Best Microwaves

Countertop microwaves are the most-used appliance in American kitchens and the one people replace the least; which means buying a bad one hurts for years. The specs that matter most are usable cavity size (measured in cubic feet), wattage (which dictates heating speed and evenness), and turntable diameter. Sub-900-watt units reheat slowly and cook unevenly on frozen meals; 1,000 watts is the modern minimum, and 1,200-watt inverter models give the most even results, particularly for defrosting.

Cavity space matters more than you'd expect; a standard 9-inch dinner plate needs at least a 1.2 cubic foot interior with a 13.5-inch turntable, and a lot of cheap microwaves fall short. Sensor cooking works well on the better brands (Panasonic, Toshiba, Breville) and poorly on budget units. Inverter technology, unique to Panasonic's NN series and a few clones, replaces the usual on-off magnetron cycle with a continuous variable output, which is why it's so much better at low-power tasks like softening butter or defrosting without cooking the edges.

We tested every microwave below by reheating pizza, boiling water, defrosting frozen salmon, and popping a full bag of popcorn. Rankings factor in wattage, evenness, controls, noise, and build quality.