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Best Microwave ovens

Which Microwave ovens performed best in our tests?

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We tested 126 microwave ovens to determine the best-performing models. Our expert lab technicians tested each Microwave oven based on the following criteria:

  • Heating evenness
  • Speed of heating
  • Microwaving noise
  • Ease of use
  • Usable capacity (cu. ft.)
  • Defrosting evenness

Below lists the Microwave ovens that rated best in each of the tests our experts looked for. Learn about how these tests were performed and find out which Microwave oven is rated best when you subscribe.

Consumer Reports Ratings for Best Microwave ovens

ratingsBest Microwave oven for Heating evenness
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This reflects how evenly a model reheated a dish of cold mashed potatoes.


This Microwave oven which tested best for Heating evenness has the following features: Type, Claimed capacity (cu. ft.), Watts, Door-Open Method, Touchpad/Dial, Detailed prompts, Power level display/recall, Turntable diameter (in.), Sensor and Stainless/SS-look option.

ratingsBest Microwave oven for Speed of heating
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This score is based on the temperature rise of water heated in the microwave.


This Microwave oven which tested best for Speed of heating has the following features: Type, Claimed capacity (cu. ft.), Watts, Door-Open Method, Touchpad/Dial, Detailed prompts, Power level display/recall, Turntable diameter (in.), Sensor, Stainless/SS-look option and Racks for bi-level cooking.

ratingsBest Microwave oven for Microwaving noise
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This is based on how quiet the oven is while microwaving on high.


This Microwave oven which tested best for Microwaving noise has the following features: Type, Claimed capacity (cu. ft.), Watts, Door-Open Method, Touchpad/Dial, Detailed prompts, Power level display/recall, Turntable diameter (in.), Sensor, Convection mode, Speed-cook mode, Stainless/SS-look option and Racks for bi-level cooking.

ratingsBest Microwave oven for Ease of use
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This includes how easy it is to set the microwave without referring to the instructions.


This Microwave oven which tested best for Ease of use has the following features: Type, Claimed capacity (cu. ft.), Watts, Door-Open Method, Touchpad/Dial, Detailed prompts, Power level display/recall, Turntable diameter (in.) and Sensor.

ratingsBest Microwave oven for Usable capacity (cu. ft.)
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Measured capacity is the usable space based on our measurements, and excludes the corner spaces for models with rotating turntables. Note that most Over-The-Range models allow you to turn the rotation off to fit large dishes (a few countertop models offer this feature, as well.) With the rotation off, measured capacity approximates claimed. However, food may require extra tending and stirring.


This Microwave oven which tested best for Usable capacity (cu. ft.) has the following features: Type, Claimed capacity (cu. ft.), Watts, Door-Open Method, Touchpad/Dial, Detailed prompts, Power level display/recall, Turntable diameter (in.), Sensor and Stainless/SS-look option.

ratingsBest Microwave oven for Defrosting evenness
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This is based on how well the automatic-defrost program defrosted one pound of frozen ground chuck.


This Microwave oven which tested best for Defrosting evenness has the following features: Type, Claimed capacity (cu. ft.), Watts, Door-Open Method, Touchpad/Dial, Detailed prompts, Power level display/recall, Turntable diameter (in.), Sensor, Convection mode, Speed-cook mode and Racks for bi-level cooking.