Small microwaves are fantastic for single people, individuals living in small apartments or who have small kitchens, and for people who sparingly use a microwave but use it for very specific purposes. This is a pretty cool tool.
This list of the best small microwaves of 2022 highlights some of the winners of the Microwave Realm to give you a head start on making a fantastic choice. Read the buying guidelines below to help you make your final decision!
8 of the Best Small microwaves Review of 2022
1. Best Overall – Cuisinart CMW-100 Countertop Microwave
Cuisinart is a famous company in the world of kitchen appliances. This CMW-100 Countertop Microwave from Cuisinart made this list of the best small microwaves without much contest. With a beautiful exterior and excellent functionality, this is a hard model to beat.
This is one of the largest small microwaves on this list. The Cuisinart CMW-100 has a 1 cubic foot interior, meaning its exterior is also a bit larger. But this unit also packs in 1000 watts of power and 25 preprogrammed cook settings along with 10 power levels.
The CMW-100 is easy to use with touchpad controls and an LCD screen to monitor the chosen settings. For newbies, Cuisinart has included a detailed instruction booklet as well as a small recipe book to get you started with your new microwave.
One of the truly awesome things about this unit is that it comes with a 3-year warranty. So, you can rest easy that you’re taken care of when you purchase this microwave! But, because this is a long-lasting unit, it’s likely you won’t even need the warranty in the first place.
2. Best Value – Farberware Gourmet FMO10AHSBKA Small Convection Microwave
Farberware is a brand that produces high quality kitchen appliances for the modern home cook. The FMO10AHSBKA Small Microwave is classic, simple, and perfect for the smallest of kitchen spaces!
The Farberware Gourmet microwave is able to easily cook anything from a baked potato to pizza rolls. The final results of cooking both of these foods was an evenly cooked and tasty dish. Plus, the easy-to-use controls make it super simple for the user.
This small microwave is one of the few that offers an Express Cook feature. This feature amps up the cooking power for anywhere from 1-6 minutes with a 30-second time boost option. If you ever need to cook food quickly and efficiently, this is the feature for you!
With a 0.7 cubic foot interior capacity, the Farberware Gourmet is one of the smallest microwaves currently on the market. And, it comes in both black and white so that you can decide which one fits your kitchen aesthetic better!
3. Most Budget-Friendly – Hamilton Beach Small Microwave Oven
The Hamilton Beach Small Microwave Oven has a simple, classic aesthetic with simple settings. It’s perfect for people who prefer minimal hassle. Nevertheless, it’s a great appliance that’s sure to appeal to many home cooks across the world.
This is one of the most affordable small microwaves on this list. But don’t let the price fool you, this is an excellent appliance! Although it doesn’t handle super heavy use, for normal everyday uses the Hamilton Beach microwave is superb.
This Hamilton Beach appliance has a maximum power of 700 watts, but it also allows the user to use less power if desired by providing 10 power settings. Plus, there are 6 preset settings available for easy use.
Some of the special features included in this microwave include a child lockout feature, a defrost function based on weight and time, and the ability to quickly and easily tack on 30 seconds to the cook time only by pushing the start button.
4. Easiest Controls – Panasonic NE-1025F Commercial Microwave Oven
The Panasonic NE-1025F small microwave has a commercial design and functionality, but because of its supreme capabilities this Panasonic appliance made it onto the list of the best small microwaves of 2022.
This small microwave is designed for commercial use, but it functions just as well as a consumer piece. It has 0.8 cubic feet of internal capacity and a compact external size measuring 20 x 16 x 12 inches (long, deep, and high, respectively)
Out of all the microwaves on this list, this Panasonic model is by far the simplest. It has only a single timer dial with no bells or whistles. There are no complicated presets or power settings, so the user only needs to decide the desired cooking time, turn the dial, and wait!
This Panasonic microwave model is extremely easy to clean. The design of this microwave is such that the interior is completely smooth with no need for a rotating plate. And, this model has one of the highest wattages on the list at 1,000 watts!
5. Most Presets – LG NeoChef 1040-Watt LMC0975ST Countertop Microwave
LG is an up and coming brand in the kitchen appliance space, but it’s making headway as an innovative leader in the market. This LG NeoChef microwave is sleek and stylish with excellent features to boot!
The interior capacity of this unit is 0.9 cubic feet, so it’s able to cook slightly larger quantities of food than other models on this list while still remaining quite compact on the exterior. The LG NeoChef has 1000 watts of power and 10 different power settings.
This LG microwave that will need to be cleaned, but the company has smartly put an antibacterial, easy-clean gray coating throughout the interior of the microwave. When it comes time for cleaning, this is one of the easiest small microwaves to clean.
There are 7 preset cooking options along with 4 different presets for defrosting. The cooking process in the LG NeoChef is aided by LED lights on the interior of the microwave. These LED lights make sure that the interior is brightly lit while also ensuring additional energy efficiency.
6. Most Aesthetically Pleasing – RCA RMW1414 Small Microwave
RCA is a popular brand name in electronics, but the company is also known for producing quality kitchen appliances as well. The RMW1414 small microwave is unique and stands out among the rest, and it’s an ideal functional compact microwave solution!
This small microwave is by far one of the most customizable and beautiful appliances on this list. Depending on your individual needs, you can buy a 0.7 cubic foot model or any size up to a 1.6 cubic food model. And, the RCA RMW1414 comes in 9 different colors and styles!
This RCA microwave comes with plenty of cool features, too. Besides the 6 one-touch cooking presets, 10 power levels (up to 1000 watts), and quick cooking design, this microwave is also equipped with a child safety feature to keep your kids or grandkids safe in the kitchen.
The stainless steel exterior of the RCA RMW1414 microwave makes it very easy to clean as well as being stylish and durable. The interior is also specifically designed to be easy to clean, so when Cleaning Day comes, you don’t need to worry about scrubbing the microwave!
7. Most Compact & Power – Toshiba EM-925A5A-BS
The Japanese brand Toshiba produces both quality electronics as well as quality kitchen appliances. The EM-925A5A-BS small microwave has acceptable style and outstanding features, definitely fierce competition for other microwaves on the market.
This microwave is extraordinary when it comes to even, complete cooking. One of the complaints cited by frequent microwave users is that the microwave only heats the outside of a piece of food without even touching the inside; not so with this Toshiba microwave.
The 0.9 cubic foot interior is plenty of space for most uses, and, even better, the exterior of the microwave is quite compact. A stainless steel finish on the EM-925A5A-BS makes it easy to clean and pleasant to look at, both of which partly characterize the ideal small microwave.
The microwave only has a 1-year warranty, but it’s a strong unit that’s likely to last for years. The unit comes with 10 power settings up to 900 watts as well as a timer and defrost function. Plus, this Toshiba microwave has 6 cooking presets for easy use.
8. Longest Warranty – Sharp SMC0710BB/BW
This small microwave from Sharp may not be as stylish as some of the others, but it makes up for it with durability, functionality, and efficiency. This is a unit that’s sure to please, and because it’s affordable, you can even welcome it into your kitchen without breaking the bank!
When cooking certain foods, the Sharp SMC0710BB/BW microwave had high scores in terms of even cooking. However, the unit still struggles with cooking potatoes and popcorn, although a bit of an adjustment to the settings can change the outcome.
One of the most notable features of this microwave is that it has a 5-year warranty, the longest of any microwave on this list! Customers who invest in this affordable and durable microwave can rest assured that Sharp will take care of them and their microwave.
This is a very compact microwave, being only 11 x 19 x 15 (height, width, and depth, respectively). Of course, this means the interior is also smaller, but for singles, couples, or people who use their microwave only for small jobs, the smaller interior shouldn’t be an issue.
When Do You Need a Small Microwave?
Different people purchase small microwaves for different reasons, but there are some common reasons that prevail among buyers. Small microwaves are convenient and space-saving, so for people who yearn for a fast cooking solution, this may be the right choice.
People who live in small apartments or in dormitories may value a small microwave because of its compact (but high-powered) nature. It’s easy to rewarm food, or even cook small dishes, using a small microwave, which makes it the perfect choice for small-house dwellers.
Single people may not need a large microwave, so they may choose a small microwave to save kitchen space as well as to save money. Small microwaves are the perfect efficiency appliance for a busy life.
Some people choose to get a small microwave if they’re only planning on using the microwave for small tasks or only on a semi regular basis. If you think that a microwave would help speed up your cooking process, but you don’t need it all the time, a small microwave is for you.
How to Choose a Small Microwave
There are a huge number of small microwaves out there on the market, so it can be a hefty project to make a final decision on a microwave. Here are some basic considerations to help you out on your buying journey:
Special Features
Small microwaves all come equipped with different features, and some are more unique than others. These features can cover everything from basic safety mechanisms to technologically advanced cooking techniques. Look closely to know what you’re getting.
One of the most common special features included in a small microwave is the Quick Cook feature. With this feature, users can cook food even more quickly and efficiently. The Quick Cook feature is also known as Express Cook, and it may come with a 30-second boost.
Most small microwaves also have cooking presets built in. Each microwave will have a different set of presets, but these presets can be huge time savers, so make sure to look closely at the presets that are available on potential microwave prospects.
A new and advanced feature only offered in a few small microwave models is the sensor cooking feature. This feature monitors the amount of steam emitted by the food during cooking to monitor when the food is finished without the hassle of setting a particular time.
Size
The whole purpose of the small microwave is that it’s small. Of course, it’s still necessary to consider both the internal and external dimensions of the microwave to ensure that you’re getting a good deal and that the microwave will be able to suit your needs.
The smallest microwaves have an internal dimension of approximately 0.7 cubic feet or less. But there are a few extremely compact small microwaves that have an internal dimension of even up to 1 cubic foot. Consider your personal cooking needs to make a decision.
In terms of external dimensions, check the specifications for each small microwave to find how much space the microwave will take up. Generally, the internal dimensions of the microwave will determine the external dimensions, but there are a few microwaves where this is not the case.
Power/Wattage
The wattage of a small microwave determines how quickly it can cook food. The majority of small microwaves have a maximum wattage ranging between 700 and 1,000 watts, but of course there are a few that have more or less power as well.
Most small microwaves allow users to adjust the power settings manually, instead of only having the microwave set on its maximum power setting permanently. So, this way the cook can use a lower or higher power setting whenever appropriate.
Warranty
Small microwaves usually come with a warranty of at least one year. However, there are a few that have two year, or even three year warranties. These warranties protect the buyer and make it possible to make a purchase calmly and confidently.
Conclusion
With so many fantastic small microwave options on the market, the options seem overwhelming at first! But, with a simple glance through the best competitors in the world of small microwaves, the decision becomes infinitely more manageable.