The 10 Best Microwaves

This innovative piece of kit comes exclusively from Samsung. It is a combination microwave with many handy features, making it a flexible addition to any kitchen space.

This is a great example of a microwave which can do much more than just reheat food and cook the basics. If you’re looking for a microwave which can also act as an oven, then it is one of the strongest contenders thanks to a 28L capacity, even spread of heat and easy to clean interior enamel. There’s enough cubic feet to enable you to cook a wide array of dishes.

To sum up how advanced it is, two of the settings are yoghurt and dough proving. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a baker or someone who cooks from scratch, but are stuck for space to fill your kitchen with dedicated gadgets, it could be a perfect meet-in-the-middle option.

This modern appliance provides us with lots of smart technology features, too, including a humidity sensor that monitors the moisture levels ensuring your meal does not dry out. To say all of this is included, the price isn’t bad at all. Sensor cooking doesn’t have to be expensive even when you look at the leading microwave brands out there!

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It wouldn’t be a top 10 list without a Beko featuring somewhere in the compilation of best microwaves. This Beko microwave offers five different power levels, a handy defrost function for those last-minute dinner changes and has plenty of capacity.

The 20L cavity should give plenty of room to defrost frozen vegetables, chicken and cook all of those handy ready meals like fish fillets, salmon or soup. A quick start button will cut out a lot of the hassle of changing the settings if you just want a quick blast, and it can go up to 30 minutes of use at any one time.

It is a pretty basic model in all – there’s no fancy pre-set buttons for particular foods, and the manual dials look dated when compared to the digital control panels found in more expensive models. As a bonus, this does mean it is one of the cheapest microwaves around, so great if you are on a tight budget or just need something for very occasional use.

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Panasonic have earned this spot well and truly with the NN-K18JMMBPQ. The combination microwave comes equipped with a grill, and also has a modern yet subtle design which will ensure it doesn’t stick out in your kitchen. Panasonic might not be a name that many people associate with the best combi microwaves, but this model alone really impresses us.

It is remarkable that this microwave is available for under £90 and yet has so many different programmes. The choice of automatic settings is vast, so if you haven’t yet quite mastered the perfect jacket potatoes, a few presses of the button will have it sorted in no time with no need to worry about the results.

It’s powerful, which means that you will never wait long for your home meals. Five different power levels and easy control buttons ensure the correct settings are within reach if you want full control, and there is a nice loud alarm at the end when the food is ready to collect or check.

The grill is the finishing touch – crisp up dishes or sides when the oven is in use with something else, or when you want to make your bread with butter or cheese on toast as fast as possible. It’s a good size, too, meaning that you’ll be able to reheat large dishes as quickly as 30 seconds depending on what’s on the menu!

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Russell Hobbs is great at getting that fine balance between style, price and functionality, and this microwave shows off their years of experience well. Sick of the same old dinner plate microwaves? This oven offers something a little but different, and it won’t take up too much in the way of counter space or worktop space, either.

If you are looking for a flatbed microwave, then it is a good choice. The lack of rotating plate means there is more room for certain larger foods, and it can double up as an oven too. Rather than having to endure the irritating turntable and being limited in terms of size and shape, simply place down your food and trust the appliance. This is a range microwave fans will love for the simplicity. There’s a lot to like, and you don’t always need that glass dinner plate if it means freeing up some of that inner size.

An auto-cook function will speed up those quick reheat tasks, and there is also a vast choice of auto programmes for preparing foods which can otherwise take a lot of guesswork. A special defrost function will carry this task out safely and hygienically, which will save your bacon if you’ve forgotten to bring the meat out of the freezer yet again. Why waste time waiting for your food to thaw when you can prepare them in as little as 30 seconds?

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Panasonic microwaves always feature heavily on our review pages, and while this one is a little more expensive and outside the budget, it provides some thorough detail. Again, Panasonic might not be a name you immediately think of when it comes to a high watt microwave oven, but there are plenty of reasons to like their microwaves, and even more reasons to love them.

Let’s not forget that a microwave should first and foremost concentrate on doing its sole jobs – reheat, defrost and provide auto cook settings for your meals. Thanks to the innovative inverter technology, heat is spread evenly throughout this chamber when it is at work, ensuring your food is evenly and safely cooked no matter the settings.

It is a slimline model, which is ideal if you need to set it on your worktops but still need to utilise the space in front of the unit from time to time. To make up for this when it comes to the inner capacity, the flatbed design ensures there is around 31% more space than with usual conventional microwaves. It’s the ideal countertop microwave for anyone who may already be struggling for kitchen space.

Built in sensors can tell the weight and density of your food, so even if the settings aren’t quite right, it will be able to make some slight adjustments to ensure the food still comes out cooked. Things like microwave sensors really help to make cooking your everyday dishes that little bit easier. You’ll soon agree once you use them!

It isn’t on the cheap side, hence why it is lower than it should be on our rundown. But if we were marking it for performance, style and power alone, we have no doubt it would be top 3. If you have the money available, there are plenty of reasons why this is a shrewder pick than many other cooking machines out there.

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With a capacity of 34 litres, this fantastic microwave is already outstripping the mainstream competition. It’s also stacked with power, offering 1000W to make sure that you get your food cooked through quicker than ever before.

There’s also an auto cook feature, and a programmable timer with presets to help make cooking all kinds of dishes a doddle. You can take advantage of fan cooking as well as grilling and standard microwave features, too!

In fact, there are a staggering 30 different presets built-in, which makes it one of the most versatile ‘standard’ microwaves on the market. It’s also a microwave that is angled towards healthier eating, meaning that if you do want to start cooking more nutrient-conscious meals, you don’t have to feel so guilty about using the microwave to do so.

This freestanding microwave should slide easily into any kitchen suite, and weighing 18kg, shouldn’t be too hard to set up with support. You can cook up main meals, desserts and more!

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This great-looking microwave benefits from an impressive 23 litre capacity as well as a striking ice blue display, meaning that you really shouldn’t lose track of time while cooking. You really can depend on Samsung for the best in tech across the board, and this 800W microwave is likely to give you more than enough power to cook, reheat, defrost and more.

This model has 18 pre-set programs for you to cook with, too, meaning that there’s no need for you to have to fiddle around with setting the kitchen timer off and waiting to see what happens next. Samsung has lined this microwave up as a pretty decent mid-range option, with ceramic enamel on the inside offering ease of cleaning from day to day.

Complete with a classic turntable for ease of cooking and thorough heating, this microwave should give you everything you’re looking for from a leading oven. We dare say it’s a great system to rely on if you’re really not sure which microwave is going to work best for you.

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Sharp’s classic microwave is one of the most affordable around in terms of power and capacity, but it has more to offer than just great value alone. With 11 different power settings and a volume of up to 25 litres, this is an impressive behemoth of a cooking device which should never set you back further than £90 to £100. It’s a wholly digital system with a clear display and control panel.

What’s more, at 900W, it’s impressively powerful. This means that you can expect your microwave to cook up a storm quicker than many of the other picks on our list. You’ll also have a choice of eight different pre-set programs, meaning you can defrost, popcorn and cook vegetables depending on your own tastes and needs. It’s safe to say that it’s an all-singing, all-dancing machine.

Offering a classic look, this microwave still benefits from modern standards such as easy to clean innards, and a control panel which is never a hassle to handle. It will likely appeal to anyone who may be tired of fumbling around with traditional dial microwaves.

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This beautifully designed Scandi-style microwave has been created by Swan, with a number of easy to use features. It’s large enough for most kitchen demands, and it’s likely to catch on well with most modern kitchen users.

It comes with a very unique exterior style, with soft-touch finish and a design which will fit into any kitchen space. You will be able to see a wooden effect handle and main dial added for design – and there are plenty of matching items available such as a kettle and toaster.

This microwave has lots of space and a number of practical features. Six power levels opens up the possibilities, a defrost function makes this chore safe to carry out and simple buttons ensure it is simple to navigate.

It isn’t just all in the design, though. It comes with 20-litres of space to cook everything that you want and also possesses 800-watts of power. Choose from cotton white or slate grey to match your kitchen.

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Trying to discover a powerful yet great value microwave? Thankfully, there are loads about, including this one by Sharp. If you are looking for powerful microwave ovens which won’t take up much in the way of counter space, this could well be a great pick.

This solo microwave comes with incredible power, a huge volume for all of your meals and auto menu options that do all the work for you. You no longer need to worry about having to prepare meals and getting the time absolutely perfect, as presets such as jacket potato, popcorn and frozen vegetables are there at a touch.

The Sharp R372KM solo microwave doesn’t just have the auto menu option, but also five power settings that enable you to toggle between 700-Watts and 1050-Watts.

It operates best at a 900-Watts output, which is usually standard, but this depends on what food you are heating or cooking. Use the included manual and read the instructions to help you adjust the different programmes and know which is best.

Auto defrost will rescue you when you’ve forgotten to leave the dinner out of the freezer, and a 25 litre capacity will give you plenty of rotational space.

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Samsung is cream of the crop when it comes to making kitchen appliances, or indeed any gadgets. They have solidified their high places in our top 10 list because of the variety they have provided. They are even well-regarded when it comes to other technology throughout the home, like TVs and stereo systems.

The Samsung MS23H3125AK is simple to use and comes with an array of smart features. It is available for less than £100 yet it offers oven-like results when cooking and also comes with some unique add-ons. As mentioned, we are all about finding great value microwave options for you!

You can expect features such as a humidity sensor which ensures that your food keeps its juicy flavour, and it also has an eco mode, saving you money and acting as an environmentally friendly option.

One particular standout, however, is the deodoriser ability. This essentially stops any smells being released into your kitchen, and will also ensure that when you next go to use the microwave, you won’t be able to still smell the food you cooked last week. This isn’t always a guarantee even from top range microwave ovens, so that’s well worth holding out for.

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