The 4 Best Microwaves of 2026

A bag of popcorn inside one of the microwaves we tested. — Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

To test each microwave, we opened and shut doors, pressed buttons, and warmed, defrosted, cooked, and reheated dozens of foods, including burritos, butter, chicken breasts, coffee, fried rice, frozen broccoli, mac and cheese, pizza, and popcorn. For convection/air-fryer models, we also air-fried, baked, and toasted.

Specifically, we evaluate:

Size: Microwaves can be small/compact (0.7 to 0.9 cubic foot of capacity), midsize (1 to 1.6 cubic feet of capacity), and large (up to 2.2 cubic feet of capacity). We’ve found around 1.2 cubic feet of capacity and a 12-inch carousel is ideal for most households. This size can fit a 12-inch dinner plate, a 9-inch square casserole dish with handles, a large bag of microwave popcorn, two frozen dinners, four mugs, or two smaller bowls.

Build and design: A microwave should feel sturdy and be hefty enough to stay put when you open and close the door. The display should be easy to read, and any buttons, knobs, or handles should not be difficult to turn, pull, or press, particularly for anyone with mobility issues.

We also sought out models that look good, if not great, with appealing shapes and bodies made of more metal than plastic (or, at least, better-quality plastic).

Door latches: We prefer microwaves with a button to open the door latch because they are generally easier to use (and ADA-compliant) and safer (you’re less likely to drag the machine when you open the door). But we do recommend a few options with handles, which some people (including some of our paid testers) prefer.

Noise: Larger, more powerful, better-quality microwaves tend to be louder than smaller ones. If your microwave is especially loud or annoying, consider moving it so that the sound isn’t reflecting off a wall or cabinet.

Even heating: All microwaves heat foods somewhat unevenly. We evaluated evenness by cooking different foods — including marshmallows, which show hot spots and degrees of doneness — across the breadth of the turntable. Microwaves with an inverter motor, which can run at variable speeds and allows for continuous cooking at lower power levels, cooked and defrosted more evenly with less power. (Traditional transformer-powered microwaves cycle between bursts of full power and zero power to achieve similar results.) To assess evenness, we microwaved raw, frozen chicken breasts at 50% power for 14 minutes before checking the temperature at three points.

In our testing, we opened and shut doors, pressed buttons, and warmed, defrosted, cooked, and reheated dozens of different foods. Marki WIlliams/NYT Wirecutter

To test how evenly each microwave heated, we microwaved foods such as frozen burritos on high and then took temperature readings at three different points. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

We took the temperature of frozen meals to test how evenly each microwave heated. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

We tested the pasta setting on automatic cooking sensors with bowls of microwavable macaroni. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

To test automatic sensor reheat settings, we heated a variety of foods and made sure that the temperature reached at least 165 °F, according to the USDA’s food-safety rules. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

To test low-power and melt settings, we warmed room-temperature and frozen butter. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

For combination microwaves that also had convection-oven and air-fryer capabilities, we baked, fried (chicken nuggets), broiled, and toasted. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter

In our testing, we opened and shut doors, pressed buttons, and warmed, defrosted, cooked, and reheated dozens of different foods. Marki WIlliams/NYT Wirecutter

Speed and power: All countertop microwaves have between 700 and 1,250 watts of power. Higher power heats things more quickly, but our testing revealed that even a small, 700-watt microwave can heat foods and liquids to appropriate temperatures, albeit slightly slower. Plus, foods defrost and cook more evenly at lower power levels, which also helps avoid splattering, drying out foods, and overcooking edges.

Useful cooking functions: Nearly every microwave expert we spoke to said that the vast majority of microwave owners use the Add 30 Seconds button exclusively. We heard the same thing from our paid testers and regular cooks, too. So we didn’t pay much attention to specific presets for items such as a potato, popcorn, or pizza, or instant-start express settings (for example, pressing “2” starts the microwave at its highest power for two minutes). But we did give extra credit to microwaves whose additional features produced better results without imposing a major learning curve.

View of the inner workings of three microwaves that we tested to find the best. — From left: an RCA-brand model, manufactured by Galanz, and models from Amazon, Black+Decker, and GE, all manufactured by Midea and built around the same core components. Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter

Brand and reliability: The majority of under-$100 countertop microwaves sold in the US, regardless of brand name, are made by a few companies overseas, primarily Midea and Galanz.

We focus on microwaves made by the few brands that either manufacture their own microwaves or work with large manufacturers to produce models with improved design or functionality. Their microwaves also tend to have better-quality mechanical parts, especially the door latch, which often breaks (the machine won’t operate with a broken latch). We checked for accessible company websites and customer service.

UL Solutions certification: We only considered microwaves with certification from UL Solutions, a firm that sets safety standards for most small appliances in the United States. (Any UL Solutions–certified microwave manufactured after April 1, 2024, requires a child-lock system to help prevent burns. Adults can override the lock.)

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