The Best Microwaves

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray
Published on
August 30th, 2019

Expert BioExpert Bio

Ben’s formal training and certifications in cleaning include the ASD (Advanced Structural Drying), AMRT (Applied Microbial Remediation Technician),
WRT (Water restoration technician), CCT (Carpet Cleaning technician), and bio hazard cleanup, as well as several other certifications from the IICRC. Ben has managed teams involved in cleaning projects around the United States. Ben’s passion for cleaning dates all the way back to keeping his rugby gear tidy while a young lad. Ben holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford, a Master’s degree from Oxford, and a mountain of hands on experience at the school of hard knocks.

The Cleaning Institute

Few home appliances are more relied upon than our microwaves. When we need to reheat food in a hurry or whip up a steaming bag of popcorn, the microwave is the first thing we turn to. While microwaves are built to last a while, eventually, you may need to find a replacement, and the Cleanway team is here to help. We’ve been in the business of helping home shoppers find the best products for 35 years. We’ve taken the time to test and review some of the top microwave models available today, and we’d like to present them to you here.

Testing Categories

Design – While a microwave doesn’t need to be pretty to work well, its design and usability tend to go hand in hand – a clean interface is easier to operate, after all. Additionally, a microwave should be compact enough to fit on most counter spaces or shelves within your kitchen. A microwave that is too big and cumbersome to fit won’t be able to serve you and your family as well.

Functionality – How easy is the microwave to program? To operate? Is it noisy or quiet? Can you shut the noise off if you need to? Does it come with any of the common presets? All of these factors matter to most homeowners.

Heating Ability – There’s no point in owning a microwave that won’t heat properly. We gauged how long it took each microwave to heat certain common foods, as well as how evenly it heated things.

Top Pick

Panasonic
Microwave
Oven

While Panasonic is generally a trusted brand, tread lightly when buying this microwave, as there seem to be some faulty models floating around. The functional models, however, work quite well.

Price Check

Most notable upside: Panasonic has definitely designed this microwave with accessibility in mind. It isn’t hard at all to set up, and once you’ve got it ready to go, it’s quite easy to learn to use. The different power settings are especially useful and allow you to apply just as much heat as you need to your food. Even making a morning bowl of oatmeal is a cinch, and can be performed without worrying about spillage. Thanks to its size, you don’t have to be concerned over this microwave unit taking up too much space in your kitchen. Finally, this microwave contains all of the basic functions you need to reheat your food. The defrosting feature is also especially useful and functional.

Biggest downsides: This microwave can be a bit noisy during operation—particularly when pressing buttons, or after your food has finished heating—but this can be easily solved by tweaking the sound settings. Quite a few reviewers have complained about this unit’s tendency to break after a short period of use. In some cases, it arrived already broken and nonfunctional. Other reviewers warned that this microwave caused electrical fires in their homes, but all of these problems seem to stem from a faulty power source.

5/5
Design
3/5
Functionality
5/5
Heating Ability

Honorable Mention

Toshiba EM925A5A-BS
Microwave
Oven

Despite some issues with longevity, we find this microwave is still worth investing in due to the sheer amount of features it offers. The sound toggling is a definite plus!

Price Check

Most notable upside: We love the functionality this microwave offers! Its sound toggling ability is easily operable; just hold down the eight button for around five seconds. This feature is perfect for those late-night snack runs. However, this microwave isn’t too intrusive, even with the sound left on. You’ll hear only one ring once your food is done, and that’s it. You can also lock the microwave to keep your kids (or food thieves) out. We also love its built-in LED light and power saving function. There is enough space inside this microwave to accommodate dinner plates, yet the microwave itself is still small enough to easily fit on most countertops while leaving room for other appliances. We found the microwave to be easy to get the hang of as far as overall use. It’s able to get your food nice and hot in an adequate amount of time.

Biggest downsides: In some cases, this microwave also stopped working, in some capacity, after two to three months’ worth of use. For one reviewer, it was the LED light that stopped working sporadically; for other reviewers, it was the entire unit. In another case, the keypad was only semi-functional. Some reviewers noticed sparks and smoke, signaling electrical issues.

5/5
Design
3/5
Functionality
4/5
Heating Ability

Also Consider

AmazonBasics Microwave

Internet connectivity and compatibility with Amazon’s voice assistant definitely make this one “smart” microwave. However, it may be too small—and too inconsistent in its heating—for some users.

Price Check

Most notable upside: This unit could be ideal for someone looking for a microwave with basic functionality. One of the most interesting parts about it is its ability to connect not just to your WiFi, but also to any Amazon Alexa unit in your home; in fact, they are designed to interact with one another. Alexa will control your microwave through your voice command. If anything, it’s definitely a sign of how quickly technology has advanced. You don’t need to program the microwave after plugging it in - just let it connect to your Internet and to Alexa and it’s ready to go. You don’t even have to worry about resetting the clock during time changes. This microwave is of a good size for small living spaces.

Biggest downsides: Figuring out the best voice commands to control the microwave can be a challenge. Its power levels also match its size; it only goes up to 700 watts, rather than the traditional 1000 watts. It may need more time to heat up food because of this. Some reviewers even found the heating to be uneven or entirely inadequate. It also can’t hold very much; an average-sized bag of popcorn would struggle to fit inside.

4/5
Design
4/5
Functionality
3/5
Heating Ability

All Our Picks

Tips for Effective Microwaving

Before you microwave your food, be sure to take into account what you are microwaving first. Foods with skins must be punctured first with a fork to ensure ventilation. Some foods must also be cut or arranged to ensure they are able to heat as evenly as possible. Lay a paper towel over your food to prevent popping and splattering. If you’re thawing food, be sure to only use your defrost setting; this is the safest and gentlest setting for frozen foods.

A Note About Safety and Storage

One of the biggest safety rules for microwaves is to never try to heat metal silverware or aluminum foil, as this can cause fires to start. Similarly, watch your food as it heats and shut the microwave off if your food seems to be getting too hot too quickly; this is especially relevant for popcorn, which burns easily. Do not let small children operate your microwave alone.

The Best Microwaves

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Panasonic
Microwave
Oven

Design

Functionality

Heating Ability

Toshiba EM925A5A-BS
Microwave
Oven

Design

Functionality

Heating Ability

AmazonBasics Microwave

Design

Functionality

Heating Ability

All Our Picks

Panasonic
Microwave
Oven

Toshiba EM925A5A-BS
Microwave
Oven

AmazonBasics Microwave

Tips for Effective Microwaving

A Note About Safety and Storage

Quick Links

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The Best Microwaves

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Panasonic Microwave Oven

Design

Functionality

Heating Ability

Toshiba EM925A5A-BSMicrowave Oven

Design

Functionality

Heating Ability

AmazonBasics Microwave

Design

Functionality

Heating Ability

All Our Picks

Panasonic Microwave Oven

Toshiba EM925A5A-BSMicrowave Oven

AmazonBasics Microwave

Tips for Effective Microwaving

A Note About Safety and Storage

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Panasonic
Microwave
Oven

Toshiba EM925A5A-BS
Microwave
Oven

Panasonic
Microwave
Oven

Toshiba EM925A5A-BS
Microwave
Oven