In our most recent round of testing, in 2024, we evaluated nearly two dozen microwaves in our testing facility in Long Island City, New York.
To determine the cooking performance and usability of each microwave, we opened and shut doors, pressed buttons, and warmed, defrosted, cooked, and reheated dozens of foods, including burritos, butter, chicken breasts, coffee, fried rice, frozen broccoli, mac and cheese, pizza, and popcorn. When testing convection/air-fryer models, we also air-fried, baked, and toasted.
Here’s an overview of the factors we evaluate:
Size: Microwaves typically fall into three size categories, namely small/compact (0.7 to 0.9 cubic foot of capacity), midsize (1 to 1.6 cubic feet of capacity), and large (up to 2.2 cubic feet of capacity). In our testing, we’ve found that a midsize model with 1.1 or 1.2 cubic feet of capacity and a 12-inch carousel is ideal for most households. This size can fit a 12-inch dinner plate, a 9-inch square casserole dish with handles, a large bag of microwave popcorn, two frozen dinners, four mugs, or two smaller bowls.
Anything smaller than midsize is best for one person or light usage. (The smallest model we tested can’t even accommodate a New York–style slice of pizza.) And most small microwaves are so light, they move on the counter when you open or shut the door, though our pick for a compact microwave is an exception. Anything larger than midsize (1.4 cubic feet and up) costs more and takes up more counter space without offering additional benefit, unless you regularly microwave a lot of food at a time.
All microwaves vary slightly in height, width, and depth, so be sure to double-check the dimensions of the microwave and measure your favorite microwave-safe cookware and your counter or shelf space to confirm that everything will fit. For some powerful models, manufacturers also recommend allowing for extra clearance at the rear and top of the machine.
Build and design: A microwave should feel sturdy. The body should be well built, and the control panel shouldn’t be so flimsy that it bends when you press a button. The machine should be hefty enough to stay put when you open and close the door. The display should be well-lit and easy to read, and any buttons, knobs, or handles should not be especially difficult to turn, pull, or press, particularly for anyone with mobility issues.
Since a microwave lives on your counter, we also sought out models that look good, if not great, with appealing shapes and bodies made of more metal than plastic (or, at least, better-quality plastic).
Door latches: We generally prefer microwaves with a button to open the door latch, as such designs are less likely to drag the machine when you open or shut the door and are also considered ADA-compliant. But we do recommend a few options with handles, which some people prefer; feedback from our paid testers has shown that for people with hand-mobility issues, a handle can be easier to maneuver than a button.
Noise: People want a quiet microwave, but our testing has shown that they all make noise when running—and larger, more powerful, better-quality microwaves tend to be louder than smaller ones. If your microwave is especially loud or annoying, consider moving it so that the sound isn’t reflecting off a wall or cabinet.
Ease of cleaning: Most of the microwaves we test are equally easy to clean, though white interiors show splatter more than darker colors. The exposed radiant bake elements on some convection/air-fryer microwaves are very hard to clean, and we don’t recommend such models.
Reliability: Any microwave can malfunction or stop working altogether. We focus on better-quality models with warranties of at least one year, from respected brands with websites and customer service teams accessible by phone. These microwaves tend to have better-quality mechanical parts, especially the door latch, which is a point of failure for many microwaves. Note that you should never use a microwave with a broken door latch.
Even heating: All microwaves heat foods somewhat unevenly, with cooler spots leading to undercooking and hotter spots resulting in burning or overcooking. In our latest testing, we evaluated evenness by cooking different foods—including marshmallows, which visibly show hot spots and degrees of doneness—across the breadth of the turntable. We also used an instant-read thermometer to check for temperature uniformity, a process that included heating up vegetarian burritos according to the package directions and then measuring the temperature in the middle and at both ends.
Higher-performing microwaves, such as our top pick, had fewer noticeable hot spots in our tests. Microwaves with an inverter motor, which can run at variable speeds and allows for continuous cooking at lower power levels, produced more even results when cooking and defrosting with less power. Inverter motors are usually found on midsize or large microwaves; our top pick has an inverter motor. (Traditional transformer-powered microwaves, which tend to be smaller in size, cycle between bursts of full power and zero power to achieve similar results.) To assess this, we microwaved raw, frozen chicken breasts at 50% power for 14 minutes before checking the temperature at three points. Inverter microwaves tended to yield partially defrosted meat that was more evenly warmed and had fewer large ice crystals and overcooked edges.
Speed and power: All countertop microwaves have between 700 and 1,250 watts of power. Every midsize microwave we evaluated in the latest round offered at least 900 watts of power. Higher power heats things more quickly, but our testing revealed that even a small, 700-watt microwave can heat foods and liquids to appropriate temperatures, albeit slightly slower.
Most good microwaves have at least 10 power levels. Foods defrost and cook more evenly at lower power levels, which also help you avoid splattering, drying out foods, and overcooking edges.
Useful cooking functions: Nearly every microwave expert we spoke to said that the vast majority of microwave owners use the Add 30 Seconds button exclusively when cooking, reheating, or defrosting. We heard the same thing from our paid testers and regular cooks, too. So we didn’t pay much attention to specific presets for items such as a potato, popcorn, vegetables, or pizza. But we did give extra credit to microwaves whose additional functions or features produced better results without imposing a major learning curve: For instance, we appreciated an accurate sensor-reheat or sensor-cooking setting (like the one on our top pick), which measures humidity and knows when your food is done based on the amount of steam in the microwave.
Instant-start express settings: With these settings, the microwave starts automatically at its highest power when you press a numbered button or the Add 30 Seconds button—for example, pressing “2” starts the microwave for two minutes.
