- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best Microwave
- Best Steam Sensor
- Fastest
- Notable Mentions
- All Reviews
- Comments
If you don't have much space on your counter for another appliance (especially if your toaster or blender is taking up that valuable real estate), you may want to consider a compact microwave. These small microwaves are less than 20" wide and 12" tall overall. While they can all accommodate a mug or a dinner plate, they won't be suitable for reheating full meals in casserole dishes or mixing bowls.
If you know you're looking for a small microwave, your next concern is probably microwave performance. An ideal microwave would heat, reheat, and defrost quickly and evenly without leaving hot and cold spots. However, our conclusion after months of research and investigation? Don't worry about it.
We bought 26 microwaves ranging in price from less than $100 to over $1,000 and spent months investigating how they perform. After plenty of microwaving, we found no real difference between models. None of them are amazing at heating food evenly. Instead, it all depends on what you're heating, what amount of it there is, and what container it's in. Thinner mixtures like soup heat more evenly than mashed potatoes, and foods with a higher water content heat up differently from dryer foods. You can read about everything we did and what we found in our R&D article. That's not all: since inverter microwaves are marketed as the latest and greatest in microwave science, we wanted to ensure they don't perform better. They don't; you can read more about it in our article about the investigation.
So which microwaves should you get? You won't go wrong getting one on sale or secondhand. That said, more powerful microwaves can heat food faster, and you can also choose a microwave based on features or design. There are a few useful features that aren't standard on all microwaves: a mute function and a steam sensor. This isn't a list of the best small microwaves, but we've sorted a few options by feature and power to help you find a good value option.
-
Best Value Small Microwave
Power6.3If you're looking for good value, the best small microwave is the GE JES1072SHSS. This microwave's cooking chamber is big enough for a mug of coffee or a bowl of soup, and it can easily fit into smaller spaces like dorm rooms and RVs. You can mute its controls if you'd rather silence its button and end-of-cycle beeping. It has all the basic features you can expect, like a quick-start function, defrost and reheat modes, and a popcorn button. However, it doesn't have a steam sensor, so you have to manually select the cooking time or input the weight of your food.
Like most smaller microwaves we've tested, it's not that powerful—only 700 watts—and not that fast. If you're concerned about speed, the Insignia NS-MW09SS8 is somewhat bigger but also faster, with 900 watts of power, and it's still available for a budget-friendly price.
-
Best Value Small Microwave With A Steam Sensor
Power9.4The smallest microwaves we've tested don't have steam sensors, so if you want that feature, you may need a bigger option. The Toshiba EM131A5C-BS isn't as compact as the previous pick, but it isn't gigantic. It won't require a huge amount of space on your counter. It has several programs that use a steam sensor, including 'Potato,' 'Sensor Reheat,' and 'Frozen Pizza,' which can make microwaving more automatic.
This 1100-watt microwave is much faster than the smaller GE JES1072SHSS. Its chamber is a little bigger and can more easily accommodate bigger dinner plates, although it's still on the small side and won't fit something like a casserole dish. It also includes a 'mute controls' function.
-
Fastest Small Microwave
Power10If money is no object, you can get a super-fast small microwave like the LG LMC0975ST. This option is a few inches wider than our top pick, but it's still small, and its wider cooking chamber can accommodate dinner plates more easily. It has a very slick look, with minimal controls on the door. There's no button or handle—you open it by pulling on an indent in the door. At 1000 watts, it has less overall power than the previous pick but heats food faster.
You can access an additional control panel with the usual functions like reheating, defrosting, and popcorn by opening the door. However, it doesn't have a steam sensor or a mute function, which is disappointing for such an expensive microwave. It has an inverter, which adds to its cost and won't affect performance for most uses. Still, it's a good small option if you want a very fast microwave or prefer its sleek look.
Notable Mentions
- Cuisinart CMW-70: The Cuisinart CMW-70 is smaller than the GE JES1072SHSS, but only by millimeters. You might prefer it if you want a handle instead of a button for opening the door, but it's even slower than the GE and doesn't include a mute function. See our review
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best small microwaves for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all microwave reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no microwave is perfect, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you look for them.