- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Best Microwave
- Best Steam Sensor
- Fastest
- Notable Mentions
- Recent Updates
- All Reviews
- Comments
If you don't have much space on your counter, especially if your toaster or blender is taking up valuable real estate, consider a compact microwave. These small microwaves are less than 20 inches wide and 12 inches 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. But what about performance?
We bought 26 microwaves ranging 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; rather, it all comes down to what you're heating, how much food you're heating, and what container it's in. You can read about our methods and findings in our R&D article. As for inverter microwaves, which are marketed as the latest and greatest in microwave technology, we wanted to see how they stack up. The result? They perform about the same; see our article about the investigation for more details.
Ultimately, you won't go wrong getting a microwave on sale or even secondhand. More powerful microwaves can heat food faster, and there are a few useful features that aren't standard on all microwaves, like a mute function and a steam sensor. Or, you can choose a microwave based on its design. To help you find the best small microwave, we've sorted a few options by features and power to help you find a good value option. If you're looking for something bigger, check out the best value countertop microwaves.
Alternatively, if you're craving a convenient way to make crispy chicken wings or roasted vegetables, you might want to consider one of the best small air fryers or the best small toaster ovens. For your breakfast needs, check out our recommendations for the best 2-slice toasters or a quiet blender for early-morning smoothies.
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Best Value Small Microwave
Power6.3If you're looking for good value, the best small microwave is the GE JES1072SHSS. This compact model easily fits into smaller spaces like a dorm room or RV, and while its cooking chamber is small, it's big enough for a mug of coffee or a bowl of soup. You can mute the controls if you'd rather silence its button press and end-of-cycle beeping. It has all the basic features you can expect from a microwave, like a quick-start function, defrost and reheat modes, as well as 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 as fast as some other microwaves. One issue is availability: this model has been discontinued and is getting hard to find. While we haven't tested it, GE has a new model available, the GCST07N1WBB. The specifications, features, and dimensions are identical between these two models, except for the new model's slightly lower weight. Alternatively, if you don't mind a slightly larger pick, consider the Insignia NS-MW09SS8; with 900 watts of power, it heats food up faster, and it's still available for a budget-friendly price.
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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 to go for something a bit bigger. The Toshiba EM131A5C-BS isn't as compact as the previous pick, but it isn't gigantic and won't require a huge amount of space on your counter. It has several programs, including 'Potato,' 'Sensor Reheat,' and 'Frozen Pizza,' that use a steam sensor for a more automatic microwaving experience.
This 1100-watt microwave is much faster than the GE JES1072SHSS. Its chamber is a little bigger and can more easily accommodate dinner plates, although it's still on the small side and won't fit something like a casserole dish. You can mute its controls to silence its beeping and microwave in peace.
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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, with a wider cooking chamber that can accommodate dinner plates more easily. It has a different, sleeker appearance compared with the classic microwave, with minimal controls on the door. It has 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 actually heats food faster.
An additional control panel with the usual functions like reheating, defrosting, and popcorn is hidden behind the door. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a steam sensor or a mute function, which is disappointing for such an expensive microwave. That said, it's equipped with 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 design.
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
Recent Updates
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We've edited the text for clarity, but haven't made any changes to our recommendations.
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We've made edits throughout for clarity and added the GE GCST07N1WSS as an alternative to the GE JES1072SHSS for the 'Best Value Small Microwave,' as the JES1072SHSS has been discontinued and is becoming hard to find.
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We've made sure that the picks represent the best recommendations and that the products are in stock.
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We've checked the text for accuracy, but our recommendations have remained unchanged.
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We've made minor edits to the text and checked that the products are in stock. However, our recommendations have remained unchanged.
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.
Recommended Articles
Comments
Best Small Microwaves: Main Discussion
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Update: We’ve updated the results to more accurately reflect the blender’s performance. The score for Fibrous Ingredients (Small Batches) processing changed from 8.0 to 5.0 because of the blending time and the need to use a spatula. The score for Fibrous Ingredients (Full Capacity) processing changed from 9.5 to 7.0 because of the blending time.