The 9 Best Countertop Microwaves You Can Buy Right Now

This 1.2 cubic feet Toshiba has the perfect combination of price, size, and power. It has all the necessary features and more: presets for popcorn, pizza, and veggies, a child safety lock, one-touch express buttons for one to six minutes, and an additional 30 seconds button. You can also adjust the power level from one to ten to a maximum of 1,100 watts, the ideal power output for the widest range of uses. Also, the higher the wattage, the faster the cooking time. The soften/melt preset for chocolate, butter and cheese runs on a lower power setting to prevent it from burning or getting too hot.

We love the handlebar instead of a push button to open the door, which is more ergonomic. It features a mute button (hold the 8 down for five seconds) to turn off beeps and alerts when the cooking time ends. A smart sensor feature takes the guesswork out of reheating food — it measures the humidity in the food and adjusts the time and power level automatically. Some reviewers miss not having the beep that reminds you that food was left in the microwave.

Dimensions: 20.5 x 17.1 x 12.8 inches
Wattage: 1,100 watts
Size: 1.2 cubic feet

This Hamilton Beach microwave may be low-priced, but it doesn’t equate to poor performance. It has a power output of 1,000 watts, usually found in models at a higher price point. It comes with all important features: an add 30 seconds button, a child safety lock, six cooking presets for potato, popcorn, pizza, beverage (one push for every four ounces - so useful for reheating coffee!), frozen dinner and reheat, and one-touch express buttons for one to six minutes. We love the kitchen timer that can work simultaneously with the cook cycle.

It can also be mounted onto the wall, although it doesn’t have a venting system like most over-the-range microwaves. Some reviewers have reported that it makes a loud whooshing noise, but it doesn’t affect how well food heats.

Dimensions: 21.2 x 16.1 x 11.8 inches
Wattage: 1,000 watts
Size: 1.1 cubic feet

The Toastwave is not just a regular microwave, it is also a toaster oven, convection oven, and air fryer all in one sleek-looking machine. This 4-in-one appliance can perform simple tasks like toasting your morning bagel to more complicated jobs such as baking salmon in the convection oven or air frying chicken wings.

Unlike some traditional microwaves that tend to heat food unevenly, this will not leave your food with cold and hot spots: many cheaper microwaves pulse on and off leading to uneven heating, but this is equipped with an inverter that creates continuous heat so your food is evenly heated throughout. It also has a sensor cooking feature to ensure your food is never under- or overcooked.

Dimensions: 21.3 x 22.3 x 12.6 inches
Wattage: 1,000 watts
Size: 1.2 cubic feet

If you dream of having a smart, voice-controlled kitchen, this Toshiba microwave is a strong addition. Using hands-free Alexa technology, you can say "defrost eight ounces of ground beef" and it will do the rest while your hands are busy chopping vegetables. There's also an app option available, if you want to put your food in the microwave, and start dinner heating so it is hot and ready when you get home.

The smart sensor automatically detects moisture and heat, making sure that your food is evenly cooked. And there's a mute function installed so you can turn the sound off if you are reheating a late-night snack and don't want to wake up the house.

Dimensions: 16.6 x 20.4 x 12.4 inches
Wattage: 1100 watts
Size: 1.3 cubic feet

If you have limited counter space or simply need a microwave for reheating or cooking small amounts of food, this compact Black + Decker microwave is a great choice. The 10-inch turntable can fit up to a small dinner plate or low-profile mug, but nothing bigger. As a reference point, the interior dimensions are about 12 x 13 x 8 inches.

It not only features presets for popcorn, potato, frozen vegetables and more, but it also allows you to program up to three functions you most use. Some of the key functions on the control panel are black lettering over a grey background, which can make it difficult to see in dim lighting.

Dimensions: 19.1 x 14.8 x 11.5 inches
Wattage: 900 watts
Size: 0.9 cubic feet

We love the thoughtful construction of Breville appliances (likethis microwave that is also an air-fryer and a convection oven) — this quiet and attractive microwave is no different. A mute button turns off all beeps and the soft-close door claims to be 80 percent quieter than most microwaves in the market. We no longer remind our kids to shut the door to the microwave gently — even when slammed, it automatically catches and closes quietly. The control panel is large and the slightly raised buttons are easy to press. Instead of a numeric keypad, you get an ergonomic dial that feels like it clicks as it toggles through minutes and seconds quickly.

It features pre-programmed buttons for defrost, reheat, popcorn, beverage and a food menu that houses the presets for “baked” potatoes, reheating pizza, and defrosting frozen vegetables — they are coded, so it may take a few tries to remember which code goes with which function. Reviewers love that food heats consistently and evenly.

Dimensions: 19.1 x 16.4 x 11.5 inches
Wattage: 900 watts
Size: 0.9 cubic feet

Two factors make this Panasonic microwave fast: it has 1,250 watts of heating power, one of the highest we tested, and a built-in inverter that helps heat food more quickly and evenly. Typically, microwaves mimic low heat by turning the power on and off repeatedly, which can result in uneven cooking. It also takes longer. Inverters help deliver power continuously without the stop and go. In our tests, microwaves with inverters did a good job reheating food evenly and excelled at baking potatoes, but couldn’t defrost ground beef as well as regular microwaves. It also has a smart sensor that detects the amount of steam released by the food and adjusts both power level and cooking time for the best outcome.

It’s loaded with features like a quick 30, a more and a less button to adjust cook times by 10-second increments, a quick-minute timer, a delay start feature, and a child safety lock. We love the keep warm feature that runs for up to 30 minutes after a cook cycle ends — it can be added at the beginning of the cook cycle! The sensor cook button has an impressive 14 presets from oatmeal to fish fillets, but hold onto your owner’s manual because those are a lot of codes to remember.

Dimensions: 21.8 x 19.1 x 12 inches
Wattage: 1,250 watts
Size: 1.6 cubic feet

This Panasonic microwave has long been one of our favorites since we first tested it about a decade ago. With a capacity of 1.6 cubic feet, this microwave boasts a smooth easy-to-clean control panel and a large interior, making it a great model for families or anyone who wants to pop an entire casserole dish in the microwave.

In our tests, it cooked food evenly without cold spots and delivered perfectly steamed broccoli using its sensors. These smart sensors can adjust the cook time after it measures the amount of steam released by the food. This model also has an inverter that helps heat food more quickly and evenly.

Dimensions: 12 x 19.1 x 21.8 inches
Wattage: 1,250 watts
Size: 1.6 cubic feet

You’ll never have to stand around waiting for your microwave to beep with this smart microwave. Using the Whirlpool app on your smartphone or tablet and a WiFi connection you can start the microwave, monitor the cooking progress through the app, and even send multiple commands to the microwave at once. If your hands are busy prepping other foods, the microwave can also be controlled through voice commands using Google Assistant or an Alexa-enabled device.

This feature-rich microwave also has scan to cook technology, which allows you to scan the barcode of frozen items and have cooking instructions sent directly to the microwave. While most microwaves have popcorn presets, they often leave popcorn with either burned pieces or too many unpopped kernels. With the AccuPop Cycle, it uses sound sensors to track the time between pops to help prevent the popcorn from burning.

Dimensions: 17.2 x 29.9 x 16 inches
Wattage: 1,100 watts
Size: 1.9 cubic feet