5 Best Microwaves For Your Kitchen

Microwave ovens always have been a special place in our kitchens due to the convenience they bring. They can reheat, defrost, cook, and melt all kinds of food and ingredients. They are great for instant food items, as well, such as ramen, soup, or whatever else. 

The great thing about microwave ovens is that they are not difficult to use. The settings are pretty intuitive and it doesn’t take long to figure out what the various buttons do. With this, you can get the instant heat for your cold burrito, pizza, pasta, or whatever comes out of your chilly fridge.

The five microwave ovens that are featured here are some of the best that the market has to offer. They can suit the needs of both professional and home kitchens quite well. Go ahead and read more about them!

Best Microwaves Comparison & Rating

Want to Learn More?

Before you decide to buy a microwave oven, you might want to find out more about the best options available. This is to make sure that you will absolutely enjoy the microwave oven that you would get for your kitchen. Also, be sure to click the yellow buttons below to see their best deals on Amazon! With that, here are five of the best options that we found especially for you.

Panasonic Microwave Oven

Panasonic Microwave Oven NN-SN686S Stainless Steel Countertop/Built-In with Inverter Technology and Genius Sensor, 1.2 Cubic Foot, 1200W
Specifications

Dimensions

15.81 x 20.69 x 12.25 inches

Color

Silver

Wattage

1200W

Weight

25.5 pounds

Rating: 97% Overall
97%
durability
96%
performance
97%
design
98%
capacity
Pros
  • Sleek and modern design
  • High-powered with 1200W
  • Comes with a 1.2 cubic-foot capacity
  • Comes with a 13.4-inch turntable
  • Adjusts time and temperature based on the type of food
  • Comes with keep warm features
Cons
  • Needs constant cleaning to get rid of the last item’s smell
  • The warranty does extend outside the country.
Verdict

This is an absolutely beautiful microwave oven with a sleek and polished body and a novel control interface. This can generate sufficient heat when defrosting or cooking, so it doesn’t take long to process food items. This also comes with a sensor feature that automatically detects the type of food it needs to cook or defrost. It then changes the time and temperature needed to do that. Using this microwave, keeping things like soups, gravies, and others warm is a touch away.


Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Microwave Oven

Toshiba EM131A5C-BS Microwave Oven with Smart Sensor, Easy Clean Interior, ECO Mode and Sound On/Off, 1.2 Cu.ft, Black Stainless Steel
Specifications

Dimensions

20.5 x 17.1 x 12.8 inches

Color

Black Stainless Steel

Wattage

1100W

Weight

34.6 pounds

Rating: 95% Overall
96%
durability
94%
performance
93%
design
95%
capacity
Pros
  • Comes with 10 power settings
  • The control panel is intuitive and user friendly.
  • One-touch popcorn and defrost settings
  • 12.4-inch turntable
  • Made of high-quality stainless steel for durability
  • Sleek and smooth black design
  • Large digital display for visibility
  • Pre-programmed settings for frozen pizza, rice, and more
Cons
  • Metal parts can rust if not cleaned and dried properly after use.
  • Not ideal for limited kitchen spaces
  • The electrical plug is not a flat, wall-hugger type plug.
Verdict

This is a solid microwave oven that will suit most home needs with no problems. The display is truly intuitive, so there should be no problems making the right inputs. The 10 power settings let you choose what you want to do, from popping popcorn to reheating any kind of food you want. The controls are quite responsive as well, so you can set the time and power as you please. Once you’re done, cleaning the microwave is a breeze. 


COMFEE' EM720CPL-PM Countertop Microwave 

COMFEE' EM720CPL-PM Countertop Microwave Oven with Sound On/Off, ECO Mode and Easy One-Touch Buttons, 0.7Cu.Ft/700W, Pearl White
Specifications

Dimensions

17.3 x 13.4 x 10.2 inches

Color

Pearl White

Wattage

700W

Weight

20.3 pounds

Rating: 93% Overall
95%
durability
91%
performance
95%
design
89%
capacity
Pros
  • Comes with 11 power levels
  • Perfect for popcorn, pizza, burritos, and more
  • Two defrost settings
  • Comes with mute function and child safety lock
  • Comes with 0.7 cubic-foot capacity
  • Made of high-quality stainless steel for sturdiness
  • 12.4-inch glass turntable
  • Ideal for limited kitchen spaces
Cons
  • The metal parts can rust if not cleaned properly.
  • Gunk can build up if not cleaned regularly.
  • The unit is quite small and can only process a small amount of food at a time.
Verdict

Defrosting, reheating, or cooking food items with this microwave oven is so effortless. The controls are responsive, so there’s no need to push too hard. The settings are intuitive, so there’s no need to fiddle with the timer and temperature controls to get the perfect results. The bright digital display and the panel are all convenient for putting in the setting you want. The mute function also keeps the microwave quiet in case you don’t like the beeping notification sound.


Farberware Stainless Steel Countertop Microwave Oven

Farberware 1.1 Cu. Ft. Stainless Steel Countertop Microwave Oven With 6 Cooking Programs, LED Lighting, 1000 Watts
Specifications

Dimensions

Dimensions - 20.2 x 16.54 x 12.03 inches

Color

Stainless Steel

Wattage

1000W

Weight

25.8 pounds

Rating: 92% Overall
95%
durability
90%
performance
91%
design
92%
capacity
Pros
  • Sleek and smooth design
  • Responsive and sturdy handle
  • Made of high-quality stainless steel for durability
  • The 1000W power ensures quick popping, defrosting, or cooking.
  • 12.5-inch glass turntable
  • Clear and bright display
  • LED lights highlights cooking settings to allow cooking under dim light
Cons
  • Spatter can blacken and burn if not cleaned right away.
  • Produces minimal sound while heating food items
Verdict

This microwave oven deserves a place in every kitchen. It’s quite easy to use, with the temperature and time controls being intuitive and user-friendly. There are 10 power levels to choose from, which allows for more accuracy depending on what you will do. The six cooking programs also remove any need to guess how long it would take to warm or cook pizza or frozen lasagna. Cleaning this microwave oven is also quite easy. 


BLACK+DECKER Digital Microwave Oven

BLACK+DECKER Digital Microwave Oven with Turntable Push-Button Door, Child Safety Lock, Stainless Steel, 0.9 Cu.ft
Specifications

Dimensions

19.1 x 14.8 x 11.5 inches

Color

Stainless Steel

Wattage

900W

Weight

30.6 pounds

Rating: 88% Overall
89%
durability
87%
performance
91%
design
85%
capacity
Pros
  • Sleek, polished design
  • Made of high-quality stainless steel for durability
  • The LED light indicates when the water is still boiling.
  • Comes with a child-safety lock
  • Comes with 10 power settings
  • Has a 30-second express cooking feature
  • Perfect for kitchen with a limited space
Cons
  • The unit is quite small and can only process a small amount of food at a time.
Verdict

For smaller kitchens, this is a great microwave oven option. It has enough capacity to suit most needs of single servings. The 10.6-inch glass turntable is enough to accommodate most popcorn bags, bowls, and plastic containers. The 10 power settings also let you control just how much power you will need for reheating or cooking food. This microwave oven is also built sturdy. It is guaranteed to last a long time.

Microwave Oven Buyer's Guide

durability

Since microwave ovens are so handy, they will often see a lot of use. As such, they need to be durable so that they will be able to function for a long time. This means that the interface needs to be responsive, the turntable rotates easily and smoothly, the LED lights still need to be bright, and the heat should still be consistent even after months or years of use.

Quality

The quality of the materials used for microwave ovens must be of the highest kind. Microwave ovens are sensitive machines that regulate a lot of power. They also regularly come into contact with food, so the materials would also need to be food-grade and free of toxic substances. 

convenience

Microwave ovens are already considered tools for convenience, but they can be better. More intuitive interfaces would make them even easier to use. More power settings mean more accuracy when using it and the presets for defrosting or reheating would remove the guesswork from the task.

easy to clean

Both the outside and the inside of the microwave oven must take no effort to clean. Doing so generally involves wiping the surfaces with a damp cloth to get rid of any spills, spatter, and burnt oils. As such, the interior must be easily accessible and the surfaces should be smooth.

design

The design of microwave ovens need to be intuitive and functional. This means that the interface buttons must be big enough to accommodate most people’s fingertips. The LED display should be bright and easy to see, even in the dark. The glass on the lid should also be clear so that the interior is visible. 

FAQs

Can microwave ovens cook raw food?

It’s generally not advised to cook raw food in the microwave. However, it can handle things like bacon, ham, or other cold cuts, instant noodles, soup, and the like.

Can I reheat or defrost fish in microwaves?

You can, but it would be more hygienic and generally good manners if you cover the fish when you do so. The fish smell tends to remain inside and could affect other food items.

What features should microwaves have?

The most basic functions that a microwave oven should have is defrosting, reheating, and melting. It should have preset for those particular functions. The control panel will take care of everything else in terms of time and temperature.

Can I use aluminum foil in a microwave oven?

Metal of any kind cannot be used in a microwave oven, which includes aluminum foils. Some plastic wraps and containers are also not safe for use in microwaves.