The Best Countertop Microwaves on Amazon of 2023

In a sea of average, same-looking microwaves, the Cuisinart CMW-100 stands out from the rest. This 1000W, 1-cubic-foot unit hits almost every mark and perfectly balances power, size, and features, making it the best countertop microwave for most people.

The first thing you’ll notice about this mid-sized microwave is its sleek stainless steel-and-black exterior and pull handle, which is convenient to use and more elegant than the standard push button. It also has a bright interior light, so you won’t be fumbling around to see your food.

Although not overloaded with features, this Cuisinart has multi-stage cooking and a number of extra presets including bacon, rice, and baked potatoes. It excels in making popcorn, popping kernels evenly as can be without burning.

The control panel can be difficult to see in dim lighting, and leaves a few parts of the frozen meals colder than we’d like after heating for the recommended time on the box. However, we still think the Cuisinart is much more impressive and distinct than almost every other microwave we’ve found—and it would make a worthy addition to your kitchen counter.

If you’re serious about cooking with your microwave, or you simply must have an all-stainless look in your kitchen, the Breville BMO734XL Quick Touch Intuitive Microwave might be right for you.

This 1100W, 1.2-cubic-foot microwave is slightly oversized, which is bad for counter space but great for cooking entire meals. It has an incredibly bright interior light and LCD panel, making it easy to use in any light. It’s the only microwave we found that feels like it’s really built to last for years and years.

This Breville is extremely consistent in heating both water and thick tomato sauce, and it heats a frozen meal perfectly through. It isn’t as good as popping popcorn without burning or leaving unpopped kernels as others, however.

With a child lock, beep-level adjustment, and a variety of presets and customizable cooking modes, this is also the most feature-heavy product we tested. This unit is big, it’s expensive, and it’s got more bells and whistles than most are looking for in a countertop unit. But it’s a stunner, and if you’re willing to shell out, it might be right for you.

In our initial research, an online reviewer wrote that this mid-sized microwave from Magic Chef is “built like a tank,” and we can’t find any evidence to the contrary. The Magic Chef passes all our food tests with flying colors, and it's one of the few microwaves at this low price point that also offers multi-stage cooking.

While it's a pretty typical microwave, with a shiny exterior and almost retro-looking control panel, it gets the job done. With 1000 watts and a size of 1.1 cubic feet, it's enough power and space to handle most microwave tasks, except perhaps cooking an entire chicken. With 10 power levels and essential presets, this model, which is available in black, white, and stainless steel finishes, has everything you need.

The Toshiba EM45P Countertop Microwave Oven with Smart Sensor is the next-best performing microwave we found, but save for its size, it’s very similar to the rest of the mid-ranking units in this roundup. With 1200W and a 1.6-cubic-foot interior, it’s one of the largest units we found, which keeps it from being suitable for all kitchens.

This unit excels in making popcorn frozen dinners, although it can’t heat tomato sauce to a suitable temperature in the recommended time. It offers multi-stage cooking, sensor cooking, and a few presets, making it straightforward and easy to use—although the panel isn’t always easy to see in the dark. We would describe its aesthetics as functional, rather than beautiful. Ultimately, this is a fine unit considering its size and price.

The smaller Toshiba EM925A5A Microwave Oven performs similarly to its larger Toshiba counterparts. The 900W, 0.9-cubic-foot microwave is better at heating tomato sauce than the EM45P, and is solid in popping popcorn and heating frozen dinners. It also seems quieter when in use than many microwaves we found.

This is a fine, basic microwave at a very affordable price, but it’s too small for more substantial cooking.