Best Microwave Oven

Finding the Best Microwave for your needs

Microwave ovens have come a long way since their beginning. Though microwave ovens today still cook foods as they were designed to decades ago, modern examples come loaded with user-friendly features that have since become expected. The main thing to focus on when shopping for a microwave oven is to weigh your own needs. Do you simply need a new microwave oven? Are you on a budget? Are you remodeling your house? Each of these categories require a different type of microwave oven. Our picks are broken down by the type of microwave oven, and then judged considering performance, features, price, and value.

Style
The term 'microwave oven' is very broad, as it actually covers several different categories. Generally, the type you're likely to find on store shelves are the countertop variety - these units do not need installation and sit on top of the counter, as the name suggests. Countertop microwave ovens tend to be cheaper, though they can also take up a lot of room if you're tight on space.

Another type of microwave oven is the built-in type. If you've been in a newer house, you've probably come across one of these before. Built-in microwave ovens are installed into housing, and cannot be moved around like a countertop microwave. These microwave ovens are usually quite large, and remain in place once they are installed.

The third major style of microwave oven is the over-the-range variety. These microwave ovens are also on the large side, and are installed over the kitchen stove where traditionally a vent hood would go. Over-the-range microwave ovens work just like any other microwave oven does, with the notable exception of an added ventilation function. This is a space-saving feature that takes advantage of the area above the stove top, combining both a vent hood and a functional microwave oven. If this is what you're looking for, check out the Best Over-the-Range Microwave Ovens.

Size
Microwave ovens come in a range of sizes. The price is usually proportional to size - bigger microwave ovens cost more, smaller ones cost less. With mainstream microwave ovens, three sizes are considered to exist: compact, medium, and large. Compact microwave ovens are designed to take up the least amount of space, and usually have capacities of less than 1 cubic foot. Cooking power is generally under 1000 watts, though keep in mind that these microwave ovens are best used for quick tasks like making popcorn or reheating leftovers. The next size up is 'medium', which refers to microwave ovens that have a capacity of anywhere from 1.1 cubic feet to 1.6 cubic feet. While that may not seem like much of a difference volume-wise, medium-size microwave ovens are substantially bigger than compact models and offer more cooking power. These models also come with preloaded functions and more features than compact microwave ovens. Unless you regularly cook large meals, medium size microwave ovens are best suited for countertop designs.

Large microwave ovens are enormous, and take up lots of counter space. This size of microwave oven offers more than 1.7 cubic feet of cooking space and loads of cooking power. Microwave ovens this big are usually overkill in most households, as items that can be cooked using one are more often placed in the traditional oven. Large microwave ovens are the most expensive, and it is usually better to go for medium size microwave ovens unless you absolutely need the extra capacity.

Performance & Features
With microwave ovens, the cooking power is measured in watts. A compact microwave oven may have 800 watts of cooking power while a common household medium-size microwave oven may have twice that. A general rule is that a higher watt rating is more desirable, but it makes little sense to have a compact 0.9 cubic foot capacity microwave oven with 1800 watts of cooking power, especially if it costs much more than the alternatives. Anywhere from 1000-1500 watts is considered satisfactory cooking power.

Many newer microwave ovens offer one-touch auto cook buttons that represent pre-programmed cooking lengths for different types of food. Though cheaper microwave ovens may only offer a 'popcorn' and 'defrost' setting, more fully-featured ones have one-touch cooking for recipes that you can program yourself. Some microwave ovens have 'Add Minute' buttons which do just that, so you can easily lengthen the cooking time if you see that your food is still not ready to come out.

A more recently introduced technology in microwave ovens is the inclusion of an inverter. While most microwave ovens will simply turn the magnetron on and off when running at less than 100% power, inverter-equipped microwave ovens can actually reduce power at a steady rate to provide more uniform cooking. Panasonic microwave ovens often feature inverter technology.

Another advancement in microwave oven design is the cook sensor. This ranges from sensors that can adjust power according to moisture levels to microwave ovens that can automatically cook your food and shut off when your food is ready to eat. While this isn't a strictly necessary feature for a good microwave oven, it is extremely convenient and reduces the risk of accidents.

Traditionally, microwave ovens could not 'brown' foods due to their cooking method. The microwaves merely excited water molecules inside the food to cook it from the inside, so no heat acts on the outside of the food itself. Convection microwave ovens change this by using fans to circulate heated air while cooking, combining microwave cooking with more traditional cooking methods. This type of oven will not provide the same cooking performance as a standard oven, but it is now possible to roast or bake foods in the microwave oven.

Price & Value
Due to the sheer amount of different options, the price for a microwave oven can vary. A microwave oven can cost $70 to over $2000. Larger, more feature-heavy microwaves tend to cost more than smaller models. Countertop microwave ovens are the most affordable, while the other two installed options are much more space-efficient. With this much variety, what is a good price for a microwave oven?

The first thing to keep in mind is that more expensive models are not necessarily better. A large size microwave with similar features as a medium size microwave will always cost more, but consider whether you have the space on your counter to house a large microwave oven. Also, think about whether you really need certain features. Our recommendation is to choose which size would best fit in your kitchen, and then go for models that have decent cooking power and are equipped with technologies that will enhance performance. Convection ovens are only useful if you rely on your microwave oven for big meals, but anybody can benefit from a cook sensor. Be reasonable with your expectations, and you can get a good budget microwave oven for $100-$150.