How to Buy the Best Microwave for You

The microwave may not be the most important technological breakthrough of our age, but having one in your kitchen has probably saved more hours of your life than you can count.

Microwaves may have briefly seemed like a luxury, but they’ve long since moved into the category of necessity for most of us. In fact, 97% of households in the U.S. have one, and with a life expectancy of about 7-12 years, at some point every homeowner will find themselves needing to purchase a new one.

While the question of whether or not you should own a microwave is an easy one, navigating the wide world of microwave options available to purchase is another thing altogether. To help you find the best microwave for your lifestyle, we’ve created this guide on everything you need to know when you are shopping, including the different microwave types available and features to look for.

4 Types of Microwaves

The microwave type that’s best for you will depend on the design layout of your kitchen. If you’re building a home or completely remodeling your kitchen, then a few types of microwaves will seamlessly blend into your home. Otherwise, you’ll likely want to choose a microwave in the type and size that best work with the space you already have. Learn about the four types of microwaves and the pros and cons for each.

1. Countertop Microwaves

Countertop microwaves are easily the most common type of microwave you will come across. This popularity is likely due to how easy these units are to buy, replace, and set up. There is virtually no installation required, all you have to do is plug in the microwave and start cooking.

The only real consideration you need to take into account is the size of the oven and whether you have enough space on your kitchen countertops. The vast majority of affordable microwaves you will come across are likely to fall into the countertop category.

Pros

• Affordable options
• Simple to set up and replace
• No installation requirements, just plug and play
• Portable, lightweight, and easy to move around

Cons

• Occupies valuable counter space
• Usually smaller than other types
• Lacks many features

2. Over-the-Range Microwaves

An over-the-range microwave is installed directly above your stovetop or cooking range. These microwaves usually are installed flush among your kitchen cabinets, so it blends right into rest of the kitchen.

Regarded as luxurious and elegant, an over-the-range microwave has a few extra benefits other types of microwaves don’t offer. The most obvious benefit is how much countertop space you can save, and the majority of these microwaves also have a light fixture at the bottom of it to help illuminate the cooking surface down below. Additionally, they typically have a built-in ventilation system that can remove odors, fumes, and excessive heat, much like a range hood or exhaust fan.

If your kitchen is small with limited counter space, an over-the-range microwave may be the most practical choice for you.

Pros

• Doesn’t use any counter space
• Provides extra lighting to the range below
• Helps vent fumes, odors, and heat created from cooking on the range

Cons

• More expensive than countertop models
• Often hard for kids (and some adults) to reach
• Requires installation

3. Built-in Microwaves

Over-the-range are the most common type of built-in microwave, but you have plenty of other options as well. This type of microwave can be built into your kitchen in just about any space that fits the unit’s dimensions and electrical requirements.

These are common if you are remodeling your kitchen or having custom cabinets designed. They also include drawer-style microwaves, which pull out for use instead of swinging open. Learn more about choosing drawer microwaves.

Built-in microwaves are often installed directly above a wall oven, but the location you decide on for installation can vary depending on your kitchen design.

Keep in mind factors like convenience and aesthetics when deciding where to install a built-in microwave.

Pros

• Doesn’t use counter space
• Elegant built-in look to match other appliances

Cons

• Requires installation
• More expensive than other types of microwaves
• Should be installed in a spot where they will be convenient to use

4. Convection Microwaves

A convection microwave utilizes a completely different method of cooking food. Much like an oven, a convection microwave acts uses high temperatures and an internal fan to circulate the air, whereas other microwaves use electromagnetic waves to heat your food from the inside out.

Its unique cooking style makes it one of the most versatile type of microwave available. You can use convection units to prepare food in ways that other microwave ovens could never even attempt, such as baking cookies or making casseroles.

Roasting, baking, broiling, or just adding a little crisp—all of these can be accomplished with a convection unit. And to make it even better, you can find convection microwaves available for countertops, over-the-range, or built-in.

They do cost a bit more than other types, but the versatility you gain and the quality of the food make it well worth the investment. If you’re looking for an all-around cooking appliance, then a convection microwave may be the best option for you.

Pros

• Convenient and versatile
• Ability to create better flavors and textures
• More cooking options, including baking, roasting, and broiling

Cons

• Costs more than conventional microwaves
• Easier to burn your food
• After use as a convection oven, unavailable for more typical microwave functions until it’s cooled

9 Considerations When Choosing a New Microwave

When it comes to buying a microwave, some of the factors you need to keep in mind will be about your personal preferences, while others will be determined more by the space you have to work with. Here are some of the most important factors to consider in order for you to find the best microwave for you.

1. Your Kitchen’s Style

Take time to make sure the microwave you choose will work well in the kitchen you have first. If aesthetics are important to you, then you’ll want to think about how it will look with everything around it. If the other appliances in your kitchen are stainless steel, then you likely want to choose a microwave to match. Or perhaps you want to add a pop of color in your kitchen.

If you love your built-in microwave but it’s older or beginning to fail, you can browse newer models from the brand and choose the size that fits the dimensions of the space you already have available. If you want a different brand or model—or you’re deciding on your first built-in unit—you may need to have the space professionally redesigned.

Consider how you use your kitchen each day and which areas of it would be the most convenient or inconvenient for the microwave to be placed. If you have limited countertop space, you may not want to give that up for a new microwave. On the other hand, you may not have the patience or budget to plan a redesign to make space for an over-the-range or built-in model.

2. Size, Both Inside and Out

No matter what type of microwave you end up going with, size will matter. After you’ve considered kitchen design and space in a big-picture sense described above, you’ll want to measure the exact dimensions you have available for width, height, and depth.

Built-in or over-the-range microwaves require exact size specifications, while a countertop model offers a little more flexibility. Even with a countertop microwave, you’ll still want to “measure twice” to make sure it won’t hang over the edge, for example, or take up so much valuable counter space that preparing meals becomes a hassle.

After noting what dimensions it needs to fit into, you also want to consider the internal dimensions in relation to what you typically cook in a microwave. For example, will the plates you use the most often fit in the microwave you have in mind? If you’re going for a convection microwave and intend to make casseroles or pizza, make note of the size of the pans you usually use for your favorite dishes.

Size is, hands down, one of the most important things you have to consider when buying a microwave. Before you start browsing all of your options, get a clear idea of the space available and the size that would work best for you.

3. Wattage

The main thing to know about wattage is that the higher it is, the faster the cooking time and the more evenly you can expect the microwave to heat the contents inside. Usually, as long as a microwave is at least 1,000 watts, it should cook your food well.

You can find microwaves with lower wattages that are usually cheaper, but they’ll be slower and sometimes less reliable as far as cooking consistency and lifespan. With these low-wattage units, make sure to buy from a reputable brand and read reviews for each unit.

4. Appliance Lifespan

Even the most durable microwaves are likely to have a shelf life of somewhere around 10-12 years, with the average lifespan of a microwave coming in at nine years. If it’s important to you to find a microwave that will last for as long as possible, take some time to read any reviews you can find of the model you’re considering. Chances are, you will be replacing the microwave one way or another within a few years, so you may find it makes more sense to focus your decision on other features than durability.

5. Price

Price is always an important consideration when buying any appliance, large or small. You will quickly notice the price ranges for microwaves vary considerably, with much depending on which type of microwave you decide to invest in.

You’ll find the most affordable options in the countertop category. But if your kitchen design makes a built-in or over-the-range microwave a more practical choice, the extra investment will be well worth it. Not only will a built-in unit save countertop space, but it will also create a more elegant kitchen that improves the value of your home.

You can easily get by with a microwave that costs less than $100 if your needs are basic, but if you decide an over-the-range model or a convection oven is the best choice for you, expect to pay a bit more.

6. Preprogrammed Settings

How valuable preprogrammed settings are to you will have everything to do with your personal preferences. Some people never think to use them even when they’re available, while others find it annoying anytime they have to manually set a time.

Most microwaves will come with at least a popcorn setting that allows you to cook based on the size of the bag. Defrost is another common setting that will be found on most microwave ovens. When you start to explore more high-end microwaves, you will notice a whole new range of preset cooking options for uses from baking potatoes to reheating pizzas to warming up beverages like coffee.

If you like to get what you need from a microwave without the extra steps of setting specific times, look for a model with a variety of preprogrammed settings that includes the items you will most likely be using your microwave for.

7. Noise

This won’t be a concern for everyone, but some microwaves will be louder than others and if you’re sensitive to the noise they produce, you might first want to try out the model you’re thinking of buying to get a feel for what to expect from the sound.

If you plan to buy a microwave online and won’t have a chance to try it out, customer reviews will often mention if a microwave is particularly noisy, so you can find out which models to avoid. And while this is rare for microwaves, you may also find decibel ratings listed for each unit.

8. Safety

While you may encounter the occasional alarmist article about microwaves leaking radiation or zapping all of the nutrients in your food, so far there’s no real research to back up those claims. The only real safety concerns that come with microwaves are the slight possibility of one catching fire and the need to teach kids to be careful when using them—especially with over-the-range microwaves, where reaching over the stove and removing hot items that are difficult to reach can cause problems.

For the most part, microwave safety issues generally have more to do with proper use than which model you buy, but to be careful, you can always check the reviews of a model to see if you encounter any warning signs.

9. Ventilation

This is mostly a concern for those considering an over-the-range microwave to replace a range hood that would otherwise provide ventilation while you cook on the stove. Few over-the-range microwaves get many points from reviewers for ventilation, but there is more in-depth research available online outside of product reviews.

Optional Microwave Features

While the nine considerations above cover what will be important to most buyers, there are a few additional features that might interest you when choosing the right microwave.

These features are specific, and may not appeal to all buyers, but could be worth looking into.

1. Inverter Tech

Inverter technology is still fairly rare in microwaves, but you can certainly find some models with it on the market. The idea behind inverter tech is to allow the option of cooking your food more evenly at a consistently lower temperature. Most microwaves don’t have too many options for temperature levels, so you’re limited in the types of food you can make in them (convection microwaves being a clear exception). Inverter microwaves broaden your options a bit but still aren’t as versatile as convection units.

2. Child Lockout Features

If you don’t want to worry about your children messing with the microwave oven, look for a unit with a lockout feature. This allows you to set up a code that must be entered before the microwave can be used, so you can provide access only those in the house you trust with it. This minimizes the risk of somebody getting hurt or perhaps starting a fire.

3. Combination Microwave & Other Appliance

If you’re remodeling your kitchen and in a position to appreciate a good deal on multiple appliances at once, you might benefit from considering a combination microwave and oven or one that combines with a fridge. Buying both in one fell swoop could potentially simplify your installation process, as well as save you time and money.

If you’re looking to buy a unit for a dorm or small apartment, or just want to keep one close by in a single room, a combo microwave and fridge is a popular option that is both functional and convenient.

Find the Right Type of Microwave for You

Compared to many other appliances, microwaves are a relatively minor financial investment. That leaves most consumers with a little more room to be picky and choose the microwave that best fits their needs, preferences, and overall lifestyle. Take some time to browse and do the proper research, but no need to agonize over it too much. If you see the microwave you want that fits in the space you have available, go for it.