The Best Mini Microwave Oven

A wise man once told me “if you don’t own a microwave, you’re screwed”. I shook him off and thought he was crazy. Until one stormy Friday night, where I found myself unable to cook a proper my for myself, because I felt lazy.

Oh, the struggle was very real. And boy was he right.

So, I thought to myself “where can I possibly put a microwave in my tiny kitchen?”. Should I just ditch the stovetop, or put the dishwasher up for sale on Craigslist? I wouldn’t need anything but a freezer to store my upcoming TV dinners, after all. 

The solution: A mini microwave. One of those small boxes, compact enough to fit in a small corner, or even on a shelf next to the kitchen. It’s basically able to fit in a cabinet, if needed.

Since then I’ve been able to try and review a decent amount of compact microwaves, and in this buyer’s guide are the ones we found to be the best of the best. 

Top Pick: Affordable and Compact

What we like: The COMFEE’ EM720CPL-PMB is a really nice mini microwave oven, and it works great for multiple purposes. Buyers on Amazon seem to love its features, and with a 12.4 inches glass turntable there’s plenty of space to heat up all types of food on places and in bowls of your choice. It has a nice sleek design with no buttons, making it super easy to keep clean.

All you need to know: The COMFEE’ EM720CPL-PMB is available in a black or white edition, and it’s perfectly suitable for a small kitchen countertop.

The compact microwave oven has a brightly lid control panel with touch sensitive buttons, and there’s also an ECO mode you can activate to save power when it’s on standby.

There’s an interior light to give you an easy overview of your food, and the glass turntable measures 12.4 inches in diameter. It holds 0.7 cubic feet total, and comes with a one year limited warranty.

One nice feature is that it comes with the ability to turn off all microwave beeps. That way you can operate it in a less noisy mode, which is great if someone is sleeping and you just don’t want those annoying beeps whenever you decide to heat something up.

Specifications:

• Capacity: 0.7 cu.ft.
• Wattage: 700 Watts
• Cooking sensor: No
• Dimensions: 10.2 x 17.3 x 13 inches (HxWxD)

Cool Retro Style Mini Microwave Oven

What we like: If you like contemporary interior design and wants to keep your kitchen as stylish as possible, this small microwave oven is a great choice. The COMFEE’ AM720C2RA comes in a variety of colors, and as such it works really well in any modern style setting. The microwave has 9 automatic programs and 10 power levels, so you’ll be able to cook anything you want.

All you need to know: Here’s a mini microwave oven in a retro style design, that makes it suitable for modern interior design and small kitchens with less countertop space.

It’s a 700 Watts microwave with 10 power levels, a clock and a kitchen timer built into the panel, and a easy-to-use rotary switch for adjustment of time. Everything else is set by the push of a button, and the overview is good.

The COMFEE’ microwave also comes with a range of features such as ACO mode, which means it consumes less power while in standby mode, and it has a defrost mode for thawing foods from the freezer.

Besides the color shown in the image, you can get this microwave in passionate red or cream.

Specifications:

• Capacity: 0.7 cu.ft.
• Wattage: 700 Watts
• Cooking sensor: No
• Dimensions: 10.2 x 17.3 x 13 inches (HxWxD)

Compact and Affordable Microwave

What we like: The Insignia NS-MW09SS8 is a nice, affordable, and compact microwave oven. It has all the features you’d ever need in a microwave this size, and as such it is a great buy for those in search of something simple, yet efficient enough to cook all kinds of TV dinners, popcorn, and reheat all types of food. It takes no time with its 900 Watts, which enables it to heat all types of food quickly and easily. All in all, this is indeed our favorite compact microwave.

Besides our opinion on this microwave, more than thousand buyers agree that it is actually a great mini microwave. The reviews are consistently good, which is another reason why we won’t hesitate recommending it.

All you need to know: The Insignia NS-MW09SS8 is a “Best Buy Exclusive” product, which means you’ll have to order it through Best Buy. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, because it’s quite affordable and Best Buy ships to most addresses across the US.

There’s no sensors built into this microwave, meaning you’ll have to rely on your own senses to judge when your food has been properly heated. Usually the instructions on the packaging is very accurate anyway, so as long as you crank up the wattage to the value specified in the cooking instructions, you should be good.

There’s a turntable included with this mini microwave though, which ensures that your food is evenly cooked. It measures 10 3/5 inches, which is more than enough to most purposes.

The maximum wattage of this model is 900 Watts, and this is plenty for most types of cooking and heating.

The door has a push-to-open feature, meaning it doesn’t have any handle sticking out from the front. Since it’s only 14 4/5 inches deep as well, it is easily fitted into a cabinet. It is only 19 1/10 inches wide, and the height is 11 1/2 inches. It has a capacity of 0.9 cubic feet, which is usually more than enough for most purposes.

Although it’s among the cheapest microwaves out there, it comes with a range of one touch functions and a memory button, which allows you to preset some of your most used programs for ease of use.

Specifications:

• Capacity: 0.9 cu.ft.
• Wattage: 900 Watts
• Cooking sensor: No
• Dimensions: 11 1/2 x 19 1/10 x 14 4/5 inches (HxWxD)

Great Microwave with Mid-Size Capacity

What we like: The Shark SMC1132CS is another very popular little microwave, which is liked by hundreds of buyers across multiple online stores. It is a bit more expensive than the cheapest models available, but you do get a few extra features as well.

We especially like the touch sensitive control panel, which is easy to clean because it doesn’t have any buttons. Just a nice and smooth surface, which can be wiped off with a regular table cloth and just a tiny bit of spray cleaner or dishwasher detergent. It has a good number of one-touch programs as well, which enables you to cook your favorite meals in no time. All in all, we think this is a great buy for those seeking a little bit extra.

All you need to know: The Sharp SMC1132CS is a simple yet functional microwave, suitable for those in need of more functionality than what’s included with the cheapest models out there.

With this mini microwave you’ll get a decent capacity of 1.1 cubic feet along with a touch sensitive control panel, from where you can select a nice choice of preset programs, which make you able to heat some of the usual food items quickly and easily. The one touch programs feature potatoes, fresh veggies, frozen veggies, frozen pizza (of course), popcorn, reheat, defrost, beverage. It is also possible to alter those programs and customize the heating process yourself, so you can achieve the best result possible every time.

The mini microwave from Sharp features a spacious 1.1 cubic feet oven compartment, which is more than enough for most needs. It has a wattage of up to 1,000 Watts, which is quite impressive in this price range. There’s also an LED screen with touch sensitive controls, so that you can easily clean it when needed.

Sharp SMC1132CS measures 12 by 20 3/10 by 14 9/10 inches, and is therefore among some of the most compact microwaves out there. It doesn’t have a sensor, hence it’s unable to adjust its cooking time automatically depending on the progress of your food being cooked. This feature is usually not found in microwaves in this price class anyway, so it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker if you’re on the market for a new budget friendly microwave.

Specifications:

• Capacity: 1.1 cu.ft.
• Wattage: 1,000 Watts
• Cooking sensor: No
• Dimensions: 12 x 20 3/10 x 14 9/10 inches (HxWxD)

Simplistic Mini Microwave in a Stainless Steel Design

What we like: Here’s a nice and simplistic mini microwave, which suits most modern kitchens. It has a stainless steel exterior which we like, and the control panel has touch sensitive buttons, making it easy to keep clean and free from grease and grime. It is quite popular among the buyers as well, and across multiple online stores it receives good ratings. It is among some of the most compact models available, with a capacity of only 0.7 cubic feet. This is still more than enough for most purposes, and therefore it’s a perfect choice for those small kitchens where every little square inch counts.

All in all we recommend this microwave as one of the best choices among the most compact models out there.

All you need to know: This compact countertop microwave has a completely flat front, making it easy to fit within a cabinet. It can also be mounted underneath an undercabinet, if you want to keep your countertop space free. It requires a mounting kit at an additional cost though, but if the space it tight it might be a good option.

This mini microwave features a 0.7 cubic feet oven room with plenty of space for both your popcorn and precooked dinners, and it has a few preset programs to pick from when you’re in a hurry.

The microwave does come with a turntable as well, which ensures the food is cooked thoroughly all over. The turntable measures 9.625 inches, which is plenty for most people.

This mini microwave measures 12 1/4 by 7 7/8 by 11 5/8 inches, and is as such among some of the most compact models out there.

Specifications:

• Capacity: 0.7 cu.ft.
• Wattage: 700 Watts
• Cooking sensor: No
• Dimensions: 7 7/8 x 12 1/4 x 11 5/8 inches HxWxD

Compact Microwave with a Modern Look

What we like: This mini microwave has a sleek design with a smooth surface. You won’t find any push-buttons here, because everything is controlled through the touch sensitive panel. The door handle is hidden to the side, enabling the entire front of the microwave to be as stylish and modern as possible. It is also an efficient 1,000 Watts microwave, which is spacious enough to cook whatever you want. The 0.9 cubic feet oven room takes care of that. If you HAVE to put your microwave on your countertop, at least pick one as stylish as this one – you definitely won’t regret it, and usually microwaves last for decades, so the money is well spent.

All you need to know: The LG NeoChef LMC0975ST has a neat and smooth looking surface on the front door, which spans all the way from left to right. The handle has been places to the side, making it completely invisible from the front. This makes for a modern looking microwave with no place for dirt and grime to hide from your eyesight.

The mini microwave is made partially from plastic and stainless steel, and all controls are touch sensitive. It has a few preset programs, which are handy for those things you probably cook the most, and it has a cooking sensor as well, making it able to automatically cook your meals to a certain temperature. It also has a defrost feature for various types of food, and you can also adjust the time and wattage manually.

Specifications:

• Capacity: 0.9 cu.ft.
• Wattage: 1.000 Watts
• Cooking sensor: Yes
• Dimensions: 11 x 18.74 x 14.5 inches HxWxD