With so many options available, choosing the right microwave can be a daunting task. We’ve researched and tested a range of microwaves from basic low-wattage solo models, to powerful combination units, covering a wide variety of different sizes and budgets, so you can find the best microwave to suit your needs.
Best microwave deals
Hoping to make a saving on one of the microwaves in this list? Prime Big Deals Days (7-8 October) have started, and we’ve been scouring the market to find the best deals from a range of brands – here are the biggest we’ve found so far:
For even more savings, take a look at our round-up of the best kitchen deals and find out how we put each appliance to the test, so you can shop with confidence.
Best microwaves at a glance
JUMP TO REVIEWS
- Best combination microwave: Sage the Combi Wave 3-in-1 microwave oven, £399.95
- Best solo microwave for families: Samsung 32L Solo Microwave MS32DG4504ATE3, £169
- Best flatbed microwave: Sharp digital combination microwave YC-QC254AU-B, £219
- Best budget microwave: Russell Hobbs RHM1731, £70.99
- Best combination microwave for steam cooking: Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ, £559
- Best combination microwave for families: Panasonic NN-DS59NBBPQ, £349
- Best combination microwave for style: Smeg 34-litre combi microwave oven MOE34CXIUK, £429
- Best microwave for precise cooking: Bosch Serie 2 FFL023MS2B, £149
- Best microwave under £100: Russell Hobbs RHMD714G Scandi microwave, £99.99
How we tested microwaves
When asked, our readers told us their main reasons for using a microwave were defrosting, reheating meals and cooking porridge. So, we defrosted chicken breasts to see how long it took and how even the results were; microwaved soup to check for any hot and cold spots; and blasted jacket potatoes to make sure they cooked through to the centre yet stayed moist at the edges.
Photography: Natalie Bass / Good Food
With microwaves that came with a grill function, we then grilled the chicken breasts too, looking for a tender, juicy finish. If the microwave had a steam function, we made gooey toffee puddings.
Each product was tested against a set testing matrix. The results of this decided each product’s overall star rating. The following were:
- Ease of use: microwaves are used mainly by those who want to make life simpler. We looked for pared-down functionality, simple design and easy-to-follow instruction booklets.
- Cooking versatility: we wanted to know if customising settings and using presets delivered equally good results.
- Defrosting: an essential function for most, we looked for effective thawing, with presets a bonus.
- Moisture retention: we checked the food didn’t dry out before it had finished cooking.
- Additional features: small extra features like a child lock or kitchen timer were appreciated, plus we looked at how well more prominent features such as grills and convection ovens performed.
- Size: we assessed the size of the microwave and the space it took up in the kitchen. The models we tested need to be installed a specified height above the floor, with plenty of room all around for ventilation.
- Sustainability: we looked at everything from the recyclability of the packaging, spare parts information, the warranty of the microwave, the wattage and more.
- Cleaning: the ease of cleaning both inside and out and finger marking, especially on stainless steel.
Photography: Natalie Bass / Good Food
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Best microwaves to buy in 2025
Sage the Combi Wave 3-in-1 microwave oven
Available from Harts of Stur (£358.95), Sage (£359.95), Lakeland (£359.95)
Best combination microwave overall
Pros:
- Super easy to use, endless clever functions
- Great for families
Cons:
- Need adjusting from usual temperatures
Wattage: 1100W
Star rating: 5/5
As we have come to expect from Sage, with their intuitive technology, good looks and ease of use, this combi microwave is no exception and more. Thanks to the well-written, logical instruction book of many preset programmes and cooking methods, we found it was one of the fastest to get up and running.
Say hello to healthy cooking with the 3-in-1 merging of air-frying, convection and microwave and perfectly cooked food using their Element iQ™ inverter system, which steers power to where and when it’s needed.
Read our full Sage the Combi Wave 3-in-1 microwave oven review.
Available from:
Samsung 32L Solo Microwave MS32DG4504ATE3
Available from Samsung (£140), Argos (£140), Amazon (£133)
Best solo microwave for families and entertaining
Pros:
- Easy-pull, indented top handle for effortless opening
- Spacious interior for big bowls and family meals
- Eco mode saves energy on standby
- Deodorisation setting eliminates lingering food odours
- Option to ‘favourite’ your most commonly used settings
Cons:
- Takes up significant counter space
- Limited instruction manual; full details require online access
- Reflective door makes it hard to monitor cooking
- No baked potato setting
Wattage: 1000W
Star rating: 4.5/5
Along with its stylish modern design, the first thing we noted about this microwave was its size. With a spacious 32L capacity, it’s great for heating family-sized portions, but does take up significant counter space, making it less suitable for small kitchens.
The powerful machine heats food fast, and its dial can be used to reduce the wattage. We heated soup on 850w for six minutes and it reached over 90 degrees, with consistent temperatures around all sides of the bowl when probed, but a cooler centre (we cooked without stirring, for a stricter test).
For ease, the start button can be pressed to heat in 30-second blasts, or use the dial for precise increments starting at just five seconds – ideal for softening butter.
This model’s auto-cook settings cover popular options like chicken breast and ready meals, but there’s no dedicated baked potato function – we achieved even, fully cooked results by running the ‘peeled potatoes’ setting twice. The Power Defrost button lets you input food type and weight, then calculates the time and power needed.
While helpful, this wasn’t entirely accurate as our 200g chicken breast required 1.5x the suggested time to defrost fully, with the thinner end beginning to cook (although the manual does advise covering the tip with foil, which we didn’t do).
Despite its bulky size and these minor inaccuracies in cooking time estimates, this microwave impressed us with its power, speed and ease of use, as well as its thoughtful additional features. These include a deodorisation function to eliminate lingering food odours, a ‘keep warm’ setting, and an eco mode which saves energy when idle. We also appreciated the indented top handle which makes one-handed opening effortless and mess-free, and the easy-to-clean ceramic-lined interior.
Sharp digital combination microwave YC-QC254AU-B
Available from Currys (£169)
Best flatbed microwave
Pros:
- Sleek and attractive
- Flatbed
- Quality accessories included
- Precise timer
Cons:
- Large footprint
- Defrost setting was slow
Wattage: 900W
Star rating: 4.5/5
This 25-litre microwave has a flatbed interior that takes the faff out of cleaning up splatters and spillages on a turnable. It’s large and just over 50cm deep, but what you get in return is versatility. Functions include microwave, grill, convection and defrost, and a grill rack and baking tray are also included.
In use, the microwave hums quietly and loses little heat during cooking. The auto-defrost setting was disappointing, taking 12½ minutes to fully thaw a chicken breast, which was lengthy compared to other models we tested.
We then switched to the grill setting to cook the chicken for 12 minutes. It retained its moisture well and was juicy in the centre, but the ends were tougher and more unpleasant – owing to the fact they’d cooked (unintentionally) during defrosting.
The jacket potato preset was excellent by comparison, giving us soft, fluffy potatoes with crisp skin on the outside – similar to what you might get in an oven.
Cost to run on high for six minutes: 2.52p
Russell Hobbs RHM1731 Inspire microwave
Available from Amazon (£74.99)
Best budget microwave
Pros:
- Attractive
- Compact
- Variety of power settings
Cons:
- Difficult to do precise timings
- Non-slip feet are less effective
- Short warranty (1 year)
Wattage: 700W
Star rating: 4.5/5
Investing in a more budget-friendly microwave often means compromising on the number of settings, but this compact model comes with five power levels and a defrost function.
Available in three colours, it’s easy on the eye and lightweight, but this did mean it slid across the worktop a little too easily – even with the non-slip feet.
The timer is controlled by a dial, which rotates easily but offers less precision that you might get with a digital timer. To run the microwave for fewer than two minutes, you have to pull the dial round to two minutes then turn it back again, which feels a little clunky.
Where this microwave shone was its speedy results on the defrost setting, thawing a whole chicken breast in just five minutes. We were pleased with the outcome of our jacket potato (cooked on high for nine minutes), too: crisp skin and a fluffy centre, with no chewy patches.
Cost to run on high for six minutes: 1.84p
Panasonic combi microwave oven 4-in-1 NN-CS89LBBPQ
Available from Hughes (£599), John Lewis & Partners (£599)
Best combination microwave for steam cooking
Pros:
- Technology at its best
- Steam for healthy cooking
- Flatbed
- Expensive
Cons:
- Confusing instruction book
Wattage: 1000W (1300W for grill)
Star rating: 4.5/5
The Panasonic 4-in-1 Combi was both the largest and most expensive combi microwave on our test. Still, it comes with a wealth of programmes and presets, including 12 combi-cooking options and 36 auto programmes.
This is the only combi to offer steam for healthy, nutritious and super tasty food. For its sheer size and power, the Panasonic is remarkably quiet, easy to use and will easily replace a regular oven for those with less space or supplement for those who need more capacity.
Read our full Panasonic combi 4-in-1 microwave oven review.
Panasonic 4-in-1 combi microwave oven NN-DS59NBBPQ
Available from Amazon (£349), Hughes (£449), Peter Tyson (£449)
Best combination microwave for families
Pros:
- Oven-style door, great for small kitchens
- Versatile
- Plenty of functions
- Easy to fill and empty water containers
- Comprehensive manual
Cons:
- Window steams up easily
- Jacket potato not cooked through
Wattage: 1000W (1350W for grill)
Star rating: 4.5/5
Another Panasonic 4-in-1 model, but this one comes with fewer cooking options and programmes than its older sibling above. Like the above four-in-one model, the DS59 can steam foods, be used as an oven, grill and, of course, microwave.
It also comes with a generous selection of presets for ultra-specific cooking. There are six combi-cooking options and 28 auto programmes.
Unique to this model is the steam cooking function, which we put to the test by making a batch of steamed gooey toffee puddings – these turned out perfectly moist and bouncy. When testing the defrosting function, we found it was a little ferocious, with the thinner parts of our raw chicken turning white.
This is a large piece of kit but, like the other Panasonic model, we envision people using this instead of their oven for smaller, everyday dishes or even as an extension of their existing oven.
Read our full Panasonic NN-DS59NBBPQ microwave review.
Smeg 34-litre combi microwave oven MOE34CXIUK
Available from Boots (£429), AO (£429)
Best combination microwave for style
Pros:
- Stylish
- Super-powerful yet quiet
- Generous 34 litres
Cons:
Wattage: 1000W
Star rating: 4.5/5
As we would expect from Smeg, their combi-microwave is a sleek looking, well-built, stainless steel oven that will stand out in any kitchen. There are ten programmes and 40 settings behind its seemingly simple interface.
The shortcuts menu of super-useful settings covers all bases from melting butter and chocolate to a handy 30-second time increase while cooking. With a generous 34 litres, the Smeg will work well in any household needing extra capacity.
Read our full Smeg 34-litre combi microwave oven review.
Bosch Series 2 FFL023MS2B
Available from Marks Electrical (£149), AO (£149)
Best microwave for precise cooking
Pros:
- Customisable functions
- Push-button door
- Effective non-slip feet
Cons:
- Small window
- Difficult to identify presets
- Marked by fingerprints easily
Star rating: 4/5
Wattage: 800W
This chunky but sleek microwave comes with seven presets – with options for defrosting meat, poultry and bread, plus cooking rice, potatoes and vegetables. Each of these can also be adjusted, with a range of power levels (90W-800W) to choose from.
Where we found this model more frustrating was the controls: each preset is labelled ‘P1’, ‘P2’ and so on, which meant we had to keep referring back to the instructions to remind ourselves what they all did. On the plus side, you can save your favourites.
There was also no preset or guidance in the manual for jacket potatoes, so we followed our intuition and cooked ours on high for six minutes. The potato was cooked through and lacked crispness, but was soft and fluffy in the centre.
This microwave also did a good job defrosting chicken in six minutes and, while some of the edges turned white, it had thawed almost evenly elsewhere.
Cost to run on high for six minutes: 1.82p
Russell Hobbs RHMD714G Scandi microwave
Available from Amazon (£84), Currys (£84)
Best microwave under £100
Pros:
Cons:
- No baked potato setting
- Slow
Wattage: 700W
Star rating: 4/5
The Russel Hobbs Scandi Microwave may be small with just 17 litres capacity. Still, it is big in good looks with its soft touch wood effect accents and mirrored door. It also has programmes and settings rarely found in a microwave of this size and price, including eight auto-cook settings and various handy shortcuts.
At just 700W, we found the Scandi took a little longer to cook than other models we tested, but if you want a small, functional, good-looking microwave, this is the one.
Read our full Russell Hobbs Scandi microwave review.
Other microwaves tested and rated
What are the differences between standard, grill and combination microwaves?
Life is complicated enough without the added stress of trying to get your head around microwave terminology. To break it down for you, there are three types of microwave – generally speaking, you will pay more for each additional feature a model offers.
We suggest working out what you’d like to use your microwave for as this will determine which microwave you should buy. Maybe you simply want to defrost meat, cook ready meals and prep the odd baked potato.
You may also want your microwave’s performance to rival an oven’s in terms of crispness and water retention. Or do you want something which goes even further and will, in effect, replace your oven by offering grilling, microwaving and convection cooking in one?
Standard microwave
Unless otherwise stated in the product title, most microwaves tend to be classed as ‘microwave-only’. This means they’ll perform the basic tasks expected of them – heating up or defrosting food.
If you don’t fancy blowing the budget and you only need the basic features, then a classic microwave will serve you well.
Grill microwave
A grill microwave goes one step further than a traditional model and is able to grill food, giving foods such as bacon that authentically grilled texture rather than making them dry out.
Combination microwave
This is the closest you’ll find to a traditional oven in microwave form. Depending on how much you fork out, some models will even be able to bake sponge cakes.
What’s more, they also have the ability to brown foods – so if you’re trying to achieve a perfectly crisp baked potato, a combination microwave will certainly do the trick.
How to choose the right microwave
Solo microwave
If you simply want to defrost the occasional dish or piece of meat, reheat a beverage or leftovers and fast-bake a potato, then a simple microwave will do the job perfectly and not break the budget.
Standard microwaves tend to be smaller, so if space is tight, this will be perfect, but if you have several to cook for, you may want to look for a larger size or, instead of a classic turntable, flatbed microwaves tend to be larger, and they are easier to clean.
Microwave and grill
The next step from the solo microwave is to add a grill for crisping up, browning, or fuss-free grilled bacon. You may, however, want to consider size as the grill does take up room in what often is already a smallish cavity – though, on some more expensive models, the grill element is enclosed, which helps.
Combi microwave oven
Should you have more room, a big family or want extra cooking capacity from time to time, then the combi is worth a look. They once had bad press for being a costly mistake; the element for the oven was exposed and challenging to clean and took up space in the cavity, but the latest technology has almost eliminated those issues (with hidden oven elements).
The straightforward combi will give you an extra oven to cook and bake, just like a regular oven, which can be a real bonus for smaller households, second homes, student accommodation or small flats.
A level up from this are the two-in-ones, which combine oven-cooking with the speed of microwaving for either cooking from scratch or ready meals to get supper on the table in no time.
3-in-1 microwave, oven and grill
All these extras come at a price and are a serious investment, so work out what you want from yours, and as you can see from our round-up, there are plenty to choose from. Some models include air-frying, while others have a steam function alongside traditional settings.
Inverter technology
If you are replacing an old microwave, you may be intrigued to find microwaves with inverter technology. Whatever you were used to with your old oven, you will be amazed at how this technology has changed using a microwave, and for the better.
Without getting into science, this new technology means the oven constantly operates at the correct power for whatever is cooking, unlike an old oven where the power fluctuates continuously. The result is gentle cooking resulting in juicer, moist, evenly heated food.
Our costs-to-run calculations were done against the variable tariff at the time of testing, which is updated regularly – read more on the current energy price guarantee rates.
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