage, size, and functional aspects
  • Convection oven, air fryer, and more
Cons
  • The control panel doesn't list any presets

2. Best Value: Panasonic NN-SN75LB 1.6 cu. ft Cyclonic Inverter 

Product’s Specifications

  • Dimensions: 21.8" x 19.1" x 12"
  • Wattage: 1,250 watts
  • Size:1.6 cubic feet
This Panasonic microwave is quick thanks to two things: It heats food more rapidly and uniformly thanks to its 1,250 watts of heating output, one of the highest wattages we tested, and its built-in inverter. It has many functions, including a "fast 30" button, more and fewer buttons that change cook durations in increments of 10 seconds, a rapid-minute timer, a delay-start function, and a child safety lock.
 
We adore the keep warm function, which can be turned on at the start of the cook cycle and continues to operate for up to 30 minutes after the cook cycle is over.
 
 
Pros
  • Evenly reheats food
  • Can increase or decrease cook times by ten-second intervals.
  • Keep-warm function
Cons
  • Unsatisfactory at defrosting

3.  Best Purchased Product: BLACK+DECKER Digital Microwave Oven with Turntable 

Product’s Specifications

  • Dimensions: 19.1" x 14.8" x 11.5"
  • Wattage: 900 watts
  • Size: 0.9 cubic feet
This small Black + Decker model is a fantastic option if you have limited counter space, live in a dorm room, or need a microwave primarily for reheating or cooking small food portions. We advise measuring your dinner plates or other microwaved crockery to ensure they fit inside. The 10-inch turntable can accommodate a small dinner plate or low-profile cup, but nothing more.
 
 
Pros
  • Tiny footprint
  • Sleek and fashionable
  • Up to three frequently used functions are programmable
Cons
  • Larger than 10-inch dinner plates cannot fit on the turntable.\

4. Best Value Product: Panasonic 4-in-1 Microwave Oven with Air Fryer

Product’s Specifications

  • Dimensions: ‎14.97" x 15.36" x 9"
  • Wattage: 1,000 watts
  • Size: 1.2 cubic feet
The HomeChef 4-in-1 Microwave Oven is more than just a standard microwave; it can carry out straightforward chores, like popping a bag of popcorn, and more difficult ones, like baking a cake in the convection oven or air frying chicken wings. Our tests revealed that the convection oven uniformly baked a nine-inch yellow cake, and the air fry feature produced crispy chicken wings.
 
 
Pros
  • Switch technology
  • 20 various presets
Cons
  • Several accessories need to be stored

5. Best Affordable Product: Breville Compact Wave Soft-Close Microwave Oven

Product’s Specifications

  • Dimensions: 19.1" x 16.4" x 11.5"
  • Wattage: 900 watts
  • Size: 9 cubic feet
The door was quieter than the other microwaves in our tests, but we could not verify that it was 80% quieter. This selection has buttons for defrosting, reheating, popcorn, preprogrammed beverages, and a food menu with options for "roasted" potatoes, reheating pizza, and defrosting frozen vegetables. In our tests, the popcorn setting popped nearly all of the popcorn kernels; however, regrettably, some of the popcorn did burn.
 
 
Pros
  • There are no fingerprints on the exterior
Cons
  • Several popcorn kernels burned during testing

Compare Products

TOP Choice
1
  • SCORE
    9.6
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Panasonic
TOP Choice
2
  • SCORE
    9.4
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Toshiba
TOP Choice
3
  • SCORE
    9.2
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Panasonic
TOP Choice
4
  • SCORE
    9.0
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Panasonic
TOP Choice
5
  • SCORE
    8.8
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Panasonic
6
  • SCORE
    8.6
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Toshiba
7
  • SCORE
    8.4
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Toshiba
8
  • SCORE
    8.2
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    GE
9
  • SCORE
    8.0
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Panasonic
10
  • SCORE
    7.9
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Toshiba
11
  • SCORE
    7.8
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Farberware
12
  • SCORE
    7.6
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Toshiba
13
  • SCORE
    7.4
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    Toshiba
14
  • SCORE
    7.2
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    BLACK+DECKER
15
  • SCORE
    7.0
    AI Score

    Our team of experts created the ranking technology product system known as AI Score. Based on the information gathered from customer earnings, our AI Consumer Report tool automatically scores it on a scale of 0 to 10. The websites of the manufacturer or the sales agent are unrelated to or unaffected by this score. Learn more

  • Brand
    BLACK+DECKER

Last update on 2024-05-20 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API


Buying Guide

What to look for when selecting the most OK microwave?

Many countertop microwave options could meet your needs and aesthetics, but these are the key characteristics to consider:

Size

This is significant and is denoted in cubic feet. For instance, our preferred compact countertop microwave pick can't fit an 11-inch dinner plate, but a small kitchen's top choice for large families might not be practical. Our research shows countertop microwaves are typically between 0.8 and 2.2 cubic feet, with 1.2 cubic feet being the most typical size.

Wattage

You can determine the microwave's power from this. A 700- to 900-watt microwave may be adequate for cooking popcorn, defrosting modest amounts of veggies, and reheating individual servings of food. Most packaged frozen meal heating instructions assume a microwave with a power output of 1,100 watts and 1,200 watts.

Intelligent sensors and inverters

These automatically gauge the heat of your meal to change the time and power level for you. Setting the microwave to a certain power level maintains that level throughout the heating process. So, rather than cooking at 100% for half the time and 0% for the other, like with a conventional microwave, while you cook at, say, 50% power, it will constantly cook at 50%.

Features

These days, the market is filled with many fantastic bells and whistles. The following are some that make using a microwave so much more straightforward:

  • Turntables: To ensure that your food heats evenly, rotate it. Without one, you would have to interrupt the cooking process in the middle so that you could flip your dish. Certain types oscillate. They are simpler to clean if removable.
  • A button for plus-30 seconds: It might seem insignificant, but it makes a significant impact because you can start or add more time immediately without hitting a bunch of buttons.
  • Preset features are commonplace these days, particularly for popping popcorn and reheating frozen food. However, you might choose a potato, drink, or melt preset. Look for microwaves with the required features because more features aren't necessarily better and tend to raise the price.


FAQs

1. Can a countertop microwave be housed within a cabinet?

Countertop microwaves are not meant to be kept in closed spaces like cabinets. By doing this, the air vents on the sides, top, or back of a microwave could become blocked, increasing the risk of fire and compromising safety. The next best choice is to install a microwave in your kitchen as a drawer or over-the-range mounted appliance to conserve counter space.

2. Should countertop microwaves have vents?

No. Air is recirculated through a filter and vented back into the kitchen in countertop microwaves. This is why avoiding obstructing the vents on the microwave's sides, or back is crucial.

3. Can you place a microwave on a countertop?

Mounting hardware is not included with countertop microwaves. They have a flat base, such as a countertop or an open shelf, on which to stand. If replacing a mounted microwave, carefully measure the opening and pick a model that fits.


Conclusion

The most excellent Countertop Microwave Ovens are reasonably priced and have unique features that set them apart from the competition. Check out our top list of best microwaves if you're in the market for a new one. The hard work of finding the top models on the market has been done for you by our team. Contact us if you need assistance selecting the best one for your house.


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