Best microwaves for everyday home cooking, tested and reviewed

If you get it right, a microwave can quickly become one of your best friends in the kitchen. Of course, what you want to use the microwave for will govern what type you should buy, so it. We’ve outlined the different styles of microwaves available and done the research to recommend the best.

Best microwaves at a glance

• Best combination microwave: Sage the Combi Wave 3-in-1 microwave oven, £349.95
• Best flatbed microwave: Sharp digital combination microwave, £149.99
• Best budget microwave: Russell Hobbs RHM1731, £84.99
• Best combination microwave for steam cooking: Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ, £569
• Best combination microwave for families: Panasonic NN-DS59NBBPQ, £364
• Best combination microwave for style: Smeg 34-litre combi microwave oven, £469
• Best microwave for precise cooking: Bosch Serie 2 FFL023MS2B, £149
• Best microwave for medium-sized households: Beko Solo Digital Touch microwave MOC20130SF, £84
• Best microwave under £100: Russell Hobbs RHMD714G Scandi microwave, £79
• Best small microwave: Swan Retro digital microwave, £87.99

Jump to section:

• Best microwaves to buy in 2024
• Other microwaves tested and rated
• What are the differences between standard, grill and combination microwaves?
• How to choose the right microwave
• How we tested microwaves

Best microwaves to buy in 2024

Sage the Combi Wave 3-in-1 microwave oven

• Available from Sage (£399.95), Harts of Stur (£397.95), Lakeland (£419.95), John Lewis & Partners (£400)

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:

• Sage (£399.95)
• Harts of Stur (£397.95)
• Lakeland (£419.95)
• John Lewis & Partners (£400)

Sharp digital combination microwave

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

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

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

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

Best combination microwave for style

Pros:

• Stylish
• Super-powerful yet quiet
• Generous 34 litres

Cons:

• Fierce auto-defrost

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

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

Beko Solo digital touch microwave MOC20130SF

Best microwave for medium-sized households

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Easy to clean
• Variety of presets
• Intuitive touchscreen

Cons:

• Slides on countertop
• Mixed cooking results
• Short warranty (1 year)

Wattage: 700W

Star rating: 4/5

This Beko model comes with a range of presets that eliminate the guesswork out of heating certain ingredients – from melting chocolate and reheating drinks, to cooking pasta and rice.

Its 22-litre capacity offers ample space for a household of three or four, but its understated design makes it feel less bulky than other appliances with similar dimensions.

We microwaved a bowl of soup first, which was consistently heated throughout and didn't splatter. Making jacket potatoes (using the jacket potato preset) was more troublesome – after three separate tests, we found our potatoes were undercooked after the six-minute timer had run out. When we ran it for another three minutes, the base of the potato burned, but the centre was still too firm.

The defrost setting on the Beko MOC20130SF performed much better, successfully thawing a chicken breast in just over seven minutes and only slightly catching the edges.

Cost to run on high for six minutes: 1.82p

Russell Hobbs RHMD714G Scandi microwave

Best microwave under £100

Pros:

• Small but punchy

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.

Swan Retro digital microwave

Best small microwave

Pros:

• Retro styling
• Perfect for small spaces

Cons:

• Fierce auto programmes

Wattage: 800W

Star rating: 4/5

Brighten up your kitchen with this retro-styled microwave, which comes in a range of 11 different colours, so something for everyone. We tested the sunny yellow model, but there’s sure to be one that to fit your décor.

The footprint is small and, at just 20 litres, this is not a microwave for families but one to sit beautifully in any small kitchen.

It comes with several added extras, including a range of auto-programmes from defrosting by weight between 0.1 and 2kg and 12 simple auto cooking programmes, each with further choices.

Read our full Swan retro digital microwave review.

Other microwaves tested and rated

• Russell Hobbs Buckingham microwave review, £79.99
• Swan Nordic digital microwave review, £101.99
• Panasonic NN-CD58JSBPQ combination microwave review, £269
• Samsung combination microwave MC28M6055CK review, £249
• Sharp R959SLMAA combination microwave oven review, £329

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.

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 blasted jacket potatoes to make sure they cooked through to the centre yet stayed moist at the edges.

We also microwaved soup to check for any hot and cold spots, and defrosted chicken breasts. 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.

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.

Microwave recipes and tips

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10 easy, healthy microwave meals
How to cook food in a microwave
Microwave mug cakes
Microwave banana pudding
Microwave chilli
Microwave coffee and walnut cake
Microwave jambalaya
Microwave meringues

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