Best Countertop Microwaves

While back in the day people only relied on gas or fire whenever they needed to cook their food, nowadays, the options include the multi-purpose microwave oven that has innovated and eased the cooking process. The latest models come with useful features designed to simply defrosting, cooking or reheating and their increasing popularity is a sign that the kitchen appliances field really needed these small yet amazing units. Given the popularity of these appliances, no wonder the market abounds with models of various sizes and designs, enough to meet the needs and tastes of every customer. Since it’s so important to do some research and to compare various products, we thought we would give you a hand in finding the best countertop microwave ovens and we selected the top 5 products we believed to be the most reliable.

Top 5 Countertop Microwaves Comparison

	1. Samsung MC12J8035CT	2. LG LCRT2010ST	3. Panasonic NN-SN651BAZ	4. Danby Designer	5. Westinghouse WCM11100SS
	BEST MODEL	OUR CHOICE
Design Specifications
Size (inches)	18.5 x 20.8 x 15.9	23.9 x 19.2 x 13.6	20.7 x 15.8 x 12.25	15.9 x 21.2 x 11.8	15.9 x 21.2 x 11.8
Weight (pounds)	62.8	54	23.4	36.6	35.3
Color	Stainless Steel	Stainless Steel	Black, White	Black, White, Stainless Steel	Black, White, Black w/Stainless Steel trim
Door Type	Drop Down, Glass w/ handle	Push-open, Glass	Push-open, Glass	Push-open, Glass	Push-open, Glass
Control Panel	Glass Touch Buttons	Touch buttons	Push buttons	Touch buttons	Touch buttons
LED Display
Interior	Ceramic Enamel	Ceramic Enamel	Ceramic Enamel	Chrome/Stainless Steel	Ceramic Enamel
Performance
Capacity(cubic feet)	1.2	2	1.2	1.1	1.1
Power(watts)	1600	1200	1200	1000	1000
Cooking technology	Power Convection Technology	TrueCookPlus	Inverter Technology	Microwave	Microwave
Cooking Power Levels	10	N/A	10	10	10
Turntable Diameter(inches)	N/A	16	13 1/2	9 1/2	N/A
Features
Sensor Cooking
Auto Cook Presets
Timer
Child Lock
Interior Light
Beep Reminder
Keep Warm
Defrost	Auto Defrost	Express Defrost	Turbo Defrost	Speed Defrost	Speed Defrost
Other Features	POWERGRILL DUO	EasyClean Interior	Quick Minute	Cook by Weight	Auto Weight
	SLIM FRY	Add Time	Delay Start	Defrost by Weight
	EcoMode
Warranty&Support
Parts and Labor Warranty	1 year, 10 years for magnetron	1 year, 10 years for magnetron	2-Year	18 months	1 year, 5 years for magnetron
Customer Support
User Manual

Top Rated 2017 Countertop Microwaves Reviews

1. Samsung MC12J8035CT

For the most demanding of you who want a cutting-edge unit that will complement the design of their kitchen, we recommend the Samsung MC12J8035CT because it’s a true work of art. At first glance, you will discover a sleek shiny item with a glass door and touch control panel and a large handle that breaks the lines. Inside, the spacious 1.2 cu.ft. oven can hold various sizes of pans and plates enough to feed an entire family. The enamel-coated interior is scratch-resistant and so easy to clean that you can simply wipe it with a cloth. Thanks to the outstanding 1600 watts power, the oven can heat to up to 10 levels and the food will be evenly cooked regardless the time chosen. The cooking innovation comes with the powerful convection technology that includes hot air that circulates inside the oven in order to penetrate the food properly.
Although the unit doesn’t feature a sensor option, it comes with auto cook pre-set programs and a grill function that allows you to extend your cooking skills. For those who prefer frying rather than broiling, the oven features a Slim Fry technology that can make delicious foods without adding oil. Convenience features like a timer, a quick defrost or Keep Warm complete the utility of this product.

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2. LG LCRT2010ST

To continue the list of innovative products, we have chosen the LG LCRT2010ST model that also brings a novelty in the kitchen. We are referring to the TrueCook Plus technology that takes away the guessing from cooking and helps you set the right time and temperature for each type of foods, based on a series of codes that you can find on the item’s packaging. In addition, the unit boasts a sensor cooking technology that measures the level of humidity in the food and calculates cooking time and intensity for the ultimate results. It’s a very large oven with a 2.0 cu.ft. Capacity and a 16” wide turntable that can hold large pans and pots. Thanks to the smart EasyClean interior with curved edges, removing the food residues is possible using only a damp cloth. The intuitive controls make cooking easier as you can select exactly what type of dish you want to prepare, be it fresh or frozen.

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3. Panasonic NN-SN651BAZ

Another model that doesn’t settle with regular cooking is this one from Panasonic that brings into your attention the inverter technology that cooks food evenly without drying it of its juices and moisture. The unit comes with separate buttons for making popcorn, defrosting at a turbo speed, or adding more time or increasing the power level. There is also a handy Keep Warm button that keeps the food at the proper temperature until you open the door and take the food out so you won’t have to reheat it twice. Moreover, the oven also uses sensor cooking to analyze the moisture of the food so that the heat and time will be adjusted to perfection. At 1.2 cu. ft., it’s not the largest model but it can surely handle the needs of a medium sized family.

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4. Danby Designer

This model ranked in fourth but it will surely please you with its wide range of functions. The cooking technology is based on the regular microwaves that penetrate food inside out in order to ensure a faster and more even cooking than in a gas oven. Although not very attractive in design, Danby will manage to fit on any kitchen counter thanks to the compact shape that matches the 1.1 cubic foot interior. The interface is very user-friendly, with 6 buttons with pictograms for potatoes, pizza, popcorn, frozen dinner, beverage, or reheat. There are 10 levels of power to choose from, as well as a timer, a speed defrost, and a Cook by Weight button that makes it easy to select the cooking parameters according to the food’s weight. No extra features are available with this model that comes at a very reasonable price.

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5. Westinghouse WCM11100SS

Last on our list, we have this Westinghouse oven designed to make you feel like a true chef in the kitchen. Just like the previous one, it has 6 separate controls for different types of foods like pizza, potatoes, or popcorn. To make things even easier, you have 10 power levels to choose from and a programmable timer to set a specific cooking time. In addition, this compact 1.1 cu. ft. oven has defrost and cook by weight functions that eliminate the vague choices of time and temperature. To prevent unwanted operating, the unit comes with a child lock safety feature.

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Everything You Need to Know About These Products

Among all the small kitchen appliances one has at home, the microwave oven is, perhaps, the most frequently used due to its wide array of functions. Unlike a regular oven, it lets you perform a series of functions like defrosting or reheating, not to mention they take less time to prepare a whole meal. They rely on a type of waves called microwaves that are not similar to other radiating waves that might affect your health. The intensity of the waves can cook food to perfection similar to the convention or the gas ovens and the best part is that they are smaller in size and come with many features, including a grill. These are only a few of the reasons why you should have one in the kitchen.

Why These Appliances are so Popular

These products come in many types differentiated by the installation mode. There are countertop, built-in, or over-the-range ovens that can be placed in various areas of your kitchen. Among all, the countertop ones are the most popular because they don’t require any installation work and you can easily move them anywhere you like. Discover below more advantages of preferring a countertop oven over another type.

• Easily portable

If you choose a built-in or an over-the-range unit, you won’t be able to change its lace unless you move the entire kitchen furniture, so the design options are limited. The countertop version, on the other hand, can be placed anywhere so you can move it as many times you want. Moreover, some units come with trim kits that allow you to turn a regular countertop model into a built-in unit without any additional costs.

• Space-saving

Having a small kitchen or limited counter space means that you won’t be able to fit all your useful appliances and you might have to give up on some of them. However, the compact design of the countertop oven allows you to keep it in your kitchen without using too much space. There are many sizes to choose from, depending on the space you have available and your cooking needs because the exterior sizes also influence the interior sizes.

• Affordable prices

It’s important to save some money when buying appliances, especially if you can get the same performance at a lower price. Countertop units come at lower prices than the other models but don’t sacrifice quality or cooking performance. You can choose from multiple features and options that enable you to cook, reheat, or defrost any type of food while also saving some money.