A countertop microwave is pretty much the traditional appliance that most people have in their homes, though under mounted style microwaves are becoming more and more popular – though they lack the capacity and the technology that your countertop microwave will. The question now is, what is the best countertop microwave for you? Read our guide and let us recommend the best options on the market right now.
Choosing a Countertop Microwave
If you’re going to be purchasing a new countertop microwave or upgrading your old and existing appliance you want to make sure that you zero in on key features like the ones we highlight below.
The door means everything
Most people aren’t going to think of their microwave door as a game changing feature when purchasing a countertop unit, but it is a lot more important than most people realize. Not only will you need a door that opens in the right direction to maximize your counterspace but you also need a door that’s going to insulate your microwave as much as possible to increase its output efficiency.
Easy to use controls
The best countertop microwaves feature more bells and whistles than ever before, but taking advantage of everything your appliance has to offer is going to depend entirely on how easy it is to leverage all of those features. Look for one with an easy to use control scheme that you can get comfortable with, even in the dark.
Easy to clean and maintain
Obviously your countertop microwave is going to be one of the most frequently used appliances in your kitchen and you want to make sure that it is kept in perfect working order regular basis. A system that is easy to clean and maintain is a lot less of a headache than one you have to struggle to keep hygienic every time you want to heat something.
Powerful inverter technology
If you want a lot of control over your countertop microwave when it comes to how it heats and whether or not it heats things efficiently and evenly you need to look for a system that has a powerful inverter built right in. Those that are “set it and forget it at power level 10” may not need to focus on inverters quite as much, but anyone that wants more control would do well to focus on features like this.
Don’t go too big
Size certainly matters when you are getting a brand-new microwave, especially one that’s going to sit on top of your countertop and chew up quite a bit of your precious kitchen real estate. 2.2 ft.³ countertop microwaves sound like they can handle anything and everything short of a Thanksgiving turkey, but that’s a lot of space you’re giving up – and a lot of capacity that you probably don’t need on a regular basis.
Find a unit that suits your needs perfectly and go in that direction.
Best Countertop Microwave – Our Top Picks
There are lots of countertop microwaves available on the market, so you can choose the one you like. On the other side, some are better than the others. Today, we’re going to list some options which really hit the target with consumers. Each one is affordable and comes from a trusted manufacturer.
• Toshiba EM131A5C-BS
• Panasonic NN-SD945S
• HomeLabs 1050 Watt
• LG LCRT2010ST